my model for the day . . .

did anyone notice that i didn't post my project 365 photos for last week? i'm not even going to apologize for the delay ... i'll get to them later. because these photos were demanding my attention a whole lot more yesterday! and i'm not even going to apologize for how many photos i'm about to share ... because i actually narrowed this down to my favorite 13 photos. there are plenty more where these came from. click on any photo to see them larger.

   

i'm not afraid to give myself props for this shot! to me ... it's amazingly beautiful ... and i'm quite proud of it. and this was the very first shot i took. here's the story. this is one of many orchards down the country roads that surround our very residential neighborhood. this is just a few blocks down from our house. i drive by this every, single day ... and every, single day i have thought that it would be such a pretty place to take some photos. yesterday was the day i did it. i pulled over on the side of the road. there are orchards on either side. i told sarah to run across to the other side ... and to walk down to the 3rd tree and stand directly in the middle of the grass area. i was on the other side of the road ... i had my fixed lens on my camera and this ended up being the perfect distance. she was super embarrased ... and very concerned about the cars whizzing down the road. she finally ran over ... and got in position ... for all of 30 seconds. i kid you not ... she stood there just like this for 30 seconds ... and then ran back to me. i took all of 3 photos while she was standing there. luckily, 2 of them were perfect and exactly what i wanted. her reason for running back to me? there were lots of bees. lol! which is true ... they had crates of bees just a little ways down ... i think they release them into the orchards to make the trees blossom. valid reason!

 

i went for a different editing look on this one. used the urban and vintage actions from maggie holmes on this.

 

 

then after she ran back over to my side of the road ... i convinced her to take a few shots by the orchard that we were parked by. and i know i cut off her elbow on this one ... something that's not "photographically correct". but it's still a good one.

 

every time a car went by ... she would stop and look. maybe making sure that no one she knew saw her. she was so embarrased to be on the side of the road. i told her that people would think she was important ... not just anyone gets their photos taken on the side of the road!

 

afterwards, we drove over to another location. one that we've been to before ... ages ago. i should add that the shirt, the scarf, and the hat were all found in alyssa's closet ... i don't think she minded though. sarah grabbed her own sunglasses to bring along too ... those were her idea.

 

 

right when we walked down to this area ... about 50 people came out of nowhere and were walking right towards us. it was kind of strange ... the timing of it. there was no one there when we drove up. and no cars around. as soon as we walked down the hill to this spot (which is in a dead-end corner of the park) ... all these people came down. i guess they were doing a savanger hunt of sorts ... and decided to set up the finish line about 15 feet from us. yeah, don't mind us. lol! sarah was a little distracted ... watching them and seeing what they were doing. but i was persistant ... and got her to re-focus on me.

 

 

 

used the urban and vintage actions from maggie on this one too ... i kind of like the mood it conveys.

 

 

time to have fun ... these were all her idea! she always like to joke around and give me these extravagant poses. she's a funny one!

 

think she got the modeling thing down?!?! lol!

 

peace out!

Comments

[Debbie - NZ]

Laura, I just love, love these pics...they rock! You are very talented...Actually I would love to scrap some of these...With only having boys in the house it would be great to scrap some girl pics.

[maria t]

beautifull pictures!! bet you can't wait to scrapbook them!!

[Cheryl]

Great pictures! Wow!!! I like that vintage action too.

[wendy myers]

This are Fantastic! I cannot wait for Spring. The Orchard shot are Fantastic, your photography skills are Great!

Thanks for sharing, now I can't wait to see them i layouts you will no doubt rock out!

[Carolyn]

Beautiful!

[sasha farina]

the first one is like in paradise, Laura. tell me where to get the peace scarf and the tshirt?? LOL. . . Nidhi saw those and said oh those are funky!

[Deb]

Gorgeous pictures - you are so talented!!!

[cathy]

Wow, very cool, Laura! I WISH I could buy those actions,but I have elements:( Boo. I can't wait for warmer wheather out here so I can go play outside and torture my kids with my camrea!

[Lee]

Those pics are fabulous - I can understand how hard it was to cull them down to a handful, and a wee bit more! I'm envious of the blooms (we're going down to -20C today!). Love the photo shoot idea.

[Carine Hartman]

Great, fabulous, magnificent... I don't have words for those pics.
I would wish that my girls are that patient. They can´t sit still for a minute

[Erika]

So beautiful, Laura!! What a cool spot you have near your house, and the flowers are amazing. She was a good model, and very patient. :)

[Melinda]

Work it girls!!! She looks fabulous...the outfit is sooooo cool! Great pics- looking forward to some layouts soon!

[Fran Heupel]

Laura the pictures are amazing. Love the looks that your daughter gave. Just a natural. I know she will be so proud to have these someday. The picture with her and all those beautiful trees is so cool.
Thnaks for posting all these beautiful photos. I would love to do this with my girls.

[Sarah W.]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[Marissa]

Those are really cute! Can you give out the secret to your second place? I haven't taken pics since we went to the snow at the end of Dec! I am like that- that's why I have so many event pages! And it is so funny how they are paranoid about what other people think at this age! I am always telling Maia, "Who cares what strangers think about you, you don't know them!"

[Wendy Sue]

Super cute model and GORGEOUS photos, Laura! Oh, you're making me so jealous...I am ready for our snow to melt and for Spring to come...the blossoming trees are beautiful! :o)

[Marianne]

These photos are absolutely stunning. Your daughter is beautiful, and your photography skills are outstanding!!

[Sara Rossi]

GORGEOUS pics Laura!! Sarah makes an STUNNING model! Love all the pics especially the 1st one!! And yes I did notice you didn't post your 365 yet but I wasn't saying anything since I haven't posted mine yet either! LOL!

[Jackie T]

Great job Laura. It looks so nice there. I am stuck in 5 degrees and a foot of snow still on the groung (MN). It so nice to see things are blooming somewhere. Your daughter is so cute and such a ham. One question, did you use 2 actions, vintage and urban or is it one action called vintage urban. Thanks for the great post!

[Nancy Mackey]

Completely Beautiful!!! I lOvE that orchard!! I wish it was spring here- lol!! Sarah is such a cutie!

[Eileen Van Dyke]

I love the pictures. I have been wanting to do the exact same thing for years now but never have. Your great pictures have convienced me that I should try it. Now I just have to get my kids to agree! I did miss your 365 pics by the way but I'm not caught up on mine for last week either.

[Lisa Howard]

Amazing, simply amazing!!! Even if you did cut off part of her arm in one photo, it is still one of my favorites! You rock, girlfriend! Now, do you want to send some of those mad photography skills my way...lol!

[Jessica]

Awesome photos ... but I probably would have been embarrassed too! Especially when I was younger ...

[Heather Jordan]

Great pictures, Laura! And such a lovely setting...wish we had something like that near us.

[Diana Waite]

Laura! These are AWESOME! And she looks SO grown up! Great job!