Bridal : Two of a Kind

I will forewarn you.  This post is looooong.  The story, the pictures, the whole shabang.  I know there are “rules” to blogging in keeping it simple and short, only displaying those few photos most pertinent to your brand.  But I broke all the rules on this one.  I’m so hood. 

I had been dreaming for months about photographing a beautiful horse in the sheer sunlight standing next to a gorgeous bride in a long flowy cream dress.  I envisioned all things whimsical with a touch of enchantment.  Bunny rabbits hopping about in the distance and a butterfly landing on the tip of my bride’s finger as she sang peacefully about her long awaited groom.  Okay, maybe not that whimsical.  In fact, I just made all that up.  But for months I dreamed and then for several weeks I coordinated and planned this stylized shoot with a very clear vision of elegance, femininity and originality.  Something fresh yet bold with a dash of edge.   Because that’s how I roll.  And I couldn’t have done any of it without the help of brilliant interior decorator, Amy Roberts.  Amy helped bring all my crazy ideas into reality from floral arrangements, to choosing a location, to arranging the horses (thanks Wendy!), to pulling my car out of a ditch which I aimlessly drove into.  This shoot started out hopeful and planned and unfolded into something stressful, crazy, and bizarre.  And I wouldn’t have changed a thing!  It was one of the most fun and creative outlets I’ve had in a long time. 

The day started out cursed when my computer crashed at home.  But I didn’t see the flag.  What followed after was a series of events that would make this shoot unforgettable.  First we encountered illegal gunfire at our chosen location, forcing us to scout out a new spot while trying to work on a time crunch due to lighting.  During the search I literally drove my car into a drainage course and poor Amy, the decorator, had to get out and coach me to gently turn and floor it in an effort to unmerge the tire.  I’m not much of an off roader, (obviously) so when the horrendous trench released us I was ecstatic and clapped like a baby seal.  Only to find once hitting actual pavement that I had ripped off my front bumper.  Amy put on her cape and came to the rescue, once again, with her macgyver  kit, somehow rigging us up well enough to continue looking for a spot.  Once we found it we unpacked everything and started setting up and then from nowhere came a wind storm!  With everything blowing over I moved quickly to photograph what I could.  In the midst of the mini hurricane one of the vases blew off the table and smashed our poor models iphone into pieces.  I whined “I’m sooooorry!” as I began praying to God that nothing else would go wrong.  Once we wrapped up I quickly started photographing the horses with the models as the sun was no longer waiting for us.  In an effort to move things quickly I started running over toward a spot I wanted to try and I ate it face first in the dirt, squealing like an overweight pig as I went down.  The girls laughed and made sure I was okay as I smiled and picked sticks out of my teeth.  Next, as I was demonstrating to one of the models how I wanted her to pose with the horse she stepped a little too far back and the horse furiously kicked her right in the thigh.  I could have died.  I replayed everything in slow motion before coming to the realization that what just happened was real.  She held on to me as we made a painful face together and I asked repeatedly if she was okay.  I’ve never been kicked by a horse before but I have been dragged, I can’t imagine this being any better!  Thankfully she has experience riding and handled it like a pro and even continued shooting!!  This girl is a total rock star.  I mean really… if that was me I would have for sure rolled around on the ground with my thumb in my mouth for a good three hours.   We continued shooting until we completely lost all light possible and treated ourselves to a hot cappuccino when all was said and done.  Thankfully we made it back in one piece and laughed about everything on the drive home.  Definitely one I will never forget.

Thank you so much Tegan and Taylor for being so unbelievably kind, patient, and down to earth.  Not to mention flawlessly beautiful, inside and out.

Special thanks to a great team:

Decorating and Styling - Amy Roberts
Hair & Make-Up – Katie Beaudin
Headpieces & Accessories – Haati Chai

Thought you may enjoy a couple shots of us hard at work.This was literally RIGHT after poor Taylor got kicked.  This wasn’t the bad horsey that did it, but they were both really mad at that point.  Good thing the horse whisperer showed up.

I also do a great impression of Fire Marshall Bill.


