BlondeShot Creative

Making Cheese

2012-01-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

Today was a first for me, making my own cheese! It wasn't too difficult, but I certainly learned a few things for the next time I try to make some. It tastes pretty good but feels even better that I made CHEESE with my own two hands. Just a few quick photos taken during the process...

I've blacked out my photos today

2012-01-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today, Flickr is letting users "black out" their photos in protest of SOPA and PIPA. So, I opted to "black out" my most popular photos on the site.

Now, I am NOT the person to typically talk politics, but this affects us all. I'm a huge stickler for copyright, and if you aren't familiar with these bills, it may seem like a good idea on the surface- bills that protect the copyright holders. But in fact, it goes way beyond protecting someones copyright, and just plain crosses over into ridiculous territory.

Google has "blacked out" their logo today (as have many other sites) and posts about taking action, Wikipedia has gone dark, and The Oatmeal does a great job explaining things in a hilarious way, + here's an infographic from Mashable. If you aren't familiar with these bills yet, I suggest you take a look.

P.S.- Be responsible and respectful and obey copyright yourself without having to have the government step in and do it for you.

Roadside NC

2011-12-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

neighborhood of holiday ball lights- Greensboro, NC

historic Shell gas station- Winston-Salem, NC

Eli

2011-12-22T19:10:00.001-05:00

* More photos from this shoot can be seen here.

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Recent Articles

2011-12-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

Outside of BlondeShot Creative, I run a photography and camera blog for KEH Camera. Occasionally, I post links to some of my posts and articles...

* Tips for Shooting in Cold Weather (a must-read for anyone taking photos outside this winter season)

* Holiday Photo Craft Decorations (ideas and DIY tutorials for getting crafty with photographs)

* Lens Mount Guide (for the camera nerds)

Enjoy!

Riding The Rails in Blue Ridge

2011-12-11T19:45:00.011-05:00

Last weekend was our first free weekend in months, so we decided to take a day and head up to Blue Ridge, GA for the day and take a train ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

Apple cider doughnuts

Skip eats a buttered popcorn lollipop

A huge moose topiary

Ready for our ride

All aboard!

The cold, dark ride back through the woods (in the open-air car)

Holiday Book Sale!!

2011-12-06T21:32:00.005-05:00

Happy Holidays!

Alex and Jason Wedding- Part 4

2011-11-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

The final set...

Alex likes pirates so I had to throw in a fun and totally cheesy pirate shot :)

This will make sense if you've seen THIS

See the slideshow of the entire wedding (including photos that I didn't post on the blog):

Alex and Jason Wedding- Part 3

2011-11-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

+ One more very special set (the last one) coming tomorrow!

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Recent Articles

2011-11-14T08:36:00.000-05:00

Outside of BlondeShot Creative, I run a photography and camera blog for KEH Camera. Occasionally, I post links to some of my articles...

* The 2012 KEH Camera Photography Calendar- look inside and enter to win one. Includes photos by 15 different photographers, chosen by 3 awesome guest judges, with layout and design by ME!

* Battery Guide (good for anyone who has ever been confused as to what type of battery a camera or other electronic item takes)

* About Bakelite- It's use in photography and DIY tests to determine if it's really bakelite

* Photography Lampshades- a roundup of ideas in photos

* Flashbulbs and Flashgun styles- a little bit of photo history

* Exhibiting Your Work- Types of galleries and resources

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Alex and Jason Wedding- Part 2

2011-11-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

Alex and Jason Wedding- Part 1

2011-11-04T19:11:00.000-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of two wonderful people who have become very dear friends of mine. They will probably look familiar... our relationship began when I did their maternity photos a few years back. Since then, I shot their newborn photos and a bunch of others as well (I will post links to these at the end of the post if you'd like to look back).

Over the next week, I'll be sharing multiple sets of photographs that I took at their wedding up in Blue Ridge, GA. Let's get started...

As promised at the start of this post, here are links to some of the other photo sessions I've done with this family...
* Alex and Jason Maternity: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (pay attention to this one for later)
* Newborn Max: Part 1, Part 2
* Max in Polaroids
* Max Turns 1
* Alex through two lenses

More wedding photos coming soon, stay tuned!

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Moving Sale!

2011-11-03T18:17:00.001-04:00

Yes, I've been extremely busy and have been neglecting the blog quite a bit... as I mentioned before, we bought a new house and have been frantically working to fix it up before we have to move this month. That on top of normal work, plus editing Alex and Jason's wedding photos (which I'll be posting soon), has left no time for blogging here.

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Update: Moving Sale complete! Thanks

Boris

2011-10-20T18:24:00.000-04:00

Oh Boris... If you've been reading here for any length of time, or if you're a client who has come to my home studio space, then this sweet dog face should look familiar to you. Well, unfortunately today's post comes with sad news as our furry boy unexpectedly passed away last weekend. Our hearts are heavy and although I occasionally share glimpses of my personal life here, I try not to get too detailed into it. After thinking about it for a few days, I felt like even though this is something a little more personal than I would want to share here, that he deserved his own post today. He has not only been the best dog in the world- no joke, he was super well behaved and everyone loved him- but he has also played the role of model for me more times then I can count. When I needed to test a new technique or piece of photographic equipment before doing a full-blown test shoot with a person, I would first call on Boris since he was always by my side and willing to sit for photos (he was a way better sitter than Swampy is!). So here are a few of my favorite shots from over the past couple of years... I had not posted the first three anywhere yet, until now. The first two shots were taken just a few days before he passed, and are the last photos of him I would take. RIP booger. We miss you.

