No TRICKS here…this is definitely a TREAT!  Happy Halloween everyone and get ready for some BOOtiful images!!

ok, I know, I know, but I couldn’t resist!  

I’ll stop now and just get on with it and show you more from Class of 2013 – Grayson High School – Kelsey Burrell’s senior portraits…

If you saw Part 1, you already know that Kelsey has been dancing for 15 years!  Here’s just a peek at what Kelsey can do!

one of Kelsey’s favorites…

One of my favorites.  Now, let me tell you, Kelsey is one of those girls that can get her leg WAY up there.

I caught this one in mid action though, but what I love is the expression on her face and the colors, so I had to include it!

When I posted the one on the right, I heard a few remarks about a resemblance to Taylor Swift!  Anyone else agree?  

Seriously Kelsey?!?  Could this one be any more amazing?!  :)

and these!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!

See what I mean – just stunning!!!

Thanks again to her mom Melisa for all of her help and of course Laura for her makeup skills!

This won’t be the last you see of Kelsey though!  I still have to show you some of the fabulous products from her order session soon!!  :)

Makeup:  Laura Briscoe

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

See you next time!  and be sure to keep all of your ghouls and goblins close!

From the first pose, Grayson High School’s Kelsey Burrell was amazing!

It’s usually the norm that most people have to “warm up” a little in front of the camera…not Kelsey though!  She couldn’t have been more stunning and every look she gave me was like she had been doing this for years!

It might help that Kelsey has been performing for years, fifteen in fact, as a dancer.

While she has plans after high school to major in dance and minor in business, I think she would give any girl on “America’s Next Top Model” a run for their money!  Check out this girl’s “smizing!”

Come back next week for more of Kelsey’s unbelievable senior portraits…because there are just TOO many that I have to share with you!  :)

Makeup:  Laura Briscoe

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

See you next time!

I can’t believe it’s almost time for Class of 2012 to graduate!  I decided to specialize in Senior Photography back in the beginning of the school year and it’s crazy how quickly time has passed since then.  I’m really going to miss chatting with all these girls that I have gotten to know over the last several months.  Before graduation though, we have Prom!!  Have you seen how girls get asked to prom these days??  So many cool and creative ways!  As Prom season approached, it got me thinking about what more could I offer high school seniors.

Let me explain a little bit of how this shoot came to be.  Most of you already know that I once thought I would become a wedding photographer.  After about 6 weddings, I realized that wedding photography wasn’t for me.  I loved the getting ready part of the day and details though.  Then it occurred to me that I could document Prom or Homecoming like a wedding.  Why not?  Dresses, shoes, jewelry, getting ready!  All the things that I loved about photographing weddings and bonus, it all has to do with seniors!

You’ll have to excuse me – this post has A LOT of images!  :)

Thanks to Connor, Casey, David, Stephanie and Keimon for putting up with me!

Thank you so much to the Thompson (and Briscoe) family for welcoming me into your home and letting me document Connor’s last prom.  You all trusted me that day, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.  Not just for the photographs, but because as you know, you guys have all become like a second family, right down to little Clementine and Winston.  :)

Have a great week everybody!

Makeup:  Laura Briscoe

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

I can’t believe how many of you stopped by yesterday to see Part 1 of the Styled Shoot!   Yesterday, had the most visitors since I started this website last year!  Thank you everyone!

Let’s get on with Part 2, shall we?!

Just a little on the theme of the styled shoot – Dreams of Fame.   When I first met with Angela, I told her I wanted the shoot to have more of a storytelling element to it.  We talked about several different ideas, but then Angela thought of “Field of Dreams” since one scene was in a field.  Those “Dreams” could be of fame, love, freedom, etc.  I really liked the “Dreams of Fame” the best though.

Everyone has a different idea of fame or in our own minds, a completely different idea on how that looks.  Whether it be pretty, romantic…..or rockstar and dramatic!  We really didn’t end up doing the storytelling part of it so much, but the two looks are so unmistakably different.  I think they are each gorgeous in their own way and I LOVE them both.  I think my inner rock chick can relate to the first look a little more though, but like I said, we are all different!  ;)

When it came to makeup, I really wanted Laura to have the freedom to put together any look that she wanted to showcase.  Between the clothes and the makeup, I couldn’t have asked for a better end result than what Angela and Laura put together.

First up – Candace.  This shot was in the hallway just outside of the suite.  I loved everything about this place and I knew we had to snap a few shots here first before heading out.

I cannot get over how gorgeous Candace’s eyes are.  I think the makeup Laura did really make them jump out at you.

Not to mention, this ridiculous (in a good way) outfit Angela put together!

Love the Marilyn Monroe tee and fur vest and the jewelry by LG Marchezie.  (thank you Linda!)