13 comments

Daniel Cruz - Beautiful job!May 18, 2012 – 2:53 pm

brittney nielson - Yaaaahhh! I have been waiting to see these! Beautiful! You caught the great connection between the models and the horses and the props! Everything really worked together no matter what! Again sooo beautiful!May 17, 2012 – 8:58 pm

Lisette - BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!May 16, 2012 – 10:10 pm

Michelle - oh my goodness… these are absolutely beautiful. I cannot tell that you had one VERY interesting day before this shoot.May 16, 2012 – 6:47 pm

Carolina - Wow wow wow wow WOW! Alisha! These are gorgeous!!!May 16, 2012 – 4:49 pm

Danae Beaudin - These pictures are more than beautiful!! Im glad you all made it home safe! Too funny. Im in LOVE with the jars of honey, what a beautiful prop. Great job you amazingly talented photographer!May 16, 2012 – 4:47 pm

nicole - LOVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Such great captures Alisha! And now, I want to buy a horse. :) May 16, 2012 – 1:12 pm

Monika Greenaway - GORGEOUS!!! Wow amazing.May 16, 2012 – 1:04 pm

Christina Dely - You have truly outdone yourself!!! I can’t stop looking through these images. Absolutely stunning in every way. The lighting is to die for. You make me want to be a girl on a horse in a flowy dress :) XOMay 16, 2012 – 12:45 pm

Laura - Love them!May 16, 2012 – 11:54 am

Brooke - These photos are absolutely gorgeous! I adore the styling of the details and your lighting is A-MAZE! (as Ms. Whitney would say). Congrats on keeping it together and in the end getting fabulous photos … even in the face of all that craziness. You are a true talent!May 16, 2012 – 11:49 am

rich - Alisha! This session is incredible! Super super beautiful. Amazing job :) May 16, 2012 – 11:44 am

katie - Alisha!!!
Nailed it!!!! You are serioulsy such a great photogragher it blows my mind. These are FABULOUS!! xoxoMay 16, 2012 – 11:42 am

Just the three of us

Sugar and spice and everything nice.  That’s what little girls are made of.  But sisters, well they have much thicker ingredients.  And those ingredients ran strong through beautiful Madison and Marisa.  They read each other’s body language as they splashed in the water and laughed together as they whispered in one another’s ears.  Probably about my hair which had now turned into the aftermath of a burnt pile of hay from a barn fire.  Whatever it was they confided in each other that day was special to them and brought joy to their faces.  This in return brought joy to mine.  Because this is the way friendships should be; full of laughter, trust and love.  Their admiration made me wish I was their age again.  Just with the same experience of life that I have now.  Then I could completely appreciate what a blessing it is to have someone in your life that genuinely loves you and wants you in theirs.  Their father, Cary, is definitely raising two amazing young ladies and I commend him.  I’m sure brushing their hair, monitoring wardrobe and hearing about boy crushes is no easy task for a Dad!  And those are the least of his worries.  But I know he’s proud of his wonderful daughters and the love they illuminate into other people’s lives.  The three of them together remind me of a thick strong braid, intertwined and holding each other in place while looking fabulous doing so. 


16 comments

Analily - Simply gorgeous. Love!May 13, 2012 – 11:41 am

Yeni - Wohoo!! I loved, loved, loveeeeed this family pics! :) May 12, 2012 – 5:41 pm

Christina Collado - Absolutely beautiful!!!May 12, 2012 – 10:29 am

Carolina - Looooooooovvvvvveeeee. Love the words, love the images.This dad must be in heaven with the images from this session!May 11, 2012 – 10:54 pm

Katie Harrelson - Wow Alisha these are truly amazing!May 11, 2012 – 8:08 pm

Brittney Nielson - Wow! truly priceless!! EEVERYTHING is so beautiful about these photos!May 11, 2012 – 7:18 pm

Yvette - These are wonderful pictures of an amazing man & his beautiful girls! Love them!!May 11, 2012 – 2:25 pm

Desiree - Absolutely gorgeous pictures.May 11, 2012 – 2:05 pm

nicole - LOVE that last shot! Great work AlishaMay 11, 2012 – 11:50 am

Christina Dely - WOW! These are incredibly beautiful!!!May 11, 2012 – 11:03 am

Kristy - Absolutely the MOST BEAUTIFUL pictures I’ve EVER seen!!!! :’)
These could easily be printed in magazines. Kudos to the photographer for having an eye and true talent!May 11, 2012 – 10:50 am