Retro Lacing Cards How-To

2011-10-13T18:38:00.001-04:00

Do you remember 'learn-to-sew lacing cards'? They were so much fun. They are definitely a thing of the past, but there are a few companies currently making reproduction ones. But it's also easy to make your own... you can make them from any kind of image whether it's a photograph, illustration, or even printed text.

Materials needed are: your chosen image, cardboard, glue, scissors, a hole puncher, yarn, and a needle. I choose to print one of my photographs... I printed it on regular printer paper instead of photo paper, so that it would have a matte finish and look slightly older or more like a painting, but almost any type of paper is fine as long as it's not super fragile or super thick.

First, you will want to glue (using a glue stick) the paper photo onto a piece of cardboard (I used part of a cereal box), and trim the edges. Then, it's time to punch some holes. I purchased a 1/8" craft hole punch, which punches smaller holes than your typical hole punch. A regular one will work, you'll just want to use a larger image and thicker yarn.

Punch holes all the way around the main object in your image that will want to "sew". Holes can be placed anywhere in the image you like- there's no rules of spacing or number of holes needed. It is best however to punch along straight lines, and at corners or the edges of curves. You also want to try and not leave too big of a space in between holes so that your yarn covers part of your image that you don't want it to cover. Think about putting your holes in areas that you want to outline or accentuate.

Once you're done with punching the holes, you have two options- it can either be done, and given with some yarn and a needle as a gift or activity for someone else to sew, or you can go ahead and sew it yourself. I like to lace them and give them with gifts as the card. They make cute items to hang on the wall when completed!

As far as sewing goes, you'll want a larger needle than your typical sewing needle. The thicker, plastic kinds are best. You want it to be safer to use than one of the sharp metal ones, and have a big enough threading hole to get yarn through since you won't be using thin sewing thread.

Start at one end, leaving about an inch of the yarn hanging on the back (don't pull it all the way through but wait to knot it), and take turns weaving in and out of the holes. There are no rules for the sewing part either- just have fun with it. I typically like to alternate holes, and then go back after I'm finished and connect a few adjoining holes to add a little bit extra depth to some of the sewn lines.

Once you're finished, you will want to knot the two loose ends of yarn (your starting and ending ends) together and then trim the excess. Finally, you can leave the image as-is, slip it in a photo card (the kind that has a cut-out window like above), or frame it!

Youth in Photography

2011-10-10T10:21:00.006-04:00

It's finally "Kids Week" on the KEH Camera Blog. Monday 10th-Friday 14th posts are dedicated to youth in photography. Today, Kids and Film. Later this week: art and photo education, resources for youth and adults who want to mentor and get involved, great camera options for kids, personal stories of starting in photography young, AND kid-friendly photo crafts!

I have written a few of these posts along with a few guest contributors. I also tell part of my story about getting started in photography at a young age on Thursday. Please check it out and share with others!

Monday: Kids and Film
Tuesday: Youth and Mentor Photography Resources
Wednesday: Good Camera Options for Kids
Thursday: Post 1- Personal Stories of Learning Photography at a Young Age (my story is in here too!)
Post 2- Teenage Photographer
Friday: Kid-Friendly Photo Crafts

Ghostly Dreams

2011-09-20T12:00:00.003-04:00

A big thanks to my model Judy and assistant Rebecca for being a part of this experimental shoot! To see more photos from this shoot, click here.

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DIY His and Hers Fall Accessories

2011-09-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

A fun fall weekend project for making accessories for him and her... make a bolo tie and a fox scarf.

For bolo tie: Find a vintage pendant or button (kind with a loop on the back, not with holes through the front). For a pendant, make sure that you can drill 2 small holes at the top, or at least attach an O-ring to it so that cord will fit through it. For a button, just put both ends of a leather cord through the button hole, leaving space on the loop end of the cord for a head to fit through. At both ends, add some beads and tie a knot at the ends so that the ends are prevented from being able to be pulled through. Put the tie around your neck and move the pendant or button up and down to adjust.

For fox scarf: This is way easier than you may think, and the sourced item might seem a little odd, but it works perfectly. The main item for this scarf is a fox toy... from Petsmart. They have fox and raccoon dog toys that don't have any filling in them for about $6. Start by cutting the tag off and then make an incision into both ends that contain squeakers. Remove the squeakers and then sew the slits back up. Tuck the back legs under the body and sew a few stitches from the legs to the underneath side of the body so that the legs don't come out when being worn. Then, sew 2 clasps onto the fox- one at the top side of the tail end, and one to the bottom side of head end. You can use necklace clasps, snaps, or anything else that will hold the two ends together.

Both projects can be made for under $10 each, and only takes about 20 minutes per piece. Materials can be found at craft and/or fabric stores.

