The Dapper Hula Hooper

Just for fun. Make sure you watch it on Youtube, with a decent quality setting, for the best experience. Enjoy!

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Stone Cold Beauty

I feel like it's been awhile since my last blog post.... sorry about that, everyone! The holidays have got me rather busy.

 I wanted to share one of my most recent unpublished shoots, along with the behind the scenes video. This is the first time anyone has seen these photos! Last month I teamed up with Monica Estrada Saldana (makeup), David Andrew Aguillon (hairstylist), and jewelry designers Helena and Joey Cruz, of Cruz Jewelry Designs, to make some beautiful beauty images with model Hannah Ghore. 

Everyone impressed me so much on this shoot. Monica and David always do a beautiful job on hair and makeup, so no surprise there! Although I've always enjoyed shooting Hannah, this shoot gave her the opportunity to try something different (other than alternative, which is what she is best known for), and she really brought her best to the shoot! The pieces by Cruz Jewelry Designs jewelry finally got to take a front seat- and the images really show off just how talented Helena and Joey are- not only within the craft of jewelry making, but in styling shoots, as well.

If you're looking for something cool to do this weekend, Cruz Jewelry Designs will be vending at the Boerne Market Days this weekend. It is located at the gazebo on the main square- very visible, and easy to find. The address is 100 N. Main Boerne, TX 78006. Hours are 10am to 7pm on Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Go say hello to them, and check out their work up close and personal! There are many other cool vendors as well, and great food! You can also check out their online Etsy store, or contact them at cruzdesigns@live.com. Don't forget to "like" their facebook page, CruzJewelryDesigns (Helena and Joe), too!

You can check out more of Monica's work, and contact her at Misfit Makeup Artist on facebook. David can be reached at Davidandrewcervantes@Gmail.com. To book Hannah, contact her on her facebook page, where you can see both her modeling work, and her art and designs!

The Domineaux Effect

Dominique Babineaux has always been one of my favorite models to shoot. She is diverse in her poses and facial expressions, and always gives 110% at every shoot. I'm super sad that she is leaving San Antonio, but I have every confidence that she will be a huge success in New York. Hoorah! 

Dominique commissioned Mikailee Alton to create a line for her to strut around in, in the Big Apple. I was lucky enough to shoot the collection a few weeks ago. We chose the JW Marriot, for it's modern feel, and begged and pleaded with them to allow us to use the location- until they finally said YES! So, Dominique brought Eloy Rodriguez on board as the makeup artist, Rejected Hearts Club on accessories, and Dominique's Mom Rosetta helped style the awesome wigs by Marissa Sanchez- and we captured one last magical set of images (well, the last one until she comes back for a visit, or we storm her new home in New York!). 

These are just a few of the images from our shoot. The last two photos feature Dominique's boyfriend, Jay. He should consider modeling more often, don't you think?

P.S. Mikailee Alton is available for commissions! If you are interested in having your very own line created specifically to your tastes. Check out her website at www.mikaileealton.com for images of more of her work, and for her contact information. She will even give it a clever title, like she did this collection (and if I blog about it, I might steal her title again, too!)

Local Designer Heads to NY!

If you know my work, then you more than likely also know the work of local designer Mikailee Alton. Her designs are beautiful! Romantic, yet edgy. Feminine with a strength. The collage below shows just a small sample of the work we've done together- but even when she works with other photographers, I am always blown away. Not only are her clothes aesthetically pleasing, but they carefully constructed with care, down to every hand-made detail.

Mikailee presented in January as an emerging designer in a New York fashion show, and blew the crowd away. I know, because I was there! It was amazing. This year, she hopes to show at a larger venue, with a more exclusive audience... but she needs our help to get there! I'm blogging today beseeching each of you to contribute to her indiegogo project. If I know anyone out there who deserves this... its her. Mikailee is a giver herself- constantly sewing for others for shoots, events, shows- at NO cost. Even though she takes care of three boys (two sons and a nephew), and has a full-time job, all while battling illness, she still finds the time to create for others. She finds time to help the visions of others come to life. Now, I am asking you to help bring HER vision to life. The vision of her collection walking down that runway- and hopefully bringing BIG things her way.

I know that many of you who are reading this already know Mikailee... probably many of you have worn her garments, and possibly even had garments created specifically because you asked. Please, now is your time to give back to her. Every contribution, big or small, is a huge help. Even just $10 is one lunch in the big city. We all have to eat, right?


Let's help a fellow artist! Come on, people! Click the link below to contribute- and tell her I sent you. :D

http://www.indiegogo.com/mikailee-alton-fall-2013?show_todos=true

Here's a behind the scenes video from the show in January... be kind, it was my first attempt at video, and I'd only had my camera for a few days. Haha.

Zombie Walk, San Antonio, 2012

My stepson, Thomas, had been asking (dying!) to go to the Zombie Walk for at least three years, before I finally got to take him last month. Seeing as how I had to keep an eye on the kiddo amongst the finest of San Antonio's craziest (wink)... I wasn't able to capture everything. I did manage to get some cool stuff, though. Check it out! I can't wait to go again, next year. Ill bring the hubby to hang with T, so my camera and I can dissapear into the crowd, if we want to. If you see yourself, or someone you know in this video, leave a comment! :D

P.S. I highly recommend you click the button at the bottom right, to watch this on youtube... it's cooler BIGGER.

