I have a tendency to take things to extremes and am driven by my creative passion. When I get an idea or motivation, I want to see it all the way through. When I wanted to shoot photos of a woman in a dress flowing underwater, the session involved scuba gear.
The next logical step was a dress flowing in the air. A really big dress made with a parachute and a bodice. When I envision something, it's going to come down to me doing it to get it exactly how I want it. First, I needed a parachute and posted this request to the universe via Facebook friends. I assured people no one would be jumping out of a plane with this used parachute.
I called around, chatting with local pilots. I was on a mission. After three weeks, I got one, but it had a second career after skydiving as a protective cover for a mulberry bush. The berry stains did not faze me. I was as motivated as a gerbil furiously spinning on a flywheel. It washed well.
The process of drying it was an outdoors group activity that looked like a scene from a Mythbusters episode. There were no injuries and now it was onto the bodice.
After purchasing a plain white bodice, fabric, lace and beads, I laid everything out to devise a plan. Honestly, I thought about using glue, but the Type A part of me won out and hand sewed everything. I got so inspired that I added feathered trim. This looks amazing.
The dress is now the focal point of our Xtreme Elegance portraits.
I love how my career in photography brings me so much opportunity and room to roam with my creativity. Many sessions, especially family photography, are focused on capturing personalities and relationships. Other sessions are all about the individual and a particular presentation of that person. For instance, for business headshots that people need for their LinkedIn profile, corporate literature, conference materials and other professional materials, I shoot in my studio and help the client pick out the appropriate background.
There was one real estate agent who came in for her headshot and ended up also getting glammed up for what I call "just because" photography, as in just because you're beautiful. She did get the professional headshot, but she got so much more with separate, very glamorous portraits. My clients get confidence boosts.
They are amazing people and I have the joy of bringing that out in photography. Most of the time, there are no bling-y beaded bodices with parachute skirts, but a lot of the time there is, just because! The parachute dress led to the acquisition of another parachute and they are going to be transformed yet again into different colors. I love the look of the woman in the dress appearing to float on a cloud. The dress itself becomes an ethereal set for lighting to really showcase the woman's beauty. You only live once. If you are interested in an Xtreme Elegance shoot, contact the studio for an appointment.
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