Cat Scan

2011-09-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

Recent Articles and Things

2011-09-12T11:57:00.001-04:00

Articles:
* DIY Ideas to Customize Your Camera Strap (photo above)
* How-To tutorial on how to cover your point-and-shoot camera strap friendship bracelet style
* Maternity Photo Session Tips

Video (I recently directed my first videos ever):
* KEH Camera- Who We Are and What We Do
* Why To Buy Used Camera Equipment

Updates:
* Now, you may have noticed that I've cut back on the amount of blogging and social media sharing I've been doing recently. There's a few reasons for this... 1- I'm extremely busy with work and non-work related things, such as buying and fixing up a new house. 2- I recently accepted a new position at KEH. I'm still running the blog over there, as well as writing articles about photography and cameras, but I'm also doing many other things including marketing and branding, social media, special projects, etc. which means I'm on the computer for this new position even more, and by the end of the day, my eyes are very tired of looking at a screen. So, what this means is just that you will be seeing less postings from me over the next few months, but I'll still be around every now and then.

Night At The Rodeo

2011-08-31T20:59:00.001-04:00

* See more photos from the Rodeo here.

Brooke

2011-08-25T20:12:00.000-04:00

I had a great little shoot with Brooke today. She came to me for headshots (not pictured) to start her acting career and then I snapped a few extra "fun" ones.

Dolly Visits Atlanta

2011-08-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

1 Year Book Anniversary

2011-08-02T16:00:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been a whole year since the book release of my photography book Less Pin-up, More Pin-down! It sure has flown by. To celebrate the one-year book anniversary, I'm doing it up big!

Softcover books are on sale for the month of August. Cost is $30, including tax AND shipping to anywhere in the U.S. (regularly $35 + shipping), plus get a free 4x6 print (of one of the images from the book)! (Are you outside the U.S? Email me to purchase)

I'm also selling prints for the first time since the solo show in Nashville earlier this year. 5x7 prints are $15 each (including shipping), and 8x10 prints are $25 each (including shipping).

5x7- 1

5x7- 2

5x7- 3

5x7- 4

5x7- 5

5x7- 6

5x7-7

8x10- 1

8x10- 2

8x10- 3

8x10- 4

8x10- 5

8x10- 6

8x10- 7

8x10- 8

8x10- 9

8x10- 10

If you're new around here, you can check out my book site for more information: www.lesspinupmorepindown.com

You can also see photos from the book release party here, and the exhibition (and publications) here.

Wigwams by night

2011-08-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

KY to TN to Home

2011-07-26T16:14:00.001-04:00

Once we left Kentucky, we headed for an overnight in Nashville on the way home. We stopped in the couture cowboy designer Manuel's, met up with a friend for lunch, visited the Grand Ole Opry for a behind the scenes tour, went out to a fancy dinner, stayed in a boutique hotel, and then ate breakfast the next morning (where Jack White happened to come in and sit at the table next to ours) all before heading home.

The Opry is open again after the Nashville floods

The Opry post office! You don't need the address to mail a letter here to any of the member, just address it to their name and "The Grand Ole Opry" and it will get there.

Mailbox #162 is Brad Paisleys and 163 is Dolly Partons.

The Women of Country dressing room

Inside the Women of Country dressing room backstage

The stage

Had to add this one in... us on the circle!

At dinner, they brought us desserts for our anniversary, so sweet. Banana beignets with peanut butter ice cream.

We stayed in Hotel Preston, a departure from our normal Nashville hotel. Why did we choose this place? Because you could ask for a fish, lava lamp, or milk and cookies at check in. We ordered a fish and got that and a lava lamp delivered to our door for the night. Crazy!

Heading home...

around Chattanooga

KY part 3- Dinos, Caves, and more.

2011-07-24T20:13:00.000-04:00

Next up in the Kentucky trip photos we visit Dinosaur World in Cave City...

This kid was so cute. I told him I liked his hat and he chased me down doing a dinosaur scare walk yelling at me to take his picture.

Once we left Cave City, we headed down to Bowling Green and went to the Lost River Cave, an underground river that runs through one of the many caves of Kentucky. We took a boat ride down part of the river in the dark caverns beneath the city.

One part of the cave was so low that we had to duck our heads really low so we didn't hit them on the cave ceiling.

In the 1930's they opened an underground night club at the mouth of the cave since there was no air conditioner and this was the coolest place to be.

And some random fun signs from around Bowling Green...

Up next, Nashville!

Recent Articles

2011-07-19T17:00:00.001-04:00

I'm interrupting Kentucky photos to share a few recent photography related articles that I've written and other related things around the web...

Recently featured on The Pioneer Woman as a "Funny Face" photo finalist

* Good Camera Options for Kids (Post on Offbeat Mama)

* Camera to Print Aspect Ratios (this is a must read for anyone that shoots digital and has prints made or prints your own photos! Post on KEH Camera Blog)

* Why Own a Point and Shoot Camera (Post on KEH Camera Blog)

KY part 2- Kangaroos and Horses

2011-07-18T21:11:00.001-04:00

Back to Kentucky photos... we visited Kentucky Down Under and got a chance to pet kangaroos! It was pretty awesome. A bunch of them had little joeys in their pouches...

