I was incredibly honored to photograph this wonderful couple’s engagement session a few weeks ago.  They are officially my “most travelled” clients to date, as they came all the way from D.C. for their engagement session.  Originally, they were heading down here in April so we could take advantage of the Texas bluebonnets (Kathleen is a native Texan), but illness kept them in D.C. and we missed bluebonnet season.  However, I was so excited to find some gorgeous wildflower fields while I scouted for their session, and they worked out beautifully!  We incorporated some fun props as well, including some maps of their respective homelands.  I just love it when clients are up for bringing something meaningful to use in their session!  Did hearing about their Mexico destination wedding make me momentarily wish I was a wedding photographer?  Yes, but don’t tell!  ;P  Lastly, I just have to say that I am even more grateful that I got the chance to work with this amazing couple because they have been SO kind and patient during my bed rest ordeal.  They have had to wait a very long time to see their images, and I sincerely hope it was worth it!  Thank you so much for having such a great laid-back attitude during the session AND after – y’all are great! 

Extended families almost always make for difficult wardrobe situations, but Shannon of Shannon J. Dodge Photography has some great tips on dressing the whole bunch of you for your next multi-generational shoot!  Here’s what she has to say:

I’m loving this very timely Wardrobe Wednesday post from the also fascinating Morgan of Morgan Dawson Photography.  Make sure to read all the way down – there may be a nice little discount code hidden at the bottom!  Here’s what Morgan has to say:

I would love to say that I’m cool enough to have known about fascinators prior to Friday, April 29th 2011 at approximately 5:00 am EST (peek guest arrival time for the Royal Wedding), but I can’t. I absolutely, positively had never even HEARD the term before. I hope I’m not the only one who feels this way

Since this was my week at Wardrobe Wednesday, I felt like it was my duty to help pass along as much information as possible about the wonderful world of fascinators. Since I clearly don’t know squat – other than they look adorable and would be PERFECT additions to a photo shoot wardrobe – I needed to find someone who had experience in this area. Enter Stephanie Albao of A Vintage Vibe. She’s here to get us all up to speed on fascinators – AND – she has a very special shop discount for WW fans. Be sure to check out the details at the bottom of the post!

Enjoy

Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed the trend of many of my clients being interested in and asking for a vintage or retro-style portraiture. I’m the owner of Intuitive Images Photography - a lifetsyle and portrait photography business in Orange County, CA. I threw myself into that request, and now do many retro style sessions, including Pin-Up sessions.

In styling these sessions, I looked for the appropriate accessories and hair pieces that were able to look vintage and modern at the same time – and came up with nothing. Don’t get me wrong – there are plenty of hair accessory options out there – but unless you can search for and find true vintage pieces, it’s difficult to find accessories that really are a true nod to the era that still work in a modern setting.

So, I partnered with my good friend and avid swing dancer, Claire Pedroza, and we started creating. Using actual vintage hats and accessories (of which Claire has an extensive collection) as inspiration, we began assembling materials from as far away as London to put together quality pieces. (For those of you who have looked, birdcage veil material is nearly impossible to find stateside!)

Our best sellers right now are our custom fascinators. As you know, the world was captivated by the Royal Wedding, and Americans were in awe of the incredible head pieces the guests wore. From simple to outrageous, fascinators can be anything you want them to be. They started in the UK in the 18th century, when women’s hairstyles were still only updos, and the Royal family began declaring hats as a wardrobe requirement to social functions for the upper class. Well, with such elaborate hairdos, how could one place a hat over it? The answer was fascinators (although that term didn’t gain popularity for decades). In the 40′s and 50′s they were called “cocktail hats”and women wore them for everything from parties to grocery shopping. (Did everything from that era have the word “cocktail” in it?)

