Headshot Special: 2014

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Meet our Newest Intern: Lauren Svatos

Lauren joined us for the summer, because she wanted hands on experience with her new Cannon DSLR. She came into the internship already equipped with a camera and quickly learned the ropes of prepping and assisting on set. I've seen her- literally- shaking in her boots (okay, maybe they were flats, but still) to hold up a reflector with sun beating down on her beautiful sandy locks. She's a reflective, hard worker- My kind of girl.



What was your first job ever?

My first real job was a receptionist at my neighbors salon (Modele Salon). I only worked there over the summer. 

What's your favorite thing to do after you get out of work?

Most often I'll work the early morning shift. By the time I get home I'm exhausted and ready to take a cat nap before I begin the second half of my day. 

What do you love most about Portland?

I love Portland because everything is at my fingertips. This city has good good, coffee, style and adventure on the outskirts. Most of all, the people. They're always so genuine. 

About photography?

What I love most about photography is I'm continually growing and striving to be better. I don't think there will ever come a time in this industry when that'll stop. 

What's your most awkward experience on set with Lavenda (ahem) so far?

Most awkward experience, I don't think there have been a lot. It's probably more embarrassing for me than anything, but having my arms shake from holding the reflector for a couple minutes... It's my new workout for that day. 

Choose: Chips or Chocolate

Definitely chips, I'm a salty over sweet girl anyday! 

Choose: Flats or Heels

Flats, I can be myself when wearing these and they're most comfortable.


Welcome Lauren! We are excited to have you in the fam for the rest of the summer.

xxx
Lavenda

Picture Perfect: How to be okay with a Messy Life

I was thinking about how everything on my sets- or the final image at least- has to be perfect in order for me to place it on my website. Then I was thinking how disorganized my office was at that moment, or my living room for that matter. And it occurred to me suddenly, that the final images I put out in the world don't always reflect the displacement or messiness of my own life.

It's weird. It kind of feels like I'm telling a lie.

I mean, obviously my work- my personal work- will always reflect my current point-of-view or my state of mind. It comes out through my voice, inspirations and final shot/photo/series in some form or another. But it's crazy to think that some people will only ever see this polished side to my work, my life. When in fact, I am a crazy hot mess about 95% of the time.

The best advice I've received (that I can remember) has been in the vein of "let the little things go" and "spend time on what's most important".



In order to follow this piece of advice, I must ALWAYS prioritize my loved ones. I don't have a lot of time after work and family to spend cleaning house, unpacking bags or reorganizing. And I have become okay with it. And by okay I don't mean excited about a messy house, I just mean I have peace about it. That's why I try and get help with the cleaning at times and schedule in "days off" to catch up on organization. But overall it's quite nice to change my perspective and see the messiness as a sign of well being.

When I see the kitchen table piled with mail and my daughter running round asking to play- I feel solid about ducking to the park to play. And I try to remind myself... sometimes it truly IS about the little things.

Portland Fashion Photographer: Magazine Test

I was swamped when I was contacted by the creative director from FIRST TIME magazine about submitting a shoot for their second issue. Once I heard the theme was "The Childhood" I moved around my schedule right away and started casting for two, very-specific models...
A few weeks later and OMG am I excited to share this preview... I did an entire mock-up because I feel like these images are print- ready and I wanted my team to feel as proud of all their talent as I do!

How to Shoot Models

Wow. I had a blast today. I ended up spending 12 hours at the studio shooting 3 models and then wrapping up, tearing down and cleaning up on my own. It's crazy without an assistant! Aparna Brielle came to give me a hand in the morning -thank goodness- or else I would have been at least 30 minutes late with set-up and missed lunch for sure!
The reason for my wacky brain today, is that I actually did all of the wardrobe pulls for this shoot myself. I have styled for shoots in the past, but it's usually been very casual. I have a few connections with local designers and boutiques, but I never had to pull 16 entire looks for 4 different concepts!
Our shoot schedule went down without a hiccop however and every model left with some AMAZING shots for their portfolio's. So excited to send their agencies these proofs...

Just to give you an idea of how it works: I like to be in touch with the agencies from the get go. This way  I can get a heads up on how each model is marketed... For Jacki (below, first set) we were going for "flirty and sexy, but still fun" versus, Kaila, (below, second set) who needed "something more high fashion and editorial" to prep her book for NYC.


Model: Jacki of Option Model and Media Makeup&Hair: Madeline Roosevelt Styling: Lavenda Memory



Model: Kaila of Seattle Models Guild  Makeup&Hair: Madeline Roosevelt Styling: Lavenda Memory

I didn't have a chance to edit shots of our first model, because my cards are yet to be fully uploaded, but her session was trickled with some commercial and some edgier urban shots... Even more shoots to come tomorrow!

