Category Archives: Personal

Catherine models Pinups for Pitbulls in Washington, DC

By Erin | Published: May 28, 2010

A little break from the norm today….I present to you, one of my very best (and beautiful – you’ll see) friends Catherine and her adorable pup Hildy. Catherine asked me a while back if I would take some photos for her for a good cause (and certainly a fun one!) It’s called Pinups for Pitbulls and its an organization that advocates for the fair treatment of pitbulls, as many of you may know they tend to get a bad rap. And honestly, as with other breeds of dogs that have a rep for being bad, this is 9 times out of 10 a case of poor ownership and mis-treatment. I know first hand because Miss Hildy – pitbull princess- is just about the SWEETEST and well-behaved dogs I know, so well tempered that i couldn’t picture her harming even a fly!

The signature way Pinups for Pitbulls raises money and awareness is by creating a promotional calendar featuring what? You guessed it: Pinups and Pitbulls! So Catherine and Hildy donned their vintage finest, and over the course of 3 days and about 5 outfits changes, (mostly on Catherine’s part) we took some shots in hopes that one will get chosen for the calendar!

First we went for a retro Sailer vibe, can’t go wrong with Patriotic right? (And fitting as we approach Memorial Day!)

Without a third hand to help get Hildy to show her modeling skills, it was a constant pull between Catherine calling Hildy and me Calling Hildy and as you guessed, here she comes towards me!

Awwww Hildy loves her mommy…

Handshake!

This is one of my faves…Hildy looks so distinguished and Catherine, well she just looks beautiful of course! She has that million dollar smile on!

More tricks for treats!

On day two, we trekked out to Maryland to get some shots with a Vintage car. This beautiful machine was lent to us for our shoot by Eric of Eric’s Muscle Cars. It was really so generous of him given we only paid him in beer :)

Marylin Monroe-esque, eh?

Such a great car, and I think Catherine and Hildy make it even nicer!

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Jesh de Rox’s Beloved arrived in the Mail!

By Erin | Published: April 25, 2010

Just the other day a MUCH anticipated package arrived at my door (well, more like the lobby of my condo building) and I raced up to my apartment to tear it open. For any of you who remember a few posts back when I mentioned one of the highlights of my WPPI trip in March, the highlight I am referring to was hearing Jesh de Rox speak, and getting a taste of his personal philosophy on the kind of photography he does and the effect it can potentially have on us, and on our clients.

Well lucky me! (and hundreds of others who were inspired by his vision) He’s released an inspiring tool to help those of us who want to find more depth in what we do and that’s what I had been anxiously awaiting for the last three weeks. No, no, it’s not a fancy lense or camera, it’s not a special way to process photos or anything really tangible at all. (Except the beautiful packaging!) It’s called the Beloved Field Guide. (Beloved is a term he’s coined for this new approach to couples sessions) It’s his words, his vision written and illustrated by beautiful photographs of his own, guiding those of us who are interested along the path to something more.

This all sounds really hocus-pocus-y right? I know, but TRUST ME….it’s a good thing, and for any couple with sessions on the books with me in the next few weeks and months, don’t be surprised if I ask you to forget your notions of what your session will be and ask you to perhaps go in a different direction. (You can say no, but I promise its a good thing!)

I am so looking forward to putting some of Jesh’s methods into practice, making them my own, and hopefully seeing beautiful results unfold, not just in the actual photos I take but in the experience of each new session for both my clients and myself!

Isn’t it just so simply elegant?!?

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Back to California Sunshine

By Erin | Published: March 29, 2010

A few weeks ago as Stefan and I drove away from WPPI and Vegas to Huntington Beach, CA, eating Taco Bell and scaring the rest of the drivers on the freeway several times as we suddenly would decide to pull over for a desert sunset photoshoot, we started talking about what we were going to do the rest of the week. WPPI was all about photography…but believe it or not neither of us were sick of it, in fact we really didn’t shoot much, just listended and learned! So Stefan suggested we drive out to Irvine CA for some photos.

He was determined to take some landscape pictures of wildflowers (he loves landscape photography)….you know, beautiful, colorful fields of wild flowers that stretched as far as the eyes can see, and he assured me he knew the place to go. Well as we drove into the parking lot of the state park that consisted of beautiful rolling hills, and then started walking down the windy path we quickly realized there was…um, a distinct lack of wildflowers. But wait wait, no no, Stefan SWORE he had spotted at least ONE patch of yellow flowers from the freeway, it must be there SOMEWHERE. So he dragged me along assuring me that they were there and we would find them.

Do you see any flowers here? Nooooooooooo

Ok so I found ONE.

So here I was all…’Come ON there’s no flowers…it’s far, lets turn around’ and Stefan’s all ‘No WAY, I know there here….besides we can still get great pictures of you, and of us’. So that’s what we did. Now I mentioned already, Stefan likes landscapes. For the first few months of our relationship I couldn’t even get him to point the camera in my direction….he would be like NO I like LAND and SKY….who needs people messing up a picture!? But….as us women always have a way doing, I have shown him the light :) And I have to stay he impresses me with each new shot he takes. Here’s a few he caught of me that I am pretty darn pleased with…which if you know me is a tough battle to win. Sure I like taking OTHER peoples pictures…but turn it on me and I have to have full control of the situation, fully anticipating I’ll have to photoshop every last inch of it. But alas;

But that was enough of that. It was my turn! I mean if I dont’ say so myself I have a pretty ::ahem:: gorgeous boyfriend…..don’t you think?

He’s all ‘model model’ here….

But he’s really not like that….I mean he spends about 99% of his day with a smile on his face:

But I did get him to be serious a little bit longer…

The we set up the good ole tripod for some shots of the two of us together (because those are kind I like, yay)

After that we continued onward down the path and NO WAY guess what we found! That teeny tiny patch of yellow flowers Stefan had claimed he saw. Well, there it was, all 7×7 foot of its tiny little yellow glory. So of course there were lots of ‘I told you so’s’ and ‘SEE!’s….but anyway…you might be suprised what getting down low with a wide angle lens can do for a 7×7 foot patch of flowers…..Stefan took this one:

Pretty crazy right? So then I layed in them…. (felt kinda bad about that…they we a bit smushed when I got up)

So I guess all in all our little stroll through the fields of Irvine CA turned out pretty well…. :) Here are a few more shots I got as we made our way back…

California sure is a hard place to leave!

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