Underwater Summer Beauty

An Underwater Photography Session

A beauty session shot 4 feet under water in a pool

The way hair slowly twirls and fights time.
The way the sun rays break through the surface of the water to dance on the skin.
This is the magic that underwater photography brings. 

Take that visual journey with me.

These images reflect the softer side of underwater photography and the absolute beauty I am slowly becoming obsessed with.
Part 2 where images transition from color to black and white show a darker side of my experience, something with more grit, something that feels less peaceful and more like a photograph you found hidden in your grandmas attic and wonder- who were those people?

I can’t end this story without talking about all the HILARIOUS times we had while trying to accomplish this session.
First- it’s a hot, sticky, summer day and I have 15+ yards of fabric for each girl to drape all over herself, almost resembling a horrible 90s prom dress that I PROMISE them will look fabulous once floating in the water- fingers crossed.
We pin, pull, and tuck, and then head out to the pool.
I’ve rented an underwater camera, and despite all the negative things I’ve read about shooting in a pool, I’m confident we’ll still get something beautiful. Instantly... I find out every article I had read was so so so right. The chlorine causes a foggy mess when more than 3 feet away from your subject and what you are left with is either failure, or breaking personal space boundaries. I decided to invade personal space.
The girls who were brave enough to trust me with this vision were amazing, amazing models. Not only did they fight with unruly fabric, they also went under water and attempted to keep calm, open their eyes, and vogue in order for me to get the shot.
My assistant was in the back keeping the tulle in line, cleaning the pool of beetles and being the moral support I needed when it felt like things were maybe going to be a waste of time.
I was fighting with a fogged up, uncomfortable snorkel mask about every 10 seconds, swimming practically on top of my models. Iif I wanted to be below the model I had to release all my air and sit at the bottom of the pool for as long as I could while they fought and floated back and forth for as long as they could. My hair... well, we won’t go there but that was something else. haha
And then just the typical pool things- water in your mouth, water in your nose, chlorine in your eyes. Underwater Photography is a whole new animal.
But the whole vibe of the day honestly kept this project together. We had 4 young women all bobbing in a pool together, no makeup, hair a mess, horrible fashion sense, and it felt freeing. So I thank them for that!

---

Love the feel of this shoot? Check out Audrey's Artistic Pillow & The Pond Photoshoot

Beauty & Water go so well together, check out Mackenzie's senior photoshoot on Lake Huron

View The full Beauty Gallery and Senior Gallery

---

Watch the BTS video so you can see for yourself! Its hilarious and sums up the day- summer, pool. beauty, lots of laughs.

Sisters celebrate First Communion together at St. Ronalds

We drove 45 mins from the studio and pulled in to an empty church parking lot.
I quietly entered to find a woman who told me to make myself at home.
There was one other man in the entire church and he was sitting in a pew sketching out a painting of his grandchildren. How ironic that we were both at church to create art.
Then in walks these two little cuties. Dressed like young, beautiful, innocent little brides. I was photographing the celebration of their First Communion.
It was a very emotional time for mom, which made the whole experience really special for me. I love capturing these moments for people- the ones they fear they will forget even the slightest detail of- how their curls fell, what gloves they wore, and the bond these sisters share at this exact moment. The photos are rich with history too- great grandmas bible, grandmas gifted rosaries, moms veil.
I've only photographed in a church twice (not counting weddings) and the light is pure magic. There is literally little glowing sparkles of beauty in every image.
After that we went out to a tiny strip of grass off the side of the parking lot and played in the dandelions. It was an opportunity for the girls to let loose a bit, yell, dance, and play.
Take a look at what we caught-

---

To see more adorable sibling sessions check out the Burnettes Family!

View the full family gallery!

Check out more summer family fun with Kristina and kids

---

Check out the behind the scenes video of us shooting in this beautiful and then the girls dancing in a field of dandelions!

my body transformation

my weight loss story

how I transformed my body in record time

We as women can be really, really hard on ourselves.
And when we’re down on ourselves our confidence crumbles.
Another thing that crumbles is the way we hold ourselves, and the way we see ourselves.

I’m here to tell you, of all things, please, do not let your confidence crumble.

I’m here to tell you to start standing up for yourself.

And here’s an amazing example why.

We had just got done rock climbing at Grand Ledge, a sport that I fell in love with 10 years ago. I HATE working out. But this isn’t working out. It’s fun, it’s an adventure, it’s a challenge, and… ok… it’s one hell of a work out, but not in a “I feel like I want to die” way!

After kicking some butt we went out to dinner on the way home.  A lot of dinner. With a beer. Oh, and dessert. A whole banana split, just for me.

When we got home I went in the bathroom to put my pjs on. I was exhausted. I took my shirt off, turned, and looked in the mirror… and then noticed… it was like my body had changed over night. 

Why is the quality crappy? Because it was taken with my cell phone. 
Why would a professional photographer try to prove a point with a cellphone? 
Because we live in a world full of photoshop. I want to prove to you these images haven't been touched and they are in fact real. 

I knew right then and there things had to be different. This wasn’t me. This was not how I was used to my body looking. The image in front of me didn’t reflect how awesome I normally felt about my self.

That’s when I decided to make a change.

The image on the right shows the new me. Someone confident. Someone more aware. Someone willing to take care of their body.

So what did I do?

I stood up for myself.

No, really. Like… I stood up.
I fixed my posture.

Yeah. I’m serious. These images are actually just 2 minutes apart from each other.

I learned an amazing fun fact from Jeni Vincent Yoga about a year ago. Your body should always feel centered and your “cup” (or your hip bones) should never tilt or “spill.” Do it. Roll your shoulders back, raise your head, and finally tilt your hips so, if they were a cup, they can’t spill anything out, and watch as your body morphs in to a healthier version of you. And I’m not talking healthy as in skinny, I’m talking- your body is SO thankful that you just balanced it that it’s going to reward you with a better version and shape of you.

