strength and beauty- a fitness photoshoot

A photoshoot that shows off
strength and beauty

Deadlift and dropdead gorgeous- a woman's fitness journey

   Some people you just have an instant connection with and you’ll make sure you do whatever it takes to make sure they have every opportunity to express themselves.
   That’s what happened with Leigh. She came to the studio and told me about how hard she had been working to get fit and wanted to show that off in her photos.
   Strong women make me happy. They make me proud. And they remind me of all that we are capable of. Don’t let your femininity limit you, let it expand you. Let is set you up to break the rules and knock down stereo types.
   I was so excited that she had found me and trusted me with her vision, and her self expression. We talked a lot before the actual session, about wardrobe, about her look, about what she wanted these images to say about her. Our first idea of what we thought was right for her slowly morphed in to what I KNOW is right.
   We decided we didn’t need a crazy location, we just needed her. And at the end of the day, isn’t that all we really need in order to define ourselves? We don’t need help by using fancy things to define us and we don’t need to hide behind anything. We need who we are and our story, and the will to tell people about it.
   So here’s Leigh’s story. She’s a mom. She’s a wife. She’s strong. And she can deadlift weights like it’s her fricken job.
   These are the type of women you need to watch out for, and allow to motivate you.

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View our entire Beauty Gallery

Into Fitness? Check out Jeni's Yoga Photoshoot

Check out some more strength and beauty in Roberta's Fitness Session

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1 year old photoshoot for the magazines

a baby fashion shoot

   I may be partial, seeing as though I’m friends with this little guy’s parents but- oh my god…. REALLY!? Isn’t he the cutest? He really knows how to work the camera, and the ladies for that matter. I know he had my heart melting!
   My husband scrounged up some old wood out of of yard and we built this teepee for the session. The background is actually a pallet wall we made in our mudroom. I swear- you can shoot anywhere with the right vision! So we took some shots, played the drums, cuddle with Frank (the purple monkey) and then changed.
   Outfit 2- can you say HELLO Baby Gap! I can’t tell is this is his music video debut or his first tv commercial. Man does Maasai make 1 year old look good!
   See what I mean-

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 View our full Family & Kids Album!

For more cuteness check out Linsay and her little boys vintage session!

check out Isn't her perfect? Check out his Sister Jade'sPhotoshoot!

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Naked on the Back Roads of Vegas

creating vulnerable fine art

How Jena Malone and Brooke Shaden taught me to strip my life down and be free.

   A few months ago I picked up the oversized As If magazine with Jena Malone on the cover. The photograph was extremely intriguing. That was the only reason why I really cared. Sure… Jena's character on the Hunger Games was kinda interesting, but not enough for me to really want to learn about her as a person.
   And then I read her interview.
   And then I was wrong.
   In it she talked about how horrible Hollywood can be and sometimes you just need to take your top off.
   I thought to myself… isn’t that kind of a typical Hollywood answer though? Let’s all just get naked!
   Then I kept reading.
   She herself was interested in photography, nature, exploring… actually being a very intriguing character herself. And then it got me thinking.
   What would it be like to roll around in the dirt naked? Or take a walk outside, naked.
   Because you’re presently all living in 2016 and the world is totally corrupt and overly sexualizes everything, I can see how you might think, as I did, that this is a bit much. Then I thought about it more as an instinctual thing, more caveman like, more natural, and then I realized. I got her point. Sometimes you just have to strip it all away away and be simple.

   Fast forward a few months after that when I attended WPPI in Las Vegas. Sin City. Ironic? I think not.
   I took a class with the amazing and inspirational Brooke Shaden. The class was on making vulnerable art.
   Now, we learned a lot in the class, but the main point was- what is it in your life or at that moment that makes you feel vulnerable? Embrace that, show that, share that, and you may just get someone in return opening up and living vulnerably.

   Vulnerable is defined as: susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

   How many times do we open our selves up for attack?
   I’ve always been a pretty honest and open person, especially with my art, so I feel like I may actually do it more than most. Not because I want to be attacked but because I have a NEED to express myself. And because my mom always taught me to be proud of who I am and take nothing from anyone, vulnerability wasn’t always a bad thing.
   But… I did realize there’s one thing that makes me vulnerable both emotionally and physically and that’s nudity.
   Clothes physically protect us from harm. Clothes emotionally protect us from harm. Yet I find myself, when wanting to make RAW art , that clothes get in the way. They cover us up and give us a completely different view of people.
   Think about it- don’t we judge people on their clothes and hair right away? Not in a bad way, it’s just a way that allows us to communicate to the world who we are. Imagine if clothes were gone and all I had to judge YOU on was… you. ONLY who you are in your own skin. Pure emotion and truth.
   Feeling vulnerable yet? Yeah… I am.

   So… My husband and I rented a car, drove miles and miles in to the deserted mountains of Nevada, and I became vulnerable and free.
 

   Envisioned and Edited by me. Shot and perfected by my husband.

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View all my Self Portraits

If you like this one check out my self Portrait Shedding Layers & The Revolution

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Check out this short video of us behind the scenes on our adventure!

engaged couple celebrates their love with snow and coffee

A Winter Engagement session in Pure Michigan

We cool down with Mother Nature and snow then warmed up at The Exquisite Corpse with coffee

   I remember the first time I spoke with Casey on the phone about her wedding. She was so bubbly, so sweet. I was SO excited to meet her in person.
   A few weeks later she and her fiancé Evan came to the studio and I was right. She is the sweetest, and Evan is just an all around kind guy as well. She looks as him with the most adoring eyes and he smiles back with the most accepting smile.    So as you can imagine, photographing them was a breeze.
   It went like this- You two. Be in love. Snap, snap, snap. Ok, moving on. Repeat.
   Ok, so maybe it wasn’t EXACTLY like that, but their chemistry is obvious and their personalities were naturally meant to hold hands forever.
   Once I did some digging I found out Evan played a ton of musical instruments, so I really wanted to incorporate that side of who they were as well. The bride to be is always easy to highlight, they’re always gorgeous and full of love. So they shine, as Casey does. But sometimes guys can hide behind that.
   Their relationship appears to very equal, where you know they have mutual love and respect for each other, both of them putting each other on a pedestal of identical heights. So I wanted this to be a celebration of both of them, equally.
   Take a look at these love birds and what we did! Snow, kisses, dancing dips, coffee, guitar, piano… It was SUCH a beautiful day!  

And be sure to scroll to the very bottom to see their day in motion! A behind the scenes look of them in love, during their session with us!

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View our full Love Album!

Like this winter love story? Check Check out Zack & Jen's Engagement Session!

For a more vintage look check out Cory & Erica's Love Story!

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An inside look at Casey and Evan's Engagement Session!