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Featured : VeraWang.com
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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L ike most my weddings, Nicole and her mom appeared in my studio as a referral from someone else. It was evening and they had spent the day wedding planning in Hollywood, but also made time to meet in Orange County. Nicole was impeccably dressed--with a knitted poncho draper over her petite shoulders--and displayed her wedding planner binder, filled with endless clippings of fashion inspiration, floral design, and wedding dresses. Nicole casually jokes she was the first form of Pinterest.
After photographing her wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, I knew her day was something special. Yes, she looked like a vision and the details were swoon worthy, but love permeated every inch of the wedding...and it showed. In light of this, I'm incredibly honored to see her wedding photos featured on VeraWang.com, as part of its Real Wedding section. |
Finding her dress in Beverly Hills was a special moment for her and her family, so it's awesome to see her wedding day curated with an editorial flair. To see the entire feature, feel free to CLICK HERE
Many thanks to VeraWang.com for starting this weekend with excitement! |
    
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FAQ : How to Capture FUN Engagement Photos
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| When I started my photo business, I was desperate to learn everything I could about the technical aspects of my camera. I read everything I could find online, dog-earred my manual, and participated in photo forums with a plethora of questions. As the months passed, I found myself practicing every day and becoming more comfortable learning to shoot manually and understanding exposure (that wasn't to say I was great at it...I was simply getting better). However, when the moment came for me to work with people in a real photo session (and not practicing with a chair, orange tree, or my dog in the backyard), I fell flat. I felt like every technical thing I learned didn't matter because I couldn't get two people to look comfortable in front of my lens. Learning exposure was just the first step in a gajillion. That's, like, a lot of steps. |
| As I continued practicing the technical aspects of photography, I started practicing ways I could get my clients to represent my brand and photographic aesthetic. Early on, I knew I wanted my clients to have fun in front of my camera, but I didn't know, exactly, how to make them have fun. I mean, that's incredibly hard...you can't exactly look at a couple and say: Go ahead, be FUN now! As the business grew, I added Fresh and Editorial to a list of words I wanted clients to use as they described my work. Once I outlined what I wanted, I then needed to find ways to achieve it. |
So, let's focus on the word fun and I'll try to outline how I approach this during a photo shoot (following the same pattern and approach with Fresh and Editorial). If the goal is for my clients to look like they're having fun, then I need to give them fun things to do. Sure, this sounds slightly lame, but I discovered over time it really helps making clients loosen up in front of my camera.
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| I started by making a list of Fun Things To Do and memorized these prompts before heading into an engagement session. Now, my version of fun isn't everyone's version of fun, but it doesn't matter...the main idea is merely to capture a single moment displaying the couple's truest personalities. |
Over the years, my approach has changed--and still changes with every shoot--but my early FTTD list consisted of some of the following:
*Girl drags boy (along with his weighted resistance) - side angle, front angle
*Boy wraps arms around girl and she tries to get away
*Girl runs and jumps on boy's back - shooting continuously
*Girl and boy stand parallel to each other and have a dance off
*Girl leans into boy from a distance, the falling of her weight will knock him off balance
*Boy lifts and spins girl |
| Sure, this list may seem trite and silly, but this list was the very thing that helped me find my voice, develop my style...far before I knew it was even possible. Of course, I wasn't as planned and strategic in following the list precisely, but it served as a nice starting point, as well as mixing in planned ideas for Fresh and Editorial poses. Having a mix of ideas really helped diversify my portfolio and get my ideas going when I was in a pinch. |
| I hope this helps explain a bit of my early approach and the ways I tried to move past my insecurities to approach a shoot with confidence. If you have tips or advice you'd like to share, please feel free to do so...I'm always looking for new ideas, too! |
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Why I Shouldn't be a Parent : Reason #4,961
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| Part of the difficulty with my dog is that he doesn't understand he's a dog. Polo actually believes he's human (or part human, part cat) and behaves as an equal member of our family. I know I should, like, lay ground rules and act like the boss, but I'm a total sucker for his smile. Oh, yes, my dog smiles. |
| When I think about how I engage with my dog, I immediately know I'm destined to be a terrible parent. I'd have the parental propensity to applaud, cater, and clap for a future dictator or political despot. Internet, let's just be thankful Polo walks on four legs and can't talk or else we could be in a lot of trouble. |
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The Day I Kinda, Sorta Became a Chef
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T hank God Thank God Thank God," was JD's response when I told him I signed up for a cooking class. What I didn't tell him was the class was FOR THE BOTH OF US! Surprise! I mean, com'on, did he really expect me to walk into a kitchen...by myself?! Don't think so. We joke that the best thing I make for dinner is reservations, so signing up for the class was the first step to becoming the next Julia Child.