What you can’t see in the left image is how much my back is arching, and how much my tailbone is pointing out, due to me sitting editing hours on end. I actually stand just like this out of habit because it’s comfortable. But that’s REALLY pushing my stomach out. So guess what, that dinner, and beer, and banana split is all at the front of my body. My boobs look pathetic because my shoulders have completely fallen into my body, my chest is closed in and cut off from the world. My face looks round because my neck is nonexistent. And my face looks tired because I’m not feeling confident, which is showing through my eyes and expression.

Once I realized this, and kinda look in horror wondering if that banana split MAY have been an even WORSE idea then I already knew it was, I stood up, for myself, and took a deep breath. Instantly my body felt more energized, and I obviously looked better, not because I was thinner, but because my body just clearly looked happier. 

Being centered is a HUGE deal in life. If you’ve never taken a yoga class, I REALLY urge you to. And PLEASE do it with Jeni. She’s amazing.

These are also areas I focus on and tweak for you during a session. Learning tricks like these and posing women for years has allowed me to easily see your best angle, before you even get in them. So if you're feeling uncomfortable and unconfident in front of the camera, it's ok, I'm here to help you find that balance. Trust me, not only does it look great, it feels great! 

And remember- tell yourself you are strong and beautiful, and then stand up for yourself, with great confidence.

---

Want to see more flattering tricks? Check out my blog on how to slim your face for photos in just a few easy steps. 

We create our own "Through the Looking Glass" moments

---

Watch the video to see an AJBC fairytale unfold- 

---

Photographer- AJBC Photography
Poem- Autumn Carufel
Assistant 1- Taylor Walsh
Assistant 2- Jake Carufel
Model- Lauren Cross
Wardrobe and Props- Lauren Cross Designs

Belle Isle Conservatory, Detroit Michigan

(Below: Poem written out, followed by individual portraits found in the above film.)

---

There is a truth in this world that I refuse to believe. 

The truth that everything has to be exactly as it seems.

Because, you see, I am a dreamer, and I am a collector. 

I am a believer and I am a fairytale wrecker.

But not in the way that you probably think I am.
I don’t sit down and destroy books of fiction. 

I sit down and give those books vision.

I open the pages and give them eyes.
I open suitcases and watch as hopes come alive. 

Because when I was a kid I was told fairytales aren’t real.

You can’t blame my parents, it’s just how the rest of the world feels.

But me, I knew different.

Me, I knew more. 

Me I knew wanting something that was impossible was just through a hidden door. 

A door I would find eventually in my life.

Where plays and toys and make believe...

Would slowly show itself to me.

But as something new. Something real.
Something I could touch
and something I could feel. 

And no I’m not too old to feel this way. 

I say you’re too old, for taking my dreams away.

So go back to a time where all you wanted was to be free.

And start realizing your head is the only thing that makes it so it can’t be.

---

Photographer- AJBC Photography
Poem- Autumn Carufel
Assistant 1- Taylor Walsh
Assistant 2- Jake Carufel
Model- Lauren Cross
Wardrobe and Props- Lauren Cross Designs

Belle Isle Conservatory, Detroit Michigan

The back story:

2 years ago I posted on facebook that I wanted to do a creative shoot. That's how I met Lauren. She said she might be interested so I quickly stalked her on facebook. Her look was unique and gorgeous, so I knew she would fit the part. But then I started realizing she was also an artist, a maker, and a collector. We had similar loves for old and grungy things, so we decided to meet. I drove to her house in Marysville where she showed me room after room after room full of beautifully old and rough pretties! 
And then she took me to the back corner of the basement to show me The Door, and an idea was born. We spent the next hour developing the story- a girl playing make believe finds a door, enters it, and then finds herself transported in to this land where her daydreams are now her reality. 
I think I secretly live through my photography, because that's all I want out of life- magic, all the time. 
We kept in touch, passing back and forth ideas and photos. My schedule FINALLY allowed for me to fit the shoot in! My husband Jake, my assistant Taylor, and myself drove to Marysville where Lauren allowed us to gather up her precious treasures and take them to our first location. The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, and right away I KNEW, I just knew, this was going to be one of my favorite things I had ever shot. 
We filmed, photographed, laughed, and left with plans to meet again a week later, when we would haul the heavy antique door down the road, down a hill at 8 am, balance it on the roots of an old tree sticking out above the water, and then drive to Detroit. 
Because we had photographed at what looked to be a more modern conservatory for our "make believe in real life" scene  I wanted to go to a much older, much more original concept of a conservatory for our "entering the fairytale world" scene, and so it came that we traveled an hour + together to The Belle Isle Conservatory in Detroit. Belle Isle is beautiful and not only was it a wonderful place to end our shoot and tell our story perfectly, it allowed us a day to just enjoy something new and unique together, which is becoming more and more important to me with every shoot I do. 
It used to be just about the photos for me, because that was what I was taught portrait photography was. Now it's about the whole experience. Because if not for the experience, then for what?
Afterwards we shopped in Ferndale and got some tasty sushi and quietly drove back home after a long and creative day. 
It took me another year to sort through it all, find the time, and get to a place where I could properly put it all together. 
Our video we filmed is still not done, but I am ecstatic to release these images accompanied by a poem I wrote for it. 
And to think, it all started with an old door.  

---

If you loved the Concept of "The Door" then you should also check out "The Pillow and The Pond" and The Burning Shack- they are some of my favorite projects to date!

Check out the full beauty gallery here

---