Fascinators are basically just a felt or woolen base, with adornments on top. The base is secured to your hair either by bobby pins (the old-fashioned way) or a clip or comb is attached to the underside. With bobby pins, you would slide the pin over the edge of the felt base and secure the under part of the pin to your hair. A Vintage Vibe can also attach an alligator clip or small comb to the underside, so it would be very easy to just slide it into a small section of hair or open the clip with one hand and slide it in. It really depends on the size and style of the fascinator, but you can either wear your hair all up, and just clip it to the upper side of your head, sort of on an angle, or you could style your hair half up and half down. They look best when worn at about a 45 degree angle on the top of your head, as if defying gravity. You’d be amazed at how well they stay on! They are generally very light, and the bases are curved to conform to your head, so they’re incredibly easy to wear, as well as being uber fashionable.

In fact, they can have an even deeper meaning! In the UK, their feathers and designs were traditionally a way to show your social status, your marital status, or even your political affiliation. These days, they can display your worldly style, or your affinity for Lady Gaga. In the South, it is still acceptable to wear hats to church on Sundays, and many stylish women choose fascinators. They can be the perfect accessory for social events, bridal showers, weddings, and even some of the more understated designs can be worn every day – out to dinner or on a date. But I find that right now, they are also incredibly successful in portraits.

When you have your portrait taken, you want to style yourself in a way that speaks to who you are, but maybe just an amped-up version of how you present yourself every day. In order to take your own wardrobe to the next level, accessories are key!  A chunky necklace, a layered scarf, or a beautiful satin flower in your hair can make a huge difference. After all, who doesn’t like to play dress up?

Thank you, Stephanie!

You can find A Vintage Vibe on Etsy and Facebook. If you have a minute, I highly suggest you check out her work. Maybe send her some love on Facebook. If you have any other questions about fascinators, I’m sure she’ll help you out!

 Also, Stephanie is giving EVERYONE 25% off their next item in the Vintage Vibe Etsy shop from now until June 1st. Just use the coupon code WARWED. This even includes a custom fascinator (yes, totally custom) for only $40 – and that’s before the discount! Just think of all the weddings, showers and fabulous garden parties you have lined up this summer – not to mention photo shoots. Go there in style!

Cheers!

Taylor was my LAST Class of 2011 senior to photograph, and I certainly couldn’t have wrapped up this year’s senior season on a better note!  As you can see, she is a beautiful girl with a very cool sense of style – she wants to go into fashion merchandising!  She certainly has a knack for great outfits, that’s for sure.  I haven’t shot at this location for over a year, so it was really fun to revisit it again and see it in a whole new light.  We could not have asked for better weather, and the lighting in this area was about as close to perfect as you can get.  I had such a great time with you Taylor (and Mom), enjoy your sneak peek!

I had the great pleasure of photographing these adorable kids again last week on an absolutely perfect evening!  You might recognize them from last year’s bluebonnet sessions or little miss K from her one-year old session last year (still one of my favorites!).  They really did a great job hanging in there as we shot for well over an hour.  Luckily we had some bubbles and a very goofy daddy to help keep us going.   And Mom did an AWESOME job on their adorable outfits.  I know she was stressed about it, but they photographed beautifully!  Thank you so much for letting me capture your sweet kiddos again, and enjoy your sneak peek! 

The benefit of photographing so many gorgeous and very fashion-conscious senior girls is that I’m able to spot some trends as they pop up over different sessions.  Now some of these trends are great, but really make no difference to the photographer per say.  However, there are some trends floating around out there that won’t only make you look good, but they will really make your photographer happy as well if you take advantage of them!  Before we get started, let me say that my #1 rule in senior wardrobes is to wear something that you are comfortable in, something that is YOU.  So don’t feel the need to jump on the bandwagon of any of these ideas if it’s just not your thing.   Okay?  Great!  Here we go … 

Vintage Vibe
I’m not going to lie, I’m a girl with a heart for all things vintage, so this particular trend excites my creative soul in particular!  I love the throwback vintage trend right now that I see so many of my seniors embracing, especially when it comes to dresses.  They usually have such a soft feminine look that makes them stand out and look fabulous in almost any type of location.  Typically, they aren’t as short as some of the more modern fashions, which will make life much easier on your photographer (more on this later).  I love this beautiful lace dress that one of my seniors wore – paired with a belt and cowboy boots it made for a great look!  Find a similar dress at Old Navy for $24.99, or check our stores like Anthropologie and Francesca’s for some great vintage looks. Bring on the Belts
You may notice lots and lots of belts even in the non-belt images in this post!  Using belts is a great way to help break up and balance a pattern or bold color, hold a layer in place, and just add some more depth and texture to your overall wardrobe.  It’s an accessory that you really can’t go wrong with – brown, black, multicolored, thin, wide – they all can add that extra punch to your images.  The brown belt picture above can be picked up at Old Navy for $17.94, and you can find the black belt at Forever 21 for $7.80.

