The Winter Queen

I took these last spring after it had rained a good bit. This was a cypress hollow that normally is just dirt/mud and cypress stumps, but after it rains, it fills up and becomes magical. I had this idea brewing in my head for awhile - I wanted a winter queen - similar to the White Witch in the Narnia series, but I wanted her to be a little bit softer and more fluid (hence the water and the reflections in the water). And because I live in Mississippi, working in the snow wasnt much of a possibility, but I still wanted it to have a "cool" vibe. I made the crown and necklace out of paper - I liked the idea of the queen being vulnerable and wanted to express that with the paper - if it touches the water, its done for. Model is Katina Chandler and thankfully she was brave enough to take on this shoot - I am forever grateful. Love the lines of her body and the ripples.
And she couldnt be a queen without something to rule... so I made tons of these paper origami boats - like I said, since they were paper, they didnt last long, but I still love the fragility of them.
This one is so magical to me.Probably my favorite.I really wanted these to have an old, storybook feel to them, and I was happy with how they turned out. And just for note, these werent super-manipulated in photoshop - I did change the white balance and tones a bit to get that "winter" look that I wanted, and also I burned/darkened some of the water in spots so it would show the contrast of the ripples better, but thats about it.

Emma - 4 years

I always take my kids for a photoshoot - usually just me and them - for their birthdays every year. These are Emma's 4 year old pictures... maybe 9 months late... we took them last November. But it is what happens when I stay busy doing other people's work - I never have time for my own.

Shortly before this shoot, I found this abandoned building and I could not believe my luck. It was gorgeous with offwhite walls and lots of window light. It also was very "safe" as it didnt have any nails or glass on the floor. I knew this is where Emma's pictures had to be. Emma is probably my favorite model that I work with... and I dont just say that as her mama. I have no idea where she got this gift from, but she automatically knows how to model - her face, her body, her hands... with very little direction. Its good in that we can get alot accomplished in a short amount of time, but its really bad when it comes to me working with other models. It spoils me into thinking that other models always automatically know what they are doing and it just ends up frustrating me when I have to give them a million directions... anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures - you can click on them to view them larger.Please do not try this at home or with any old abandoned building... this can be very dangerous. I visited this one a few times to make sure it was safe and structurally sound and that my daughter would not get hurt - before I took her. I also know my daughter and know that she can follow directions and listen to what I say. Please be careful with your children.

It is now August, which means Gabe's 7th birthday pics will be happening shortly. Im excited that my little boy still lets me take his picture.

I hope you enjoy.