Why take a normal picture when you can take a silly one? {89}

Of course during a family session, we'll still get the "normal" posed smile here photos like this:

Any family can do a posed picture like that. ^ But when you tell them to be silly, tickle each other, group hug, dance, run, jump, play.... that's when the true family emotions and unique fun expressions come out :)

See look! They just loosen up and have fun and we can capture what they're really like... not just what they look like with a fake smile posing for a picture. :)

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A craft a day keeps the doctor away ;-) {88}

Look at what I made today! Can't really take the credit for it, because my friend Sam made one first so I knew it would turn out :) Can you guess what I made this wreath out of???

This was her Easter project. Look at how perfectly even this was hung... thank you Sam & Tavis for putting so much hard work into making my photo wonderful :)

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A Bridal Elegance Session {87}

This little mini session right before the ceremony is usually the last chance I get to have the bride "all to myself" before she walks down the aisle and is very busy the rest of the day and evening with guests. During the session I'll try and capture all of her little details... the flowers, her jewelry, her hair, her makeup, her dress. While I was taking these photos of Brianne she was laughing to her friends and said something like, "I feel like I'm like a model on a photoshoot or something" - and they were like, "you ARE!" :) These moments and details before the ceremony are treasured for a lifetime. Here's a little look into what a bridal session is like:

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My Favorite Bouquets {86}

Here are my top 10 favorite bridal bouquets or groups of bouquets!!!

Can you tell what colors I like??? :)

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Wedding Vendor Spotlight: Aubrey Childers, Makeup Artist {85}

Last week I featured Aubrey on my blog as a lash extensionist, but this week I'm featuring Aubrey as a wedding vendor for hair and makeup! I met Aubrey last August in Prosser when she was working her magic for one of the brides I was photographing. Then I found out we go to the same church in Selah so I get to see her all the time now!! My favorite thing about Aubrey as a makeup artist is that on the wedding day she eliminates a lot of stress for the brides by coming to the venue where everyone is getting ready. I always tell brides that the less traveling and places to go on a wedding day, the less chance there is for things to go wrong, people to get lost, be late, get stuck in traffic, or be misinformed. If the getting ready, portraits, ceremony, and reception is all at the same place.... everything should run smoothly (usually). Because Aubrey comes to the house or venue of the bride, that's less wedding day time used up by driving to and from the salon. An on-site hair & makeup artist is key.

Aubrey does an awesome job! This bride was taking pictures all day with us, jumping, climbing, roaming around doing whatever..... and her hair and makeup looked great the whole time.

Q&A with Makeup Artist Aubrey + Amy:

Amy: How long have you been a makeup artist?

Aubrey: I've been doing makeup professionally for almost two years now. Although I really started to make my Makeup Artistry a lot more seriously when I had the opportunity to be a makeup artist for the Yakima Valley Warriors Dance Team the Lady Warriors.

Amy: Have you always wanted to be an artist, or did you just stumble upon it by chance?

Aubrey:  I've always loved wearing makeup. I love how it makes me feel more glamorous and I love how it makes other people feel glamorous when they have their makeup done as well. I didn't ever think I would be as successful as I consider myself today but I've definitely always loved being in this industry.

Amy: What feature do you love to accentuate most?

Aubrey: If I had to pick one feature to accentuate It would be the eyes- although I do believe that with a good Makeup the entire face can really glow and be beautiful. Basic foundation-making your skin look flawless- is definitely important as well. From there you can pretty much go anywhere with your makeup.

Amy: What products and brands do you use with your clients?

Aubrey: I do like to try a lot of different brands. I'm lucky to have friends in this industry as well who give me their thoughts on different brands and different products. Currently in my kit I use a lot of MAC, Bare Essentials, Cinema Secrets, Smashbox and a few other products from different lines. It's good to have variety- each brand has something to offer.

Amy: At what point in the planning process do you typically work with brides?

Aubrey: I try to book with brides as soon as possible. For both of our peace of mind. The sooner the bride is able to book with me and have a consultation/run-thru I feel like it takes a lot of stress off of their shoulders. I want their experience with me to be as stress-free as possible so I will book as far in advance as they are willing to book me. I typically will not book a bride unless I am able to have a proper run-thru with them- my schedule is generally really flexible so I'm always willing to try and work something out for brides who have waited until later in the wedding process to find a hair stylist/makeup artist.

Amy: What are some basic skincare tips for brides before their wedding day?

Aubrey: I would say stay away from facials at least a week before the wedding. Facials really bring all the dirt and grime under the skin to the surface to really clean out your pores (which is nice!) but causes breakouts! Scary on a wedding day. I would say any basic skin-care routine is great. Wash your face and be sure to moisturize so the skin has a natural glow and softness to it.

Amy: What inspires you?

Aubrey: To know that I get the opportunity to share in one of the happiest days in someones life really truly inspires me.

Amy: What do you think sets you apart from other makeup artists?

