BTS: Insta Photos from Upcoming Liner Magazine Editorials...

I've been doing tons of shoots recently to beef up the ole portfolios, but also shoots for Liner editorials for the winter/Women in Charge issue out this December. I've been shooting once or twice (or sometimes thrice!) per day these past couple weeks and it's been an exhausting but inspiring whirlwind! I'm meeting so many great people, discovering so many weird nooks and crannies of LA, and can't wait to show you issue four soon! Above are some Instagram photos I took behind the scenes of 2 recent shoots.

These shoots were barely 12 hours apart. The 20's-meets-70's photos are from the other night when I ordered a bunch of great desserts from my favorite French bakery/restaurant in our neighborhood, Figaro Bistrot (if you live near Los Feliz, you should definitely check it out!). I wanted to create a really weird, surreal feel with three redheads and some peculiar lighting. We had dresses and jewelry literally on every surface of mine and Paul's apartment, and we had so much fun shooting into the night. We turned the place into a 20's flophouse and I shot with a 70's photojournalistic feel and 400 ASA for that grainy look. Can't wait to get my film developed from this! (Don't worry--Alexandria doesn't smoke that fake cigarette!). These girls are amazing and Alexandria, Angela and Courtney deserve a huge shout-out!

The white and wintery photos are from the following morning where Alexandria so amazingly came again to my apartment to model for me. Don't want to jinx it, but I think once I get the film developed, we'll have our cover photo from this shoot! I scavenged and painted the twigs and I think they looked so cool in her hair! Alexandria always brings the best clothes, but she also brought these beautiful Russian Dolls we just had to use. 

All hair, makeup and photography by me :)

Check back in the first week of December to see the editorials in full swing in Volume Four of Liner!

Thanks so much Alexandria, Courtney and Angela! You three truly are rubies to behold!

XOXO Festival 2014

Some photos I shot at XOXO Festival last month. 

Paul and I shoot XOXO every year in Portland and it's one of our favorite jobs. It's honestly the bar we measure all our other jobs by, and working with Andy and Andy is such a great experience it's really hard to beat. Doing photos and videos for XO is also really personal to us. It kind of jumpstarted everything in our careers!

Back in 2012, we did the Kickstarter video for Andy & Andy, and leading up to the first festival, we both had day jobs and were freelancing on the side. We had been contemplating going full time freelance but were on the fence. Enter XOXO. We couldn't shoot the festival if we kept our jobs--it would be too many days off. Andy Baio sent us an email, and the gist of it was, 'you should quit your day jobs'. This motivated us and on a family trip to Utah I let my boss know, and a month later Paul left his job. We made the leap. 

It was extremely scary but it was so, so worth it. I'll never forget that energy of standing in the YU building and that feeling of not having a tether or a safety net. I felt scared but also so excited and inspired. It was so cool shooting something that felt important and relevant to us: it's a festival about independence and doing things on your own. We met so many creative people, good friends, and have gotten to work on some really cool projects with people we've met there over the years.

It's also inspired me to start a lot of projects of my own. The first year, it led to me getting inspired to experiment more with fashion and promotional photography, and that whole year I spent really pursuing my portfolio. I worked really hard. By the next XO, I had seen my photos on buses around Portland and was working with clients on the regular. The second year, I got inspired to start my own magazine. A few months later I was working with people from all over the world to make my weird idea a reality. This year, I was so inspired by the women who spoke to create an issue of Liner dedicated to showcasing female talent only. That issue comes out this December. 

If this was the last XOXO, it really ended on a high note: the talks were amazing. I literally laughed and cried, met some really cool people and caught up with some old friends. It was kind of perfect too because John Roderick from the Long Winters spoke, and my first date with Paul was at one of their concerts.

XOXO has grown with us, inspired us and been such an integral part of our work and lives. I'll always be grateful that Andy and Andy were willing to take a chance on two unknowns like us. This year it was an amazing time as usual and I left feeling so excited to work on new projects and pursue all of my crazy ideas. If there is another XOXO, I know it's going to be amazing.

Thanks Andy and Andy! As always, it was the best. 

Head Shots: Amanda Bjorn

I've done a few projects with Amanda now and I can safely say she's one of the sweetest, most talented people I've had the pleasure of shooting! I wanted to shoot her head shots on film to create an ethereal effect; something her agent will hopefully be a fan of!

Not only is she a model, but she's also an artist, amazing singer with Bjorn and the Sun, and photographer. 

I did her makeup and hair for this look, and then we went out and I shot her around Los Feliz. We focused on glowing, dewy skin and a fresh-faced look. I really liked how these turned out because they're a little offbeat for head shots, which I think meshes well with her overall personality: quirky, down-to-earth and independent. 

MAKEUP

Makeup Forever HD Foundation, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, LORAC Pro Palette (focusing on the pale shades and the grey-brown for eyebrows), Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Dazzled, NARS highlighter in Albatross, LORAC Alter Ego Lipstick in Duchess, Stila Lip Glaze in Vanilla. 

HAIR

Amanda has great natural waves, so I just enhanced them with a bit of Tresemmé Fresh Start Renewing Dry Shampoo and Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray (definitely, 100% the most amazing-smelling product ever), scrunching, scruffing, and twisting random sections with a flat iron.

Thanks Amanda!