Kangaroos don't sweat well, so they rub mud on their legs to keep cool

And we went horseback riding too....

Kentucky part 1

2011-07-14T18:47:00.000-04:00

As you may know, Skip and I recently celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and went on a little road trip to celebrate. We visited Kentucky first, and stayed in Wigwam Village in Cave City for two nights...

The wigwams were small and not very comfortable, but they were clean and a fun, different experience. (I have a special photo shoot from this location coming later)

We visited multiple tourist attractions in and around Cave City including Gun Town Mountain...

We rode an old rickety chair lift to the top of the mountain and when we got there realized there wasn't much up there. A few live shows and a small faux western town front and that's about it.

A few shots from an antique shop around the corner from Guntown...

more attractions coming in part 2...

2 Years Tapestry

2011-07-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Monday is Skip and I's two year anniversary! He gifted my "cotton" gift to me a little early- he simply couldn't wait. He had one of the photos I took of him on our honeymoon (we went on a cruise and visited Mexico) and had it made into a giant 8 ft. tapestry! It's hilarious, weird, and awesome all at the same time.

Since it's our anniversary, we're heading out of town for a long weekend. Will return next week with new photos of new adventures!

Hello Eskimo

2011-07-05T16:38:00.000-04:00

This is the very last set of photos from my Alaska trip... closing it up with a fun portrait shoot Katrina and I did at Skaters Cabin across from Mendenhall Glacier...

* To see more photos from this shoot, click here.

Juneau, Alaska Continued

2011-06-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

adventuring on Sandy Beach

found: old plate fragments left over from the mining days

looking through mining ruins on the historic Treadwell Mine Trail

stalking a porcupine

Whale Watching Adventures

2011-06-27T16:29:00.000-04:00

Juneau, Alaska- out of Auke Bay Harbor

Juneau, Alaska

2011-06-25T12:20:00.000-04:00

the first few days were overcast

bear with hat, in an antique store

all the locals have a piece of whale baleen on the wall

I purchased a piece of native art. This one is a wolf head, done by the artist above.

Bald Eagle

on Memorial Day, doing a good deed

the fish hatchery

delicious!

The Alaskan. Currently a bar and hotel, previously a brothel.

The Red Dog Saloon

Mendenhall Glacier

hiking through a little snow at the top of a mountain

Pictures of me taking pictures

2011-06-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

Now that the wedding photo editing is complete, I can return to editing the rest of the Alaska photos! They'll be coming next week since my parents are coming in town for a visit this weekend. So until then, a few photos that Katrina took of me taking photos... She sent me about 8 photos like these that I had no clue she had even taken.

at the glacier

taking wedding photos

up in the balcony, also taking wedding photos

whale watching photos!

Thanks to Katrina for the photos!

Sarah and Scott Wedding, part 3

2011-06-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

For more shots of the wedding, check out the Flickr slideshow complete with lots more photos!

Sarah and Scott Wedding, part 2

2011-06-14T19:23:00.000-04:00

one more set to go!

Sarah and Scott Wedding, part 1

2011-06-13T20:54:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Sarah and Scott's wedding in Juneau, Alaska (yes southerners, that's the main reason I got to go all the way up there). The weather held out, everyone looked fantastic, and I've been so anxious to share photos from their special day with you! So without further ado, here's part 1.

AK- The beginning and the end

2011-06-07T17:29:00.001-04:00

Well, I warned you that I would be jumping around in the timeline a bit... I decided to post the very beginning of the trip, and the very end of the trip today. I think it's probably because I'm feeling a little sour towards Seattle right now, since I know that my day being soggy there is what has made me sick since I've been home.

Starting with some photos from the plane...

plane wing diptych- going and coming

about to leave the Seattle airport for Juneau

leaving the Juneau airport... see the float planes?

first stop in Seattle- giant hat and boots, what else?

second Seattle stop- giant troll under the bridge. the space needle was not on our tour!

the weather wasn't too great... rainy as usual

the Market and signs

in the P.M., watching a friends big band play

The trip started out rough as we had a 5 hour delay in our own airport due to bad weather, which put us in Seattle for our layover sometime around 3 am the next morning. By the time we arrived in Juneau however, it was all smooth sailing from there.

On the return trip home we had another day layover in Seattle since there's only one flight out of Juneau a day, and no direct flights to Atlanta. We spent the day in the rain going on a mini "funny things of Seattle" tour where we saw the hat and boots, the troll under the bridge, and a large rocket ship. We ate a delicious lunch followed by amazing cupcakes at a local bakery, then walked around the market area for a bit. Unfortunately the places we closing up shop, so we didn't get to see much action in the "fish throwing" area. We then ate another amazing meal for dinner and closed the night with watching a friends band perform.

Now if only this stupid cold would go away.

A bonfire kind of night

2011-06-06T16:50:00.001-04:00

Since I have so many photos from my recent Alaska trip (including a wedding, multiple other photo shoots, and travel photos), I'm trying to balance the editing of everything. This means I'm going to be jumping around in the timeline a bit...