Jake Bacon - I just can’t say how much I love following your blog. The stories are great but are completely eclipsed by the power of your photos. You are building such an incredible body of work. This dad just made the most priceless investment in a shoot he will treasure for the rest of his life. The wings are absolutely epic… I turned my laptop to show my sixteen-year-old daughter and said “look at this killer image” after I turned it back around I realized that we were both so taken with the lighting, composition, mood and tattoo that we both missed the repetition on the girls shirts!!!!!!
Simply amazing and profound work.May 11, 2012 – 10:46 am

ashley pepper - Beautiful shots!May 11, 2012 – 10:41 am

laura - they turned out GREAT! so glad i was there for all the behind the scenes action! xoxoMay 11, 2012 – 10:41 am

Janelle Marina - sooo cute!!!May 11, 2012 – 10:38 am

Jenn - AWESOME shots! :) May 11, 2012 – 10:30 am

Expecting with the Nielsons

There’s something so beautiful about a woman carrying an unborn life.  Taking care of and loving her long before she takes her first breath.  Day dreaming about her arrival, folding all her tiny clothes and decorating the walls in her room.  There is no doubt that Brittney is expecting, you can see it in her beautiful glow and louder than usual laugh.  She radiates warmth and wears motherhood like it’s nobody’s business.  I must say, Erik was even glowing a bit too.  The joy in their smiles brightened my day and made me hopeful to be welcoming another child of my own someday.  Someday far, far away… but it still gave me hope.  As Vivienne patiently awaits the arrival of her new baby sister, she thoroughly is enjoying getting all the attention while it’s still around.  It makes me feel so good to see such a beautiful family continue to grow and touch those around them with their love.  I’m blessed to call these three my friends and can’t wait to make it four.

6 comments

Amy Roberts - Doesn’t hurt that these three are super photogenic! Love them blondie! You did it once again. They are amazing.May 6, 2012 – 8:36 pm

Katie Harrelson - Brit you look amazing, as usual! Love how beautiful your pictures turned out! Great Job Alisha and Congrats Brit & Eric!May 6, 2012 – 6:39 pm

Brittney Nielson - We love these so much and you! You are amazing how you get the best out of us! I love the ENTIRE experience! I can remember these moments forever! Truly grateful for you and your talents!May 6, 2012 – 3:43 pm

danielle honea - ahh love these– Great job Alisha!May 6, 2012 – 11:34 am

Lorelei - These photos are absolutely wonderful!! :) May 6, 2012 – 10:18 am

Christina Dely - What a beautiful family! Love these!!!May 6, 2012 – 10:13 am

April Gotta Haves

1.  I recently completed a 30 Day Vlog Challenge and in one of my episodes I interview talented make-up artist, Katie Beaudin.  (Watch the vlog here.)  As part of the pre-interview process Katie did a few make-up tutorials on me (coming soon) and she used this AMAZING Urban Decay Naked kit on my eyes.  I ran out the next weekend and bought it. 

2.  Speaking of video blogging, as mentioned before in my “iPad Benefits for Photographers” vlog, also from the 30 Day Vlog Challenge, you can upload images directly from your DSLR camera into your iPad using the Apple Connection Kit.  So thankful for this and a must for photographers!

3.  I have no clue how I made it to April without showcasing Chipotle on my Gotta Haves because I have been addicted to them way before 2012 even started.  I kid you not, Ivisit them at least once every two weeks.  One of the ladies even calls me Brittney Spears every time I come in.  It’s not my real name but I still feel special she recognizes me.  Regardless, they are amazing and healthy for you!  Try the burrito bowl with barbacoa. 

4.  I don’t really need an explanation for this.  Do I?  Gum should be mandatory in every girl’s purse and every guy’s glove box.  Or rather their mouths.  And this happens to be my fave since its long lasting and super fresh.  If you only do me one favor in your whole life, please let it be having clean minty breath.

5.  I first heard of Elie Tahari from my grandmother who is quite the classy lady with good taste in clothing.  I went to her for some advice recently and she suggested Tahari, along with a few other brands.  I fell in love with this designer and ladies, if you happen to be a photographer she has perfect attire for photographing weddings!

