To Dye For Hair Studio & Ari Photography PROM shoot

Below are a few favorite photos from a recent shoot I did for "To Dye For" hair Studio here in Modesto. They did makeup as well! With a little coaching the models did a great job:) I told them like I do a lot of my girls to just pretend like they were on Americas Next Top Model- looks like it worked! As well I love the Vogue group shots:)

Project Haute Couture: Punk Rock Couture

Punk Rock Couture Shoot: The full Story...

Oh My goodness this has been the craziest shoot to date!! I just have to tell you all about it before I dive into another project.

So after only 3 hours sleep on my end, the team got up bright and early..wait did I say bright? It was dark outside, certainly not bright, at 6:00 AM for our scheduled shoot at the JC Warehouse. Why so early? Well this warehouse, though at one time was an ICEHOUSE, now is used as a soft paintball location. Kinda like paint balls but with small white foam ones instead (bummer, would have loved the color!). We were told that at 10:00 most likely a herd of teenage boys would be coming in to turn out the lights and take over! 10AM? After hair, makeup and setup you can imagine why we had to start so early.

SO I picked up some Starbucks and headed over to my model, Krystal Leers home for makeup ..or should I say eyelashes. There was NO makeup getting done with the amount of time those dang eyelashes took to apply and actually stick! So we headed over to To Dye For hair Salon where Kate Soderstrom was waiting all cheery to get to work on Krystals hair. While the look was being acheived I went over to the warehouse to set up. Turns out that in order to get into the warehouse I had to go through the back of the building through dark, pitch black tunnels and a woosy flashlight. Oh did I mention the fact that I had to open a huge refrigeration door in order to get inside and the first thing to greet me was a FOX that jumped out!!??? Ahh! I was scared outta my mind but was led through the darkness by Dave, our connection to the warehouse, on the other end of the cell phone. I made lefts and rights, unders, throughs and overs and too dark of tunnels that I was just sure a VERY DANGEROUS PERSON HAD to be living . I was just about to give up but was too scared to turn back when voila- a light! The sunroof of the warehouse portion of the building was finally visible! I made a dash to the warehouse despite all that I imagined that was around me. Oye vey! Too dangerous, my hubby was not too happy to hear this story afterward and I decided that perhaps I will not put myself in such a dangerous situation in the future just for a photo shoot. (To my defense I didnt know that I was going to have to enter the warehouse this way:)

So, now I was in the warehouse and could enter and exit the front door versus the tunnels, thank goodness! I was able to set everything up...Lighting was truly a challenge in this shoot however I learned from it so I know it will only make me stronger. Isnt that what all of this is all about?
After all was set up I went back to the Salon where I picked up krystal with her bomb ace hair that Kate so incredibly whipped up in the mere 45 minutes I was gone. We got Kry all jazzed up in her dresses donated for the cause by Jetaime Bridal and we were off!
The shoot went great. We shot indoors despite the lighting issues, mysterious birds in the rafters and Foxes climbing the cielings. The we shot on the ourside of the builldings, as well as along the train and tracks nearby.
This was such an adventure and I can hardly keep my eyes open just writing this blog but I just cant wait to get working on more of these photos so alas..I will conquer my tiredness and plow through these photos:)
Thank you to all my sponsors! I love to work together to help each other achieve our goals and hopes!
More photos will be posted shortly.
Next Shoot? Unless I sneak one in before we are scheduled at the Mchenry Mansion. outside?..maybe a few, but how many photographers have shot there! My goal is to go to unknown places. So with the special permission I've been granted..were going inside baby!

Project Haute Couture!

Introducing "Project Haute Couture" by Ari Photography.
I am so excited about this project I just have to share it all with you! Throughout the next several months I will be building up a new portion of my online gallery called Project Haute Couture. This is where Ari gets to go crazy and do all the sorts of shoots that I have always wanted to even though there may not always be a market for them (unless your a magazine or fashion designer)
Haute couture more or less is out of the box, high fashion, extreme and very artsy. This often means big hair, crazy makeup, couture attire and some major imagination! This portion of my gallery will be very editorial and often put together by a host of sponsors. Each shoot will feature all of the sponsors with information on how to contact them should you be interested in working with them in the future.
So...come along with me and join us on this adventure of learning and creating, can't wait! First shoot tentative date...March 20th.

Drama Queens Bridal Show February 2010

This was a fabulous show and what a blast! Below are a few photos (That I did not take by the way) of my booth...We did well and I learned so much! Can't wait for the next one in August:)
Love this blonde (Heidi Ficker) to the right of me- she booked! Cant wait to shoot her wedding:)

Tara Crenshaw- "Spring Time Bride"

I love this session. I call this session Spring Time Bride however doesnt it look like she is in fact in the snow for many of these photos? I shot these in local orchards and the snowy looking items are actually white and pink almond blossoms:) Beautiful setting for a beautiful bride!
This can be considered a trash the dress session, simply because we have taken the bride out her her typical wedding day surroundings. Her dress however, didn't get trashed:)