TEST SHOT TUESDAY: Kentucky Editorial Photographer / Shooting with Kendra Part II
Part II of shooting with the gifted fashionista - KENDRA!
The challenge with this shoot was the location. It was a total new location that I literally found sitting on the side of the road. I’ve been itching to shoot here for years but never had a good enough of reason. It’s easily one of my new favorite spots in Somerset if you’re going for that urban, lost boy, rebel vibe. The sun sets PERFECTLY over these asphalt mountains and we used smoke bombs to enhance the mood of a wasteland. We didn’t plan this shoot to be inspired by T Swizzle but as we were shooting, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the “I knew you were trouble” music video.
I hope you guys enjoy viewing this shoot. We had so much fun creating it. I’m sooo looking forward to the next time I shoot with Kendra :)
TEST SHOT TUESDAY: Kentucky Fashion Photographer / Shooting with Kailan
The best and hardest part about shooting with Kailan is that we almost NEVER plan anything. We both come to the meeting point with minds full of ideas to explore, outfits and props. No discussion, pressure or stress is allowed. We just want to have fun shooting with maybe a vibe in mind, but no restrictions or expectations. I think that’s where I am most inspired - with help from the lighting conditions and Kailan’s wardrobe :)
Kailan is a beautiful person. She’s currently in her journey of being a yoga instructor while inspiring me, personally and the world with positive vibes. I feel like I’ve said it 10 times already but I generally just love shooting with her. It’s so relaxed, we’re always on the same page, and she just makes my heart happy. :)
I hope you enjoy the finished product! •
-Taylor
TEST SHOT TUESDAY: Kentucky Fashion Photographer / Shooting with Kendra
You guys are going to be seeing so much of Kendra on our Test Shot Tuesday series as we just finished up an amaaaaazing shoot last week in addition to this one. We also have some more good stuff planned for the next few weeks so stay tuned! For this shoot, it was absolutely freezing and also midday which usually makes myself and other photographers squirm. But sometimes shooting midday is necessary to fit the vibe you’re going for so that’s exactly what we did. I really really wanted to feel that “fashionista, boss lady bada$$” vibe so I loved that we went with the houndstooth blazer as it helped Kendra’s style stand out from the horizon and kind of set the tone. I had no intentions of shooting with an actual plane but when we arrived, it greeted us across the runway and we both were immediately stoked! All of my photographer dreams came true that day. Kendra was amazing, the sky was a challenge but I learned to work through it and now I feel more confident in that mid-day harsh sun!
Hope you love viewing this set as much as I loved photographing it!
side note: I am so thankful for my Uncle Sammy who helped us find our way around the airport and made all of this possible! :) YOU DA BOMB! You guys should check out their punk band, “Defiant State” at Jarfly Brewing on April 27th!!
TEST SHOT TUESDAY: Kentucky Fashion Photographer / Shooting with Lakinzie
Hello and welcome to Studio 606’s new blog series called “Test Shot Tuesdays” :) Test Shot Tuesdays is a new series we are going to use to blog our fresh creative work! These are shoots that we have conducted on our off time to come out of the creative block it’s easy to come into contact with when we are constantly shooting the same things over and over. Don’t get us wrong, we love doing what we do, but it’s good for our growth and development to step outside of our comfort zones, experience with new types of light and new situations. It’s important to us that we are constantly trying new things and putting fun, creative stuff out there for you guys to see! :) So each Tuesday, you can look forward to something FRESH!
I love love love Lakinzie! I’ve known her through acquaintances for about two years and I feel like we’ve always talked about shooting together but it wasn’t until this year when we FINALLY did! Our first shoot vibe we were going for a 90’s arcade vibe, but little did I know that the Mall arcade actually sucks……. well, I don’t suppose it sucks but for photo purposes, it was not great! We even went to the movie theatre, but it also just didn’t fit our aesthetic. We made our way up to Burnside (which is somewhere new for me to shoot) and began shooting down the strip. I looked for cool textures to pop with her style. I think we made it a pretty successful day. It helped me out of this creative block I’ve been in after the long winter months.
Our second shoot was JUST AS IF NOT more magical and I think it was because it was so close to Lakinzie’s heart. WE SHOT IN HER DREAMY ROOM, you guys. I could smell the essential oils as I walked in and all the things hanging were so whimsical and inspiring. It spoke to my soul! The challenge here was the lighting in her bedroom. Although it was mid-day, there was only 1 window and pretty dim in there! I was thankful she was patient with me as I experimented with the different light and shadows.
