Perle Amies custom jewelry

My friend, Hege Nolop of Perle Amies, is a talented jewelry designer. Having spent several years in Paris, it's fair to say that her artistry has been influenced by the culture and history that surrounded her on a daily basis. The unique, handmade pieces often make reference to Paris. Sometimes overtly by including such things as mini Eiffel towers in her charms, or colourful Champagne caps in her bracelets and necklaces. Other times more subtly, by the use of original crystals from Parisian chandeliers. These components are handpicked from antique markets in France! You'll be guaranteed to find something that interests you in her collection. And what you can't find, she will custom make for you! Hege called upon me recently to give her some pointers for how to photograph jewelry. We talked about everything from camera settings to editing, lenses, backdrops and lighting. We both liked the idea of photographing the pieces on a natural backdrop to compliment the style of the jewelry. Below are a few examples, both of the jewelry and the photography. I'm so exited to see where she will take it from here. Be sure to check out her online store, or better yet, go see her and her art in person at the First Saturday Arts Market in Houston Heights. I know she would love it if you stopped by for a browse and a chat.

Selina in George Bush Park

Here is a little collage of Selina images from George Bush Park that we did on the weekend. I love the Texas light, I must confess. Although we do get heavy rain and the occasional tornado (!), most of the time the weather here is nice and the sun is usually shining. And this time of the year, the temperatures are so pleasent as well, and it's easy to go outside and take pictures. As an added bonus, the snakes are hibernating, so we were a tad more relaxed about bushwacking. A tad, I said. We were still prepared to run screaming outta there at a millisecond's notice ;-) You couldn't tell by the look of this girl, though. She had those sturdy boots on, so she was pretty chilled. If you want to go bushwacking with me, and have me photograph you at the same time, email me now (preferably before the snakes wake up) :) Sx

Emma in George Bush Park

Here are a few photos I took of Emma today. She's a princess, a poser, and she loves her cowboy boots! What can I say :) Aside from the thorn bushes getting caught in the dress, and having to stop mid way for a pee, she was very happy to be in front of the camera. Maybe even more so because she knew she was stealing centre stage from her older sister for a little while. Selina was standing on the side line poking her tounge out at her and mouthing bad words, whilst at the same time gently coaching her and showing her what to do. I visualised the little horns popping out of her forehead, then imagined her pushing them back in. They popped out again. She pushed them back in. Hilarious! I photographed her afterwards, so her world aligned again and all was well. (Photos to follow). Thomas, as always, was busy stepping in puddles, running around and wrestling with his dad. I snapped a few, but that was it. I will dedicate a whole session to him solo soon, just to turn the tables :) In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos of Emma. Sx

 

 

What I'm reading this month.

It's a good reading list this month. And possibly a bit into next month, depending on how fast I read. Some of these books I don't want to read fast. Like the 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. It's so packed with information, and just about every page sends me off on some spiral of thought. I need time to digest and think about how the book applies to me before I move on. Other books, like anything about or by Annie Leibovitz, I don't want to finish because finally I will have read it all! I seem to have an endless love for Annie's work, and I never tire of reading about her. Embarrassingly, I thought I had already read all her books aside from her most recent, Pilgrimage, which was in the mail. I told my friend I had. Then I did a Google search and discovered everything I hadn't discovered, which was quite a bit. I'm glad I signed up to Amazon Prime! Of course, I never miss my monthly fix of her images in Vanity Fair. For years we've been buying that magazine. Scott and I both love it; he reads it, I look at it. I bought the Bill Cunningham DVD as a treat and watched it at lunch one day. A photographer friend put Cunningham on my radar recently (thanks, Mark!), and the film is a gem, not just for photographers. This guy is incredible, - I definitely recommend it! Next month, I'm going to delve into the masters that inspired Annie Leibovitz, like Robert Frank and Helmut Newton. And my birthday is coming up, which works out well. Well, ok, it's not until April, but I wanna get my wish list in before somebody stumbles upon a really good sale on seal skin slippers from Greenland ;-) (Don't laugh, I previously owned a pair!). I hope this blog post gave you some ideas if you were looking for some good reads this month :) Sx

Happy New Year! And some photos of my girls.

When Selina was about a year old, long before I had ever picked up a DSLR, let alone contemplated a career in photography, she was on the books of a baby modelling agency. We thought she was gorgeous, of course, as parents do, but I don't think we had any grand illusions of a modelling career funding a future university degree or paying for her first apartment. I remember hoping that if she got one or two assignments, we might just get some great photos out of it! That was about as high as we aimed, and that would have been perfect. As it turned out, we never got a call to come in for any photo shoots, and after a year, we didn't renew the contract. Of course, we still think she is gorgeous, and we still think her photos could sell an awful lot of adorable children's clothes, but as for the photos, I had to learn to take my own. She helps me. We help each other. We're both determined, and we both love doing these little projects. Like a bona fide model, Selina withstood cold, stone surfaces, thorns, scratchy branches, a very full bladder and a mom trying to bend her like a contortionist. She didn't complain once (which is not the norm as far as the rest of her day goes). We got Emma to help out as well, and they looked so sweet together. Emma is always trying to do whatever Selina is doing. Thomas was having none of it, but wanted a few shots of himself making silly faces right at the end. When he was done, he was done. It lasted about 30 seconds. Hopefully, we will do lots more of these sessions in 2012. Along with my children/family photography and editorial work, which I aim to delve right into in the new year. I hope you have had a great year, and that the next one will be even better! Thank you for following my blog, and don't forget book a session in 2012 (in USA, England or Norway). It would be my absolute pleasure to photograph you! Silje x

 

 

Still having fun and laughing at the end of it. Life's good :)