Family Portrait Session

This week I was lucky to shoot Richard and Kristen Aguirre and they're daughter Kaylie. This was an extrememly fun shoot with a beautiful and expressive family. Look at those smiles!

I think Kaylie's smile is even cuter because of her teeth coming in.

Thanks Richard and Kristen, it was a pleasure to photograph you!

Beauty Test Shoot

This last Saturday (October 6,2012) I did a beauty test shoot with a lovely young woman named Natasha. She has modeled for me once before when I did a series called Pin-up Ladies of the Freak show, she was my beautiful and tragic glass eater. As she is both wonderfully easy to work with and in possession of a very unique beauty I asked for her to pose for me again when I received this assignment. I am especially happy with the way the gentle lighting falls on her skin and really makes it look flawless. I also love that her fingernail polish matches her bright lipstick. Below is another lovely shot from Saturday, her neck looks so long and her eyes POP. I'm looking forward to doing more in studio work!

Smart Phone Friendly



As a student of photography (I'll always be a student) I often visit other photographer's blogs and websites. It's good to see other styles and keep a tab on what current trends are in all types of photography. I love to see the talent that is out there, the creativity and ingenuity. What BOTHERS me is when a blog or website isn't smart-phone friendly. I hate trying to see someones work and not being able to because their site won't open on my iPhone. As such when I started this blog, one of the things I liked best was that google offers a mobile version.



Some of the fonts are different, but from what I can tell by browsing around on it myself, the mobile version of my blog seems to be very user friendly. The only noticeable navigational difference is that unlike the full version, where I have multiple tabs to choose from, the mobile version has a drop down menu just below the blog title. I will have new shoots to share soon, both in portrait and my Beautiful Decay series. Feel free to follow along on your iPhone or other smart phone. The web address will be the same, and if you type it directly into your smart phone browser you should be directed to the mobile version of the site automatically. Thanks for stopping by and check in for updates and photo shoot tid-bits.

Themed Engagement Photography

I found these photos here. I would love to do a themed engagement shoot like this! I've actually seen a lot of zombie engagement shoots lately, but this one is especially good. The movement in the photos really adds to the cinematic quality.

Here is another themed shoot that I really love. It's a parody of the extremely popular balloon engagement shoots. I really dig the contrast of the overly bright orange balloon against the greys and greens in the rest of the photo. I'm also a sucker for reflections! Unfortunately I saved this photo onto my desktop about a week ago and now I can't seem to find where it originated from, if you know where the photo below can be found online please leave a comment about it. I really want to give credit where it is due.

I really love cinematic engagement shoots, can you imagine a "the Thing" engagement, or an "IT" engagement shoot. It could be amazing!

New Listing on Etsy

8" x 10" print, Untitled.

This is my fifth listing on Etsy and the first 8" x 10" print I'm selling. This photo was taken in Apple Valley (Applevalley?) in what was toted as being the downtown area. I have never seen such a financially depressed downtown anywhere I have traveled. For every one shop that was open there were maybe four empty store-fronts. This sign was over a long-closed pharmacy, I was struck immediately by the brown and orange paint against the blue sky. Everything about it appealed to me; from the texture of the rain washed paint to the somehow still intact light bulbs. I'm experimenting with listing an 8" x 10" print, we'll see how it does! See the actual listing on Etsy is here.

Read the first post where this photo appears on my blog here.

Visit My Shop on Etsy

I've just opened a shop on Etsy. I'll be selling prints of some of the photos viewable on my blog. As of today I only have two prints listed, but I'll add sizes and photographs over time. I'm so excited! Stop by and see if there is anything that appeals to you. Here's the link.

Thanks,

Elizabeth

Rock-A-Hoola

September 17, 2012     Backlogged Post

This is the turnstile entrance of an abandoned water park called Rock-A-Hoola.

I have been in love with this location for about a year now. I have photographed here once before, some of the shots from this other shoot can be found in my post Location Shoots and Abandoned Buildings here. (see also the list of posts to the right) During that shoot I only had a point and shoot camera with me. This time I took a Canon 7D and the difference in image quality is amazing. This place is crazy, it really seems like the owners just locked up one day and never returned. There are receipts all over the floor in the office, strewn about by vandals. The desks, filing cabinets and phones are still there. The first time I visited there were still cash registers in the food areas. It's an eerie location, and right up my alley.

Acid Sand

Gift Shop Floor (below)

Dead trees surround the water park.

The dried up, muck filled kiddie pool.

Cracking mud at the bottom of what would have been one of the large water slides.

This was at the bottom of one of the pools. (below)



Lake Dolores

September 7, 2012    Backlogged Post

This is an HDR of a building along the now dry area known as Lake Dolores.

