Posts Tagged ‘photography’

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inspired engagement

Friday, March 5th, 2010

I have been begging the lovely Miss Marnie to do a guest post here on Paisley Petunia for some time now. She’s so creative and passionate, I really wanted her to share her ideas. We met years ago when I moonlighted as an event planner for her speed-dating company here in LA (we can go into that more at a later time, I’ve got good stories) and we connected on so many levels – our love for philanthropy (we also volunteered together at WriteGirl), events, photography, LA, etc. Last year, I enjoyed following Marnie’s blog as she created an ethereal forest & friendship themed wedding for her and her fiance’s Connecticut nuptials. So going along with my Year of Weddings, here is a fabulous little post on “what to wear: the engagement shoot.” Especially for my lovely brides to be, but really, its great advice & inspiration for any kind of photoshoot. Take it away Marnie!

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Oh hi there! My name is Marnie Goodfriend and I am a lifestyle photographer and event/wardrobe stylist based in sunny SoCal. The lovely Stephanie invited me over to the Paisley Petunia lounge (it’s soo pretty in here!) to chat about an often-confusing question on many newly engaged couples minds: how do we look put together without looking too matchy? Well I’m glad that you asked! Engagement shoots are not only a great way to get to know your photographer, but an incredible opportunity to document being in love and fusing your individual styles so that you look great together, not like each other. So then, what to wear?

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Like all things about wedding planning, it is your day.  Be inspired by wedding trends but plan your engagement shoot (and wedding too!) with what you already love.  If you’re stuck, write down all the things you and your partner like to do, see, wear, and a beautiful tapestry of your individual and shared tastes will emerge. Really.

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For the big “what to wear for the e-shoot” question, I photographed and styled three couples with very different closets: classic chic in the canyon, vintage charm in the forest and rock and roll on concrete with a side of sweet treats. I focused on outfits that compliment each other, digging into your closet rather than your wallet, and using sentimental pieces to personalize your engagement shoot.

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If you are a vintage maven, you’ve probably got 30 outfits picked out before you’ve chosen your photographer.  Choose pieces that have texture, interesting buttons, details, and go all the way. Stockings, hats, clutches, ties, scarves will pull your look together.  For our vintage shoot, a $5 bouquet was used a prop and a boutonnière for the dapper gentleman. Embroidered shoes, fishnets and a fabulous sequin beret transformed a simple black pencil skirt and tank top into a chic vintage ensemble. The tie is actually a thin paisley scarf. Everything was found in our collective closets.

pp-photo-4Click: if you love sun flare, wear something with glitter or iridescent accents. When the light shines through it, a dreamlike kaleidoscope of colors dances around your background. Swoon.
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Classic couples that favor JCrew over thrifting should focus on one thing: color! Primary picks typically trump pastels but don’t forget to consider your location.  If you are having an urban shoot you’ll want to stand out against cement, brick and other drab backgrounds.  Patterns are always welcome as are fabulous heels and cute as a button flats. For example, I pulled the red from these ruby red shoes and plucked up a red tie and red and grey striped socks for some unexpected color and cohesion.  A quick change from a canary yellow dress to a striped and floral frock was an easy match with our male’s black and white checkered shirt, jeans and black dress shoes.  To add a little sparkle, I layered a black tulle skirt with sequins under the dress. Classic can be funky, preppy or timeless.  An extra layer under or over your foundation is a key element to a memorable look.
pp-photo-6My rock n’ roll couple’s looks were built off our guy’s everyday style.  He’s a Dickie’s pants and white t-shirt kind of guy (with a few tattoos) so I kept things casual with a women’s Coney Island t-shirt and striped scarf that doubles as a prop. The red converse compliment the orange and red shirt and is a cute pairing with his black chucks.
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I suggest at least three looks for the women and two for the men.  Guys can layer a blazer or v-neck sweater and have look #2 nailed like Superman in a phone both.  For women, aim for a casual look (simple sundress, jeans and a bright t-shirt), a dressy casual (jeans and a dressy shirt, skirt and tank top) and finish off with a going out dress like this:

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Whether it’s silly helium balloon cows as “pets” or your mother’s vintage scarf collection, your props and accessories add a uniqueness and provide another opportunity to bring more personality and memories to your engagement shoot.  I did indeed say balloon cows. Not everyone has pets…and my prop collection is never-ending :)

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Sweet treats are a nod to love and a fun way to get comfortable in front of the camera.

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I’ve got lots of love to give. Check out more “what to wear” photos and my top ten favorite e-shoot tips and tricks on my blog.

Happy styling!

