Collab # 25

I thought I would work on collaborations until March. Here we are in July. And I’ve caught the bug. I love a project.

I went to art school. When we were given projects to draw whatever we wanted, I struggled with inspiration. But you give me a prompt… I could come up with good stuff. I feel like photography is the same way. My kids are an inspiration. My clients are an inspiration. And these collaborations have become an inspiration.

This was the second time I’ve worked with NMJ Handmade Creations. You may recall the leather earrings I posted a few months ago.

I try to think about how the product is used. How it represents the brand. How the client would live life around the product. What props would make sense to be incorporated with these products. I typically work with some information from the client about their vision and interpret it from there.

Can you tell how I answered the questions I mentioned above?

Collab # 24

I have eczema. It’s only gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. It has gotten worse with the change in water from city to well. It’s itchy. Then painful. It always attracts questions. I’ve changed soaps. I’ve worn gloves. I have used steroid creams. I’ve put lotion and lotion on it. When I’m stressed it’s worse. When it’s hot outside… it’s worse.

I don’t expect and overnight fix. But when I saw an opportunity to work with a soap maker who created a line specifically for those with eczema or eczema prone skin… I hoped to be chosen.

When I got the collab, I asked if Stephanie from Se Skin (Smooth Skin Supply LLC) would rather me use a models hands or mine with the rash. She said mine! This will sound dumb. But for the first time in a long time, it made me feel good that someone actually wanted pictures of my hand.

I shot some flat lays then set up to work in my friends bathroom. Hillary was a huge help with getting the images of myself and the products in use. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve gotten from friends and family through this.

I was diligent about using the soap and balm. It really did help. It isn’t gone. But within a few days, it was already much less angry than it had been. Thank you Stephanie! She was also sweet enough to include a set of gloves in the box of products to be photographed to help with my skin. I do hope to work with her again. I’m pretty sure I’ll be placing an order for soap to use here at home for myself and Adelei.

Collab # 23

One of the one things I miss about life before covid… besides everything… is coffee. My anxiety took a hit. My kids deserved a better mom. So I quit drinking regular coffee. That being said, I still love it and the smell of it. I bid for a collab with Wildflower Farms because she was looking for something specific and I was excited about it.

What did she want? Cows. My neighbors have cows! They gather in the bottom of the valley in the evenings and it’s just beautiful! We talked about her vision. I suggested making it like a breakfast with coffee. Then she told me she makes granola too. I can only imagine what her kitchen smells like.

The day we signed the contract about this collab I didn’t see the cows. In fact. I didn’t see them for almost 3 weeks.

I took some shots in the morning on our porch with the coffee and granola. Then my brother came over in the evening. He had lots of experience working for a large coffee chain… and a lot of personal experience making himself snobby coffee. We are talking grinding beans. Pour over. Cold brew. Chemex. I don’t know what most of it means… but I like a dark strong coffee.

Anyway. Back to the cows. Frantically, I messaged a friend whose family owns a dairy farm because I still had not seen a single cow in the meadow. Her family was ok with us coming and photographing. So off we went. We photographed with my brothers fancy coffee carafe and got the job done.

As we were driving back down the road to the house… you know… there were cows all over the meadow I was planning to shoot in front of. Well played cows. Well played.

Ladies, My brother is single. He’s helped out on a few shoots lately. I think it’s more to play with my kiddos 😊

I almost forgot. The granola is gone. It was delicious.

Collab # 22

I love headshots. I love a clean white background. And makeup? You guessed it. I love that too!

This Creme Liquid Lipstick is cruelty free and vegan. It’s the right amount of smack on your lips and easy to wash off if you need to change your look from day to night. My favorite shade on my skin is “Snatched” but both of my models fell in love with “Testify” and “Uprising.” Not only is this a cosmetics company, but it funds their political agenda, specifically fighting for equality and social justice. They truly fight for what Nasty Woman believes.

Gina from Nasty Woman Cosmetics had a very clear vision for her images. It was great working with her and I’m looking forward to our next project!

Curious about the movement that is Nasty Woman Cosmetics?

Can I help you make your products look more professional?

Collab # 21

Who doesn’t love to receive a box of pretty things?

I started pulling these pretty sparkly bows out of the box and found myself enjoying a sweet fruity smell. Immediately I sent a message to Stephanie from Dream of Me Bowtique asking if the bows were scented. I was afraid I was losing my mind. She assured me, yes they are!

