Last week I posted a teaser photo of the shoot I did with Casey on my Happies and Crappies post. I can't even contain myself any longer, I have to post the rest!
Casey is one of the easiest people to be around. She somehow effortlessly encourages you to just be yourself, and in the short time I have known her, we have reached a level of friendship that contains no TMI zones. I know she will giggle along with me at a dirty innuendo, won't bat an eye if I mention a bowel movement or gas, and cracks me up daily. "I'm dying" is a phrase we volley back and forth like a hot grenade, because we are laughing so hard the phrase just fits. She is filled with movie quotes and uses them perfectly in every day situations. She is a great mom who acknowledges that raising a child is hard. She is fun, big hearted, and incredibly giving.
I wanted to bring all of these things that I feel about Casey into the photos. I wanted her to see them and feel comfortable. To feel beautiful. To wonder if that person was really her, because she had never felt so pretty. I started with simple makeup that flattering her perfect pale complexion, and gave her a ton of Texas volume and curl to her hair. She had brought over a selection of outfits, so I let her pick what she wanted to wear while I dragged my big peach wing back chair to the backyard and sat her down to pose. I swear you would have thought I was having a heart attack while snapping photos, because of all my gasps. I was delighted with what was popping up on the LED screen of my camera.
Now, I am not in any way a trained professional when it comes to photography. I am quite comfortable with my auto setting, and don't dare set it in manual for fear of RUINING EVERYTHING. I am capable of taking some decent shots using natural lighting and hoping for the best. I don't even have any professional fancy editing software. Just Picasa to change the color and contrast, crop, and do a little retouching in the most basic sense. Hopefully knowing that my skills are limited shows you just how lovely Casey is.
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| We started Casey out with what she affectionately termed "Housewife hair", in a cute blue patterned dress. Her adorable son Wilder was hanging out with us, and I happened to catch him with a smile in this one. |
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| Casey was effortless in front of the camera. She would smile, I would snap, it would be fabulous. She took direction well, and even laughed when I modeled the poses I wanted her to get into. |
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| This is Casey in a nutshell. A bombshell with a spirited side. You can see the fun in her eyes. |
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| "It seems my soul is a gypsy" |
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| This is my favorite. We had gotten to the "magic hour" where the sun was just buttery perfection. I had thrown her hair up into a messy side bun and pulled tendrils down to soften the look. She wore the style like it was meant for her. This was the very last photo I took, and it was after I had already said I was done. Good think I kept going. |
I am so happy Casey agreed to let me use her as my muse for what I call my Ginger Siren shoot. It was fun to play with makeup and use my often neglected camera with a girlfriend. It's been awhile since I have had any kind of photo shoot action, and I needed it. I am now going to update my beauty website to include a "Lifestyle" portfolio from my four amateur shoots, because I want my clients to be able see these and get inspiration for their own shoots.
Thank you Casey, for being an awesome friend!