With love,

**Marnie is so kind to offer a 10% off discount off of packages for Paisley Petunia readers (valid through March 28th, 2010).
She focuses on couples, kids, maternity, portraits and events.  Please contact her directly at marnie@marniegoodfriend.com and don’t forget to include the code PAISLEYP, what type of shoot, and your *phone number* in your email. **

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A Thousand Words

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Just returned from 5 gorgeous days in Lake Tahoe. Aside from being a great place to ski it is an even more amazing place for taking pictures. I’m just barely learning my way around my SLR camera but starting February 17th I will officially be a photography student and I have high hopes all the buttons and f-stops and aperture thingies will start to make sense! 

One of the most striking things in Tahoe is how blue the sky can be. Even with loads of snow on the ground the sky is so blue and the sun is so bright. It’s breathtaking. A picture really is worth a thousand words.

Tahoe 1

{Sun + Snow + Sky}

Tahoe 21

{Moonlight Meadow}

Tahoe 9

{Snowy Pier}

Tahoe 14

{**gasp**}

Tahoe 63

{on the way to Emerald Bay}

Tahoe 73

{arrival of the storm}

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Birds of a Feather

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

We love Etsy. We love how excited Etsy sellers are when you buy one of their beautiful handmade products and we love how excited we get when the perfectly wrapped little packages arrive.  

S gave me several beautiful Etsy gifts for Christmas and I spend a day every so often trolling through the treasures stocking up for future gifting. For some reason today I started on toys (will do that one next) and ended up on all things feather.  I had one other adorable love bird picture to post except before I could post it I decided I had better buy it!  Each picture links to its Etsy store and I really encourage you to visit their shops.

Wouldn’t any of these make the sweetest Valentines Day gifts…

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{nest egg necklace}

 

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{love bird earrings}

 

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{birdie mobile}

 

 

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{mourning dove photograph}

 

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{love bird print}

 

 

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We’re ready for our close-up

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Thanks to the wonderful world of facebook, I re-connected with an old friend from my UCLA days. And I am so so thankful I did. Quoc is a very talented, passionate and dedicated photographer, baker, humanitarian and just all around great person. The guy can do anything and he always does so with a big smile on his face. His compassion is contagious.

Recently, C & I were lucky to spend an afternoon getting dolled up and frolicking around Venice, and Quoc was there to capture it. Here are just a few…you can see the rest on Quoc’s website www.yeahmanh.com.

If you are in Northern or Southern California and are interested in a photo shoot with Quoc, please contact him for a special discounted rate. Engagements,  headshots, weddings, birthday parties, families, charity events and boudoir.

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

photo by yeahmanh

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Avedon

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Upon arriving fresh off the red-eye in Detroit last month (for Cole + Erin’s wedding!), Aaron + I took a quick power nap, had a great meal at a local lunch counter, Eph’s, on recommendation from our hosts. The #2 on rye with a side of coleslaw.

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Seeing as it was in the 50s, which felt like freezing to this California girl, we sought out for an (indoor) adventure. The groom-to-be suggested the Detroit Institute of Arts:

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DIA
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DIA + A

Boy, were we in for a treat. We happened in on the first day of the Avedon Fashion Photographs 1944-2000 exhibit!

Musuem Entry
musuem entry
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close up on chandelier overhead

We made our way straight to see Avedon:

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AVEDON –>

Avedon photographed the great beauty and Detroit native Donyale Luna (photo just to the left of me). She was the first black high fashion model to appear in the pages of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Shout out to Detroit!

DIA had the neatest thing – a cell phone guided tour. Instead of renting a bulky earphone set, you simply use your own cell phone to dial the # under the corresponding photograph. It was a really cool way to experience the art.  I hope more museums do this.

I have to say Aaron + I spent time looking at each photograph in detail; we were mesmerized. I especially liked his early works on the streets of Paris with Dovima. He was so brilliant in how he told stories through his muses – you can see how he has inspired most editorials you see in magazines today.

Here are a few of my favorites, it was really hard to narrow down:

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paris

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dovima with elephants

Audrey Hepburn (center)

audrey hepburn (center) in milan

dovima and sacha

dovima with sacha

twiggy + richard avedon

twiggy + richard avedon

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veruschka von lehndorff

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veruschka von lehndorff

china machado

china machado - the western world's first non-caucasian cover girl

sunny harnett

sunny harnett

elizabeth taylor

elizabeth taylor

Another neat thing about this exhibit was the display of the actual prints that Avedon and his editors marked up in pencil with the specific instructions on how each photo is to be cropped and where it will be placed on the magazine page. A peak into the inner workings of publishing fashion magazines…

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Bay Area readers, you can see view the Richard Avedon Photographs 1946-2004 exhibit at SFMOMA until November 29th.

You can read more about Avedon in the NY Times: “How Avedon Blurred His Own Image”

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