Martha Stewart Weddings - The cake (If you are reading this on facebook, please click the link )

Martha Stewart Weddings -- Darcy's Weddings Idea of the Day


Yummy! I love photographing wedding cakes as well. And never mind it when a bride insists I have a piece!!:) Always make sure your wedding photographer gets at least one nice shot of your cake. Considering the little amount of time you will actually have to look at it, your going to need a photo!

Peterson Family Photography session in Southern California..

This was a fun little family session. you may recognize this family as I shot their Christmas photos last year. Their father is a close friend of my husbands from collage yet went to my high school! Crazy to think he knew my husband before I did!:) Such cute and active kiddos. Paul Peterson is a Dentist, hense the photo of the kids looking in his mouth with all the tools:) We will be blowing some of those up and decorating his office with them. Fun Fun:)

Ari Photography Featured Business...UPrinting.com

I feel like such a lucky girl! Today Uprinting.com (My marketing printing company) posted an article on me as a "Featured Successful Business". I have a lot of respect for this large company so this meant a lot to be noticed by them:) We did the interview online. SO many questions! But I feel like they "got" what my business is all about. Please enjoy the article below:)

As well here is the direct link so you can see all of their wonderful printing products...
http://reviews.uprinting.com/ari-photography/ and possibly use them for yourselves!

Ari Photography

No Fromage. Just Boutique Couture Photography.

“CHEESE!”

That’s one word you’ll never hear photographer Arianne Lewis say when she’s taking her pictures. To the owner of California-based business, Ari Photography, saying “cheese!” before a photo means you’ll be getting exactly that : a cheesy image of yourself frozen in time – and that’s not what her work is all about.

It’s all about “couture photography for the edgy” with Arianne, who believes that a lot of the standard photography shots out there have hit a plateau. The true-blue Californian and lifelong photographer has an intense desire to make everyone feel “magazine-worthy”. She says “Making anyone off the street look like a model, in my opinion..is extra special”.

With her trusty camera, reflectors and some expert Photoshop tweaking, Ari takes artistically- composed photos that wouldn’t look out of place in high fashion magazines. Sessions with Ari Photography aren’t the typical sit-on-a-couch-then-click! deals everyone’s used to, which is why not just anyone “gets it”. Arianne has learned that people who do get her work are those who are innovative and responsive to new ideas.

These edgy clients are certainly game to experience Ari’s out-of-the-box, rock and roll meets glam concepts like the Rock the Frock, and Haute Couture photoshoots, among many others.

For Ari Photography’s Rock the Frock photos, Ari takes the bride out of the typical wedding day world to one where she’s rockin’ her wedding dress. Her extreme Rock the Frocks, known as Trash the Dress sessions, are like declarations that the wedding is done and the dress will never be used again “because you’ll be together forever”! It’s also an alternative to storing the dress and trying to get your daughter to wear it in 20 years for her wedding. “You may not have the dress lying around after these extreme sessions, but you will have some killer art of you in the dress on the wall that will last a lifetime!”

Rock the Frocks are often used in place of bridals before the wedding, to have displayed at the actual wedding reception. However extreme Rock the Frocks aka “Trash the Dress” shoots are usually taken weeks after the wedding. For either style of “bridals” you will usually find the bride posing in gorgeous locations -sometimes on the grass, sand or even in the mud. It sounds rather adventurous but those willing to get down and dirty in their wedding gowns are sure to be rewarded with jaw-droppingly amazing photos.

Make no mistake, Ari says “So far each dress I have done a Trash the Dress or Rock the Frock Session with, have come out perfectly clean. In fact one of the dresses was resold to a bride out in Belgium.”

Using Arianne’s artistic prowess, even family photos are given a unique, avant-garde twist. There are no awkward smiles inside a studio here. This Annie Liebovitz fan whisks families away to interesting nearby locations like farms, beaches, and abandoned buildings so she can capture beautiful and raw family moments.

Of course she’s had lots of practice with family photos, having two sons and a husband (of five years now!) who continuously inspire her to become a better photographer so she can catch each moment before it passes. Ari’s intuition for knowing the exact moment to click the shutter release button helps a lot in this case. -So does her ability for helping subjects who are uncomfortable in front of the camera smile. She does this by chatting with them to loosen them up, or by giving them situations and asking the subjects to show her how they would feel about that. “The second before they start to overthink it” I snap, she explains.

Ari also shoots weddings, fashion/editorial high school Seniors and maternity photos which interested clients can learn all about through her website as well as her printed materials.