I'd say about half way through the trip we ended up 'out the road' for an evening bonfire. Katrina, Kyle, and a sweet Husky named O.keta were my models for this impromptu photo shoot. Bonfire + long exposures + off camera flash = awesome!

I decided that I wanted to be in a shot too... hence the "ghost me" appearing in the middle there. PS- you can click on any of the images above to view larger.

Hannah and Marigold

2011-06-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

I just returned home from my Alaska trip and have tons of photos to share with you over the next few weeks. We're going to start with some photos of Hannah and her adorable Tlingit baby Marigold...

one of Hannah's sisters and her mother stopped by and joined in for a few photos

Want to see some more photos of Hannah and Marigold? Click here for the complete set.

Headed North

2011-05-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

Well, you won't be seeing me around here for a little while... I'm headed north to Alaska this week! I am so excited, I've been dreaming about going to Alaska for quite some time now. I've been hired to shoot a wedding up there, so between travel photos and wedding photos, I will be returning with lots of stuff to edit and share. Hope you all have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Links and such

2011-05-24T07:26:00.000-04:00

My "C shelf: cameras and cats" was recently featured on Offbeat Home

Recent photography articles worth checking out:
For anyone with a camera (even a point & shoot) that may be traveling or going to the beach this summer...
* Summer Camera Busters (sand, water, heat, theft, etc.)
If you're interested in getting into film photography...
* The Film Format Guide
* Film Hunting- Where to Buy and Develop Film
* Introduction to 35mm cameras, Intro. to Medium Format, Intro. to Large Format

** And, be sure to submit your photographs to the KEH 2012 Photography Calendar Call for Entries! (Entries due by June 17th). Open to anyone, so go enter and spread the word!

Western shelf display

2011-05-22T13:15:00.000-04:00

It's that time again, time for a new mantle/shelf display. I went with a western cowboy theme...

Items included are a mixture of vintage finds, gifts, wedding decor, & other small things.

The red and natural flowers and wheat was my bridal bouquet, and the mini western banner was also a decoration from our wedding a few years ago.

The Roy Rogers lantern is a recent antique store find

The Horse is also another recent vintage find

Another recent vintage find... this weird fabric painting thing. Parts of the fabric are puffed out (all the red areas for example), and then there's glitter paint on it also. So strange yet so awesome.

Lots more random stuff from our wedding, given/received as gifts. A green vintage trailer I picked up from an estate sale, cowboy boot candles from our wedding/ from the movie Zombieland. One of the many cows from my husbands toy cow collections, cowbell from a soapbox derby race we went to, a tin type my husband bought for me on a work trip, etc.

And then obviously not included in the shelf display, but another recent vintage find that fits the theme... the sweetest flocked bouncy horse that I got for such an amazing bargain! I got this sucker for less than half of what the sticker was marked at. Now I just have to name him.

A Dollywood Weekend

2011-05-09T20:35:00.001-04:00

We took a little road trip up to Pigeon Forge this weekend for the season opening of Dollywood. I decided to shoot with the Lomo Fisheye Camera (with 35mm film) for the day...

backstage with Dolly herself

on the way home

A New Mothers Love

2011-05-01T22:00:00.002-04:00

New mother Christina and her 3 1/2 week old baby Oscar...

just a fun bonus shot (Polaroid)... Oscar loved the fuzzy rug

* See more shots of Christina and baby Oscar here

April Roundups

2011-04-27T20:17:00.000-04:00

Updates, articles, new stuff, and more...

I finally had more bumper stickers made. If you've seen my car, then you have probably seen one of these on my rear bumper. I was surprised by how many people kept asking for one, so here they are!

I also had some smaller circular ones made (another request) and any book orders placed through the end of May will receive one of these with the order!

I received my "thank you" reward for backing the Vivian Maier film project on Kickstarter. I don't know what I'll ever do with an old film spool (since I pretty much have an unlimited number at my disposal), but it's kind of cool none the less.

I've had my photos featured on Offbeat Mama some more, which is awesome because I am loving maternity shoots these days!

I've been playing with some new/old cameras. These shots are from an old mini portrait Polaroid (Passport) camera that had some really expired film in it.

I wrote an article on Tilt-Shift Options, which includes shooting with tilt-shift lenses, freelensing (that's the technique from the photo above), digital manipulation, and Lensbabies. Check it out on the KEH Blog here.

I've also been working on some more behind the scenes projects, and some new projects for KEH (a few of which will be announced soon- stay tuned!)

The next two months are going to be crazy! All of the normal workload and photo assignments aside, I'm heading to Alaska at the end of May!!! I'll be shooting a wedding there among lots of travel photos and I can't wait! Then we're going to see Loretta Lynn in concert, my parents are coming for a visit, it's my birthday, and then it's Skip and I's anniversary. Whoa full schedule. And somewhere in there I HAVE to work on a new website. Speaking of, do you know of any awesome graphic designers? If so, please leave a comment to their web portfolio!

Now, the final order of business... I've really been debating on how to re-structure this blog. Should I keep it a mix of photo, craft, home, etc? Or, should I just focus on the photo (and maybe create a separate site for DIY, vintage, home, etc? Or just nix that stuff all together)? What are your thoughts?