On my way to Las Vegas, during my recent trip, I drove up the 15 freeway from California to Nevada. Along the 15 there are a number of failed and abandoned businesses and homes. I really love to explore these places, see the rot and decay. I think that the only time those two words are beautiful is when they apply to a man made structure. There is something so undefinable about nature taking back an area, just taking over and destroying what man has built and then left behind. This single structure really appealed to me because of all the exposed wood framing.

The Interior

I was struck by the way the surroundings really bled into the house through the broken and crumbling walls.

Below you can see a dock that would have lead out to the lake. (left side of the photo)

In this post I included some older work at this location.



Neon Decay

September 6, 2012    Backlogged Post

During a recent trip to Las Vegas, Nevada I decided to try and head over to the Neon Museum there. Upon checking the website I learned that the museum could not guarantee tours during the time I would be in town. I sent an email anyway, as instructed, to inform the museum staff of my interest. I received a reply saying that no, they could not accommodate me due to construction within the main section of the museum. Undaunted I drove there anyway, hoping that maybe I could shoot over a fence or at least see what I could come up with.

The museum isn't what it's title implies, or would at least mean to the average patron. It is all outdoor, and is effectively a sort of large, walled off, dirt, parking area that houses signs rather than cars. I really couldn't manage to get anything over the high walls surrounding the lot, but due to the construction (I assume) some pieces were being kept in the parking lot surrounded only by wire fence as opposed to the brick wall between myself and the rest of the neon collection. I was instantly attracted to the small collection available and look forward to possibly seeing more during my next trip. Hopefully it's open then!

Here is one of my first shots, neon peeking over the brick wall.



Neon Alphabet Dog Pile

I LOVE the shadows that the light bulbs create, so much texture.

More Yellow!

This was one of the few pieces that had most of its light bulbs intact.

I crawled up to a grate under one of the walls and stuck my camera through the bars to get this shot. You can see where some of the signs are taped off, it did seem like some type of construction was going on - I just couldn't tell what exactly.



Bowling Alley Engagement Shoot

August 16, 2012  Backlogged Post

This great couple, Christy and Daniel, contacted me about doing their engagement photos. I was of course very excited! After some discussion we decided to do the shoot at a bowling alley because its a sport that they enjoy doing together. Christy and I both started scouting a location and seperately happened to decided on going with Concourse Bowl in Anaheim, Ca. The Special Events Director, Beau Randles, was so helpful - he even went so far as to have a lane turned on for our use during the shoot free of charge. I'm very happy with the way the shoot turned out, the jewel tones in the majority of the photos really appeal to me. I'm looking forward to doing engagement shoots in the future, especially themes.

The bowling alley had these great red velvet curtains hanging from the ceiling to seperate lanes for private parties, they made for a wonderful backdrop.

I love the peek-a-boo bowling pins in the photo below.

These following shots were taken inside the bowling alley's bar, the lighting wasn't favorable so they are grainy. It was very important to the couple that we get photos that incorporate their signature drinks, it made the shoot more personal and customized.



Fun in Downtown Fullerton, California

First of all, I've been missing for a couple of months now - I'm sorry! I'll be posting backlogged shoots today, each with their own post so that it doesn't get too confusing.

July 31, 2012

My friend and I went into Downtown Fullerton with the intention of doing some casual portraits of her, and they ended up looking slightly editorial - I'm not complaining. This is my first shoot with a model in Downtown and I was really happy with all the different textures and lighting we could find within a single city block. Enjoy!

The steel really pops with cold tones, loving it combined with the print on her dress.

Look at the calf muscles below!

Closeup so you can better see how her eyes glow.

Fullerton Arboretum Engagement Session

April + Evan

This was sincerely one of the cutest couples I have had the privilege to know, let alone photograph. They were dripping with love for one another, every image came out relaxed and natural looking because they were too wrapped up in one another to notice my camera. (OK, maybe in the beginning I goofed around a bit to loosen them up - but it didn't take much for them to get comfy.)

We chose the Arboretum because it was still in bloom and offered multiple shooting locations. I'm really happy with the results and know that April and Evan are too. Thanks you two for allowing me to participate in the story of your Love!

That look! My lens almost melted from all the passion...

Embracing under the Pergola.

"We've actually never danced together before..."

That's right, I got to photograph their first dance together as a couple! It was as cute as everything else about them has turned out to be.

Ducks stumbled into our shoot, so I photographed both couples at once.

April couldn't resist telling me how she whispered in Evan's ear the first time they met. In this photograph she is in the middle of telling me the story, and moments after I took it she demonstrated. What a great couple!

I just had to include my Before/After...

Look at those teeth people!

CONGRATULATIONS APRIL AND EVAN!