It's Friday

Have a great weekend! Now go out and buy yourself some festive tights.

image by Chloe Aftel

Getting to Know My New Polaroid

On Friday night I received an old Polaroid 680 camera as a late birthday present and a bunch of Impossible Project film. This is probably one of the coolest presents that I've ever received. Yes...I picked it out myself, but still. For those who follow me on twitter, you know that this past weekend I was in the wedding of two close friends. I love weddings and it was the perfect time to test out my new camera. We decided we were just going to shoot for fun with my first 8 exposures (each exposure costs about $3), but after this I'm going to be a little more choosy with my photos and really try to create works of art. Hopefully some will be good enough to share on the blog. Enjoy my practice shots for now!

Styling / Fall Picnic

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of teaming up with photographer Chantel Marie Tripp to style a  photo shoot. I wanted to do a fall picnic, but fall in Newport usually consists of "brisk" 75 degree weather and the beach. So why fight it, right?

I've styled interiors, windows, weddings and holiday tables, but this was the first time I had ever styled a photo shoot with people...from the models, to the clothes, to the scene, to the props, to the location...and I have to say, I had an absolute blast. 

It helps that Chantel is an incredible photographer and amazing to work with. She has a way of interacting with people that makes them come out of their shell and appear as though they are in love, even if they've only met once before (ahem, ahem). Not only is she amazing with people, but I love the way she sees the world and captures that with her camera. Girlfriend has a serious artistic eye and mad photography skills. 

See more photos on Chantel's blog here.

And a major shout out to Kelli and Aaron for being spectacular models and such amazing sports. Seriously kids...add these photos to your modeling portfolios! And Erin, mad props on Kelli's make up...are you for hire?

Goldenwest Flea

I didn't end up buying anything, but I did get to work on my iPhone photography skills. The flea market is the best place to find interesting subject matter.

Photography

I feel like I've been blogging about photography a lot lately, or at least thinking about it a lot. Since I've already mastered interiors (totally kidding), I figure it's time to hone another creative skill and since photography really intrigues me, here we go...

When I see amazing pictures with interesting light and beautiful colors and texture, I think 3 things:

1. I want to take pictures like that.
2. How much of this is edited and how much of it is real photography?
3. Does editing count as real photography?

Tonight I busted out my book on my little Canon slr and started reading. I changed some settings around and took a few photos, one of which was of the bananas and ice cream scoop in my kitchen. I also downloaded a new app for my new iPhone 4s called Camera Bag which has several filters to choose from that you can apply to your photos.

(Top to bottom, left to right) The first photo is an iPhone photo using the silver filter, photo 2 is using the instant filter, photo 3 is from my Canon and edited in Photoshop, and photo 4 is from my Canon unedited. I think it's alarming when my favorites are taken from the iPhone and edited with filters at the touch of a button. Although I like the way they look, I don't feel like I can call that real photography.

Or can I?

Polaroids

I'm not sure how it happened, but I've spent the better part of this week researching Polaroids. Polaroid pictures, Polaroid photographers, Polaroid cameras, film...

Sad news: In 2008 Polaroid stopped producing Polaroid instant film.

Happy news: The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid production plant for integral instant film in the Netherlands and through a lot of research and experimentation, they now produce new unique instant films that have saved instant photography from extinction. So cool.

The work of Polaroid photographer Grant Hamilton, below. I'm a fan.

The work of Polaroid photographer Jenn Gotch, below. How in the world does she make a messy kitchen look so good?

                           

Max Wanger, who I've posted about before, takes some really amazing Polaroids. The guys is a photography genius, what can I say?

top image

Inspirational Photography

I've had a recent urge to be more creative. Just designing homes hasn't quite been enough for me so I've been looking for other outlets. I've started painting, styling photo shoots, and I even signed up for Blogshop in NYC come December, but this past week all I have really wanted to do was take really incredible photographs. I get a little depressed when I remember that I don't know how. Shutter speed, f-stop, ISO, exposure, what? And don't get me started on the number of lenses there are to choose from. I really love looking at the work of talented photographers. Truth be told, I've spent at least 6 hours this week just looking at photography websites and blogs. It's the combination of understanding the technical while also having an artistic eye that has me in awe.

Max Wanger is one such photographer. Just look at these photos. It may just be a blurry far away image, but when it tells a story and conveys a feeling, that's what good photography is all about.

Photo Shoot 2 of 2

Here are photos from the other home that Stacey photographed for me this past month. This living/dining/entry was one of my favorite types of projects - complete design from custom furniture to accessories. This Newport Beach family moved in to this modern house from a more craftsman style home in Huntington Beach. They wanted to start from scratch, and although we didn't originally plan it, we ended up having every piece of furniture custom made, with the exception of the white cabinet, which was an antique that I found here in Newport.








Here are a couple of the before photos...





Now time for bed! I have my first ever morning "surf sesh" and then off to LA to visit the La Cienega cooridor and check out the window displays and catch a few panels.

Photo Shoot 1 of 2

Today was a good day, I got the disc of my photo shoot in the mail! Here is one of the two projects photographed by Stacey Sutherland, a kitchen remodel and family room face-lift. Enjoy!






Before photos: