In celebration of International Womens’ Day, I thought I’d share a entirely female-collaborated editorial between local Atlanta store Coco & Mischa, jewelry from Canned Goods, photographer Astrid Kallsen, and group of lovely lady models, including myself. (This was actually the second part to the Femme Florals shoot I posted a few months back.) Now if only the temperatures would go back to the warm 70s goodness we shot these in!
Photography: Astrid Kallsen
Wardrobe: Coco and Mischa
Jewelry: Canned Goods
Other Models:
@itsnikki.g
@nomibowie
@mirandalindseymerrill
@channysteele
Roger and Brianna Outlander Cosplay
Time is not a reality, but a concept.
Time, as it happens, played an interesting part in this photoshoot. My boyfriend and I had long been wanting to do a cosplay together, but obstacles kept throwing us off track. While I was doing research for my big fall collaboration with my roommate, Catherine of The Gluttonous Geek, I ran across a passage that about made me jump out of my seat.
“Roger Mackenzie is what Claire would describe as a “Black Celt” – olive-skinned, with thick black hair and lashes. His eyes are a bright green, often likened to the color of moss, though they are deepset like his MacKenzie ancestors. When Brianna sketches him, she draws a bold nose and a wide, slanted jaw.”
BEHOLD.
Does that description not fit him perfectly?! To my chagrin, I admit that I have yet read the Outlander books themselves, having been introduced through the TV show. So I did not realize there was a difference between the book description and the appearance of Roger on screen. Needless to say, I set to finding a kilt straight away for Ian. *cue all the ‘kilty pleasure’ puns*
We pulled this look together literally overnight (so it’s not Highland accurate, please forgive us). So as Catherine and I were finishing up our picnic shoot (more to to come on that soon! Speaking of time, I still have yet to write what should’ve been the first blog and this be the third. Oops…), Ian scurried up the rockface to strike the pose above. I’m so proud of him. This was Ian’s first professional picture EVER. First photoshoot AND first cosplay!
Of course, I had to complete the ensemble with a equally-hasty thrown together Brianna Randall cosplay. For the first time I can recall, a character in a popular show has my name (well, technically one letter off, but everyone miscalls me Brianna anyways. 😅 ). Add in brown eyes and straight hair and I feel right at home in this cosplay. In a sense, I get to be myself.
Photographer: Michael Rivera
Grey Day Photoshoot
When the snows fall
And the white winds blow,
The lone wolf died
But the pack survives.
All hail the Queen of the North.
Some days are a bit blue. Life gets a bit too much and your outlook matches the grey skies above. Sometimes you need a change of scenery, an explosion of colour to bring the sunshine back in that hides behind the clouds. But other times, I find it’s okay to embrace the gray.
A goal of mine for the next year is to go outside more on these days and photograph dreamy aesthetics in the weather. I want to look for and showcase more beauty in every type of weather. There’s so much in life to find beautiful!
But for now, I thought I’d share images from an older shoot from when I first moved to Atlanta and was spreading my little model wings here. Vania over at Vania Photo Studios had a free night, so I played guinea pig for some lighting and post-production techniques she wanted to try. These pictures are a couple of the results! Anyone getting a Stark of Winterfell vibe from the first one?
Here’s a behind-the-scenes selfie from the photoshoot. You may think that’s my hair, but nay…if you’ve been around my blog or social media sites long enough, you’ve more than likely heard my tales of hair woes. This is actually beautiful lace front wig I scored for $60 at a local beauty supply store (I pushed the wig back a little to let me actual hairline show through). Now I can galavant around looking and feeling like a proper elven maiden with long flowing locks.
Fur and Feathers Photoshoot
Fall is threatening to encroach on the unusually hot summer here in Atlanta, but it can’t get here fast enough! So to console myself, I thought I’d reshare one of my most interesting (and autumn-based) photoshoots to date.
Lauren Athalia, a snazzy Tennessee photographer, asked if I could model for her (in exchange for shooting my Shannan costume). She had a photography series she was wanting to shoot called Furs and Feathers – a fusion of fashion and animals. (Though in terms of co-stars and highlighting local rescues and animal organisations. No animals were taken advantage of in any of the shoots.)
The shoot I was asked to model for was the last of the series. The original idea was to have me in Christian Dior-esque apparel surrounded by miniature horses. Alas, getting the horses to work with us was a significant undertaking. They could have cared less about this bedecked human peacock running around their grounds trying to guide them for pictures. Grass, as it happens, it much more interesting. So unfortunately we weren’t able to get the shots Lauren originally envisioned. BUT the owners of the horses had an amazing backyard that we used to our advantage. That coupled with Meredith Malone’s absolutely beautifully designed outfit made for some very neat shots. It was definitely a departure for me to be wearing a blonde wig (and with a snazzy top hat!), but it was a neat experience to see myself so transformed from my normal brunette look.
Stay tuned for the next post for a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot!