Hope everyone is doing well and having a lovely Spring. The south is getting lots of rain, thunderstorms, and even tornados! It's been pretty crazy weather so I hope everyone is also staying safe and living in structures with roofs.

Saquata, pt.2

2011-04-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

The final set from our recent album shoot (and my favorites!)...

Saquata, pt.1

2011-04-18T17:00:00.002-04:00

I have recently had the pleasure of working with singer/musician Saquata Faust, taking all of her photos for her upcoming solo album (releasing later this summer). We had a very extensive shoot, so here's just a peek from the days photos...

Sneak peek- Saquata

2011-04-12T23:03:00.001-04:00

coming soon!

Miniature Animals, take 2

2011-04-11T16:18:00.002-04:00

Last year I visited Tanglewood Farms in Canton, GA for the first time and fell in love. This year, I brought Skip back with me and we had such a great time. Tanglewood is a miniature animal farm that is open to the public and lets you come in and pet, brush, hold, and feed the animals. I love going in the Spring before it gets too hot and when the babies are running around. Here's a few shots from this years trip...

Dwarf goats- I want some!

Sweet baby miniature lamb

Me holding a baby dwarf goat

Me again with a baby miniature alpaca (I took goofy-faced photos with all the animals... so excited!)

Skip feeds the alpacas

This baby mini cow either loved me or just liked the way I tasted- I got so many licks!

The farm has miniature: goats, sheep, cows, horses, donkeys, alpacas, a buffalo, and many more. Well worth the drive out if you're in the area!

Oscar (5 hours old)

2011-04-08T12:01:00.001-04:00

A few days ago I had the pleasure of taking a few photos of baby Oscar at only 5 hours old! (You may remember Christina and Aaron from their recent maternity session). What a cutie he is! A huge congrats to the new parents- you did so great!

he smiles!

interior/exterior

As their "official and exclusive" maternity and baby photographer (as Christina puts it), I can't wait to do their first "real" session with Oscar once they get settled! So stay tuned for more of this little guy.

And if you'd like to a view a few more hospital shots, you can see them here.

Sisters Outtakes

2011-04-07T16:15:00.001-04:00

A few ridiculous outtakes from our recent Sisters shoot...

The giant and the... non-giant. My first attempt was not working out so well.

Then I got sick of my double chins and tiny eyes.

Then I said, "ah, forget it dah-ling!"

Then things got weird and gothy.

And by the end of it I was squeezing Tiff with my nails dug in.

Tiffiny Outtakes

2011-04-05T16:00:00.000-04:00

These first two are from her solo shoot...

But then I fed her some blue food coloring for this shoot, and she got a little extra silly...

(that would be her own hand, yes)

I also have a few more coming soon from our "sisters" shoot- yikes!

Easter shelf 2011

2011-04-04T16:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we were very productive around the house and I still had a little extra time to decorate for Easter...

Lots of bunnies! I <3 bunnies... I have a bunny tattoo (a matching one with my husband), and my first pet ever was a bunny. He was white with red eyes and I names him Snowball.

My newest decoration. Found it a few weeks ago at a little antique shop.

And my second newest decoration (on the right), also scored a few weeks... a lovely gift from my friend Jessica- she knows what I like! Can you guess what it is other than an awesome bunny decoration?...

It's a record! And it plays!!! I didn't believe it until I actually played it. There's a story on one side and a song on the other. Why have I never seen anything like this before? Now I want an entire collection of these.

Spring Polaroids

2011-04-03T15:47:00.000-04:00

New URL

2011-04-03T12:54:00.000-04:00

Hey, the blog has a new URL address! It's now http://www.blondeshotcreativeblog.com/

So, if you have the site bookmarked, follow by RSS feed, or follow in a reader program, now is the time to switch out the old blogspot address with the new one above!

The best photography tips post... ever!

2011-04-01T07:40:00.000-04:00

I have THE most amazing post I've probably ever written up on the KEH Blog today!

Be sure to check it out HERE.

Tiffiny (a la mid-century Miami)

2011-03-30T17:00:00.011-04:00

Roy Rogers Box Camera

2011-03-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

I recently added a new camera to my little collection. I've been trying to find one of these for a few years now, but have yet to see one in person. I can't stand Ebay, but broke down and did some bidding to get it. It goes great with my Hopalong Cassidy box camera, and now all I need is the Davy Crockett box camera (although this one is super hard to find anywhere... so if you see one, let me know!).

Roy Rogers and Trigger Box Camera- by Herbert George Co.

Plastic camera with aluminum faceplate. 620 film. c. 1945-61.

Sisters

2011-03-27T19:02:00.000-04:00

My sister came to visit this weekend so I did a little self portrait/sister photo shoot in the studio. Here's a few from our little session...

You can check out a few more from our "sisters" shoot here.

And, did you notice something new? Larger photos on the blog!! Isn't it great?!

Sneak peek

2011-03-26T23:32:00.000-04:00

Lots of new photos coming soon! Here's a little sneak peek at part of what's to come...

Links, updates, and other stuff

2011-03-23T16:32:00.000-04:00

Update: I gave the KEH blog a makeover last week. Same easy layout, just more modern and easier on the eyes. Take a look here. If you love photography, you'll definitely want to check the site out!