Shooting this Weekend/ How to Wear fashionable Camo

I have this modeling special this weekend, which booked up in less than a week and I've been looking forward to all month! Shooting with models and understanding how they'll be marketing themselves and then catering the shoot around their image is fun, challenging and inspiring for me.
Tomorrow I'll be working with some familiar faces and some new ones- even a model from Seattle!
Anyhow, I look forward to sharing some of the different images they- and their agencies- will select from our shoot this weekend.

On another note... we were expecting freezing rain yesterday. Ugh. I really miss summer on days like that. I was headed to a film-set for a commercial. I wore something I was hoping they'd select for the final shoot, which I don't have photos of sadly. But it's cool, cause they picked something else and you'll see that on the commercial eventually...

Instead of that outfit, you can see this outfit I wore the other day... I haven't been a huge fan of camo since middle school camp, where it was cool to wear oversized camo pants with a white tank top. (Yes, this was rural, Oregon and no, I was not exempt from this fashion statement).





This little dress with a camo-inspired print is much more friendly on the eyes and easy to dress up or dress down. I played up on the rugged feel with a beanie and suede booties. But the pop of color in these Ego and Greed wedges makes it a bit more playful and feminine. Necklaces are from Junghwa and Brandy Melville.  Bracelets are from Forever21 and Nordstrom.

Another Sequin Kind of Day

Don't know what my deal is with all the sequins lately. I threw this on with an all-black ensemble because I wanted to downplay the patchwork sequined vest. The glasses bring the whole thing toward a John Lennon, 70's vibe which I love.


Vest: Vintage, Sweater: H&M, Glasses: Brian Atwood 

Marc Jacobs Give Away

First things first: This Give Away!! All of the names were written down and folded up according to their posting on my blog... To make it fair, I had my husband shake up all the names and draw the slip of paper himself.

As promised, I drew the name from my hat and here it is... THE WINNER! 

"Amy S" also know as Amy Stewart is mutual fan. I adore her jewelry line, Jungwha (I of course- own quite a few pieces myself) as well for her fashion and interior design sense. You can see more of her personal style on her blog here.

She will receive this fabulous Marc Jacobs leather pouch from the Neiman Marcus & Target collaboration in the mail and will be filling it with "a diaper, baby wipes, cookies, lip butter, cell phone, eyeliner, and coupons"

Thanks again everyone who submitted for this first 2013 giveaway! I already have some other little treats put aside for upcoming monthly giveaways.

How to Play down Sequins for Everyday Wear

I love this little Tracy Reese top, I ordered from the Neiman Marcus & Target sale. Of course, I would rather it be silk, but the price point was crazy low and the sequins make up for it. I layered it with this JCrew cardigan I got for Christmas, a little pleated skirt and my Miista booties. Bracelets are all an assortment from Nordstrom and Anthro.

Portland Fashion Photographer: MARC JACOBS Give Away

I am always so excited to see give aways on my favorite blogs. I had a sponsored $50 give-away almost 2 years ago and LOVED it! Now that I have more fans and followers, I am hoping to offer them more frequently. These give-aways will include anything from fashion accessories to fashion PRINTS (signed of course) by me.

We had to start off the official first give-away with a bang, so I chose this brilliant leather pouch by Marc Jacobs. This beautiful, metallic piece is great for carrying makeup or odds and ends in your larger totes, or you can use it as a travel piece for your bathroom kit. It's from the recent Neiman Marcus and Target collaboration and the quality is just lovely. You can see me modeling it here. 

(It will be mailed (or hand delivered) to one winner in this beautiful collectors box.)

The rules for the give-away are as follows: Like my Facebook Fanpage and "share" the Marc Jacobs Give Away post to your page with a little quip on what YOU would fill your leather pouch with. Please leave the same comment in this blog post for your chance to win this pouch! 

Names will be Drawn by Monday, January 21st. Good luck!

Portland Fashion Photographer: Lavenda's Closet

I had two shoots today. One in West Linn for local celebrity and screenwriter, Randall Jahnson (writer of the The Mask of Zorro and The Doors) and the second for a Portland child-actress in Portland-proper... It was fun checking out West Linn and Oregon city. I felt really inspired by all the historical buildings and the beautiful backdrops of nature versus industrial. I'm brainstorming a shoot for that area in the next few months.

Anyhow, I bought this little velvet, BCBG, romper a few months back in mind for a Christmas party, but was too sick to wear it out, so it's just been sitting in my closet. I finally purchased this little yellow belt that made it feel a little more day-friendly and warmed it up for a January outing with my Marc by Marc Jacobs jacket. The shoes are from Urban Outfitters (purchased last year). 

Portland Fashion Photographer: Black Milk Editorial

Our editorial was posted on The Cool Hour featuring blackmilk and jeffrey cambell for solestruck!

Portland Fashion Photographer: Isaac Hers Portraits

I have been shooting for Isaac Hers for nearly a year now! The lovely owner, Barbara Seipp came up with the idea to shoot real customers in her clothes in each month for a weekly fashion post. It was meant to be a cross between street style and environmental portraiture.
Over time the project has morphed into this incredibly organized girls night, where women from all over Portland, including fashion icons, business owners and other influential women join us to style their own take on Isaac Her's latest designs.
Hope you'll take a look at her posts from our shoots here on the Isaac Hers Blog. 

