Jennifer Crowder Artist: 2015

Monday, September 7, 2015

Weirdism

“Weirdism is definitely the cornerstone of many an artist's career.”
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly

Model: Mathilde Hergott
Makeup: Susan Ward Brooks
Hair: Fabian Alejandro Diaz

Guys and Gals!

This is seriously THE FUNNEST SHOOT I have ever done.

I absolutely love being silly and weird, and I had the PERFECT team for this project.

I want to be totally honest here, and admit something, in hopes of showing just how invaluable a great team is;

I don't always "like" the hair and makeup.

In fact, sometimes I am looking at the model before we start shooting, and I am thinking, this is not going to work. But I have to remind myself; I am not a makeup artist. I am not a hairstylist.

I have to TRUST my team.

So, even though I think the makeup is "messy," or the hair is "so stiff" I take that first test photo, anyway... and I'm WOWed! I mean, these people do what they do because they know what they are doing, right?

THIS is why you hire professionals! They know what is going to look good ON CAMERA.

There was a time in my life when I needed to control everything. A time when I was not able to work well in teams. I time when everything had to be done "my way, or the highway." Whew, so glad those days are over! If I always did everything my way, everything would always look the same. The best photos come from the kinds of photoshoots where everyone has a little input, and everyone gets to bring some part of their self, their creativity, their art to the table. This includes the model... because without a model who can bring great vision to life, it just lies flat.

Mathilde was the perfect model for this shoot, because she wasn't afraid to give us what we were asking for. She wasn't afraid to be "not pretty," as so many models are. She trusted the team as much as I did, and she WORKED that crazy makeup and those crazy wigs! I just love her!

Seriously, y'all.

This shoot makes me incredible happy.

Just try and look at these photos and NOT smile.

Model: Mathilde Hergott
Makeup: Susan Ward Brooks
Hair: Fabian Alejandro Diaz


Model: Mathilde Hergott Makeup: Susan Ward Brooks Hair: Fabian Alejandro Diaz

Model: Mathilde Hergott
Makeup: Susan Ward Brooks
Hair: Fabian Alejandro Diaz

Friday, September 4, 2015

La Queule Noir

This is Macy... and let me tell you, she knows how to turn it on, for the camera! I love that she is silly and fun while we are getting ready, and even between shots, but when I pick my camera up... she is all business.

SEXY business! Just look!

Model: Macy Chanel Mayfield
Makeup: Sierra Scerato

I definitely recommend her, if you are looking for a model. In fact, I can't wait to work with her, again!

Of course, Sierra did do a superb job on her hair and makeup, too. Macy is naturally beautiful, but Sierra has made her smoking hot, here! If you need to be beautified, you should definitely check out Sierra at Hair-Refinery Studio. It's a bonus that she does both hair AND makeup, and is so great at both of them!

This is seriously one of the best teams I have ever worked with. Everything is on point skill-wise, and everyone was loose enough to try something new. Trying new things really gets that creativity flowing... and when you have that, you get magic!

Model: Macy Chanel Mayfield
Makeup:Sierra Scerato

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

A la Betty

I just wanted to share my most recent shoot with y'all. This is Kadiva, on the Guadalupe River. We had so much fun! I love shooting with her, bc she is silly and fun and so natural. Oh, and she didn't even complain or cry about when the big bad river broke her nail... AND her chancla (this is what we call sandals, here in San Antonio, for those of you who don't know)! She just laughed, and we kept shooting. Gotta love it!

I love these in color, but just to show how dramatically a black and white conversion can change the mood of a photo, here it is in black and white, too. Maybe it's the vintage bathing suit, but in black and white, they totally make me think of Betty Page. Especially the top left and far right.

Win!

Sunday, July 12, 2015

M-I-C-K-E-Y!

This just might be one of the cutest little guys I have ever had in my studio. I just love his squishy cheeks! He wasn't sure about the cake at first... but he eventually got into it. I even got "caked" in the face, at the end. Yum, haha!

Happy 1st birthday, little mouseketeer!

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Malachi

Remember when I used to post on this blog daily? Well, that's not life with a one year old, lol! I'm lucky when I get to work, and even luckier when L isn't in my lap, ~~jabbing his jelly-smeared fingers all over my keyboard~~ typing, or ~~repeatedly bashing the mouse into the desk~~ surfing the internet. Of course, when I do have time to work, I end up spending most of it ~~goofing off on Facebook~~ networking, rather than blogging. Priorities, people!

Anyway, here is a small behind the scenes collage from one of my most recent newborn shoots... and hands down the most difficult one I've ever done! It seemed that everything was conspiring against me this day... even myself (but that's another story). When the baby just absolutely will not leave Mom's arms, no matter how much milk he gets, or how sweetly you coo and shush him, or how peacefully the sound of the ocean rolls along on your phone app, and no matter how warm or cool he is... what do you do?

"Behind the scenes" shots between sets, I say! These are the REAL moments, anyway! I always take a lot of behind the scenes photos. That way, if nothing else works, you at least have those. Surprisingly, sometimes (as in this case), they are even better than the photos you had originally planned.

I'm personally in love with these natural photos of baby Malachi.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Knot a Geisha

I'm baaaaack!

I know I let the blog go for awhile, but now that my babe is getting bigger, it is getting much easier to work, again. It is especially easy when I work with amazing people who don't mind entertaining him, while I do self-flagellating things like pin one bajillion trash-bags to my wall, to use as a backdrop. (Thanks, team! It was totally worth it!) They not only babysit on set, but they totally rock wardrobe, hair, makeup, and modeling while doing it. I mean, LOOK at these! What more could a photographer ask for?