The Blooms Have Come

Spring comes forth full-swing in April, marking new life, new growth and bringing hope of renewal in all aspects of life.  With this blooming, this renewal, came my inspiration for my latest self portrait.

My Blooming

Although this is only my fourth image this year for my Year of Self Portraits, I’m amazed at how far I am willing to take my images.

Rarely do I create the EXACT image I envision. However, I ALWAYS exceed my own expectations.

My blooming is in effect.

My team for this portrait are:

Photographer, “Trigger Woman” – Nizar Wogan of Nizar Wogan Photography

Make Up Artist, “Fellow Schemer” – Caitlyn Shaw MUA

Fabric/Crafting Specialist – Charisse Windebank of The Soul Seeker Blog

BTS Photographer – Evany Franco of VanyT Photography

Assistant – Michelle Rancloes

Art Director and Post Processing Editor – Me!

How much fun did we have at this shoot?  So much fun that I actually popped blood vessels in my left eye and walked around with red eyes for days!

Nevermind my attire or my posture!

Even the evening before the shoot, my husband assisted me in getting my lighting right.  He loves to watch me set up and troubleshoot.  Being my model?  Well…

That headband is on point, yeah?  Way to go, Charisse!

So, speaking of the headband, someone, eh-hmm, found it extremely entertaining.

Who cares what the back looks like!?!  The front was spot-on, exactly what I wanted.

And when we get things moving, the fun just starts taking shape.

One thing that I was extremely impressed with was Caitlyn’s ability to problem-solve and mix-up the perfect shade of lipstick for my “vision.”  She is always prepared with the right products to get the job done.

I had an enormous amount of fun this day, and I think everyone else did, as well.

And even though the vision is mine (heavily influenced by what I see executed by other photographers, of course) and the hours of late-night editing, against my will, are done my me, I would not be able to effectively create this final product without the team.

I hope they all know how appreciative I am for their support.

Now, let the blooming continue.