Going for the Goth {New Braunfels Photographer}

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the day-to-day routine of my work that I forget why I got into photography in the first place. Sometimes I feel like I'm in it to please other people and not myself. But lately I've learned the best way to stay in it for the fun of it is to keep shooting what I want to shoot, in addition to shooting what everyone else wants me to shoot. I understand that it's about pleasing the clients sometimes. Each of us is an artist at heart and we all have our own ideas and we love it when we see our concepts brought to life. But I love it when my clients say, "I trust you, Lisa. Whatever you think is fine with me."

So I had this concept for a trash the dress session that I have not been able to convince any of my lovely trash the dress brides to try. Rather than abandon the idea altogether, however, I decided to do it anyway. To do it my way. So I met Jessica, a model from New Orleans who heard I was coming to town and wanted to work with me to create this series of gothic, creepy bride in a cemetery images.

We met up at the crack of dawn at one of the oldest cemeteries in town -- the one with the body of the voodoo queen Marie Laveau. It was a scary part of town to begin with but we felt pretty secure amongst the dead people. Moreso than the living a block away. Jessica had her make-up fixed perfectly for the concept I was going for. I pulled out a vintage wedding dress I found at a thrift store and we got to work -- or should I say "play." Jayme got to play with his infrared camera again, which we discovered was perfect for the vision I had.

It was tons of fun exploring the creepy old crumbling crypts. The voodoo queen grave had little obscure offerings all around it as well as XXXs marking the secret wishes of the living, praying for help from the deceased woman. Although I don't know what a deceased voodoo queen would want with a tampon or a tube of lipstick, but go figure.

The sun got high fast during our session and the heat radiated off of the white tombs so we ended our morning session as the tourists began to arrive. But the fun for me was just starting. I had a blast sitting down back at home to edit these images. The cool thing was that I could do as much as I wanted to them in Photoshop as far as adding the creepy special effects. They totally worked for this series.

This session did a lot to remind me what I love about photography. Having the power to create something in your mind and then bring it to life. I've made it my priority to continue to shoot what I want to shoot in addition to shooting what my clients want. My mind's eye has already started working on the next concept. I don't want to give it away but I'm going to need some help with it. Anyone know a good body painter?

Lisa On Location Photography

It's like "Trash the Dress" without the dress {New Braunfels photographer}

It rained last week. That alone was enough to earn a 2-inch letter headline across the front page of the newspaper here in New Braunfels. I can't remember the last time it rained. Had it even rained since the new year here? I don't know. Rain is a stranger to us lately and the event troubled our 9-month-old beagle to the point that he turned his nose to the sky and barked and growled for the entire shower. Is he that unfamiliar with the wet stuff coming from the sky that in his short life, he hadn't seen enough of it to understand what it is?

So anyway, the rain brought with it a little mud. It's that mud that sparked an idea in the mind of one of my clients. She e-mailed me with her exciting idea. "I want to be photographed in the mud." Okay, I thought. I love a good trash the dress session -- yeah, only except there would be no dress in this session. Just my client and the mud.

"Great! Let's do it," I said. We secured a remote and private location thanks to one of my wonderful friends and then we met in the morning to get down and dirty.

Photography isn't all glamour and glitz, you see. It was hot and humid and the mud was everywhere. But the results were fantastic. I was so excited to have such a willing client who wasn't afraid to get mud in her hair, mud under her fingernails, and who didn't freak out when a roach decided to join her in the mud -- well she didn't freak out too terribly much. It was a lot of fun and a great way to start my weekend.

Now to clean out my boots and do some laundry.

Lisa On Location Photography

"How did she do that without getting her dress wet?" {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

That was the number one question asked to me by bride-to-be after bride-to-be yesterday at the Columbus Bridal Expo in Columbus, Texas. The answer, of course, is "she didn't." That's a real dress that is really getting wet and she's really floating in an inner tube wearing that dress in the Comal River here in New Braunfels.

I took this shot a couple of years ago and it's still the one that seems to get the most attention when I display it at a bridal show or online. I've blogged before about my trash the dress shoots and how much fun it is to get dirty in our best evening wear. But it's still fun to see the faces of those who'd never heard of the concept before.

Bridal shows are a blast. This was only my second show. Each time I learn a little more about what to do next time. I get ideas from other vendors on how best to display my packages and my photos.

The best part is meeting all the brides. They're so wide eyed and excited. Some are just getting started having gotten engaged merely days or weeks ago. Others have been doing this a while and are trying to finish up last minute errands. Some have a wedding date three years in the future, others are scrambling to pull one together in a few weeks. They ranged in age from young adult (just a few years older than my own daughter -- yikes) to mature couples planning to settle down with their new love after their own children are already grown and on their own.

It was also fun to meet other vendors and swap stories about weddings and share ideas.

I don't know how often I'll do bridal shows. They're a lot of fun but they're also a lot of work and an exhausting way to spend a Sunday afternoon. This one resulted in a nasty scratch on my nice flat screen slideshow display monitor -- one of the hazards of moving it around. But it was worth it to meet some new friends and possibly book a few weddings.

If you're one of the brides I met yesterday, thanks for coming to my blog and give me a call when you'd like to talk some more!