Photography & Editing: Lauren Athalia
Custom Skirt & Neck Ruffle By: Meredith Malone
Hair: Kristina Noel Wojtkowski
Make Up: Galilee Bagwell
Lighting Assistant: Josh Wood
© Lauren Athalia 2011. All Rights Reserved.
The First Day of Fall
The first day of fall has come.
While it still feels like a summer scorcher here in the aptly named ‘Hotlanta’, I can’t help but wistfully dream of the come cooler months and the delights they hold. From all manner of delicious warm beverages to snuggling up in cozy knits to the dazzling array of colours on display in nature to running through patches of pumpkins or orchards of apples to long talks with loved ones around crackling fires. There’s something magical about this time of year (minus the seasonal allergies. Good gravy…) where the leaves turns bright, saturated colours and the slight nip in the air makes one think of times gone by and the desire to curl up with a good book while candles flicker in the background. Just the word “autumn” of “fall” immediately evokes coziness. Ahhh…
In lieu of me not really having any good fall pictures (*note to self: Take more nature and prop photography to break up the portraits), here are a few shots from my fun fall shoot with Lauren Athalia a few years back.
What is your favourite season?
Photography & Editing: Lauren Athalia
Custom Skirt & Neck Ruffle By: Meredith Malone
Hair: Kristina Noel Wojtkowski
Make Up: Galilee Bagwell
Lighting Assistant: Josh Wood
Femme Noir
A beautiful woman is a beautiful woman. But a beautiful woman with a brain is an absolutely lethal combination.
The way she listened was more eloquent than speech.
The femme fatale ‘neath the guise of a damsel in distress… Lucky me… she had my number…
How could I have known that murder could sometimes smell like honeysuckle?
Pour yourself a drink. Put on some lipstick and pull yourself together.
I had an itch to do a vintage-esque portrait shoot so I paired up with the ever-polite and gracious Brownlee Currey to try some black & white fun. It was a truly lovely evening as his wife helped with my hair (I’m an absolute dunce when it comes to doing anything with my tresses outside of a ponytail. I’m serious. I spend entirely too much time wistfully sighing over friends’ vintage dos and seemingly perfectly coifed hair.) and Brownlee made the most delectable snacks for us to eat. I can’t even pronounce the cheese and smoked meat he put in front of my wide eyes, but I truly felt spoiled.
I also got to meet a new makeup artist friend, Courtney, who I promptly began to geek out with (that’s now my new deciding factor of “oo, you’re a crazy human like me. Come be part of my equally crazy social circles!“) After makeup and hair were finagled into place and lights were set up, off we went! (Though about halfway through we had to do some more finagling of the dress as, alas, it’s wee bit big for me. Thank goodness for clothespins! I imagine I’ll donate the dress back to Goodwill so it can be put back on the racks as a treasure for someone else to find. 🙂 )
Photographer: Brownlee of RBC Image
Hair: Gretchen Jacobson
Makeup: Courtney Walters
Dress: Goodwill
Floppy hat: Gifted (friend bought it at Patagonia in Nashville)
Wide-brimmed hat: Gifted
Gloves: Ebay
Earrings: Ebay
Scar Photoshoot – Contact Sheet
My scar photoshoot, while originally inspired by an article on disabled models, was also inspired by Coco Rocha‘s book, Study of Pose. (Coco is one of my personal role models and utmost inspiration for modeling. It’s because of studying her growing up that I honed the craft of dynamic posing. She reigns supreme as the queen of dynamic models, in my humble (but accurate) opinion. It’s amazing to see the ways she poses in clothing and expressions, even characters she delivers while most models tend to have the same blank expression and wooden posing. She’s a good-natured soul to boot who actually cares about other folks, especially young girls in the fashion industry.)
You can check out Coco Rocha’s book here – Study of Pose
You can check out my pictures here – Scar Photoshoot
Edit: I posted one of these pictures on my Instagram when I first launched it a few years and Coco responded! (Forgive me for the momentary fangirling as having someone I admire respond was, and still is, pretty rad. 🙂 ) 
Scar Photoshoot
Inspired by an article featuring disabled models, I set out to do my own photoshoot documenting the injury that almost cost me my life. my first photoshoot since the accident. It’s a deeply personal project, so it’s a bit different from my normal, fashion-esque or derp-faced costume shoots. I went out on a limb with this one, but tried my best to keep it thought-provoking, yet tasteful. It’s an artistic documentation of my accident scars, along with some of the emotions I’ve felt along the way. I dedicate this series to every one of you out there that has scars.
We survived.
(With this, I set out to create an evocative (but not sexy) photoshoot. It was quite a challenge. Not to mention for mobility. These pictures were taken a few months after the accident. But I was determined to get these pictures and wasn’t going to let my disability stop me. It was a bit of a nervewracking process as I don’t tend to reveal much of my body on camera, but still needed to show the majority of the scar. I finally came up with the solution of wearing a long-sleeve, high-cut leotard from American Apparel to both cover and expose the right parts.)
Every scar I have makes me who I am. Imperfection is beauty.
