A year in Review

In the past year Oni Studio has grown so much! We learned a lot and accomplished many of our goals. But it’s because of you, our clients, that the year has been so successful for us!

As we move into 2012 we like to reflect on some of the highlights of the previous year. A large portion of our success comes from our fans on facebook page and we would love to send a special shout out to them! We hope that our photos have made your days better, inspired you, and if you have shot with us, we hope it was an experience to remember.

This year we accomplished a number of things that we are quite proud of. Launching of our website and blog is one of them. Before we got the website and blog most of our client interaction had been done through sites like MySpace and later Facebook. The website and blog, designed by J.R. Customization, and hosted on Smugmug, allowed us a new and uncensored platform to interact with our clients. We have enjoyed it and according to Google analytics you all have too!

It was very difficult to pick out our favorite photos of 2011, but one thing we wanted to do was post photographs we hadn’t have on our blog before, or at least not for awhile. Hope you enjoy!

Winning third place in the “Best of Whidbey” competition was a HUGE honor for us in 2011! Especially since we are a relatively new studio. We definitely want to thank everyone who voted for us and this year we wanna take home the gold!!

 

 

My husband, often an under credited and unnoticed part of Oni Studio, sometimes gets from behind the editing desk and assist in the shoots. Thank you honey! I could not do it without you.

Charity, owner of WatchDawgs Grooming and Boarding was instrumental in getting us more new fans than any campaign we ran. She did an amazing amount of work to help gain noteriety for Oni Studio and we wish her the best in 2012!

This is one of the greatest things about living here in Whidbey Island! My husband and I drove here across country from Virginia and first saw Deception Pass early in the morning covered in fog. We were driving separate vehicles and communicated via walkie talkie. When we saw Deception Pass we started yelling to each other, “do you see this?! what the hell?!” Needless to say it made an impression!

One of the advantages of working for the government is the travel. This was taken by my husband at the hotel in Crete, Greece.  You can see more photos he took in Crete here.

One of the greatest things about working as a photographer is getting to bring to life all the crazy ideas that pop into my head. I would like to thank all the wonderful models that agree to be used and abused by me in the name of art! Special thanks go out to Briellen K., Sharon O., Meggie, Sandra O., Lola, Crystal B., Heidi M., Jenn B., Veronica F., and Kortney S.

In 2012 I plan on doing many special projects. If you have a great idea and a complete, detailed write up on it, get in touch with me!

We love this lake, in fact its hard not to run off the road as we drive by. We never knew the name of it and always called it Mirror Lake. When we finally got our tripod we raced out and got these shots. We are far from being nature photographers, but it was a fun shoot! For those that live in Whidbey Island, is this called Cranberry Lake?

That’s all for now dear constant reader! For the first three weeks of January I will be unable to do any shoots due to an operation. For 2012 we will have a slight price increase but to offset this I want to implement a referral program that will save you money and I plan on doing a few projects in hopes of being published in Bella Morte magazine. To keep abreast of all updates make sure you become a fan on our Facebook page, we are also on Twitter and Google Plus! We hope you and yours have a great New Year and wish you the best in 2012!

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Twas the night before Catmas
When all through the house
Not an animal was stirring,
Not even the mouse.

The kitties were snuggled
And tucked in their beds,
While visions of cat goodies
Danced in their heads.

Their stockings were hung
By the cat bowls with care,
In hope that Father Catmas
Soon would be there.

Out on the rooftop
Arose such a hissing,
I knew Father Catmas
Was having trouble parking.

I jumped to the window
And clawed through the curtain.
“Here he is!”, I purred
“It is him, I’m certain.”

What to my deep eyes
Should appear,
But Father Catmas himself
In his Cat-sled gear.

He purred and he purred,
But through the kitty door he went,
Then stopped and smelled the air
As he picked up a scent.

He went about his work
With never a sigh,
Filling the stockings
With catnip piled high.

He waved at me
With his mighty paw.
Although I was hiding,
‘Twas my little nose he saw.

Out the kitty door he went
In oh such a rush,
Jumped on his cat-sled
And yelled out, “MUSH!”

The Pixie Bob cat team
Were raring to go.
They hated ‘stand stay’,
Especially in the snow.

I could hear him hissing
As he disappeared that night,

“Merry Catmas to all!

and to all a good night!”

 

From our Oni Family to Yours!

Hope you have the best Catmas ever filled with love and happiness!

 

To keep abreast of all updates make sure you become a fan on our Facebook page, we are also on Twitter and Google Plus!

* although much effort was made to find the original author of “a night before Catmas” we were unable to locate them. Oni Studio did not author the story.

