I just finished a very interesting shoot with my new client Courtney. She traveled all the way from Bremerton early this morning and was prepared for location and studio shoots with a variety of looks and outfits.

Ashley from Make Up Your Mind was on location to work her magic with hair and make-up. We decided to go with a softer, more natural look for the beach shots and later spiced it up for studio sultry look. It is so much fun to play with make-up and I always learn something new just by watching Ashley work.

Ashley wrote in her blog about this experience as well:

“Yesterday morning I had yet another great opportunity to work with Oni Studio and one of their clients for an on location photo shoot. This was the first time I have ever gone on location with Victoria and I really loved every second of it! Not only did the make up turn out the way I wanted it to, but I got to meet two awesome ladies from Bremerton, WA who drove an hour and took a ferry to get to us. Talk about love and dedication!

We had a wide variety of clothing to work with, which made for lots of wardrobe changes. To make it easier for myself and for the client, I chose to do something more natural and neutral for the first part of the shoot. We were at the beach and the wardrobe was more of a country style, so the natural look was perfect. I stuck to taupe and a little gold and bronze shimmer on the lids with a very fine  brown eyeliner only at the lash line. The cheeks were mostly bronzer with a pop of pink on the apples, and a muted pink lip. Perfect country look!

Our client finished off the shoot in studio with a smoking hot red and black corset, so we vamped her up a bit. I added a smoky grey to the outer corners and in the crease of the eyes and a black cat-eye liner and a bright red lip to match her outfit. Gorgeous! I can’t wait to see some of the finished products!

I can’t forget to mention Courtney’s friend Jessica, who was chasing her with a hot pink bathrobe around the beach, pouring water on the umbrella to make it look like rain and organizing outfits like a personal stylist. She was the perfect wing man to have for a photo shoot!

It was a pleasure to meet these two ladies, and I hope that Courtney is happy with her photos!”

-Ashley (Make up Your Mind)

 

The weather was nice to us today. As soon as we got to the Rocky Point beach the sun came out and the sky cleared up. Even though it was still cool the pictures came out sunny and warm. In large I can thank Courtney for that. Through the entire shoot she stayed positive and upbeat, and did not complain once. Even when I sent her out into the freezing water barefoot!

I was surprised at how much privacy we got at the beach. It gave us freedom to push the limits and capture more provocative shots and made it easy to change from one outfit to the next.

 

This one is one of my favorite shots of the day. It was partially inspired by a video of a shoot by The Boudoir Divas and partially dictated by Courtney’s outfit and attitude.

I had Courtney lay down on the sand propped on the piece of drift-wood. She was way out of the reach of the waves, but we got her a little wet and dirty for the shot. I was looking through the camera for the best lighting and composition when I saw a big wave coming. I knew right away what was about to happen, and prayed Courtney would keep her composure. When the freezing water hit and foamed all around Courtney’s almost bare body, she did not even flinch! Well, not until I got the shot! Courtney, you rock!

When we returned back to the studio we took a number of shots in our apple orchard. The leaves just started to change color and made for a beautiful fall backdrop. I love the property and plan to utilize it for my shoots even during winter time!

For the in-studio shots I wanted a classic painting look. The rich colors and textures of the outfit and deep shadows provided the atmosphere and depth. With Ashley’s expertise the make-up was quickly changed to suite the mood.

The entire shoot was a lot of fun. We tried a lot of different looks but made sure to stay true to Courtney’s personality. It was a pleasure to photograph her and I hope this was not the last time.

Here is what Courtney had to say about her experience:

“I just want to thank Victoria and Ashley for one of the best days of my life. Victoria, you are truly a very creative lady who I enjoyed working with. Thank you for capturing everything that I wanted to do, and taking the time to make it come true. I love that you are open to anything, which totally fits with my personality. I can’t wait to work with you again in the future, for I will be returning again! If anyone is looking for a wonderful photographer, Victoria is it. And I fully recommend getting your hair and make-up done there by Ashley… another talented lady!  THANK YOU AGAIN!!! Best time ever!”

-Courtney Hjelmaa