She told me about how her amazing sister-in-law re-does her room every year for Christmas. They find pieces together that fit who Kinzie is, in that stage of her life. We were talking about how good Kinzie’s room smells when she told me about her momma’s little shop in the heart of Monticello. She sells crystal’s, soaps and dreamcatchers. Kinzie took me over there and I DIED at all of the beautiful pieces. If you like this stuff, you have to go! It’s called “The Wildflower Trails” and you can find them on facebook! They have a lot of neat stuff, so you have to see for yourself!
Kinzie, thanks for putting up with me and my spur of the momentness! You are amazing, congratulations on graduation and I can’t wait to work with you again ASAP! :)
-Taylor
Kentucky Fashion Photographers / Enchanted Forest / Morgan + Olivia
This shoot was inspired by my love for whimsy things and the hidden darkness that can be found surrounding the most beautiful things. I feel like sometimes we are stuck in bad situations or find ourselves drowning in consequences of actions that we made in our past. Just because something seems to be beautiful or innocent, doesn’t mean it isn’t trapped in a hole of dark thoughts and suffering. I feel myself rambling so the point I am trying to make is that we should treat everyone with a kind heart because you never know what demons they are fighting, no matter their outside appearance.
A huge thank you to my amazing models who braved the cold barefoot and without complaint. Morgan + Olivia <3
-Taylor
IMPORTANT side note*- PICS FOR PUPS IS HAPPENING ON MARCH 29th. BRING IN YOUR PETS FOR PORTRAITS AND ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE PULASKI COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY. Find more information on our Facebook page.
american idol contestant - michaela reed Q+A
It's been an absolute honor to work with Michaela the past 4 years in every season of her life. I've had the opportunity to watch her grow from a high school senior, to the beautiful woman she is now! Along with her beautiful voice, she is also interested in photography! You can check out her work here :) We always have SUCH a blast chasing the sun, and this time, trying to figure out how to light smoke bombs that last 2 seconds while trying to photograph it HAHAHAH. Michaela is one of the best people I know and her personality is infectious. I wanted to give you readers a chance to get to know her a bit better, so I have compiled a few questions!
Tell us one thing about you, that most people don’t know :)
•One thing that not a lot of people know about me is that I have anxiety, I've been diagnosed for about 3 years now but I've always felt like I had some form of it at a young age. I don't tell a lot of people but when I do it's because I don't want someone to feel alone in their struggle! I'm always here if anyone ever needs to talk about things going on in their lives!
You are so talented! Who has inspired your musical career the most?
•Honestly there's a handful of people that have influenced my music career! My mom and dad introduced me to music I remember we always listened to all different kinds of music around the house and in the car, my cousin Lori bought me my first guitar, and my best friend Jordan taught me to be confident in how I show myself and how I play my music!
What is a piece of advice you would give someone who is ready to follow their dreams but maybe the fear of failure is holding them back?
• the advice I always give anyone who asks me about music is to always be yourself, no matter what or who anyone tries to tell you to be. Don't be afraid of failure because in the long run it will always teach you something. Take any failure and learn from it, don't ever look at it as a loss look at it as an opportunity To grow and learn!
Did you learn anything from the experience of American Idol that you may have not known before?
• I definitely learned a lot from American Idol but getting to meet all of the people throughout the Idol experience was definitely my favorite part some knew exactly what and who they wanted to be and what they wanted to sound like as an artist, but then I met people who had no idea what they wanted to be as a musician they were there to have someone help them. Getting to talk to them really helps you as a person and as an artist because you find things that you might want to try to incorporate in your own life/music. I'm thankful to have made friends throughout all of this that I know I'll have for the rest of my life!
Where can people listen to your music/videos? Can you share a link? :)
• I sure do!! I post some covers and behind the scenes American idol videos and pictures on my Instagram page @michaelanicolereed and I also post small covers and show information on my Facebook music page the link to that is https://m.facebook.com/michaelanicolemusic/?ref=bookmarks I also have a YouTube page! Click here to visit it! :)
dress: Everything Beautiful Boutique
How to have a focused and productive work day for Boss babes
It's Wednesday, and if you are like me, you are probably struggling to get through the rest of the week! This post is for all my boss babes out there that work from home or work on a pretty flexible schedule and have the freedom and curse (you guys know what I mean) to create your own schedule.
Here are my top tips (from experience) for ensuring your day is productive and focused.
