My Tidbits

Quarantined! We pray for everyone to stay safe during these crazy times! While we are self quarantined and when absolutely necessary, we are practicing safe social distancing. BUT - We are not letting our time go unproductive. We are practicing some fun new tricks! Here I gave a shot at using Christmas lights to create a colorful bokeh! What kind of tricks or special looking affects have you seen that you like? Send them to me and I will see if I can learn them if I don't know it. I love to be challenged.

This is how I share your life’s adventures stories. I love people, and all things photography; it comes when I am behind the lens, this becomes my inspiration, this becomes your story. S I am a sucker for a great love story, I love a family story, I love any story! What I love most is being able to capture your story. You become my focus, my muse, your story.

I live to capture the moment through my lens. To share the mood and the emotion a photo can evoke so that your memories are with you always. It is not unusual to see me walking the streets getting a feel of the essence of the city or the vibe of the people. In fact, very rarely will you find me without a camera. I drive my family crazy!

I live in a tourist city in Northwest Arkansas and many couples come here to Eureka Springs to marry. I know the area so I consult with my couples to find out their personalities, their ideas so I can capture the same end concept they have in their minds. Eureka Springs is not the only area I have done elopements, I have photographed weddings in other U.S. cities as well as Europe and Mexico. Even then, I go and scout the location to get ideas. Providing help with my clients gives them the experience of a lifetime. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram and of course my blog, right here to see more adventures.

Make Up - Let's Face the Facts

I recently was in a meeting with a client where I will be doing a lifestyle shoot for his coffee shop. As we were collaborating he was debating on whether or not to have a make up artist. My ears perked up! Why? Because as a photographer, I am a believer if you can afford one, this is a must! If you can't, look at tutorials from the many web options out there.

Whether a wedding, portrait or marketing shoot, I am often asked, what do I wear? While this is significant, often overlooked is hair and make up. While I am not a certified make up artist, I have learned what works and what doesn't.

One wedding I did the bride had glitter through her hair and on her head, face and shoulders. When I needed to use my flash, I swear every single one of those pieces of glitter reflected my flash. At first I thought they were little petals from flowers from a tree, it almost looked like dandruff through out her hair. So guess who was photoshopping these photos? Now I share this with my clients.

Shimmer.....we love to sparkle and shine on our big day or even in our portraits, but I will tell you shimmer is another that does not reflect well.

Red lips - while beautiful and ok to wear, it is important to be sure it is always on. If any comes off, it is much more noticeable than say a nude or softer shade lipstick.

I subscribe to a photography magazine called Click, here are 11 tips they recommend.If a professional makeup application isn’t something the client wants to invest in I share the following tips with them so they can easily create a camera ready look on their own.

1. Be sure to start with a clean and moisturized face; nothing is prettier than beautiful skin!

2. Apply your makeup in natural window light if at all possible. This may mean applying your makeup in a room other than your bathroom but good lighting is essential to a good, even application of makeup.

3. A good primer is just as important as a good foundation. Use primer before applying your base to give a smooth canvas by concealing large pores, uneven color and texture, and fine lines. M.A.C. Prep and Prime, Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer, Benefit Porefessional (my personal favorite!), Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Makeup For Ever’s HD Microperfecting Primer, Rimmel Fix Perfect Primer, or L’Oreal’s Studio Secrets Professional Secret No.1 Magic Perfecting Baseare all great primers to use under your foundation.

4. Please stay away from using mineral makeup for your portraits. Mineral Makeup is fantastic for everyday wear; however, in portraits it can give a very distinct and undesirable glow or shine. Revlon’s Colorstay Makeup is my favorite drugstore option while M.A.C. Studio Fix and Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation are great high end options. In portraits, a matte finish is more desirable than a glow. When applying your foundation it is best to use a damp sponge or foundation brush rather than wiping your foundation on your skin with your hands to avoid uneven coverage or streaking (this also cuts back on the spread of germs). I use a foundation brush and the Beauty Blender sponge.

5. Set your foundation with a translucent matte powder banishing any shine. My favorite is M.A.C Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder while another great option is Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher.

6. Play up your eyes! Again, avoid shimmer or glitter. I strongly suggest using matte or satin neutral shades to bring out your beautiful eyes. Trendy or dark colors can cause your images to look dated and your eyes to look small or garish. Almost every makeup company offers pallets that can give you a natural look for your eyes. A golden brown really plays up any eye color. Almay Intense I-Color comes customized for your eye color and can take the guess work out of picking the right shade. Be sure to blend the color for the most flattering look.

7. When it comes to applying eyeliner, in many ways less can be more. I suggest lining brown or black brown eyeliner, being careful not to line the inner rim too heavily as this will create a small looking eye. It is best to just line the lash line creating a full looking lash.

8. Don’t forget mascara! I suggest waterproof (aka sweatproof) black mascara. Two coats. Using a new mascara tube can really be helpful because the product will not be dried out causing you to have clumpy lashes. Be sure to wipe off any excess mascara on the tube before your application.

9. When selecting a blush color, choose a shade that resembles the flush you have after exercise or laughter. Again, stay away from glittery or shimmery shades for your portraits. Almost every woman I know is afraid of blush but when applied correctly it expertly enhances your look. Apply the most vibrant part of your blush on the apples (where you smile) of your cheeks and blend upward on your cheek bone. Blush needs to be applied a bit heavier than normal for portraits because the camera has a tendency to wash out the color. After applying your blush take a large fluffy brush with no product and blend once more for the most natural finish.

10. A naturally colored lip is the most flattering in portraits because lip color trends change so quickly. One of my favorite ways to keep the lip natural is to use a neutral colored lip pencil (my favorite is M.A.C spice but almost every cosmetics company makes a neutral shade) and line and fill in the lip. I then apply a blush colored gloss lightly over the lip concentrating the application in the center and blending out toward the corners of the mouth (again, less is more). If you prefer lipstick choose a color that enhances your existing lip tone. One of my all around favorites is M.A.C Honey Love but another all around favorite is Smashbox Primrose.

11. When you are completely finished with your look, give a final dusting of translucent powder lightly over your entire face to set the look.

Erik and Jennifer

Congratulations to this adorable non traditional couple. They are so in love that nothing else mattered. It rained, it didn't matter. We had to move from outdoors to indoors, it didn't matter. All that did matter was committing to each other. I loved lover their more non traditional style. A celebration with a bottle of wine, more modern than what is typical of Eureka Springs, a very old historic location. But at the end of the day, we pulled it off. Here's to a happily ever after.

Wow, here we are in 2020

It is the beginning of a new year and a new decade! We are excited for some new projects. We worked with Unknown Films and SixtyOn in helping to produce a music video. We are doing a bit more in real estate, marketing as well as local events. While weddings are primarily still my primary shoots, it has been fun branching out and experimenting. I am actually incorporating some new things I learned (more in video) into my weddings while using what I know for the other areas. My wedding schedule is filling up so I will less time, but I am keeping my bookings limited so I can focus more on YOU! What are in your plans this year?

I Do in the Natural State

I love church weddings, I really do (no pun intended), but I do live in the natural state of NW Arkansas. It is absolutely beautiful with forests of pines, summer with dogwoods, some of the cleanest lakes and rivers how can you not want to be married in this fairytale setting? We have old architecture that competes with any old structures on the east or west coast. Hotels like the 1886 Crescent Hotel with its beautiful settings and lush lawn, or the Thorncrown Chapel which has a Frank Lloyd Wright design, or one of our other venues such as Center Stage. So many options in our destination town of Eureka Springs. Call me, if you have not decided on your venue or location, I have photographed at all of these locations and can help you.