Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Personal: The Baby Bump!

I have missed the days in which I modeled. Not to sound like I was anywhere near famous, or even pursuing it full-time, but there were many days that I was fortunate enough to model and I miss it. And the size at which I was seems like only a distant memory now. I can still hardly believe I'm pregnant! =)

...But...I have modeled this growing belly quite a bit. Perhaps as a tribute to this little boy I carry. Neither my mom nor my husband's mom have many pregnancy pictures and whether or not my baby cares, his daddy thought he'd want them some day. So his daddy took a TON of them. =)

As the end of my pregnancy is rounding a corner, I thought it might be fun to share the pictures Jason's taken of me this last month. (Although no judging my farmer's tan! =) Ha!) We took a drive little while ago at sunset to catch a few pretty rays. Freshly mowed fields, warm weather, blue skies, humming locusts, a round belly, a doting husband, and a pregnancy that turned out to be astonishingly easy, makes me think this day will remain one of my fondest memories.

I can hardly wait to meet him! Oh! and learn his name. =)

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Self timer's are awesome. =)
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Look at that bump!!
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COME OUT BOY! WE GOT A LOTTA LOVE OUT HERE!
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Happy Wednesday!
Shanny

Monday, September 19, 2011

Commercial Shoot: Free The Girls!!

In my count-down-to-baby, I've slacked a bit on getting images up...but it's been driving me silly! I love posting the gorgeous faces of those whom I shoot.

Last month, I had the privilege of working with some amazing ladies for a super fantastic organization called Free The Girls! Please check our their cause on faceboook and donate today! It's easy peasy!!

While many of the shots will be used as product visuals on their website, here are my favorites of each girl individually. I think, without even trying, they embodied all that this non-profit is about!

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These girls totally sold me on the shirts! I will need to get one of each...as soon as my belly goes back to normal. =)
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The gorgeous Erica Cobb from Alice 105.9. Look at her smile!!
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These two beauties are sisters! ♥
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And this is their beautiful mom! =) Such amazing ladies!
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Special thanks to:
Kimba Langas & Dave Van Dam -- the founders of FTG and the backbones of the event
Polly Miller -- for flawless makeup and hair on the girls!
Our beautiful models -- Erica Cobb, Savannah Khanna, Susan Khanna, Madison Khanna, Taylor Jordan, and Angie Walker.



Happy Tuesday!! xo, Shannon

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fashion Shoot: The Sponge & Dominique Kruse

I am not a professional model. Nor a professional modeling coach. Just putting that out there. However...quite often I get inquiries from "wanna-be-models" asking to do a shoot and if I can help teach them about modeling. To be honest, it's some of the most rewarding shoots I've encountered because helping someone gain more knowledge about the ins and outs of what they need to do and who they should work with to model full-time, or even part-time, is so much fun! I teach nothing more than self-reassurance that the true "you" is beautiful and that most of the time the faces that "wanna-be's" make is NOT the face that gets you signed. It takes more than lip puckering to be sexy, and not everyone can nail the open-mouth look. I was fortunate enough to learn this the hard way. The long and winding-road way. But it's given me perspective I don't think I'd have otherwise and an ability to share all that I've learned with anyone willing to listen.

Close to 6 years ago, I wanted to start shooting. Shooting pictures. I thought about it all the time. Dreamt about it, and then tried to talk myself out of it because I was sure it was too late. After all, I was about to graduate college and hadn't even taken one photography course. I was sure that only the best of the best were highly educated and trained and I wasn't sure how I was going to learn how to shoot if I didn't know my f-stops from my focus points. They both have f right...so aren't they the same? Seriously, I had NO clue. My biggest dream at the time was not to be famous or published, but just to be a photographer who shot fashion...or, the daunting task of weddings. But I wanted it. And I wanted it bad. Something else I wanted? To be photographed. I had long volunteered as the main event in all family photos, yet I was sure I wasn't, well, pretty enough? to model. Sure, I'd been told I was pretty, but I can't say that people were telling me I should. Ha! No agents ever approached me and I doubted my ability to ever get a professional photo....until Jason (yep, the husband) encouraged me. (Wait!! So why are all my posts about my husband and how amazing he is?! Geez Louise! Lol.) Well I can't lie, it was him that pushed me to try...