I adore these next few of Savannah.  Catching her laughing was such a treat!  A little behind the scenes scoop.  I wanted a bit of a wind blown look, so I asked Angela to fan Savannah with my reflector.

hmmm…that was a good idea in theory, but really, all it did was make us laugh.

Note to self, invest in a portable, battery powered fan.  ;)

ahhh, Gretchen with those arms and legs.  I am so jealous!!  Can I please have them?

and I thought you were sending me your arm workout?  still waiting.  ;)

AND the infamous yellow chair.  It might as well be like a “Where’s Waldo” joke…”Where’s the yellow chair?”   LOL!

You just wait.  I’m going to throw all of you off and paint it one day!

will you check out those gloves?!?!  Is there anything hotter?  doubt it.

That’s a wrap on part 2, but we’re not done!  Be sure to come back for Part 3…

If you missed Part 1, or want to check it out again, Click HERE.

Makeup:  Laura Briscoe

Wardrobe / Accessories:  Angela Jackson

Jewelry:  LG Marchezie

Models:  Gretchen Fortin, Savannah Roach, Candace O’Neal

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

See you next time!

If you have ever been thinking of putting together a styled shoot, be prepared to work.  Not a little bit of work either – a lot, BUT if you have a wonderful group of talented people to work with, like I did, you won’t just be happy with the outcome.  You will be elated, like I was!

I love everything about this shoot.  The makeup, the clothes, the hair, the models, the locations…EVERYTHING.  I’m not kidding, I really do.  So much so, that I am going to try to top it in a few months, but you’ll just have to wait for more on that later.  ;)

Back in December, I emailed a friend of mine who happens to be a stylist / personal shopper and has the best wardrobe I have ever seen.  This girl’s shoes alone are to die for, no joke!!  I’m serious.  I wouldn’t kid about shoes.  ;)  I asked Angela if she would be interested in working with me on an idea that I had.  Yay!  She happily agreed!

Next stop, makeup.  At the end of last year, I had been looking for a makeup artist to work with on my senior shoots.  I found Laura on Facebook, emailed her and we met in January.  I knew it would be a stretch for her to do the styled shoot.  We just met and here I am asking her to do a bunch of work and not get paid.  I asked anyway and Yay!  She happily agreed!  Of course, how could she have turned me down?  I mean really, it’s like we were separated at birth.  We are so eerily similar, but in a good way though!  :)

Fast forward to March, location decided on, models chosen, props made, many emails / meetings later – shoot day finally arrives.  Seeing all of your hard work come together, for all us, was such a great feeling.   Part of me was nervous because I knew that at the end of the day, it was up to me to make everyone else’s hard work look good and come to life in these pictures, but at the same time, I was strangely calm and not at all worried.

We met at the Wayfarer Hotel for hair and makeup.  This little hotel was so incredibly cool!  If you ever find yourself in Monroe, Ga, you must stay in their suite!  Oh come on, you know you have been dying to check out Monroe!

So this is where I leave you today, with us all getting ready for the shoot and the behind the scenes.

Savannah & Candace getting their makeup done.

Gretchen’s turn in the makeup chair!

The suite at the Wayfarer.  “We have to go back!!”

On the right, the rings that I HAD to purchase.

I saw these on Etsy and immediately had to scoop them up for the shoot.  Love these little guys!

Shout out to Teri – Thanks for the mirror!  ;)

Lastly, my “dream” team.

L to R:  Angela Jackson (stylist), Gretchen Fortin (model), Laura Briscoe (makeup), Candace O’Neal (model), little ol’ me, Savannah Roach (model) and Casey Arnold (hair).

Ok, so there is your peek behind the curtains.  Now, you have to come back to see all the magic happen!

hmmm - suddenly this sounds like an MTV “Cribs” episode.  Odd.

Loganville High School’s Jordan Draughon is back on the blog!

What’s the number one question that I get asked before any session??

“What should I wear?!?”

My usual response, “bring EVERYTHING you want and lots of it!”   I love, love, love to have options and so will you!  I pick lots of spots to shoot in one session and I love to have that same amount of variety in wardrobe selection.

Jordan and her mom did such a good job with bringing lots of super cute clothes and accessories!

Check this out -

Absolutely gorgeous, Jordan!!!

Do you remember that last time I told you about one of my favorites pics – EVER?!?!

Well, the one on the left (below) is the one!  I absolutely LOVE this!  

This is another favorite of mine!

We arrived at the lake just as the sun was setting, so we had to move quickly.

Oh my goodness, so worth it to have captured this!

Jordan, thanks to you and your mother for spending that afternoon with me!  I hope you enjoy this last month of school and wish you the best in the fall at University of North Carolina at Greensboro!!

Until next time – Toodles!

Interested in your own senior session and you know Jordan personally?  Ask her about the special discount that she has to offer as a {Twelve}12 Senior Spokesmodel.

If you missed Jordan’s first time on the blog – Click HERE.