That is, in fact, a scar on my left eyelid. My friends have been calling it my ‘superhero scar’ or my ‘chic/fashion scar’ due to it’s placement. In person, it looks like I’m wearing light red eyeliner fashionably on one eye. Fitting for The Lady Nerd, no? (As of right now, 4 years later, that scar is practically invisible minus a pimple-looking bump. Most annoying…this scar I rather wish had stayed!)
From every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story. A story that says, “I survived.”
“My scars tell a story. They are a reminder of times when life tried to break me, but failed. They are markings of where the structure of my character was welded.” – Steve Maraboli
Our scars remind us of our past. They do not define our future. (I was determined to stand for this photoshoot on my own two feet. No walker, no crutches, no cane, no help. Just my own God-given strength.)
“A famous explorer once said: The extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are.” – Tomb Raider
As the conclusion to my photoshoot, I leave you with one of the more daring things I did – to balance myself on my cane. I don’t know what on earth possessed me to try this, other than the sheer curiousity to see if I could. But I was able to hold it for the mere seconds long enough for the camera to capture it. Even though I’m only 4 months out from the accident, I’ve learned one very important truth – that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. My handicaps will not silence me.
Photographer: Trent Chau
En Garde
The most dangerous woman of all is the one who refuses to rely on your sword to save her because she carries her own.
~ R.H. Sin
I’ve always grown up around swords, moreso than any other weapon. Sometimes that comes in handy when I get to model with props I’m actually familiar with! My mother was an incredibly talented fencer who trained under Ralph Faulkner (some of you might know him as the master who trained Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone). Alas a nasty injury kept her from ever fencing again right before training for the 1984 Olympics. Even though that happened before I was born, swords still had a strong place in my household.
I picked up my first epee in my college’s fencing club, then dabbled in foil and saber overseas where I competed in the New Zealand Uni Games (Boy was that a humbling experience…this padawan still had much to learn). Then, in 2007, I was trained in SAFD (Society of American Fight Directors) stage combat with rapier, whip, and various props. Alas, I gave up fencing due to it being one seriously expensive hobby and a wish to return to my first love (and better skillset) – Kung Fu. There are times where I can be a paradox with the body of a dancer, the mind of a martial artist, and the heart of a fencer. Certainly makes workouts interesting!
And each man stands with his face in the light. Of his own drawn sword, ready to do what a hero can.
– Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(And yes, I am aware that is not how a katana is properly held. But fashion is not known for it’s love of technique.)
Never give a sword to a man who cannot dance.
– Confucius
There are only two forces in this world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.
– Napoleon Bonaparte
This was a test shoot with local Georgia photographer, Bang Nguyen, who’s gone on to become quite the professional fashion photographer (and now budding fashion film videographer). Rather than do just straight-up portraiture, we decided to add in a little edginess with expensive fashion (the black leather jacket alone was $1,000, though the brand name escapes me) and a sharpened katana. The real trick was trying to keep the look fashion and not costumer-y. There is still some debate whether or not I succeeded in doing that. But if nothing else, it was definitely a fun learning experience!
Photographer: Bang Nguyen
Hair/makeup: Veronica Hernandez-Zapata
Jacket:
Skirt: Forever 21
Leggings: Forever 21
Boots: Guess Maeve boots via Ebay
Katana: Borrowed from a friend
Sci-fi Photoshoot
Recently, my cosplay and modeling have been on hold for a myriad of reasons (work, money, weight gain, depression, etc.) So I thought, rather than wallow in frustrations of the present, that perhaps it would be a better idea to showcase some fun from the past. Some of you are new to my little spot of the blog-o-sphere, so here’s a lesser known photoshoot of mine from days gone by.
Back in 2015 I had the privilege of shooting with visiting NYC Photographer, Richard Scalzo. One of my favourite makeup artists, Dustin of DSL Design and Talent was also on board for the shoot (you may recognize his name from also having done makeup for my Bride of Frankenstein shoot). We started the day with some test shots in corporate wear, fitness looks, but being the weirdo I am, I had to bat my eyelashes for something a little different. Thankfully, Richard was entirely on board with my weirdness and even brought props. Ah, a melding of creative minds.
I reused my old Catwoman suit, donned a pair of light-up cyber glasses from Illumi Nation, and stepped up to shoot as a sci-fi heroine. I loved Scalzo’s lighting scheme for this, rather reminiscent of the various sci-fi movie character posters. (Also, I don’t my jawline has EVER looked this good. Angles for daaaays!)
Exhibit A here showcases just how ridiculously long my torso actually is! Finding tops and dresses long enough is a real joy, lemme tell you. I thought gaining weight from a size 00 to a size 4 would help with that somewhat. Oh sweet naive Briana…
Fun fact: The gun I’m holding is a prop blaster from the 1980s show, V. I grew up knowing the show from my Dad and enjoying the new series (although good heavens did it end badly when they discovered they were being cancelled. ‘Twas a pity).