A few links:
Recent articles (not by me, but edited by me of course) on the KEH site:
* Camera Collecting
* Making your (photo) business green (written by our wedding photog. and buddy at PWP)
* Spy photography part 1 (a short history), part 2 (vintage magazine articles)

My vintage camera collection

2011-03-20T15:20:00.003-04:00

A little peak at my vintage camera collection (does not include newer cameras such as digital or Lomo/plastic/novelty cameras, or vintage camera ephemera/trinkets/souvenirs/etc.)

Beacon Two-twenty five (with flash)

c. 1950-58. 6x6cm on 620 film. Colored model (aqua). Whitehouse products.

Imperial Mark XII (flash)

c. 1961. 6x6cm. Color- mint green. By Herbert George Co.

Hopalong Cassidy Box Camera

c. 1950. 8 exposures, 6x9cm, on 120 rollfilm. Galter products.

Argus C3 (with flash)

c. 1939-66. 35mm. Often called a "brick".

Kodak Petite

c. 1929-33. 4x6.5cm on 127 film. Vest pocket Kodak Model B in lavender with rose bellows.

(With case, colored bellows, box, instructions. Camera with all original items is rare!)

Wonder Friend (joke) Camera

Date unknown, mid century? Not a picture taking camera. Mouse version.

Revere 40

c. 1940s-50s. 8mm movie camera, single lens magazine, model 40.

Christina's maternity boudoir

2011-03-14T17:27:00.001-04:00

* See more from this set here.

Hodgen Maternity

2011-03-13T15:36:00.001-04:00

Christina and Aaron are expecting...

cloth diapers

dog 1- Kiwi

the nursery

dog 2- Bacon

(this vintage cow toy was Aaron's when he was a baby)

shadow puppet play

* See more photos from the Hodgen maternity session HERE.

DIY friendship bracelet hoop earrings

2011-03-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

There's two times a year I get super crafty- Spring and around Christmas time. The weather has been warmer than usual this time of year and is tricking us all into thinking Spring is actually here already. Anyways, I had an urge to make friendship bracelets like I used to make when I was little, but knew I wouldn't actually wear one around my wrist when it was complete (I hate the feeling of things on my wrists), so decided to take the idea and mix it up a little. Since my ears are stretched, I rarely get to buy or make fun "normal" earrings, but with hoops, both I can wear them, and anyone with a regular ear piercing can wear them too.

What you'll need: Thin (cheap) hoop earrings. I found these in a box at my house by you can get them from Walmart or Claire's. Scissors, and two colors of embroidery thread. Cost: Under $5!

Start by cutting two pieces of embroidery thread in your chosen colors that are the same length, and longer then you think you'll need. I chose two different shades of aqua- one lighter, one darker. Tie the two pieces of string together and push the point of the earring through the knot. Then, start knotting your "friendship bracelet" pattern over the hoop. You can either hold the hoop inbetween your legs which is easiest, or make a little jig to hold the hoop so your hands are free to knot.

Keep each thread on its same side the entire time (ie- light aqua on the left, dark on the right). Knot each thread one at a time...

Pull each know fairly tight and pushed up against the previous knot. Be sure to switch off colored strings knotting one at a time, an then switching to the next.

The finished hoops, close up

Wear and enjoy!

Shooting with two lenses

2011-02-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

Baby (bump) diptychs

2011-02-22T11:00:00.002-05:00

A few more from my photo shoot with baby Olivia... I decided to try some diptychs pairing shots from the parents maternity session and a corresponding shot from the baby session.

I like it... I think think I'll be doing these some more :) I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And, to see more shots from Olivia's shoot that weren't posted, and the original maternity set, visit the Flickr album here.

Olivia

2011-02-21T19:42:00.004-05:00

Sneak Peek- Olivia

2011-02-21T11:49:00.003-05:00

Coming later today... you may remember Christy and Justin's maternity shoot from last August (part 1, part 2). Well, they had a sweet baby girl and she's now 5 months old! I had the pleasure of photographing her this past weekend (and squeezing little baby giggles out), and will be sharing those photos with you soon!

Recent articles

2011-02-16T16:00:00.002-05:00

Some of my recent photography articles you should check out if you haven't already...

* Portrait session tips

* Use lens tubes to make snow globes

* Intro. to digital infrared

* Sharing Outtakes

Recent publications

2011-02-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

I finally had a chance to scan a few publications I was in earlier this month...

The South Magazine

The Tennessean

Katie 2

2011-02-11T17:31:00.004-05:00

To view more photos from Katie's shoot, see the Flickr set.

Katie 1

2011-02-10T21:22:00.005-05:00

This past weekend in Nashville I had a wonderful shoot with the lovely Ms. Katie. We had to reschedule our original set time due to bad weather, but everything worked out... so well in fact I'll be splitting her set up into two posts.

Hang ups and Pin downs- Opening night

2011-02-09T17:50:00.009-05:00

This past weekend was the opening night of my photography exhibition Hang Ups and Pin Downs at Octane! Gallery in Nashville, TN.