I’m still looking for Spokesmodels for Class of 2013.  Please contact me very soon if you are interested or click HERE to apply now.

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

Ready to meet Loganville High School’s Jordan Draughon?  How about future University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Jordan Draughon?

Ok, Ok, same girl, but wait – did everyone enjoy their spring break?!?

I worked, but how about the rest of you??  :)

Seriously though, I did take a blog break because I didn’t want anyone to miss reading while celebrating on the beach!    I know the blog posts are super fascinating, but somehow I doubt they compare to sandy beaches!  ;)

You may have already seen the sneak peek of Jordan on Facebook, but you’ll see more pics from her session here.  I really had a hard time picking my favorites, because there are sooo many…

We have only just started, so come back and see more from Jordan’s session.  You won’t want to miss it, because one of her images, is probably one of my favorites EVER!

Until next time…have a great weekend!

Toodles!

Interested in your own senior session and you know Jordan personally?  Ask her about the special discount that she has to offer as a {Twelve}12 Senior Spokesmodel.

I’m still looking for Spokesmodels for both Class of 2012 and Class of 2013.  Please contact me very soon if you are interested or click HERE to apply now.

If you want to stay up to date with all the most recent sessions, click HERE and “LIKE.”

It’s been a busy summer!  Hard to believe in a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating Labor Day! Between work and vacation and trying to launch {Twelve}12, I have gotten behind on the blog again.  By the way, we are still looking for Class of 2012 Spokesmodels.  If you or someone you know is a Gwinnett County or Walton County High School Senior, they are eligible.  For more details, click here.

Getting back to blog catch up!

Let’s get to know Chelsie:

What did you enjoy most about your senior year?

“My senior year I enjoyed being more independent and being looked up to by many as the new group going off into the world.”

What are you looking forward to most now that you have graduated?

“Now that I have graduated, I look forward to being on my own and experiencing things that you can only enjoy while your young.”

What are you going to study at college?

“I plan to study pharmacy, or veterinarian medicine.”

I found this so touching…

Chelsie recently had a brother pass away and got a tattoo in his memory.

Ahhh…shoes!  Being a little obsessed with shoes myself, I always tell everyone to wear their favorite shoes!  I love these cute little wedges Chelsie wore.  They are very nautical – so fun!

I want to thank Chelsie for letting me photograph her and wish her all the best as she “goes off into the world.”    :)

You knew this day would come…the day I bought another pair of Iron Fist Shoes.  :)

Let’s be honest, as long as they keep making them, I will probably keep buying them.  In fact, I do have a birthday coming up…honey, you listening?!?  :)

In case you’re counting, this makes #6!  Seriously, I did believe that I was done until Iron Fist releases the next collection….but I came across an older pair, one that isn’t in stock anymore and I HAD TO HAVE THEM!

The Nightmare of You Platforms are inspired by the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.  I grew up watching these movies.  The original and the third were my favorites.  I went to see the remake last year AND I was Miss Freddy Krueger for Halloween, so to say these shoes called my name is an understatement!  :)

The heels are chrome and the bottoms have some awesome detail:

closer view of the infamous glove on the bottom of the shoes:

A lovely addition to my collection, don’t ya think?!

Until next time…

I couldn’t resist…I bought 3 more pairs of Iron Fist shoes!  When I bought the first two pairs, I liked several but wasn’t sure how I would feel about them until they arrived and I could try them on.  Well, as you know I love the first two pairs, so I went back for some of the others that caught my eye.  This time I went for some of the crazier ones.  What do you think??  I think I’m good for now…well, at least until the Summer collection comes out!

…I think I can almost hear my husband’s eyes rolling.  

The Dual Platforms

Frakattack Platforms – love the stitching!

Tiki Toes Platforms – how fun is the straw on the back!  If you look closely, you can see the Tiki Man.

Even the insides of these shoes are awesome.  All of detail on the inside makes you wish you didn’t have to cover them up with your feet!

I am so far behind in my blog posts and I promise to catch up soon, but first I have to share a new personal obsession – Iron Fist shoes!

Last week, I was reading one of the many blogs I follow – Rock n Roll Bride.  She was sharing a discount code for Iron Fist shoes and showed which shoes she had purchased.  I saw these shoes and thought, “oh my goodness, I have to have those!”  She isn’t from the United States, so figured no chance, but as luck would have it, Iron Fist is in Los Angeles and sell online and in stores all around the country too!  I spent forever on the website checking out all the shoes.  Some of the shoes are over the top, but for some reason, I think they are sooo fun!  I got the Lacey Days Platforms and Sugar Witch!  I love, love, love them!  I wore the Sugar Witch ones to work yesterday and got sooo many compliments.  I was surprised because while I may think they are cute, I know not everyone will.  I may have to buy more soon, just because I think they are so fun and they are the perfect mix of funky and girly!  What do you think?!?  :)