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Mourning Glory/ Beauty Editorial / New Orleans

Dark Beauty photo in cemetery

This blog post is dedicated to the seven beautiful and talented women (and Corey) from Urban Elements Salon  in Petaluma CA. who went to New Orleans for this haunting beauty editorial photoshoot!

You may have seen a few of these images on Urban Elements billboard on Washington Street!

My adventure started with having to get on a 737 Max 8 just before they were grounded. I wasn’t terribly worried after we reached altitude. The previous Max 8 crashes happened shortly after take off.    
When I arrived Rachel and Corey picked about 10 pounds of Crawfish. I couldn’t stomach them (because of the flight) but it was entertaining to watch the girls bite the heads off and suck out the juice!    
Shortly after arrival Rachel, Dylanne and I went to a home called “Covenstead” for a photoshoot. It’s an experience I will NEVER forget! But that’s a story for another time.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

    
The next day was the “Mourning Glory” beauty editorial photoshoot in New Orlean’s iconic Lafayette No. 1 Cemetery. I had heard about the cemeteries in New Orleans…. they aren’t like a regular cemetery. Because New Orleans is below sea level, people can’t be buried in the ground. They are all crypts.    
( New Orleans is situated slightly below sea level. Because of this, the water table is quite high. When early European settlers put coffins under six feet of earth, they found that the water level would often rise above them, especially during the city’s frequent floods. Since the coffins were filled with air, the water sometimes pushed them up through the earth, causing both a gruesome sight and a health hazard. To keep the coffins underground, holes were drilled in the lid to let air escape, and the coffins were weighted down with rocks and sand. But this was only partially successful, and in any case the saturated corpses did not decompose properly, leading to unsanitary conditions. The only solution was to bury the dead above ground.)    
After we were done at the cemetery there was a quick change then off to the main event….. Raw Artists-New Orleans https://www.rawartists.org/neworleans The 3 models CeCe, Lindsey and Dylanne strutted their stuff on the catwalk and on pedestals. They looked Fabulous and rocked their roles as 2 brides and a groom. Photos from the RAW show below….    
We stopped for some delicious beignets after the show, then home to SF next day.    
Creative Direction- Rachel Nixon & ALi Sutter    
Lead Hairstylist – Rachel Nixon  https://www.facebook.com/rachel.nixon.10    
Makeup – ALi Sutter  https://www.facebook.com/aliena1    
Hairstylist – Lindsey Neuerburg https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.neuerburg    
Nails- Jessica Scott https://www.facebook.com/jess.scott.designs    
Salon- Urban Elements Salon https://www.facebook.com/urbanelementssalon/    
Models – Dylanne, Lindsey and Cece    
And a Great BIG Thank You to Corey for making sure I never had to go without Starbucks!    
 

 RAW Artists show  New Orleans               2019

                                 

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San Francisco Power Couple/ Farah & Victor Makras

 Farah and Victor Makras have been named one of 2017’s power couples by “The Nob Hill Gazette”…….  Victor, a real estate guru and his beautiful wife Farah, a well known philanthropist, have been known to throw fabulous parties at their Marina mansion says the Gazette. 

We met on a foggy spring day at their SPECTACULAR Marina Blvd. mansion. I have always swooned over these homes with their iconic views and beautiful architecture. Seeing these homes dressed up for the holidays is something I look forward to every year! When I arrived, makeup artist Andrea Ortega Costigan, co-founder of Salt Spell Beauty in Marin was putting the finishing touches on Farah’s hair & makeup. As they were finishing up, I looked around the main floor for the best locations to shoot. With it’s wide open windows facing the Marina, there was plenty of natural light to photograph with. I was struck by some of the features in the home, like the fireplace that reminded me of a glass of sparkling rose’. Victor said it was made with metal tiles and glass that looked like pieces of amber that the flames burned through. The tiny bulb ceiling lighting is absolutely genius! And of course the iconic San Francisco views take your breath away.

Victor and Farah are an absolutely lovely couple inside and out. They met in San Francisco 20 years ago. Victor describes noticing Farah’s beauty and style first, but her laugh was a close second states “The Gazette”. Actually both Farah and Victor have impeccable style. 

While I was there, the Mayor called! Not surprising since the couple has close ties to City Hall. Victor has worked as a Commissioner for both SF Police and SF Fire. Dept.  Photos of Farah, Victor and their beautiful home below!

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Editorial equestrian photo shoot with London based model Ruby

Petaluma Boudoir image

Ruby is a London based model, here on the west coast for a little R & R. This Croatian/Serbian beauty has quite a story! As a child she had to flee her country for her life because of the ethnic cleansing. She spends a lot of time traveling the world and considers herself a gypsy. My sweet boy “Oliver” is the handsome prince (Oh, I mean horse) in these photos. This B&W collection is something all always treasure and will remind me of the short but unforgettable time spent with this stunning, soulful and very wise young model! LOVE YOU RUBY!!!!! Hair by Angela Johnson Hinds.