Adelei doesn’t always like to wear a bow. Or anything in her hair. But she was happy to model these for me. She did get rewarded with a walk around Brush Creek Park, some fun time in the creek bed and of course, their new playground.

On the 4th of July, I gave Adelei the choose of wearing her hair in a scrunchie or sparkly bow. She told me both! She liked it that much.

Thank you Stephanie for working with me. I love the details that you have put into your bows that you just can’t get at Walmart.

#supportsmallbusinesses

Collab # 20

So. Here we are. I’ve done the math. I am 12 blog posts behind. So buckle up. I’ve got some posts coming.

Three words. Reusable ziplock bags. Genius. I was excited to work with Andrea and her product, Ziparoos. They are described on their website as Eco and Kid Friendly. My sweet friend Addy definitely agrees! They are even better filled with a peanut butter sandwich and goldfish 😉

No matter what back to school looks like this year, these reusable bags can keep their lunches from leaking, their mask fresh and their pencils and crayons all together.

Want to score some of these for yourself?

Collab # 19

Have you missed me? Man. I love being back to shooting. But. I can definitely see why other photographers get behind on their blogging. I’ve lost count of the number of collabs I’ve done lately. I have been back to photographing socially distant events (including an outdoor bridal shower and wedding), headshots for a realtor and a fresh financial consultant and mini session samples for the second try for our spring minis that turned into summer mini sessions.

I may as well just start where I left off.

Adelei loves dinosaurs. The Good Dinosaur on Disney+ is her favorite movie. And honestly? I love it too. They have such a different Portrayal of the different dinosaurs and the role they played in their society.

So. When I had an opportunity to volunteer my daughter and camera to work with Northern Nail Polish, my fingers couldn’t type fast enough.
When the nail polish arrived, I set to work finding some coloring pages of dinosaurs. Of course Adelei had the final say on which ones she would color for me. We put on her favorite dinosaur shirt and she watched her favorite movie while she colored and I snapped pictures of her working.

Later, when daddy came home, I took her outside and let her paint her nails. She had a blast. She painted my nails too. You know, it was several weeks before my fingers needed redone. It was impressive. The nail polish lasted on Adelei longer than anything else has. The nail polish is toxin free, vegan and cruelty free. It surpassed my expectations for sure.

Collab # 5 Continued

I entered into contract with Margaret of Bad Beez back in March. Literally days before COVID hit the area. I did my best to self model. But when we started talking about opening back up, I got into contact with the models I had originally planned for and we set up some times to shoot. I kept my distance. We all needed the conversation with another person. It was a good thing. A really good thing.

Hillary is the first model. She is showing off some Nude lipglosses. Her last color we did not think we would like. After she put on the purple color… she walked out of the bathroom and stated… I think this is my favorite.

Never would I have guessed that the purple would look so amazing on her. Margaret is a genius.

Paige was brave enough time attempt the last 3 colors that I was not able to pull off. When the blue didn’t work for me, I knew the black wouldn’t. I told her to go dramatic with her eye makeup and we would go from there. She definitely delivered!

Also, I’m super envious that she could pull off all 3 colors. Holy cannoli did those colors work for her!!!

Collab # 18

I started talking with Victoria back in May. Beaver county opened up to Yellow phase in early June. One of my first sessions with someone other than my kids, husband or myself, was with my good friend Hillary. By this time, I had 2 collabs to knock out.

The first product we were going to tackle were earrings from Lava and Lace. Victoria gave me the choice of earrings she sent. Obviously, I picked the pretty sparkly ones!

When I arrived at Hillary’s house, we discussed her clothes she set aside to wear. I had her grab a few more things from her closet and walked around her house picking up things to use for props. Each time I work with Hillary, we showcase more of her beautiful quirky personality. She loves birds, cats, makeup, clothes and sparkly things too.

Half the shoot was geared toward the earrings, the other half to the lipgloss. This post will focus on the earrings. Check out the next collab to see more on her lipgloss!

Collab # 17

Not long ago, I started seeing posts about handmade black smithed jewelry. I was impressed to see the maker was my childhood friend Paige. For most of social isolation I’ve seen her pieces while scrolling through my news feed. I loved reading her reason for starting it. She wanted big rings. Fancy embellished rings. But she has larger fingers and typically bigger rings don’t fit larger fingers. She wanted to make her own jewelry for normal sized hands.

