one of the things i love about shooting fashion for her life magazine is getting acquainted with all of the different boutiques in kansas city. this was the second time i’ve shot zuzu’s petals and i’ve fallen even more in love with them. owner’s melanie and linda are as sweet as can be. while i was there pulling wardrobe i couldn’t help but notice that when a customer walks in they greet them by name. they ask how their family is doing. they treat them like old friends. and if they don’t know you they go out of their way to get to know you. they’ve created such a warm, inviting atmosphere that you almost don’t want to leave. for this shoot we pulled together eight looks that i really loved. in fact, i may have bought an item or three. i bought the shorts and the wrap in the top left photo above. and i bought this great aztec tunic. i wore it throughout the summer and now i’m pairing it with jeans, leggings and even a pair of black velvet skinny pants. so many ways to wear that top! as always, we had a great crew for this […]
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as i walked into garment district to pull wardrobe for an upcoming her life magazine shoot i found myself asking how on earth i’d never been in there before. i had never thought of the power and light district as a place to shop but i definitely do now. the garment district is a collective that features men’s and women’s clothing and accessories from fitness culture, frankie and jules, two chic blvd, label, scoobie, eye candy, imagery and more. you know me and my inability to shoot without shopping. i ended up buying this outfit from fitness culture. these eco-conscious teeki pants are made of 79% recycled plastic. they’re super soft and wash and wear so well. the kc garment collective is located in the power and light district at 1350 main street, kansas city, mo 64105 model maggie mackey of exposure, inc. hair by leslee weers of salon spice makeup by heidi bowles
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hello, blog! it’s been a while and i have a lot to share. first up is a really fun (but cold) swimwear solution shoot i did for her life magazine this spring. you wouldn’t know it by looking at these photos but it was only 40 degrees (and super windy) the day we shot. our gorgeous model was such a trooper…never complaining and working so hard to pull off every shot i wanted to get. we had her wrapped in heavy blankets to keep warm between shots. if you haven’t been to swimwear solution, i highly recommend it. located at hawthorne plaza in overland park, it has become my go to shop for swimwear. the staff works so hard to help you find the perfect fit, their selection is amazing and they’re having a great sale now through july 31 that you won’t want to miss. stop by, tell them i sent you in and have fun shopping! swimwear solution, 4845 west 119th street, overland park, ks 66209 model ainslie stern of exposure, inc. hair by leslee weers of salon spice makeup by paige pelfrey
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have you seen the april issue of her life magazine yet? i had a ball shooting danni boatwright, founder and designer of sideline chic. danni is an absolute sports nut. she’s been an athlete her entire life, winning survivor guatemala in 2005. she’s worked as a sports personality in both television and radio. now she’s a busy mom keeping up with her two young sons but staying home left her with the desire to do more. insert sideline chic, a line of customized game day sports apparel for women. whether you’re rooting on your favorite college or professional team or you kid’s little league team, sideline chic has what you need to be cheering in style. check out a few of the looks we shot for her life. you can find the entire april issue of her life magazine online. and be sure to visit sideline chic at the upcoming just for her expo may 30-june 1 at the overland park convention center or gather your friends and contact a sideline chic coach for more information about hosting a tailgate party where you can customize your own sideline chic apparel and earn free and discounted products. hair by brianna bowman-roberts […]
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i love fashion. i love photography. and when i get to blend the two together i’m a happy girl. styling and shooting the zuzu’s petals trendsetter for the october issue of her life magazine was so fun! they’ve got great denim, i loved their jewelry and accessories selection and even bought of of the outfits we put together for the shoot. (shocking, i know…right?) zuzu’s carries olive and oak, clara beau, kut from the kloth, veronica m, lenny and eva, waxing poetic, nally & millie, ymi, ivy jane, liverpool jeans company and more! zuzu’s petals is located at 11780 west 135th street in overland park, ks. stop by the store and be sure to check out their facebook page. model: stacy lynn of exposure, inc. hair: chris testerman of salon spice makeup: drew proud
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have you seen the december issue of her life magazine? i shot the trendsetter and it the cuteness factor on this one is through the roof. our adorable models brooklynn, bo and journie came to the studio to model for this issue featuring stephanie’s wonderland, a kansas city area children’s boutique. how dashing is my little buddy super bo in this fedora? stephanie’s wonderland carries mostly girls clothing from newborn to size 6x. owner stephanie babcock has made stephanie’s wonderland kansas city’s go-to boutique for children’s pettiskirts, tutus, rompers, birthday outfits (for boys and girls) and hair accessories. looking for clothing for your next family portrait or even the upcoming holidays? stephanie carries amazing brands like rare editions, bonnie jean, bonnie baby, babylegs, rufflebutts, bon bon cupcake tights, mudpie and more. check out their facebook page and visit stephanie’s wonderland at 115 north parker, olathe, ks 66061 they’re open monday – thursday 10:00am – 5:30pm, friday 10:00am – 5:00pm and saturday from 10:00am – 2:00pm and be sure to tell them we sent you!