I'm actually obsessed with buying kitchen goodies (julienne slicer, quiche tins, magical bean stock seeds), but I don't actually use them. I tell myself they'll act as incentives to party in the kitchen, but it never happens. The good news is that if my neighbor ever needs to borrow a petrified wood rolling pin from Uganda, I got her covered. |
| Last Sunday night we walked into Hipcooks for a crazy night of paella making. I could be wrong but our dinner guide, Bonny, knew I was going to be as helpful as a blind baboon, so while other students were asked to cut, slice, and prep for dinner, I was asked to...wait for it...wait for it...stir. Yes, I was asked to stir a wine reduction to later be used for dessert. And, yes, I tasted every few seconds to make sure I was stirring right. Obvs. And let's be serious for a second...can we just say this sight is intimidating? |
| Why, hello there, I'll be your official STIRRER. |
| This is Bonny walking through the cooking directions...and secretly sprinkling her awesomeness over the food. Which explains why I won't be able to recreate this dish on my own later... |
| JD actually likes to cook...and he's really good at it. Thank the sweet lord or else we'd likely starve...or eat the best bowl of cereal ever poured. |
| Leave it to JD to make friends...he's quite the charmer in his own quiet way. |
| The chef's assistant, Lisa, kindly grabbed my camera and took this photo of me and JD. I love this moment. A couple from across the kitchen challenged us to a paella cook off and I think this is the moment when I yelled, It's SO ON, SUCKERS!!! |
I'm not-so-officially a Spanish chef,
j* |
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Good Reads : Beautiful Ruins
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I asked him what else I could do. I mean, we were going on a road trip, so, naturally, I'd bring reading material. What he didn't expect, however, was that I'd read to him through the twists and turn of Northern California, against the green fields of Oregon, and into the Seattle city lights. I'm not sure if my husband even paid attention, but--dang--did it sure satiate my childhood desire to be a librarian and host a read-along.
As we packed up to head back home, JD downloaded a new batch of songs which I'm guessing was his way of saying THANKS BUT NO THANKS to my mobile story hour.
Here are a few of my recent Good Reads... |
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. I didn't know what to expect about this book, or even what it was about, but a few pages in and I was smitten. The story centers around the loss of the protagonist's uncle to AIDS and the struggle to deal with her loss in light of discovering his hidden past. Brunt is an amazing writer and weaves pain, loss, and honesty into a truly moving story.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. So, okay. Based on the raving reviews this book has received over the years (and it's upcoming movie adaptation), you'd think I'd like it. But I didn't. I actually texted a friend and asked her to tell me it was going to get better. The beginning and the end were the strongest parts (and I can admit the ending was beautifully done), but making my way through the mid section left me feeling like reading was a chore....so much so, I probably won't see the movie.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. I'd been hearing rumblings about this book, but it wasn't until my friend said I should pick it up that getting my hands on it became my life's mission. Four bookstores and an entire afternoon later, I finally had it in my hands. And it didn't disappoint. Walter does such a great job weaving many stories into one and creating idiosyncratic, yet compelling, characters. The fact that he uses the underbelly of Hollywood to paint his story is a mere bonus to how great he is at creating a mix of narratives and a wonderful novel.
City of Thieves by David Benioff. I don't do well with wars. Like, anything related to violence, pain, and/or suffering just isn't my cup of tea so I almost closed this book a third of the way into the book. It follows the story of a teenage boy (Benioff's grandfather) in war torn Russia during Hitler's invasion. With his life in the balance after being thrown in jail, he's sent on a mission to find a dozen eggs for a wedding cake, but in the process finds courage, love, and himself. Benioff does such a good job balancing really dark moments with humor and I'm glad I stuck through it all because it's such a powerful story.
Happy Monday! |
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