One of the greatest things about my job is consistently getting to work with tremendously creative, talented vendors. With some openings this spring, I wanted to partner with select groups of vendors to create some tabletop/bridal fashion shoots. Not only would the shoots give us the opportunity to stay sharp, but they would serve as a vehicle to collaborate as a team to create something we wouldn’t normally get the chance to do during a wedding. It’s an opportunity to take some chances, push the envelope a bit, and create something remarkable. Plus, it’s a great way to generate some cross-promotion and buzz, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been reaching out to a select group of vendors whom I know could help make these shoots absolutely magical. One of the vendors I contacted was Lollipop Events & Designs. Lollipop is run by a triumvirate of talented ladies–Vanessa,Jen and Cortnie–all of whom have known each other since the ninth grade. They’ve quickly become one of the most sought-after event planning vendors in California. We’re all from the Encinitas area so we’d all bump into one another quite often, and we’ve been dying to work together for the last several months. So when Vanessa called me a few weeks back to express interest and run some ideas by me, I was thrilled!
Their concept was “Wild Seaside Garden” and we selected a small area next to the La Jolla Bridge Club, just down from The Cove. The bridal model, Ren, was gorgeous, talented, and such a pleasure to photograph. The groom model, Kiptyn, who was recently featured on “The Bachelorette” TV show, did a fantastic job as well! We also teamed up with Isari Flower Studio for the gorgeous florals; the über-talented Alisa Benay provided the gown and head piece; the jewelry was created by Noaki Schwartz of Noaki Jewelry; Kip’s styling was done by Tam Ashworth for Stylish Silhouette; the wedding cake was created by Truly Scrumptious; makeup was beautifully done by Jennifer Budner. Special thanks to Girard Avenue Collection for the chairs and “I Love You” blocks; gourmet chocolates were provided by Dallmann Confections; hair styling was done by Jamie Rosa from Orange Blossom Salon.
Now, let’s get down to some tech-talk…
We wanted to keep everything looking pretty simple in terms of lighting. Most of the still life/food images were made using natural light, which was open shade. We mixed in a white reflector where necessary. We got a little more creative when the models, Ren and Kiptyn, were photograph. The main light was a large Chimera softbox camera left, about 6 feet from the subjects. We also had one ProFoto strobe (with standard reflector), camera right, as a kicker to throw some light on the bottom half of the frame where we were getting a little fall-off from the main light. We also had another ProFoto strobe behind and to the right of the models to provide some edge light.
There were so many great elements in this shoot, all of which are best described in Cortnie’s words on the Lollipop Blog! You can also catch a recap on the Ruffled Blog (parts I, II), which was kind enough to feature the shoot!
