“They all float down here, and when you’re down here, you’ll float too!” To those of you who have never read Stephen King’s “It”, or saw the terrible made for TV movie, those words may not make much sense. To those who have seen the movie you will undoubtedly be reminded of the eight foot tall sewer clown.  This project was an obvious tribute to one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. We initially saw a still shot from Stephen King’s “It” and got inspired to recreate it in our own unique way. Stephen King has long been one of my favorite authors, and his book “It” was always my favorite of his. I had originally read it in the sixth grade and it scared me so bad I stayed up for weeks. When I saw we had a chance to pay a little tribute to my favorite book I jumped at the chance!

As explained in our first blog entry one of the ways we keep our creative juices flowing is to take on projects. These projects allow us to take our time and experiment and give us complete control over the final outcome. Since doing extensive experiments on paying clients isn’t ethically feasible for us as a business, these projects are essential for the training we have to do to always assure we are bringing you, the client, a superior product.

To begin a project like this we had to find a scary clown. For most people that would be a problem, but fortunately for us we get to meet some pretty interesting people in this business. Mr. Boyle, our scary clown, had thoroughly victimized us at the Haunted House at the Whidbey Roller Barn, and we knew he would be perfect for this!

Finding a model to fit this role was another matter entirely, in fact we searched for over a month before finally meeting Sharon, (AKA Opposable Model) not only was she eager to participate, but brought a lot of creative ideas to the project as well.

Ashley from “Make-Up Your Mind” brought it all together with her amazing skill, and with the team assembled we were set!

The following account was written by Opposable Model:

Victoria and I started planning, she got a wig from Gothic Lolita, I got some shoes, and it all began to come together. The day we settled on was a Friday and the night before that I was already going to be in Seattle for a shoot with Brady Hall so I stayed there for the night and drove up to Oak Harbor the next morning. When I got to her house, Victoria informed me that her faithful friend Ashley (the wizard behind Make-Up Your Mind) would be over soon with her adorable daughter in tow. She offered me coffee and brownies (both of which were amazing!) and we hit it off right away, chatting, laughing and sorting through the wardrobe items I had brought to figure out what would work out best.

Ashley arrived with the most extensive makeup kit I have ever seen and went to work right away doing all sorts of things to my face I don’t even know how to explain. One of them was an airbrush thing that made me look like I was made out of porcelain, and then there were the false eyelashes (top AND bottom!), lipstick, eyebrows and all sorts of other things that you may never even think of but are important in achieving the desired look.

The make-up looked fantastic, and the wig Victoria had bought just tied it all together. We packed up our bags, loaded everyone up and drove off to the location. On the way there we definitely caused a few heads to turn. Imagine, if you will, a procession of two cars, one of which has a porcelain doll in the front seat and a back seat filled with black and red balloons, and the second of which is being driven by a clown. Definitely one of the weirdest things people saw in Oak Harbor that day.

The location that Victoria had found was perfect for the shoot and even though the day was sunny, the house was so gloomy and old looking that it didn’t really matter. We trotted over to it and started getting set up. Now I’ve really got to hand it to Brian, because there is a huge difference between dressing up as a creepy clown and BEING a creepy clown and he took being a creepy clown to a whole new level. He ran, he jumped, he danced, he lurked, he slunk, he crept, he did everything possible to make himself as terrifying and photo worthy as he could.

Victoria started shooting and after a while gave up being angry at the sunlight and just started being delighted about how the shots were coming out. I remember at one point she looked at her camera and just started laughing and declared, “This is so %$#@^&* amazing!” That was when I knew it was going to turn out fine.

We shot in a couple different locations around the house, including an old outhouse behind the main building and a tree in the side yard. Originally we thought Brian the clown should climb the tree and be up there staring down at me, but it was slippery and the bark wasn’t easy to climb so we changed ideas and he boosted me up onto the limb where I had a ridiculously fun time clinging onto a tree branch for dear life while he jumped up and down on the ground underneath trying to tear my shoes off. Seriously, this is the part of modeling that I love more than the makeup and the beauty and all of that stuff. It’s being able to be lifted up into a tree looking like a doll and have a clown jumping up and down under me trying to grab at my legs knowing that the person behind the camera is going to capture something amazing and that in that moment I am a part of something so cool and so fun that people will see it and think, “I want to do a shoot like that!”