One night while watching TV, I blurted out: I wish I could model. Jason, who gives me no slack ever, just said, so why don't you? I had tons of reasons as to why I couldn't but he told me they were all excuses. Dumb excuses. I have nothing to lose by trying because at least then I'd know if it were possible, he'd said. Humph. I think I went to bed angry that he didn't understand my excuses, er, reasons as to why this would never work, but somewhere in the middle of the night I decided I'd muster up the courage and try it...just so I could prove I was right.

I had no idea where to start, but found a few names of local photographers in my area the next day online. I wrote a letter to one guy about how I'd be willing to help him with a project should he need someone to test lighting or something... An hour went by before I pushed send. To my surprise, he wrote back. Said he had a project he was working on and wanted to know if I modeled. OMG! I had no idea what to say. I can't tell a lie--honestly, I'm horrible at it--so I told him the truth...that it was something I'd always wanted to do, but never had. To my disbelief, he said it didn't matter and gave me detailed instructions on what to bring and where to meet him later that week. Suddenly, I was on Cloud 9. And Cloud 1, which if you don't know is the amateur Cloud, because honestly, I had no IDEA what I'd just gotten myself into. This guy could be a creep. This guy could be a fake. He could be a child molester! Feeling like I had no choice, I did what any normal girl would do in this case: I called my mom. =) I supposed it's an unwritten code for photographers that most don't want MOM coming along to the shoot. But I had know idea who stranger-guy-with-a-camera was, so MOM came with....and I brought a whistle just in case! No joke.

I was fortunate enough to get a ton of modeling trade work during that first year after having a few shots taken. And I somehow landed some paid jobs and was even published! a few times for having never modeled a day in my life. Little did all the photographers willing to shoot with me know that I was not only living a dream, I was creating the reality of another. I'd become a sponge! I listened to each and every word they told me about posing, lighting, and facial expressions. And I asked questions about their cameras and how they started photography and how they got to where they were. Almost all of them became friends and over the years, they taught me the courses I never took in high school--that I'd never been brave enough to take in college. Suddenly, I found myself modeling on a weekly basis and buying my first (of MANY) Digital SLR camera. And I found a new addiction in life that was more fulfilling than anything I'd ever done. I started a profile for my photography page and what was once just flowers and macro shots of dogs and trees, suddenly turned into models. Real models. Fashion models. Professional models! And I was shooting like a banshee every moment I got...relishing in the fact that where I was was further than I'd dreamed. And after being signed as a model last year, meeting Jasmine Star, and posting my wedding website, I felt all those years of self-doubt were a waste. ...I have since learned that I have to dream bigger.

Dominique, you inspire me and when we were shooting, I saw myself in you! I know you've never modeled before, but you're willingness to try whatever I thew at you paid off. You are a gorgeous spirit, but you totally caught on and rocked your face off. I am so happy that for a few hours, you were willing to be my sponge. Chase that acting and modeling career, girl. You're going to be a star!

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Dom, you are so gorgeous!!
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Happy Wednesday!
xxo, Shannon

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Baby Shoot: Baby Cook"i"e is 8 months old!

I've got baby on the brain! I'm less than 1 week away from being 9mos pregnant and think this is getting super real. =) I have no idea what to expect, but hope I'm half as good at this mommy thing as Natosha Cooke.

Here's some pictures from our last shoot with her baby boy Collin! I have a lot to look forward too.

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Natosha hand-made Collin's cute shirt too! You can find more of her awesome creations by clicking here.
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And because Collin is really a Cook"i"e, we have to have one more Cookie Monster shot!!
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