How to Have Better Control Over Your Face, as a Model

Nerves, aaaaaagh!!!! We've all got them. And let's face it- it's difficult to stand in front of a camera for hours, trying to look your absolute best. Yes, your BEST. No pressure!

We all deal with anxiety in different ways, but unless we learn to control it, it will show on our faces. But you're not the kind of person who gets nervous... you've got this under control. All you have to do is concentrate! Alas, when concentrating intensely on one thing, many of us hold that concentration and tension in our mouths/jaws. So, what to do?

The answer is simple; don't be nervous! Ahahaha, just kidding. I'm not delusional. I know it's not that easy. Being nervous is just part of who some of us are. I still get nervous before EVERY shoot! The only reason I make it through it, is because I am prepared. I have been shooting and shooting and shooting. I have been practicing.

PRACTICE is the real answer!

Practicing something makes us better at it, and being better at it makes us more confident. Being confident makes us less nervous! The nerves might still be there, but I guarantee you, the more you practice, the less intense those nerves are. More importantly, all that practice has built up a set of skills that you can rely on, through all those nerves.

Now you might be saying, "Duh, Jen! Everyone knows practice makes perfect! But how can I practice being relaxed?" I'm not even going to pretend I know how to answer that, haha. I do know what you CAN practice, though.

You can practice appearing as though you are relaxed! You can also practice appearing happy, appearing sad, appearing angry, maybe even appearing... nervous? It depends on the  modeling gig, right?!?! What you should be practicing as a model (aside from poses, that one is obvious I hope) is facial expressions. A variety of facial expressions is a vital skill set for a model.

I just read this amazing little tidbit of advice by S De Varax on Model Mayhem. I can't think of a better way for a model to learn how not only to control his/her face... but to learn to be versatile. Of course, models have been advised to practicing posing and making faces in the mirror for ages, but this takes it one step further.

"Look in the mirror: do 5 different smiles, 5 different angry, 5 different flirty, 5 different bored etc. Set up a camera and see if you can recreate those looks without a mirror.
You can learn to be aware of your face (and by extension your body) and give expressions on demand (and doesn't just look the same each time)."

I think every model could benefit from this. So, try it out! Let me know how it works for you!!!!!

Arre in Wonderland

 It's Halloween, soon, hooorah! Who doesn't love Halloween? I think it's fabulous that there is one day ever year when we all get to dress and act like whomever and whatever we want. "Make-believe" is encouraged... and we all get to be young at heart. (I do this all the time in photoshoots, but not everyone is as lucky as I am!)

Alicia Cordero booked me last year to do some Halloween portraits of her family... and again, this year! I'm crossing my fingers this is the beginning of a tradition. She is so creative, making parts of the costumes herself, crafting home-made signs, gathering props and making unique sets. Who woudn't want to be their family photographer????

I had to blog about this shoot... it was so FUN! The family photos came out GREAT, but I also wanted to show off some of the hard work she put into the little details- right down to her red rose fingernails.

Forgive the weird layout, please... this is only my third blog. I hope they get prettier as I go.

 Enjoy!

Una Noche de la Gloria

October 13th I had the honor of participating in an art festival called Noche de la Gloria, in the Guadalupe Arts district of San Antonio. Artists of all kinds were present! What you see here doesn't even begin to encompass all the wonderful artistry that was present. I didn't get to walk around and check everything out like I wanted to, as I didn't want to leave my booth, but I did get a little bit of footage from my corner of the event... as well as some footage of the fashion show. It was a looong, but fun day. I can't wait to do it again next year! If you're curious what the event is like... check out this video! It's really just a sample- you've got to check it out yourself to get the full effect.



Thank you, thank you, thank you to BOMBASTA for letting me use their song "De La Calle" for this video... it was perfect! :D

Also... huge shout-out and many thank yous to my parents for investing in me, so I could participate in this event. Mandi- thank you for your help, too! People were drawn in by the larger posters.
To those of you to came out to see me at the event... thank you for showing your support! It means a whole lot to me, that I have friends and family who are there to help me succeed in my artistry.

***I can't forget, thanks to Ruben and Marie, for inviting me to be part of this wonderful experience!

Jessie Andrade, Model, Artist

The first thing I thought when I met Jessie Andrade this summer was "Wow, that is some RED hair!" Let's be honest, though, that's what everyone thinks when they first meet her! Her hair is indeed quite red, and quite lovely.

The second thing I thought about Jessie was "She treats me like she's known me forever!" That, of course, is a good thing.  I like "huggers" and people I can immediately be comfortable with.

 The third thing I thought when I met Jessie, and the thing I'd really like to share with you all today, is that she IS an amazing artist! I might have noticed this first, except that the decorative shoes she created for our shoot were still tucked away in her bag. Once she put them on, though, it was apparent. Not only is she creative, but she has created her own unique style!

 Recently, I did another shoot with Jessie, featuring some of her art... and I knew I HAD to start blogging again- if only to feature some of the local gems, like Jessie, that I get to shoot with. (Alice, Texas is sorta local to San Antonio!)

If you're the kind of person that already scrolled down a bit, then you KNOW what I'm talking about. This helmet is insane!!! I'm honored that she made it for our shoot. Jessie and I definitely vibe on the same style, and I absolutely love working with her.

If you'd like to get in touch with Jessie to have something made, or if you'd like to book her for a shoot, you can reach her at andrade.jessica26@yahoo.com. Tell her I sent you!