Paige helped me with a collab for Bad Beez and I told her to be sure she wore some of her pieces.

Want to see more by Paige?

Collab # 16

What’s the one thing you can’t find in the store during the winter? Sunglasses. I’ve looked.

When I saw an opportunity to work with Michelle from Millennials Parents on their new sunglasses, I was so excited. They came in car shaped cases. They have lens cleaning cloths and a tester to see if the UV is working.

I had to keep them hidden from the kids because I knew they would want to play with the cars. I took them out last Saturday and let the kids wear them. I shot a few flat lays. Then Sunday when we went into the city for another collab, I was sure to take them with me to use there. But I still didn’t feel like I had captured all the needs for sunglasses. So on Monday, my friend Hillary came over and we put the kids in the pool. Adelei modeled her sunglasses for me.

Still need sunglasses for your kids? Check out:

Collab # 15

One of the best things about these collabs for me is that it gives me a prompt. A project. A problem to solve. The more I shoot them, the more I try to come up with a narrative behind the image. I don’t want to just throw props in. I want to have a story to tell.

In this case, we were taking the kids to Pittsburgh for the first time. My brother came with us and we had a blast. We parked near PNC Park and walked across the bridge to Point State Park. Because of COVID the fountain was not running. There was a nice amount of people still out walking. Enough to remind you that we aren’t living in the apocalypse.

So, what pushed us to do this? Clara Beaus Co made these super cute Yinz shirts and Adeleis bows and sent them to us. She was looking for something that looked like Pittsburgh. Can you get much more Pittsburgh than the Point?

Collab # 14

If you read about Torbens birthday, you know I was feeling pretty down about not having a party. It wasn’t even the party that I was disappointed about. It was everything. COVID. The state of the world. The unrest that is present in society. Being stuck inside for 3 months. Not being able to take the kids anywhere to enjoy a place. Missing being able to talk face to face with a person. Most importantly, missing a hug. All the bugs. Thank goodness the kids hug.

Just before Torbens birthday I posted a request for a collab with a shop that create rompers. Lisa from Baby Tribe Co volunteered her services. I am so glad she did! Adelei got to play too with a pair of Bummies and Torben received this cute little linen romper.

I carted the kids off to Sahli Nature Reserve in Chippewa. It was always one of my favorite places to shoot when we lived in Chippewa. Adelei had all sorts of fun collecting sticks. Then rocks. Torben was just happy to be out of the car.

Lisa needed a much different edit to the images than I normally work with. But I love how the pictures turned out. Some of these may make it to my wall!

Collab # 13

Torben hasn’t been the star of the show for quite a while. Second child at its best… or worst. So when I saw an opportunity to work with Hsiang-yu I absolutely volunteered him and his bedroom.

I could not believe how well he did. It could have been the soft blankie that made the difference. It is every bit as soft as it looks. He’s sleeping with it right now as I type this.

Check out Honey Lemonade Gifts for more cute items like this:

Want to create images to show how amazing your products are?

Collab # 12

My husband wasn’t thrilled when the box came and I told him he needed to model what was in the box. Then we opened the box. He said… “oh! I like these.” He especially liked the “Reel Cool Dad Tumbler.” A few days later we ventured out to Bog Rock Park in New Brighton and took pictures of him and he kids.

As long as I’ve known TJ, he goes fishing every Memorial Day weekend with his friends. I’ve been lucky enough that he takes me. But we have missed the last 2 years. This year it was canceled due to the Pandemic and last year it was because Torben was making my blood pressure too high to be that far from the hospital. We never even made it out to fish last summer.

This weekend we decided to go to Treasure lake and camp. In part inspired by my parents trip, but very much because Tj has his fishing license and is going fishing.

If the dads in your life needs one of these, Check out Fab Station!

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Torben Turns One!

I have been so sad lately. I didn’t allow myself to plan a first birthday party for Torben because I would have felt worse to cancel one. I know he doesn’t know the difference. But as of Thursday last week, I was so anxious about getting the house cleaned and finding a gift for him that I couldn’t even force myself to get up and start.

I have made it no secret that I deal with PPD. Things have gotten a lot easier. And even though 2020 has been pretty crazy, it doesn’t compare to the year TJ and I had in 2019.

I read about the impossible task a few months ago and it really resonated. It’s something that feels so overwhelming to start that it seems impossible. It’s easier to avoid it. It weighs on you. It felt so heavy I didn’t want to move.