1. Wake up on the right side of the bed
Have you ever woke up and immediately felt like absolute CRAP? Don't dwell on the thought that you feel like you've just been hit by a bus, instead maybe try thinking about how you will feel once you have some coffee or tea in your system. Look forward to that rush of motivation you're going to feel. Look forward to EVERYTHING you are going to accomplish today. Have gratitude that you have woken up, and have the opportunity to experience new things. Don't check your e-mail first thing, don't think about all of the things that are piling up. You never know what kind of adventures the day will hold but it is for sure that your energy in the morning will set the tone for the rest of your day.
2. do something for your health
You cannot possibly be serving others and following your purpose if you aren't taking care of yourself in the process. Make sure you reserve this time every morning. Eat a light breakfast, brew your coffee, go on a walk, soak up some Vitamin D, if you are into it, meditate. If you've never meditated, this is something you should start doing, NOW. There are so many benefits from meditation, if you don't know where to begin, let me help you! My biggest obstacle in having extremely productive and focused days is simply my anxiety and depression. I was scared of the entire world. Since adapting meditation into my daily life, my stress levels have went from 100 to 0. I have meditated pretty consistently for the past 10 months and I would hate to see where my life would be without it. There are a lot of different forms of meditation, you just have to find what works for you. Being mindful has helped me live a more intentional type of lifestyle. It becomes so easy to find purpose in every single little moment/detail which leads to a higher success rate in meeting my goals.
3. clean your workspace/home
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to become distracted if you're trying to work and all you can think about is all of the chores that need to be done? The dishes, the dog/cat hair in the floor, your cluttered desk piled with all of these things that need to be done? Well, I can't tell you how good it feels to sit down and work after you have done absolutely everything you need to do. If you are cleaning with purpose, and that purpose would be to have a less stressed work day, you can get it done super fast. Do the dishes, vacuum or mop, pick up the clutter, and if you have other big cleaning jobs waiting, pick a time of the day that you will do it after you've finished some of your work. It will feel good to know you have a plan.
4. Do something for inspiration/education/entertainment
This is a big, important step. It's easy to get comfortable with where you are, especially if you are doing well. But what is the point in doing well if you aren't growing? Eventually you will just be burnt out and ready for a new chapter. Make time for inspiration everyday. You can listen to a podcast, watch a youtube video, paint, take a small workshop online... do something that inspires and teaches you but also makes you happy. It's so refreshing and motivating if you are learning something new that you can use in your workflow or everyday life.
5. HUSTLE, HUSTLE, HUSTLE
After you've completed all of these steps, you are READY for a successful day. You can even take it a step further (which is what I personally do) and while I am listening to my favorite podcast or making some coffee, I will list in detail, the things I WILL get done today. An organized to-do list is a necessity for me, or everything just runs together and is crazy overwhelming. Some days, it may be impossible to get everything finished, but you will know where to start tomorrow :) Also, it just feels really good when you can check something off the list. You'll look back at the end of the day, and see all that you have finished and will be so excited to do it again tomorrow!
I know this sounds like a lot of steps to take in the morning, but I wake up around 7:30 AM everyday and my workday begins about 9.
a few extra little tips and tricks
- If you are working towards a goal, you can actually attract it to come your way, dream about it all of the time, think of how you will feel when you reach that goal, think of what your life will be like when you reach that goal, think of the steps you need to take in order to make that happen, and leave the rest to the universe ;)
- My friend mentioned this time management thing called "Pomodoro Technique". I tried it out on a day that I just COULD NOT focus. It was really beneficial and actually gives you something to look forward to while working. All you do is set a timer for 25 minutes, work HARD on checking things off of your to-do's during that time, and take a 3-4 minute break (stretch, snack, do a puzzle....etc.) at the end of 25 minutes. Do that about 4 times, and instead of a 3-4 minute break, take a 30 :)
- It's also important to have a healthy work-life balance. You can set your own hours, do it and stick to them! If you value yourself, the clients/work you actually WANT, will value you too :)
- If you find yourself with absolutely nothing to do, find something to do, find ways to grow your business or new marketing tools, you get out of your business what you put into it and doing the bare minimum will land you in that extra comfortable spot you don't want to be in later.
I have a crazy passion for small business and personal growth. So, if you have any tips and tricks on being successful - send them my way! I would love to chat about it! Oh, and if you implement any of this into your daily life, let me know! I would love to know if I am helping :)
Thanks for reading :)
NOW GET OUT THERE AND BUILD YOUR EMPIRE!!!!
p.s. I chose to blog this shoot with this information because we shot this at sunrise on an extremely foggy morning and who could ever look more gorgeous that early than Addison? :)