 Pocket Dresses
I get giddy with excitement whenever I see a senior pull out a dress with pockets.  Not only are they just really cute (I definitely wish they were around when I was in high school), but it offers your photographer some fun options in regards to posing.  We are always trying to come up with flattering and different things to do with your hands (there can’t be many photographers out there who haven’t heard, “what do I do with my hands?”), and I love pocket dresses for opening up a whole new world in that regard.  If you wear a dress with pockets, make sure your photographer knows!  Sometimes it’s amazing how well they can hide, especially in those fuller A-line skirts.  You can find the orange dress at Overstock.com for $86.00, the printed dress at Dillard’s for $17.40, and the grey dress at Dillard’s for $49.00.

Headbands & Hats
As photographers, I guarantee that we all dream about clients bringing adorable headbands and hats to wear for at least a few shots during a session.  We love it for the same reason the clients should – it really makes the images stand out.  Accessories like that, when used well with the right outfit and location, can really make your images unique.  Trust me, photographers want our images to be unique just as much as you do!  The variety is endless as well.  Headbands run the gamut from really skinny bands (shown here from Forever 21 for $3.80) to more intricate headbands decorated with beautiful vintage flowers and a birdcage veil (shown here from TFJ Designs for $25.00).  There are so many cute hats in style right now too – from stylish fedoras (shown here from Gap for $29.50) to cowboy hats to straw floppy hats or hip newsboy hats.  There really is something out there for everyone.  I always stress to my clients that bringing something like this does NOT mean you will be stuck wearing it the whole session.  We normally throw it on for a few shots and then take it off, so you shouldn’t shy away for that reason. 

Statement Shoes
I’m always so amazed to see the killer shoes that my seniors show up to a session with.  Picking a great pair of shoes to top off an outfit can really make all the difference in giving you the COMPLETE look.  This winter and fall I saw some seriously drool-worthy boots, but since spring is here I am focusing on more warm-weather looks.  Now being from Texas, I do believe that cowboy boots are good in any season, and colorful glammed up cowboy boots can really give your images that “pop” and sense of personality that you want.  You can find these awesome urban boots at Forever 21 for $32.80.  Using colorful shoes to accent your outfit is a great way to maximize impact and tie everything together – don’t feel like you have to stick to standard brown or black.  You can find these fun turquoise sandals at Nordstrom for $78.95.  Embellished sandals are so in right now and can almost make your shoes feel like a cool piece of jewelry!  Being a natural light photographer, I love how the light plays off of anything shiny, and shoes are no exception.  Find these great embellished sandals at JC Penney for $29.99.

In closing, there’s really only one current trend I’ve seen that I think you will really want to be wary of, and that is the mini-dress or skirt.  I can’t say that I’ve run into it in one of my sessions, but it is a prevalent fashion trend so it’s worth addressing.  I encourage my clients to wear dresses, but they do somewhat limit what you can do in regards to posing.  The super-short lengths available out there right now are VERY limiting, and they aren’t always the most flattering option.  Keep in mind that the way something will photograph is different from the way something will look as you go about your daily routine.  A photograph captures a brief second in time, and with really restrictive clothing with a lot of skin exposure, those tiny seconds here and there may not always be the most flattering.  So, if you are dead set on wearing something ultra-short to your session, make sure you walk around in it ahead of time, stand in different positions, check yourself out in a mirror and make sure that you are 100% happy with what you see.  If you are, then it’s definitely something your photographer can work with!