When it was all said and done everybody was happy with the way that it turned out and we parted ways after some hugging and letting our balloons float away into the sky (shhhh, don’t tell anyone we littered!). We drove back to Victoria’s house she took one last head shot of me with the wig and makeup and I changed back into my street clothes and headed back to Bellingham. I had kept the makeup on because it was just so pretty I couldn’t bear to take it off yet and on the way home I got a sudden craving for a sweet, icy coffee drink so I pulled off at a Starbucks and got one. I remember pulling back out onto the freeway; drink in hand, thinking to myself, “This is the life. My face looks fantastic. I’m drinking an expensive drink, driving down the highway (in my friend’s car) and I just got to be a part of one of the funnest shoots I’ve worked on to date.”

~Sharon a.k.a. Opposable Model

The low down on how Ashley did the make up:

I first want to say that I am so excited that I got to be apart of this shoot. I had originally told Victoria that I had a doctors appointment and couldn’t make it. I ended up canceling the appointment 2 hours before the shoot and came to the makeup rescue. (can you tell where my priorities lie?) Of course I had heard a little about the shoot idea, but I didn’t know much else about Victoria’s vision. I can honestly say out of all the shoots I have done with Oni, I was least prepared for this one. (As far as knowing what direction I’m headed in regards to the look and feel of the shoot.) So when I met Sharon I was still trying to piece everything together in my head. In the end, I just let go of trying to plan everything and let the creativity flow. I knew I wanted a dark eye, something exaggerated, beautiful, but verging a little on the creepy side. That is where the white eyeliner came into play on the bottom waterline. It gives the illusion of a larger eye. Then I topped that off by over exaggerating the black liner under the eye, and used a pair of eyelashes on the skin under the liner as well as a pair of upper lashes. The effect turned out amazing! I couldn’t have been happier! Sharon was so paitent and let me do whatever I wanted and took it like a champ! She even let my 2 year old sit in her lap while I was working and managed to keep her occupied while being so easy to work with. I loved everything about this shoot and am so happy with how it all turned out, and look forward to working with Sharon again someday!

~Ashley, Make-Up Your Mind

 

Thats all for now dear constant reader, I want to say thanks to everyone involved. Sharon for being so versatile and flexible. Brian for being the best damn creepy clown I have ever met. Ashley for being a master of your craft. And of course Johanna for handling that crazy clown and being my right hand at the shoot! 

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Maternity sessions are not what they used to be. With a variety of photographers available today and their unique styles any mom-to-be can select the type of photo shoot that will match her personality and comfort level. Before, maternity sessions used to be somewhat one-dementional, when now you can go as creative or crazy as you would like.

Creating your own package can be so much fun. From choosing between fantasy, pin-up, glamour or boudoir styles to picking a location. Would it be in the studio, your own home, a park or a garden, or a luxurious hotel room. And then there is the dress-up part… what girl does not like that?

When our long time model and friend Jenn, became pregnant with her second child I knew right away that I wanted to write this blog and be able to explore all the possibilities of the maternity shoot. I wanted to show the variety that any future mom can explore at Oni Studio. Few months ago I wrote about a pin-up maternity session. This is a little bit different.

“Shooting with Victoria at The Palace Hotel was absolutely sensational! There was a very sophisticated yet historical aura in the atmosphere.

Shooting at over 6 months pregnant was a very sensual experience for me, and I really wanted to capture that attitude in the photographs; and, I believe shooting in that hotel amplified that objective. It’s a very provocative place, and I wanted my photos to have that identical sense, which kind of goes against the grain with “traditional” maternity photos. I couldn’t be any more satisfied with her winning shots!”  ~Jennifer B.

I invited Jenn for a few short sessions. One was at The Palace Hotel in Port Townsend, another one in the studio and outside in the orchard on a sunny day. Her husband, a military police officer, was able to join us for one of the shoots as well and we took some great shots of mom and dad.

I hope you enjoy the photos and get inspired for your own shoot!

What’s new at Oni Studio? Well, we have been working hard on expanding our prop closet. Our clients would still provide their own lingerie, shoes and other personal items, but we want to be able to add really unique pieces to any shoot. Now we have a variety of wigs from Gothic Lolita, ear wraps provided by Feather Heaven, and amazing head pieces are on their way hand made by Rachel over at Posh Fairytale Couture. We also have masks, gloves, hats and other goodies. During the consultation we can go over your outfits and what we can add to make the look complete. So don’t wait any longer and book your appointment today.

 

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Heidi is one of our many repeat customers. She has been to our studio so many times it started to feel like hanging out with a friend instead of working with a client.  Surely you guys remember some of the memorable shots of Heidi that were posted before.

