Here is a sneak preview of the wedding I photographed at one of my favorite hotels in Arizona, The Sanctuary Resort. It was a sunset affair & the officiant had a very emotional and beautiful ceremony. I loved it very much! Congrats!
"When I am being nice, I feel better. Be kind to one another. As a drug addict that no longer uses drugs, one day at a time, I find for me to survive is very simple. What I have to do is tune into the part of me that is compassionate and kind. Don't get distracted, don't live in desire and fear the most negative aspects of nature, tend toward the better aspects of yourself and you'll build connections and communities based on those frequencies. " - Russell Brand
I think I've said on my blog before that I love Russell Brand. As a comedian and as a political activist. I watched this video last night and if you have the time it's very interesting and brings up some current issues about many things like voting, living wages and the criminalization of drugs and the effect it has worldwide. I wanted to share it with you darlings because I personally enjoy listening to political debates in a British accent, it's much more pleasant, no?
I absolutely LOVED the home I photographed today...not only was it beautiful on the interior, the backyard was amazing! I can completely imagine myself reading in the Arizona sunlight or lounging in the shade, having romantic dinners outside under the twinkle lights and midnight swims. J'adore!
I found a really cool explanation from ancient Chinese history on why engagement and wedding rings are worn on "the ring finger". On another note, my mother bought me a book on the healing properties of crystals...and I completely realize this is making me sound like a complete hippy, but I have been wearing an amethyst ring {February's birthstone} non stop for the last few days and I've noticed my energy has totally shifted. My heart chakra feels open and my creativity feels like it's overflowing! Do some research on semi precious stones and their healing powers.
{ The 5 carat amethyst (purple) ring on my index finger is especially important to me because it was the first thing I bought with my own money from my first job at a jewelry store in Santa Barbara. It was where I learned to string pearls on silk thread & basically everything else I know about making jewelry! I have been wearing it on my ring finger for significant reasons to me & my vibe it alive! }
{ Trust me, you don't want to be around me when my camera gets wet. }
Here is a sneak peek at my photo shoot in Fountain Hills, AZ for The Love Bullet website. It was beautifully cloudy all day with incredible diffused light... I checked my weather app and it said NO RAIN. Perfect! I was so excited for a mini hike and discovering cool cactus and insane rock structures. But as soon as my model and I got on the trail, it started to rain. In Arizona. So Plan B took effect and we took some photos under cover on a concrete bench and it actually turned out very different than I had planned it to be, in a good way. I'm starting to embrace those moments in my life, the unplanned adventure, crazy coincidences, the workings of the Universe!
And I love it.
The other day on a dog walk with my Aunt, I had her snap some photos of me & my puppies. For one, Ralph is growing so fast I want tons of photos of this cute stage...and also because let's face it I need an #ootd pic for Instagram. Yes! So as she's snapping the pics on my iPhone, I'm doing my typical straight face with a little bit of a smile. She says " why do you never smile in photos? Oh that's right you're a Kardashian!" Burn. But spot on. As a photographer, I need all sorts of facial expressions from a model. But I never use the phrase "straight face" because they never do it right. Ever. The trick to giving natural looking face is to relax, drop your shoulders, look away but keep that sparkle in your eye like you're gazing over at a sunset, then look over at the camera like it's your lover { I'm getting a little too poetic? Good. } like "oh hey there" but not surprised.
And there you have Blue Steel.
{ Since I do this face all the time, I'll start a funny little series #notsmilingmakesmesmile inspired by the hilariously vain Kanye West on my Instagram @loveandphoto }
Although nothing can compare to my Canon DSLRs, I admit I don't know what I'd do without my iPhone. I've been using Mac since I began photography, so I like researching the cool new photo editing features for Instagram. One of my favorite Apps is PicLab HD which is around $2 and has tons of unique moods and filters to your pics. I use @Over to put text on my photos... that's something I've been liking lately! Also, click here to read an article on some unique photo apps by Creative Blog & click here for an article on iPhone camera apps by Digital Trend. Check out my instagram photos @loveandphoto & @thelovebullet to keep up with me & here are some of my favorite photos from my insta! XO, L
Let's face it, dogs don't start recognizing their own name for a few months. Since Ralphs, formerly known as Mops, is too small for an i.d. collar, nothing has been set in stone yet! My neighbors and I took the dogs for a long walk yesterday and they brought to my attention that he doesn't really look or act like a Mops. My friend's boyfriend had on a Polo sweatshirt and it clicked! He's regal and nerdy like a Ralph! So I'd like to formally introduce Ralph Lauren Brown.