Aubrey: There are many very talented Makeup Artists- the beauty industry is huge! But I believe one thing that sets me apart is my willingness to travel to the location of the bride the day of her wedding. I think it is way more relaxing for a bride to know she can be on location-where she needs to be, when she needs to be there- and sit comfortably in her robe or pajamas or whatever she wants to wear and get styled. I think it takes a huge stress off of her, and this day is really all about her so I like to do my part by being wherever she needs me. I also think another thing that sets me apart is the fact that I have had the opportunity to work on lots of different skin types, colors, etc. I've been really blessed to have a diverse client base and any bride I get the opportunity to work with only helps improve my talents.

Amy: What is something most people don’t know about the process of wedding hair & makeup?

Aubrey: I think most people are really surprised at the amount of bobby pins it can take to create a style. Really, sometimes it's over 100.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

Aubrey:

Amy: What are some things brides should look for when looking for a makeup artist?

Aubrey: I think willingness to do a consultation is a huge deal. Look for someone who is willing to take the time to do a *full* run-thru with you. Brides need the security of knowing what they are going to look like on their wedding day, and skimping on the run-thru is a big no-no in my opinion. It gives the bride the opportunity to decide if this is the Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist they want working with them. Brides need to know they have options and doing a run-thru can help seal the deal with a particular person or help them decide they need to look elsewhere.

If you'd like to contact Aubrey about hair, makeup or eyelashes for your wedding, here is her info! aubrey@aubreychilders.com | 503.720.2860

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coolest wedding idea ever {84}

As the bride and groom are romantically feeding each other the cake, everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see if it gets messy. They quickly turn around and slam the cake into the faces of their maid of honor & best man. The crowd roars and talks about it forever and ever. What a great idea.

*sweet victory*

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Glass Etching {83}

Last night I went over to my friend Samantha's house for a little bit of crafting. I'd never really thought about doing a glass etching project until my friend Amanda mentioned it to me, so I looked up a tutorial video to learn what it is and how to do it (it's at the bottom of this blog if you'd like to watch. I enjoy her accent.)

I went to Value Village and picked up about 10 glass items for less than $10. Then I went on the hunt for etching cream. Michaels doesn't carry it anymore but Craft Warehouse does. This little bottle was $20, but after one project I still have 7/8 of it left.

At first I was just using masking tape to make lines on some of the glass pieces but then Sam suggested punching holes in the tape to make a stencil for polkadots, so here they are! After painting a thick layer of etching cream and leaving it for 5-10 minutes, I would wash it off and it leaves it kinds bumpy where it ate the glass away. :)

As you can see, masking tape wasn't the best stencil because the dots aren't perfect, but oh well! I still like them. Next time around I'll probably pick up some sticky vinyl to draw a pattern and then cut it out. yay for fun little projects!

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an embarrassing amateur photography story:: REVEALED {82}

Once upon a time, Amy Guild did not know much about digital vignetting but knew she wanted her images to have that "look" or effect. (a vignette is when a photo has some black around the corners, when the edges fade out gradually, used to draw attention to the center of the photo.) So she opened photoshop, and manually used the paint brush with a big feather to paint black around the edges. She used this method of vignetting for a few weddings and a few portrait sessions. She later found out about photoshop actions and lightroom presets that apply a vignette much quicker and more consistently than her black paint vignette extravaganza.

Before: 2 minutes to paint a vignette on 1 picture. After: 2 minutes to batch apply a vignette preset to 700 pictures. Thank goodness for friends who filled Amy in on this little vignetting secret. :)

The image on the left is without a vignette, the image on the right has one.... so you can see the difference.

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"We'll call YOU!" {81}

famous parting words by Aaron Blum. When he declared this to the crowd as they were getting in their getaway car, I couldn't help but chuckle. Such a good thing to say, don't call us, we'll call you :)

congratulations Aaron & Melissa!

It was twenty something degrees while we were taking these outdoor photos. Their poor little exposed limbs!

This is in downtown Yakima at track 29. Pretty much the only way to find spring colors in February. :)

This is their Zoolander pose... Blue Steel I believe.

cute idea!

When all 50 of these people only cared about the food, the man in the blue shirt still cared that we were taking a picture and gave us the thumbs up ;-)

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Erin & Brandon:: Washington Engagement Photographer {80}

So I go to my mail today and I have a little box from Erin. I open it up, and there's a thank you card and a little thank you gift that brings a smile to my face. :) I never expect clients to say or do anything more than just say thank you, so these four little brownies in the mail were such a delight to me! How thoughtful!

This couple is from Issaquah, and since we live in Yakima they met us in the "middle" in Cle Elum for their engagement pictures. We spent some time downtown, and also ventured up to snowwy Suncadia. At the start of the shoot we told them how engagement sessions go and what they should do, and they just went for it. No reminders here, they just looked and acted romantic with little prompting from us.

Suncadia presented an interesting situation for this shoot.... Looking out I just imagined there was a little snow on the ground.... not like the 1-3 feet that there actually was. By the end of this session I think everyone's feet, socks, and shoes were soaked. :) A couple of times I'd come across a deep pile of snow and my whole leg would get stuck. Good thing I was just wearing jeans & boots!

LOVE the colors.

I wish Erin could give all my brides a lesson on this foot kick dip, she is awesome at it!

*spontaneous smooch*

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