Monday, April 24, 2006

how i spent my sunday...

kelly and i spent yesterday at the home of our friends, dawn & terry. dawn & terry, if you recall, are the master photographers behind the wonderful family portrait showcased here last week. dawn & terry lured us to their home with promises of barbecue and then proceeded to torture us for hours by taking our picture.

really, i didn't even know they were going to feed us. when dawn asked me if i would be her model for a portraiture class assignment on dramatic or "hollywood" lighting, it was that pretend arm-twisting situation wherein the question is still hanging in the air when i shouted, "yes!" AND to top it all off, i got to wear hats...which are my number one favorite fashion accessory. seriously, in the history of clothes, felt, some netting, beads, feathers and wide ribbon could not be be more fantastic. in whatever iteration they are combined, they are fabulous.

dawn & terry have a remarkably compact lower level studio. when you see the finished product they will not belie the studio's size. i got to wear a black and white sheath dress that i paid, i'm not joking, 50 cents for at a thrift store. that and a pair of faux diamond studs and i was all set for my close-up.

the lights were blazing hot, but dawn & terry made me feel cool as a cuke. after the first session in which i got to wear a to-die-for cream wide-brimmed hat with rhinestones and lush black ribbon rose, they decided to try some dramatic couples lighting. their inspiration was a print advertisement for some men's cologne. kelly had to look brooding...i had to look protected and thoughtful. it was a stretch for both of us, but i think the submission for the assignment will come from this session.

and then it was time for my holly-go-lightly session. bright white background, same vintage b&w dress and a breath-taking black woven hat with a short veil. it was all i could do to not light a cigarette and take long, hot drags through a cigarette holder.

so. much. fun. once they're done retouching them (yes, i have my photographer re-touch my pictures...all the really BIG names have it done!) i will share some here. my dream of modeling has definitely come true.

until then, here is a photo that they took last time out at the end of our family portrait time. dawn wanted to try to work with fur and wouldn't you know i have a faux fur hat and a real fur collar...how could i resist an offer to wear them and be photographed.

please note...this is before touch-ups in which terry darkened my lipstick and made my green eyes greener. it reminds me of the line in the "wizard of oz," "can they even dye my eyes to match my gown? jolly good town!"


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that needs no retouching, it is beautiful. Cannot wait to see the rest of them. It must have been fun. Hope that you will keep us up to date.

MB Shaw said...

What a blast! Can't wait to see all the pictures. You look gorgeous before retouching.