Whats my impossible task? My house. Cleaning this house. Especially if the kids are around. And believe me. I love them. But they have been around for 11 long weeks. We couldn’t take them anywhere. COVID has me anxious about leaving the house, worried I’ll unnecessarily get the kids sick. There was mess piled on top of mess. Even if I cleaned something, within minutes all my work was undone. If I put toys away, they would sneak right back out behind me.

I love my kids. But until Adelei started talking about Torbens birthday, I hadn’t planned a thing. She told me she wanted a party hat. Then later, cake. Icing. Ice cream. She even put in a request for a dinosaur balloon.

Tj and I went shopping for his gifts and some supplies on Saturday while the kids went to their Grandma and Pappys house. Adelei was so excited that she wanted to find her shoes as soon as I told her, never mind that she was still in her jammies.

We did not find the trampoline that we were looking for, blaming it on the pandemic. But we did pick up some small things. We came home and I started working on my impossible task. Tj and his dad worked on the porch.

It may not have been the big party we would have loved to host. The house certainly wasn’t spotless. But Torben had a birthday and Adelei got the party she requested for him.

Collab # 11

I bid for a collab to work with Beth at Merry & Wit on a Papa Bear Sweatshirt. I was so excited that she chose me to work with her. She was asking for manly bearded poses.
I talked with TJ about my ideas and discussed them with Beth. When the sweatshirt arrived we set to work. I found matching clothes for the kids. We made a slight adjustment on our plan and started with the wagon. The kids really enjoyed their ride.
Then we headed up to my in laws house and TJ posed with the kids in their pile of wood for their winter heat.. It turned out great! Both Beth and I were thrilled with the results. TJ is happy with his Papa Bear sweatshirt. All good things!

Check out more from Merry & Wit!

I’d love to see what kind of work we could do together! Send me a message to discuss your needs.

Collab # 10

I never thought I would be working solely on collabs into the end of May. But thanks to The Coronavirus, here we are.

I’ve really enjoyed the challenge. I know that I keep saying that. But one of the reasons I haven’t nailed down a single type of session that I want to solely shoot is because I would miss the challenge. I feel that I would get stuck in a rut in posing and angles.

So here we are. 10 collaborations deep on product photography for 2020. This time I was challenged by Jess Suarez of Bohemian Anthologies to photograph a very small set of delicate rose quartz guilted studs and a set of Dalmatian Jasper tassel earrings. The studs were pretty difficult due to their size. But I’m in love with the results!

To see more from Bohemian Anthologies, visit her online shop!

Are you interested in the magic we can create for your social media marketing? I know I am! Contact me to book.

Collab # 9

I’ve known Alyssa for 7 and a half years. She’s been such a good friend to me. She’s almost always my go to for my own families pictures. But lately, she’s focusing on her handmade products. Most specifically the highly sought after facial coverings… AKA… Masks!

When she first started making her version of the necessity, I was lucky enough to score some Walking Dead and a Wonderful Woman Mask. If you are scheduling a session with me in the foreseeable future, you may get to see one of them first hand.

A few weeks ago, Robinson went into the yellow phase and some of the non essential stores started opening up. I received a phone call from Alyssa who very excitedly told me “They have Camera Fabric!!” Then she asked if I would collab with her on it. Of course!!

Then she sent me a picture of all the fun fabrics she was able to score. Paw Patrol!! If you have a child under the age of 9… you know who Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Chase, Rocky, Everest, Tracker and Zuma are… I immediately sent her a message asking if I could have one for Adelei to model.

A few days later I stopped over at her house and picked up (wearing my Wonder Woman mask and socially distancing) the masks. We went home and played around with them.

If you still need masks or maybe you would like something fancy for special occasions, check out her shop. If you use RWFRIENDS, you will receive 10% off your order.

Guess what! I can help you create content for your website and social media. Shoot me a message. I’ll be happy to chat about your needs!

Collab #8

Phoenix Feather Company sent out this cute bow set for Adelei. Normally once we are done shooting, Adelei wants out of the bows right away. These one she wore for several hours.

She loved jumping on her bed and smelling the flowers outside. If we are discussing a session for you and your children, consider what they like and what your relationship with them happy and unique. As for us, she loved jumping on her bed and going on flower hunts.

Are you looking for images to up your social media game? I’m up for the challenge. Email me to start a conversation about your business needs.