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When we think of a photo shoot we imagine getting ready, packing our outfits, and going over to a photo studio or a pre-determined location. Not often do we think of our own home as a stage where an intimate photo session can take place… but let’s think about it.

We spend so much time making our homes beautiful and comfortable . This is one place that is our true reflection and everything there is a personal touch. Just being at home relaxes and comforts us.

Having a boudoir photo session in your home is a very different experience. You know all the intimate details of this place and every room is full of memories. Presenting your man with photos that not only showcase your beauty, but whisper of familiar seduction can be very personal and intimate.

This week my make up artist Ashley and I traveled to Bellingham to Ms. K’s vocation home. It’s located in a quiet community on the edge of a lake where the trees are fully covered with moss making them look like they are made of plush. It’s so beautiful Ashley and I had to stop and take pictures.

Having access to a whole house made me feel like a kid in a candy store. Every corner has so much potential and my creativity was pumping! While Ashley was doing Ms.K’s makeup we got to talk about her vision for this shoot in more detail and collaborated on which “sets” we will use. Having a full access to her closet was great as well. When I looked through the windows at the back yard I could not help wanting to take some shots there. We did not plan to do that, but it was great that Ms. K could go straight into her closed and pull out an outfit that complimented my vision.

Another thing that was very interesting to me about this shoot is a reason behind it. Last year right after her birthday, Ms. K sat down and wrote 12 things that she wanted to accomplish or experience within a year. Boudoir session is a last thing on her list before her birthday at the end of the month. Wow, what a gift! She talked about other things on her list that she has done and it truly inspired me. How many times we want to do something, but put it on a back burner and tell ourselves we don’t have enough time? This New Year I am making a list and I am sticking to it!

Here at Oni Studio we like to highlight the work of other photographers who have done similar projects that our particular post is about. This week we’d like to share a post from Tammy of True Blue Intimates. Tammy is a professional photographer and published author on the subject of boudoir. Her post here and here highlight a shoot in a clients home is nothing less than inspiring!

Another interesting shoot is from Jennifer Frezza of KaZa Photography. She had a news crew come out and film her doing a boudoir shoot in a clients home along with a very insightful interview. You can check out the news crew video here.

Thats all for now dear constant reader, if you liked this post don’t forget to become a fan on our facebook page for daily updates, and guess what else? Valentines Day is right around the corner, what would be a better gift for that special someone in your life than boudoir photos?

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Being an expecting mother is not what it used to be. Women no longer have to hide behind a tent size maternity dress and avoid any pictures. Ever since Demi  Moore appeared very pregnant and totally nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, pregnant women everywhere pulled out their cutest outfits and stepped into the world with new attitude. Expecting mom can be fun and sexy, and she most definitely glows.

Maternity pictures changed a lot as well. There are so many styles and comfort levels, but today I wanted to present to you Mrs. K.

When I first talked to Mrs. K she right away told me that she did not want traditional maternity pictures. Something more fun and original was up her alley, and I agreed. Why stop at belly hugging romantic shots? Let’s go all the way and have some fun! We agreed on pin up style in addition to few classic poses.

K’s little boy, Jameson, is due this month. He will be the best Christmas present ever! Mrs. K was kind enough to write a few words about her experience:

“I had been wanting to do a pin up shoot for quite some time, and what better time to do it while I’m pregnant! I don’t think I’ve ever had so much confidence, and I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to do it otherwise. It was such a fun way to capture my last week of pregnancy! I wanted something fun, and not your typical maternity pictures, and Victoria came up with some amazing themes with the most beautiful and flirty images and made me feel so comfortable. I would absolutely do it again after my pregnancy with no regrets!” ~Mrs. K

I’ve shot a number of pregnancy shoots before, so it was nothing new, but I still wanted to see what was out there and draw some inspiration from other photographers. Doing the research for this shoot I realized just how many crazy creative ideas there are! Maternity photo shoots can be as simple as a set in the park, a sexy boudoir session, a romantic couples shoot or, in our case, a fun pin up style.

Check out some of the sites I found that I absolutely loved, and maybe get some ideas for your own boudoir experience.

Erika Lewis is a photographer from Boise Idaho, she has owned studios in Hawaii and Seattle. Her shots are dreamy and full of light. Easy sexy simplicity.

Alycia Alvarez Is a photographer from Texas, although she doesnt specialize in boudoir her boudoir maternity session linked here is smokin!! Her photos even made the cover of PPA magazine, what an accomplishment!!

If you enjoyed this entry and want to make your own appointment with me you can do so here, and for even more fun make sure to become a fan of our facebook page here!