Working with Heidi is always such a pleasure. Her outfits are colorful and fun, her body art, most of which is done by Tiny Tim’s Tattoo, is tasteful and unique.  In addition to Heidi being a hair stylist she is also a big fan of wigs, so I can always expect her hair to look amazing and match the look we are going for.

When Heidi was here few weeks ago for another fun shoot I found out that her sister Amy is a horse trainer with Fire Mountain Friesians and they have two horses that they are working on at home.  For a while now I’ve been thinking of doing a location shoot with a horse and since I knew that Heidi can deliver the look I had in mind I asked if she would be interested in modeling for me.

Gladly she said yes!

An involved shoot like this needs a lot more people to pull it off than normal. I needed Heidi to model, Amy to attend to the horse, and Dawn to help out with lighting and equipment as well as take some behind the scene shots. I, of course, am busy with Holiday shoots at the studio, so it took about three weeks to find the right day for everyone to get together.

It was a cold rainy morning in Sedro-Wooley when we arrived to Heidi’s house. That was the first time I met King, a beautiful and energetic, but gentle horse. I felt a little bit bad for asking Heidi to wear almost nothing in such a cold weather, but once she got on King’s back, his body heat was keeping her nice and toasty.

 

Doing a shoot with any animal is a whole lot different than just photographing people. The obvious communication problem is not the only thing. Animals are unpredictable and fast moving. While directing the poses, lighting and shooting I still had to keep one eye open for King walking right into the camera and another to watch out for horse poop.

Few days before the shoot Heidi got a cute, but super short haircut. Not the look we were going for here. Thankfully she has plenty of wigs to choose from. This one was great. It looks natural and compliments the shots. It kind of matches the horse mane, and I loved that!

As you can see we got some great shots that day. It was definitely an educational experience for me as a photographer, but also a fun day doing something I love!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Mary and I have been talking about doing this shoot for a few months. She wanted something different and a bit on a naughty side. As one of the suggestions I mentioned using Marie Antionette as an inspiration and we both liked where it was going right away.

 

Mary started shopping for the outfit and most importantly, the wig. It was one of the main items of the shoot and it took some looking around to find the right one. We didn’t want it to be too big (as was a custom at the time), but still wanted to represent the character. After doing some research Mary found the perfect one at buycostumes.com and for a great price!

Then it was off to find the rest of the outfit. Of course our local Lover’s Package Store came to the rescue yet again. I loved the corset Mary picked out! It is beautifully constructed and has boning for extra shape and support.

 

On the day of the shoot Ashley from Make Up Your Mind was here to apply makeup and help with the wig, and then later change things up for sexy lingerie look Mary picked out. Ashley not only does hair and makeup, but also acts as a style consultant and a huge help in the studio. What would I do without her?

During the shoot I had a bit of a challenge photographing the wig. While Mary was perfect in posing and facial expressions, the wig would just come out as a big white shining spot. It seemed like the thing was taunting me and it took me a bit to get it under control.

Note to self: wigs are a lot different than real hair… duh!

One of the other fun parts of the shoot for me was playing with natural light that was coming in from the two large windows we have in the studio. Living in Washington we don’t get a lot of sunshine, so most of the time I work with studio light. Taking advantage of the great weather I took a couple of great soft shots of Mary on the old antique couch. What a great contrast to a velvet heavy previous set!

Mary has a weakness for beautiful high heel shoes, and those are amazing! I loved them so much I had to bring them into focus. If they were my size I would accept them as payment for the shoot =) … just joking!

 

“My girlfriend had pictures done with Victoria and loved it, so I decided to explore the ONI Studios website and Facebook page. I loved Victoria’s work and decided to get with her on doing some for my husband’s upcoming deployment. Victoria came up with the idea of a Marie Antoinette spin and being a bit of a history buff, I loved the idea. I went to buycostumes.com and ordered a wig, lovers had a corset I liked and then threw odds and ends from my drawers in a bag. I will be honest in saying that as a woman in the military with two children and my own little insecurities I was a bit nervous of how things would go when I got there.
My experience was Amazing to say the least! Victoria put together these looks so well from just whatever I had and Ashley was great at tying everything up with her ideas. You girls are a talented, winning team! Everything felt glamorous and Victoria is great at making it all very comfortable! Leaving her studio I have a new sense of self-confidence and my own sexuality. I can’t wait to surprise my husband with this gift for his upcoming deployment and can’t wait to do another shoot at ONI! Maybe we can do 18th Century next time. Thank you Victoria and Ashley.

Much love,
Mary”