Portland Fashion Photographer works with Portland Fashion Editor, Eden Dawn

What a treat to work with Portland's well-known fashion editor, Eden Dawn! I was so excited to do a series with her that captured her in her own element at home. We had makeup and hair and styling all on set so that Eden and I could catch up on some of her work and background.

This busy girl just finished up a session with Katu as a guest judge for their program version of Project Runway and just last week was meeting up with Bobbi Brown for an interview!

My favorite part of getting a behind-the-scenes peek at "the" Eden Dawn, was discovering her entire walk-in boudoir glittering with self organized touches. (She actually inspired me to throw some sense into my own closet back home.) She likes to have everything out in the open, where she can see it and be inspired by each piece.

Hair: Madeline Roosevelt Muah: Terri Reece
Stylist: Marriane Marianne Schnell

Portland Fashion Photographer: Ben Trovato Feature

I am so so excited to share this feature on The Ben Trovato Blog. Check out the full Editorial HERE.

"Connected to over 1500 aspiring fashion professionals from all around the world, (they) are carved by the pure talents (they) unveil. In Ben Trovato, photographers, filmmakers, stylists, models, makeup artists, and hair stylists, have got a stage to perform in front of a massive international audience."

Portland Fashion Photographer: Sarah Seven

Love this Editorial we shot for Sarah Seven's 2012 Bridal line.
Model: Skye Velten
Muah: Destiny Taylor
Assist: Christine Marie

Portland Fashion Photographer: Traveling

I had fun in Texas. Unexpected fun, yes, but still. It was awesome.

My plan was to travel down to Zapata over the weekend so that I could visit my childhood best friend and cousin, Roxy. I was going to stay with her and visit the town to take pictures where I grew up just an hour from her place. My camera was packed and I was ready to go!

Anyhow, none of that happened. All my plans? Out the window of my brothers broken window. First of all, my brothers car broke down the day after I arrived, so I couldn't meet up with Roxy in San Antonio as planned. Secondly, it rained and poured all weekend so that I could barely pull my camera out to take a couple snapshots of the area. Lastly, I thought I was leaving Monday morning and didn't realize my mistake till checking in for my flight at 5am. 

"Ma'am," the woman said in her thick Texan accent. "Please step out of the first class line. Your flight doesn't leave until tomorrow."

Apparently I was more tired than I thought. 

Crazily though, I had the most awesome, fun, relaxing time visiting my family and hanging and driving with broken windows rolled down. It was kind of like going back in time to old family road trips where we would would have to pull the car over every 30 minutes to prevent from puking. But as an adult I get to call SHOT GUN!

And speaking of shot guns, I actually shot my first one at my Aunt Rosie's house which ended up being such an incredible shot of adrenaline I screamed and whooped and then calmly stated I would not be doing that again. (Surprised I didn't blow my hand off to be honest). 

My little brother and sister who are both 9 years younger than me felt like peers this visit which made for some fun conversations. I love getting to know my loved ones in new ways. Cherish and I stayed up all night one night watching youtube videos and laughing hysterically. Who else am I going to do that with?

Anyhow, in a window of dry weather my brother and I hiked through some trails toward the lake by their country house and took some snapshots. It was really pretty peaceful and reminded me of the dessert hills I played in as a kid. And in the end, it felt like I got more than the experience I went looking for. 

Portland Headshot Photographer: Benjamin Farmer

An actor with RANGE: Ben Farmer

Portland Headshot Photographer Lavenda Memory

Winter Portland Headshots:

When you hear the raindrops falling down in Portland, it can be a beautiful sound. Unfortunately, when I'm trying to run a shoot session outdoors with an Actor, an assistant and my few equipment pieces, I'd like to hear the sound of birds chirping instead. Of course, I can't really complain. It seems like every time I decide to chance it in the rain, it lets up and I end up with the perfect burst of sun or an hour of diffused, overcast sky!

Here are just a few head shots from this Winter:





Portland Headshot Photographer Lavenda Memory
Portland Portrait Photography

Christine Marie - Portland Head Shots

I'm very excited to post this shot of my fabulous makeup artist, Christine Marie. Christine is the artistic trifecta of photography, makeup and modeling. She dabbles and wows in all three areas and after our tag-team shoot yesterday, I can now say I've experienced all three of her talents first hand.

Christine and I did a photo trade since I am in need of a good smiling headshot and her modeling agency, Heffner, is requesting some photo updates for her portfolio. Headshots are kind of a challenge for me, because I don't normally like photos of myself smiling. I guess I feel old.

Anyhow, Christine managed to supersede my expectations 10 fold (wow I've always wanted to say 10 fold) and gave me more than plenty of great options to choose from. Here are a couple shots from our shoot yesterday:

Christine:


My New Headshot:


Portland Portrait and Headshot Photographer Lavenda Memory