Arianne has advertised her couture photography through canvases, menus, Stackcards and postcards from UPrinting for a year-and-a-half now and she loves it.

As someone who has color ingrained in her very soul (thanks to her late father, the abstract artist Alan B. Cheney who was obsessed with extreme colors, and to her mother who majored in music and performing arts), it’s important to Ari that her materials have vibrant colors and with UPrinting she is able to have that. She enthuses, “I love the color on each printing product I have received! UPrinting’s customer service is greatly appreciated. Very high quality, which is what my business is all about.”

Ari brings the printed canvases to go-sees to show her clients up close how much attention she pays to even the tiniest details. Doing this lets potential customers she how professional and artistic she is, and “I always get a “wow” at the print quality” says Arianne.

Exactly the same reaction Ari gets for her crowd-stopping “couture photographs for the edgy”.

A Young Rock the Frock..

This Girl and her family came into town all the way from Redding (4 hour drive) for a family shoot and Rock the Frock session for their daughter..we had such a good time!! Isnt she beautiful? Her family photos will shortly be found above.. Perhaps you'll notice how different she looks for her Rock the frock from Her family shoot!
Thank you to sponsors..
Makeup and hair by Aleasha Lechuga and nicole at Bella vagos Salon/Spa/ Cafe
Dress by jeTaime Bridal
Accessories by Ari Photography...gotta hook up my clients!:)

Ari Photography in Society International..

Wohoo! This company Society International is incredible! They have been such a blessing to me as well...what bride doesnt like to know that THEIR wedding photographer has been published and not only in some great magazines, but also in magazines that are so high end? Thank you Chris at Society for noticing me and featuring me again:) I feel so honored:)

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

Miranda Palmer: Family Counselor Unique Headshot photography

Yesterday I had the privilege to do a headshot shoot for Miranda Palmer, a local family therapist. Oh my goodness what a treat! Miranda is funny and smart and completly adorable, talk about easy to talk to! I recommend her to ANYONE going through struggles as well as a friend...thanks for the opportunity Miranda! Doesnt she look like a Country singer?!

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:)

Ari Photography Spread in "Society International Magazine"

I was recently asked to publish a spread in Society International Magazine. Quite an honor considering the profile of those who read this mag! Above is my spread. Below is a past mag publication..feel free to browse through this online mag! I'm very impressed with this Company. Very Chic! Very exciting:) Thanks Society!

Trash the Dress- No more excuses!!! Wedding photography

Many people out there just don't know what to think about trash the dress bridal sessions. I had to share this story with you. First off- I love trash the dress sessions! I love taking these girls and making them look completely HOT in such a different setting than the same ol' church setting! Mud? Who would think a girl could look completely gorgeous in mud? (besides a guy:) Check out my TTD photos and you'll think otherwise! I LOVE TTD sessions because I think they are such a romantic way to show everyone that this is the man your going to be with forever so there is no need to keep the dress for any other reason! Get a beautiful photo of yourself and then blow it up really big and put it in your home, in your room even better to remind your hub of your dedication to him!
Here's the thing. Just because you have testified this to everyone does not mean that you are really done with the dress...get it dry cleaned afterward and your good to go! My dress has been in my closet for 4 years now and I WISH I had a photographer way back when to shoot me in it- in an awesome location! Where would the dress be still, now? Still in my closet! All wrapped up nicely however I would have some killer photos hangin' on the wall right now!
So get this...My trash the dress photos were noticed out in Europe. Someone loved a dress so much from a trash the dress session that she offered to BUY the dress of the bride! Luckily- this just happened to be a dress I bought for the sole reason of doing a few TTD sessions to build up that part of my portfolio. This dress has been through 4 sessions! 2 in the river, 2 in the mud! And guess what? It looks awesome! Still white and beautiful. What did I do to clean it off? Sprayed it down with a hose and let it air dry! Oye Vey, imagine if you had it dry cleaned how bright it would be! The dress is being shipped off tomorrow to Belgium for who? Another bride, a slightly less fortunate one who cant afford a brand new dress but in any case- for another bride! So no more excuses on the whole TTD ruining my dress peeps! If you don't like the idea, no prob, but if you do like the idea, there are no more excuses NOT to do it:)

Flowers for my Friends..

I hope you all had a fabulous Valentines Day! I was lucky enough to receive these beautiful tulips (my favorite flower) from my husband and I wanted to share them with you all!!!
...love Ari
I am also looking at these flower photos and considering creating a float wrap collage above my bed in my house- they would look killer! If any of you are interested in having any of these photos up in your home just let me know and I will only charge for the printing- not the photo!:)