lifelovebeautyart.com » This blog is about emotive photography in Weddings, Boudoir, Couples, Families, Babies, Children, Teenagers etc. Portraits with fashion, beauty and emotion.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE when other photographers want me to shoot for them. I said to my hair/makeup artist the day of the shoot, ’she’s coming out from Texas. She’s another photographer actually’ and she looked at me as if I should be having a panic attack and said ‘oh my God, are you nervous?’ And of course, in that instant, I started to freak out a little. OMG, should I be nervous? I should be nervous!!! And then I remembered that I’ve shot for other photographers before and it was always fun and it always ended up being a great shoot. So, I shook it off and went about ordering my soy latte.

And another, and another. I had a shoot the day before and for some reason, my body refused to wake up. These are the times I pat myself on the back for never doing a shoot without a hair/makeup artist. That’s a built-in, guaranteed hour and a half of nap time. Yeah, you heard me. I straight up LAID down on the couch in the loft, pulled a blanket over myself and NAPPED. Okay, I didn’t exactly get to ’sleep’ per-se what with being 10 feet away from the action and having to offer mumbled opinions on how tousled I wanted her hair but I nonetheless made a total ass out of myself by napping on the job. I promised her very firmly that I would get ONE more coffee and I would be totally normal. And I was. Thank God.

Sarah was giggly and adorably understanding and when we finally started shooting… whoa. I didn’t expect what I saw through my lens and I was pretty darn stoked. It still amazes me… the pure magic of what happens between when the client walks in and when I finally click my shutter. I don’t know why I get to be so lucky as to witness something so spectacular, but I’m grateful. Sarah emanated beauty and grace (with a few giggles thrown in for good measure) and even though she was a photographer herself, she never questioned me for a second, she never offered a differing opinion, she never behaved like anything other than a sweet girl who was trusting me to make her look good. Amazing.

There were a few moments during shooting where I just had to stop and put the camera to my side and just plain freak out. Hopefully you’ll agree with me that in one of the shots below (her back is to the window), she is basically a dark-haired Blake Lively. Work it Sarah. I’m not mad at it.

Oh, and can we talk about Sarah’s fabulous Vintage leopard-print coat?

The day began with us heading to my stylists home to do hair and makeup because the Hotel wouldn’t let her into the room for the early check-in. We took our time and got her all beautified and even got ourselves some coffee down the block. By noon we still couldn’t get into the room so I started shooting in the bedroom of the apartment. Yay for cute beds and natural light! I was a little shaken having my routine all turned around (and downing a soy latte that had epic amounts of caffeine. And Andrea? She was nervous. The girl was SHAKING.

I never think too much about my clients being extremely nervous because it always goes away 5 minutes into shooting. Mainly because I’m usually acting like a huge dork, even when I’m really trying not to. But Andrea, she held out. She went for broke. She proved her sublime skills of nervousness and she takes the medal. I tried to hold her hand and breathe with her but I’m sure she just thought I was nuts. Although the room was warm and we bonded over our mutual sweatiness. She of course loosened up a LITTLE after awhile and when we finally got to the Hotel she was excited for every single idea I had. Even the one where I’d put her in a 70’s slip-teddy, fishnets and booties, stuck a giant flower on her head and make her pose. In public. Yeah, she rocks. By the time we got outside, even if she was still nervous, it didn’t matter. Her amazingly sweet and bubbly personality persevered and she was determined to live up to my vision.

And boy, did she. She posed half naked in front of passersby and mimicked every ridiculous move and giggle and expression I threw at her. And she made it one of my favorite shoots to date. At the end of the shoot as we were packing up, she folded her slim arms into herself and pleaded with her girly little voice ‘I don’t want you guys to gooooooooo!!!!’ I’m not gonna lie, I was tempted to buy myself a toothbrush, wash my undies in the sink and have a girls night. But I had to get home to my babies and to Pete so I kept that thought to myself.

Andrea, you’re one hell of a girl. And I consider myself lucky for having clients like you who are miraculously gorgeous and incredibly sweet at the same time. It’s not an easy combo to find and I feel so blessed. Thank you for choosing me to have this experience with you and for being so sweet and willing, even when you would’ve rather put on your bright pink fluffy robe and headed for the hills.