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it always seems like the things i have the least amount of time for are the things i truly need the most. have you ever been so busy that you lose sight of why you’re doing what you’re doing? or that you go in to auto-pilot and just keep doing the same exact thing over and over? as a photographer i’m always afraid of pushing out the same work for client after client so i work hard to stay fresh, challenge myself and try new things. and while finding time to experiment and feed my creative soul during busy season makes nailing jello to a tree seem totally do-able, that really does seem to be the time when i need it the most. i’ve learned that you’ll never find time for the things you want to do – you have to make time. and if something is important enough you WILL make the time. so today i carved out a block of time to meet with a couple of my amazing studio mates so we could try new things and push ourselves beyond auto-pilot. we each brought different skills to the table and shared them with one another and i […]
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hocus focus is excited to announce a casting call for an upcoming children’s fashion shoot! we are casting one model, a girl – size 2t. (alternate sizes will not be considered.) she must be available wednesday, october 24 from 9:30am-12:30pm at our kansas city portrait studio. for more information, including model compensation, please email your contact info, child’s shoe size, typical nap time and a recent snapshot to heather[at]hocusfocusphoto[dot]com
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anybody know where august went? i’m totally not complaining about the end of summer because i’m really ready for fall weather (and fashion), but man….this last month really flew by. it went so fast i didn’t have a chance to blog what i shot for the august issue of her life magazine. erin and i had a blast working with the girls at feng to style this trendsetter which was photographed in the bloch building at the nelson-atkins museum of art. this tory burch dress had to be one of my favorite pieces at feng. it’s practically a work of art itself. you simply can’t go wrong in a tory burch cardigan. it’s classic, timeless and perfect for any occasion. this chan luu chandelier top nearly took my breath away. it was the first thing i spotted when i walked in to feng and you know me….easily distracted by shiny objects. i also loved the show-stopping black halston heritage gown. amanda’s gorgeous gams were perfect for that thigh-high slit. love these two dresses, especially the lavender one by tibi. our stunning model, amanda, is currently a finalist in the american eagle live your life contest. if chosen, amanda will be […]
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everyone knows i love photography and shopping. especially shopping at 3house boutique. everything about 3house is outside the box. with so many boutiques popping up, failing and closing i’ve noticed that they all have one thing in common – there’s no originality. what i love about 3house is that i won’t buy something there and see it at 72 other boutiques in town. the girls at 3house eat, sleep and breathe fashion and they do it all with amazing style. when cassi called and asked me if i had any availability to do a shoot for them i was giddy. i’ve worked her before when i shot 3house for her life magazine. that shoot was really fun, but i have to say this one was even better. cassi had a specific vision for this shoot. even the way i shot (and processed) was outside the box for me and it felt so good to be there. our models, katie and chante, were amazing! hair and makeup by my favorite gal, melissa evans. thanks to my dear friend kristi for assisting me and to cassi at 3house for pushing me outside the box with regard to both photography and fashion. stay tuned […]
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