6.  I’m a total magazine maniac and “Brides” tops my wedding list for photography and articles.  I encourage other photographers to subscribe to this as well as brides!

7.  If you know me then you know I’m a freak when it comes to cuticles.  Therefore I invest in plenty of cuticle oil and I found this product from Sephora which I adore.  It’s also great if you are about to be photographed because your nails will most likely be in a few shots. ;)

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iPad Benefits for Photographers

I’m quickly approaching the finish line in the 30 Day Vlog Challenge and I have mixed emotions. One part of me wants to scream in excitement and then attempt to do a cartwheel, which would probably wind up more like a summersault. While the other half of me wants to hold on like it’s the last day of high school. Sunday is officialy the last day so instead of thinking about cartwheels and signing yearbooks I decided to just push as hard as I could to end this thing with a bang.   After digging for a worthy topic, I came up with today’s vlog which is about how the iPad can benefit your business if you happen to be a photographer.  I hope this helps a little in utilizing your iPad to get better results than you are currently and if you have any tips or tricks please share them!!  I’d love to hear new ways I can benefit as well. 

To watch more of my vlogs on book recommendations, cultivating client relationships, and bad mouthing be sure and check out my Vimeo page.

2 comments

Don Orm - Hi, just watched your video on the iPad and wanted to say that the iPad does not come with iPhoto, it comes with the Photo app which is just a way to store and view images with very limited editing capability. If you want to manipulate and edit you can download a 3rd party image editing app or Apple does make iPhoto for the iPad and iPhone. It is a $4.99 and can be downloaded from the App Store. It can do all the editing just like the Mac version. Here is a link Apple’s page which has more info on it.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/from-the-app-store/apps-by-apple/iphoto.html

With iPhoto you can:
1. You’ll be able to import 19MP and smaller RAW images from a DSLR directly into the iPad for editing and storage.

2. RAWs are converted to JPG for preview and editing purposes. This allows you to make non-destructive edits to your photos quickly and efficiently. It also allows you to quickly shared edited content quickly via the connections.

3. You can sync albums and events between iPhoto Mac and iPhoto iOS.

4. If you’re going to be mobile and not bringing your Mac, the Camera connection kit is invaluable to dump your photos.

5. Sync via iTunes is the best way to sync photos between iPhoto Mac and iPhoto iOS.

6. If you need more versatile touchups like Photoshop, iPhoto iOS won’t be able to do those. You can however make non-destructive edits on the iPad then transfer to iPhoto Mac and then export to Photoshop.

Now if you use Adobe LightRoom 3.0 or higher for the Mac you can use Photosmith for the iPad. It is $17.99 but it is made to work with Lightroom not iPhoto. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photosmith/id427757668?mt=8

Hope that helps you out a bit, and keep up the good work.May 10, 2012 – 5:58 pm

Michelle Hanks - Alisha, I’ve really enjoyed watching your vlogs. I like that you are blunt but sweet at the same time and your lifestyle comments are right on. I think you have given great advice and I think that you continue to grow as a photographer. You are super “real” and it’s been refreshing to “get to know you” through your vlogs. My husband and I are over-the-road truck drivers and I have followed this challenge since the beginning. Thank you for being an inspiration to those of us that want to follow our dreams.April 28, 2012 – 12:31 am

Make-Up Tips for Brides (and otherwise)

I had the pleasure of interviewing make-up artist, Katie Beaudin, and digging around for some answers to a few questions most brides might be dying to know, or just everyday make-up wearers.  Check out the video below to hear her response and stay tuned to my Vimeo page to a follow up with three different tutorials on three flawless looks.  Katie is re-branding and developing a new site so if you’d like to ask her any questions you can do so in the comment section of this post or contact me and I will forward your info.

Don’t forget to check out the 30 Day Vlog Challenge to see some other amazing vlogs by a variety of talented individuals.

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Starting your own photography business

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a photographer or how you could start your own photography business?  While I don’t have a business plan to give you or any sort of manual with step by step guides and tutorials, I can share with you what are the most important components that I have learned on my journey so far.  I am far from where I want to be and you don’t have to agree with anything I say in regards to operating your own photography business, but regardless, I encourage you to breath in your passion and follow your dreams.  To hear more just click play below.

Check out my Vimeo page for more videos from the 30 Day Vlog Challenge.

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