Many, many moons ago (in a land far, far away) I was a dancer.  Ballet.  Jazz.  Musical Theater….it was a huge part of my life.  It’s been a long, long time since my last curtain call – but the world of dance will always hold a special place in my heart.  Of course, I jumped at the chance to be a part of a fashion shoot inspired by the growing trend for dance inspired clothing, hair and makeup.

By now almost everyone has seen the blockbuster film The Black Swan.  Dance inspired fashion had already been gaining visibility, with ballerina buns, leggings and tights popular with fashionistas everywhere.  The release of the Oscar Nominated film moved the style solidly into the mainstream.

The combination of poise and elegance with simplicity and comfort personified by dance clothing (and dancers themselves) was the inspiration for my third collaboration with Phoenix’s very own fashionista, stylist Alex Evjen of AVE Styles.  This shoot was initially conceived back in the fall (kudos to Alex for being ahead of the trends and predicting what was to come) but had to be rescheduled recently because of busy holiday schedules. We were all so excited when the planets finally aligned on a date when everyone was free to do the shoot.

Clothing for the shoot was provided by The Willows Home and Garden, a local luxury home and lifestyle boutique.  Hair Stylist Extraordinaire Kim Cornwell of Triple Threat Studios was on hand to provide her take on ballerina-inspired hair, and the multi-talented Alex took care of model Jennifer’s makeup (LOVE the smoky eyes)!   We shot at the always fabulous Tempe Center For the Arts, which provided the perfect urban backdrop for our shoot.

Okay, I admit it.  I love fashion photography.  Love it.  Head-over-heels-jumping-up-and-down-giddy love it.

The entire process is ridiculously exciting.  Working with the client to create a vision for the shoot, scouting the perfect location with just the right vibe, brainstorming with a brilliant stylist to pull together the wardrobe and accessories to create the desired look and watching a talented hair and makeup artist work her magic and transform a woman into a absolute knockout….

Pure. Artistic. Heaven.

And it’s not always about working with professional models, needing uber-expensive haute couture clothing, or being hired by a commercial client with a ginormous budget.  In fact, the majority of my fashion clients don’t get any closer to the catwalk than watching ANTM from the comfort of their couch.  They don’t have crazy budgets for numerous hot-off-the-runway ensembles.   They’re not imagining that they’ll see the photos plastered on the cover of a glossy mag at the checkout line.

No, most of the time I photograph everyday women, with everyday bank accounts.  Every single one is both ordinary AND extraordinary and most of them don’t have the slightest idea just how beautiful they are.

And I get to help show them.  I get to step behind my camera and capture these vibrant, vivacious women, coax them to let loose their inner fashionista, turn on the diva and unleash all the attitude they’ve been keeping tucked away.  For some women, the simple act of seeing themselves in this new way is a game changer.

And it’s absolutely, completely and utterly amazing to witness.

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We set out early one June morning to meet with Adrienne at her chic loft apartment in downtown Phoenix.  Adrienne had laid the contents of her closet and accessory collection out across the furniture and countertop, and we dove in to create a series of fabulous looks – giggling like a group of high school girls as we debated our options. Clothing in place, hair and makeup artist extraordinaire Meghan Reese went to work and transformed Adrienne into an edgy couture-goddess, rocking a runway-inspired teased style that begged to be photographed.  We headed down to the streets, braving the hot desert sun and prowling through alleys to find texture and color and hidden bits of urban grunge.

And clearly, she rocked it. (so well in fact, that she managed to get herself wrangled into modeling for an incredible styled bridal shoot a few months later…stay tuned for more on that soon).