Bella Vita Girls

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of doing a portrait shoot with Brie'n and Nichole, the proprietors of Bella Vita Planning & Paper Company. We spent a wonderful afternoon walking along the Snohomish River scouting out good locations. Overall, I am happy with the results.

I wish I had brought my reflector with me so I could have taken advantage of the sun and a larger variety of locations. To this end, my next photo purchase is going to be a reflector stand. The bottom line is, I am usually doing shoots on my own and holding a reflector in the correct position while trying to snap a picture is unrealistic. There were a lot of excellent locations I couldn't use because the sun wasn't cooperating.

wings and things

If you ever want to make a room of people smile just take a little girl, put her in a full-skirted dress and a pair of wings. I have seen this strategy successfully implemented at many summer weddings. Every girl wants to wear wings. All of us. The size, shape and variety may differ, but every woman is the star of her own fairy tale.

A good pair of wings can be an incredibly versatile prop and not just for children. Costumes are a powerful tool. A costume frees us to express things we might normally keep hidden. Clothes define us; they are an outward expression of who we are, where we come from, and where we would like to be.

Perhaps it is my background in theater, but I am a tremendous fan of costumes. I like my photographs to be playful and I firmly believe putting a costume on someone allows them a certain freedom to step out of their comfort zone and relax in front of the camera. Just like wearing a suit to an important business meeting will boost confidence, the right set of clothes will open up a person up to express who they are.

Society often dictates what we wear and when. A portrait session is a rare opportunity to create a visual representation of how we want to be remembered whether it be in an evening gown, a suit, jeans and a t-shirt or wearing wings.