If you missed the opening and are in the area, be sure to check out the show, it will be up through the last weekend of February. For those of you that aren't in the area, here's a few images from the show and opening reception. A BIG thanks to everyone who came out and to everyone who helped with the show!

For more photos from opening night, check out the Flickr set here.

Interviewed

2011-02-08T18:39:00.002-05:00

I was recently interviewed about my current show in Nashville by Jason Kirk of East Nashville Blog. Check it out here.

PS- Opening reception photos are coming tomorrow!

The South Magazine, "South's Greatest Photographers"

2011-01-31T20:04:00.004-05:00

I'm in the current 5th Anniversary special edition issue (Feb/March) of The South Magazine! I'm so honored to have been chosen out of hundreds of photographers to be included in the "South's Greatest Photographers"!

You can visit the magazines website and find where to pick up a hard copy here (see drop down menu for southern locations outside of Savannah), or see the other finalists here.

Hang Ups and Pin Downs

2011-01-26T19:20:00.006-05:00

It's only a little over a week away.... tell your friends, spread the word, and be there!

Solo photography exhibition and installation with photos by Jenn Alexander Fletcher of BlondeShot Creative. Photos are from the photographers new book Less Pin-up, More Pin-down.

Opening reception Saturday, February 5th, 7-9 pm.
Show runs 2/5- 2/28.

Join us for a night of photography and fun! There will be a popcorn bar, a giveaway, book signing, and a special photo op. from 9-9:30 pm- get your photo taken by the photographer herself in the same style as the photos on exhibit. Event is free and open to the public.

Location: Octane! Gallery, 1000 Main St. # 107 Nashville, TN 37206 (inside Kustom Thrills)

* RSVP on Facebook here.

* The book website: http://www.lesspinupmorepindown.com/

Show prep

2011-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been absent lately, I've super busy working on things "behind the scenes" here. I've been working on articles, trying to get into new schedules, and working on getting everything completed and together for my upcoming show.

There sure is a lot of work that goes into a solo exhibition- designing postcards and posters, press releases, artist statement, signs, sketching show layouts, marketing, prints, deciding on details, etc., etc. I feel like I'll need a month long vacation after this!

In February, once the opening is done and over with, I'll have lots of photos to share. I have multiple shoots booked in TN, and will have stuff from the opening of course. But until then, here's a few "behind the scenes" shots of what I've been working on...

Thanks to Katrina for helping make the new glittery "BSC" banner, Jason for the faux window frame, and my mom for sewing the curtains!

Icicles

2011-01-13T20:00:00.002-05:00

KEH blogiversary

2011-01-11T09:03:00.003-05:00

It's the KEH one year blogiversary and we're having a huge giveaway over there this week. We're giving away two $100 gift certificates to purchase any camera equipment the winner wants. You can go enter the giveaway HERE.

I can't believe it's been a year since I started the site. It's been a great year, we even won a "Top Digital Photography Blog Award" recently! This next year is going to be great also, so be sure to check it out from time to time.

Speaking of, here's a few of my recent articles to check out on the site:

* Tips for shooting snow (this posted yesterday which is ironic because we've actually been snowed in here in GA!)

* Vintage Winter themed magazine covers

* Back up your data

Outtakes 2010

2011-01-06T16:00:00.003-05:00

I realized I hadn't shown any outtakes in awhile, so here's a few from shoots from this past year...

(I'm pretty sure all action sampler shots end up as outtakes)

Max turns 1

2011-01-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

Max is one of my favorite babies to photograph... I've been taking pictures of this little guy since before he was even born. He's the cutest little fellow, has a great personality, and I can't believe he's now one!

Sweater clips

2011-01-03T16:02:00.004-05:00

I've had "make sweater clip" on my "to do" list for awhile now, but I haven't been able to find the type of clips I wanted to use. I finally settled withe these three materials: chain, cat buttons, and a "fashion fit clip" (those are the clips with the elastic attached that people would wear on the back of their vests in the 80s... that's all I could find at the craft and fabric store, so I cut the elastic off and used the two end clips.) They grip on to the garment without hurting the fabric, and are easy to get on and off. Sweater clips were worn often mid century. They are great for holding sweaters or shrugs on without having to have them buttoned, or even actually on.

I like the way these turned out, but hope I can find the clips at some point I am envisioning in my head so that I can make another set without the large oval loops.

Cats and cameras shelf

2011-01-01T11:30:00.001-05:00

First of all, a huge Happy New Year to you! I hope your 2010 was great and hope that 2011 is even better!

Since it's a new year, it's time for a new shelf... The house feels so bare with all the Christmas decorations gone. Since it's too early to put up Valentine's decorations, I had to come up with a non-holiday theme for the empty wall shelf. I guess I was inspired by the letter "C"... cats and cameras it is!

Items included: vintage kitties (x 5), salt and pepper shakers (x4), vintage cameras (x4), framed image of vintage camera, cat nesting dolls, hand-sewn vintage kitty pillow (by me when I was a kiddo), ceramic 3-headed kitty, vintage "friend" camera (a novelty), other items (x4).

Long-exposure, snowy, multi self-portraits

2010-12-30T11:30:00.000-05:00