Dreamin' and Following Roads to Inspiration (and a bit about influences) | Personal Insights | Modern Wedding & Boudoir Photographer Vancouver

I was shooting in the studio space I use for intimate portraits in Gastown early in the week, and there was a stack of enormous (maybe 12x24?) matte black catalogs piled next to the couch on the floor. I'm usually on a mission the morning of any shoot and don't have the time to stop and look through catalogs, (ha!) but I just really liked the appearance of this particular one. As I paged through, I had a, I wonder if I can take one of these home with me? thought, because it had just the best bridal wear in it. Bridal wear that is actually stylish and fantastic. And then also the catalog styling itself was perfect, all matte and low key and impeccably posed models - so damn good. I am always looking for more inspiration, getting bored easily and quickly. I didn't take one home with me, but when I talked to the owner of the space later on she was like, "Oh, that's Vera Wang!" and I admittedly had an, "Oh, DUH!" moment...but I'm not going to be too hard on myself about that since I was quite busy that day.

The Fall 2017 RTW Collection blew my mind - it's dominated by black and gold, power poses and giant platforms, with a touch of grandiose and heavy dose of lonely. It's almost what I imagine a modern queen to look like - neither soft and pretty or harsh and cruel - but instead statuesque and admirable, full of her own power and her own personal story. The video sent me over the edge (in a good way!) where Vera Wang takes her audience on a personal journey of what shaped her and inspired her - notably Paris. To me, it's a symbol of the constantly evolving and changing role of women in the world. I am drawn to how she tells her story, and how she depicts herself and her collection. It is deeply personal; I love her power, bold and mysterious and absolutely unstoppable. 

I know, it's barely spring and already I'm thinking about fall - but that's just how I roll. Fashion definitely has a heavy influence on the work I do, as I see the two, photography and fashion, as being strongly connected; but then, really they are both just different visual languages. I like to integrate fashion into the work even though fashion is not the focus. I think being fluent in multiple visual languages is an important skill to have in the creative world.

And as a side note, I hope these posts aren't boring! I share because I want to give you some insight into my creative process and photographic practise. It's all in an effort to post more about what inspires me, and feedback is always welcome! I hope you get inspired, too! It doesn't seem like it from the outside, but a lot of thought goes into how I execute the work I do. And I never stop wanting to know more and get better. It's a blessing and a curse!

Thanks for reading, friends...from Yours Truly!