Petaluma Boudoir image
Petaluma Boudoir image
Petaluma Boudoir image
Petaluma Boudoir image
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San Francisco Fashion Photographer/ Brenda Zarate’s Opera shoot

Opening day at the opera is a day of fashion, beauty and opulence for San Francisco socialite Brenda Zarate. The day began at Brenda’s beautiful California St. apartment. From the moment I stepped in, I knew this was going to be a great shoot! The light, the city scape view, the fabulous decor, and of course the beautiful woman with amazing style! My dear friend Jeanny Gutierrez- Del Toro introduced Brenda and I and arranged this photoshoot for her as a birthday gift.

 

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Bay Area Fashion Photographer/ Spell Designs Wild Horses dress

Before anyone freaks out…….Beautiful Brittney is of Cherokee descent! Photographed on the sacred ground the Native American Miwoks made their home hundreds of years ago. Brittney is wearing Australia’s “Spell Designs” Wild horses dress. Spell is my current obsession. Check out their website here….http://shop.spelldesigns.com   Photographed on a stunning winter day in northern California with natural light on a Nikon D800.

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Whimsical Spring Fashion Photography

                                  This lovely shoot was a  Collaboration with Ooh La Loft and their new clothing line Olympia Elizabeth! 

Oh Yes, and a lovely mint slip from my vintage collection! The ladies from Olympia Elizabeth had this to say about Spring Fashion…….

Spring’s top fashion trends include longer skirts, capes and ponchos, lace and glamorous grunge styles.  

Skirts are going down to the knee or below, long skirts are always fashionable. There was a predominance of pastel colors

on the spring runways, showing shift dresses and sporty, shiny jackets.

In shoes, loafers are stylish again, flat or on a heel. Boots are always a must in high fashion. Handbags are more structured,

 moving away from a lot of hardware to simpler, lighter-weight bags. The 1960’s mod look is back, as well as the oversized

proportions and exaggerated shoulders of the 1070’s, along with capes blouses and wide-leg pants.

away from a lot of hardware to simpler, lighter-weight bags.

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San Francisco Fashion Photographer/ model Laura Myers

A few months ago I joined Model Mayhem. I LOVE fashion and wanted to explore that world! Shortly after, I received a message from Laura saying she would be in my area soon and wanted to know if I was interested in working with her. After reviewing her portfolio, I was stunned! This girl was AMAZING!! What a chameleon! I had no idea what she really looked like. Every look completely different and exciting, very much Lady GAGA! To make all this magic…. she is her own MUA (make up artist). When we did meet , I was surprised to see what looked like a little girl (in reality, she’s 21) with very light blonde hair with a disarmingly sweet Alabama accent. A far cry from her seriously edgy looks.  After we discussed wardrobe, Laura morphed into a very sophisticated/sexy Equestrienne w/ a French twist. We did a softer look with an Emilio Pucci Vintage Dress and hat, then a semi-nude mermaid in the pool. The day was in the triple digits so ending up in the pool felt great! This was one of 2 shoots I had with this talented young woman. Stay tuned for part two….

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SweetVintage shoot in Sonoma County

This personal project bring many of my favorite things together. The models are my son Matt and his good friend Liza.  My horse Oliver did a great job eating grass and looking handsome.

Liza and I styled the shoot! The vintage clothing was pulled from our own collections and a little shopping in Downtown Petaluma antique shops. I made a flower headpiece for each one of Liza’s ensembles.

We started in the studio with natural window light. The ballerina on pointe is Rachel Sustek.
Rustic old trucks make great props!
The necklace is from the 1940's. My Grandmother was wardrobe mistress at MGM in the 40's and I believe this piece was worn perhaps in a 1940's movie.
My Great Grandmother was the wardrobe mistress at MGM in the 1940’s, this necklace was one of her pieces.
Pretty in Purple
This sweet vintage slip is updated with the wide belt and chunky necklace.
Mini treats from Starbucks were lovely and delicious! Cake pops, what splendid idea.
Oliver doing what he does best!
Matty looks so handsome
Matty looking super handsome
This awsome belt was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the first Sex and the City Movie.
Oh, la,la
This beautiful spot was originally occupied by native American’s. I can see why they lived here.
Beautiful evening sun filters through the oak trees
Sweetness in a vintage long gown and a Juicy Couture shrug.
Sunset Under the willows
My sweet Mickey, who accompanies me on many of my photo shoots, is always the ladies man.