#side b modeling

[sidebmodeling]

This is Halloween - 2016 Edition

For a couple of years now, I’ve been hosting the “Month of Masquerades” on my site. It’s my own way of celebrating October, and the chance it brings to get creative with costumes.

This year, I have a very literal rendition of this phrase, and multiple Masks to share!

I managed to get crafty with the most of these, hand painting 4 of them this year - and one from last year. Not only are masks ideal if you are in need of a REALLY last minute costume, but masks can be a cherry on the sundae that is your ensemble. For example, one of the simple eye masks is perfect for any “superhero” look - I purchased the black one originally for my Catwoman costume last year before finding the lace version used in my photos.

I also painted some super creepy masks for a video collaboration with Brian Hanke this past summer, and now they’re the perfect eerie Halloween decor! They look great hanging in my apartment, if not a little startling in the middle of the night.

Another precursor for this month's costume posts - I'll be posting a few costumes within single posts, all under the same genre. In past years I've done individual posts for each costume I've created, so we are switching things up this time! Not to worry - they'll be just as detailed, if not more. Considering I've been planning some of these since LAST Halloween, you can count on them being good!

In the meantime, check out some Halloween movies while you wait, like any of the flicks from this handy list I created! 

-B

[sidebmodeling]

Review: Mazzie Cosmetics; Shades of Purple

I love makeup - I think it's easy to see with how often I'm creating different characters or looks for my blog posts. But sometimes my makeup styles can suffer, as I tend to fall into the same routine and same basic looks if I'm not careful. That's one of the reasons I'm so glad to know and follow multiple makeup artists who inspire me with their creations and help pull me out of my creative ruts.

One of these inspiring ladies is Rachel Mazurek of Mazzie Cosmetics. I've had the pleasure of working with her for a few different shoots since I began modeling (be it a pop of color in our 60s inspired shoot, or classic 40s vintage styling, I always felt like a different person after she completed my look!). 

After my first time working with her, I discovered she had an online store through Etsy, and immediately decided I needed to create a plethora of choices in my arsenal of eyeshadows.

Her business and makeup options have grown since my first purchase, and I jumped at the opportunity to create a more in depth review (my last one was very brief) using a few colors from her makeup line when she asked.

Firstly, I love how everything is packaged!

I received my order and opened it to find everything distributed in two brightly colored draw string bags which included eyeshadow containers, blush containers, three sample colors in small sealable pouches, a business card, and a discount code to use with my next purchase from her Etsy shop!

The individual eye-shadow and blush containers all display her logo on the top, and the bottom of the container includes the name, what type of makeup it is, if it is vegan or non-vegan, and if it is safe for use on more than just it's intended purpose (IE: some shadows can be used on lips as well, while others are not recommended for more than just eyes).

I had asked for some shades of purple to try as it's a color I that goes well with my skin tone, but one I rarely wear due to the limited amount of variation in my arsenal. Not only did I receive more shades than I knew could exist for a single color, but I even received some new blushes to try out!

One of my favorite features with Mazzie Cosmetics is the versatility of the loose powder shadows. I like to start with just a little for light looks, and add more as I go if I'm looking for a vibrant color. It's also easy to create a watercolor effect if you apply it with a wet brush in layers.

While it can get a bit messy if you're not careful of where you put your supplies while applying (from experience, the corner of your counter is not recommended for anything that can spill), the containers do have a screw on top, so they stay well sealed for later storage. I'm personally a big fan of the removable top as I use it on occasion for mixing my shadow with water to create varying consistencies or to blend with other colors before applying. 

To create the purple look featured in this post, I used the following:

Mazzie Cosmetics used:

Vaccination eyeshadow as the inner and upper highlight

Plum pudding eyeshadow as the main eyelid color

Shatter eyeshadow as the outer corner color

Passion Pink blush

Other cosmetics used:

NYX brow pencil in dark brown

NYX micro brow pencil in ash brown

NYX eye shadow base

Covergirl lashblast mascara

Covergirl Star Wars limited edition colorlicious lipstick in dark purple

Too Faced Born This Way foundation in Vanilla

It was so much fun to play around with just a few of the colors from Mazzie Cosmetics. I can't wait to create another look from the additional items I received from her makeup line! 

If you want to recreate this look, make sure to check out the Etsy shop for the above mentioned shades, as well as many more!

Any style suggestions you'd like to see created in my next review?

-B

[sidebmodeling]

Studio Lighting: Sydney

The majority of my blogs posts feature imagery taken by myself (and typically of myself), with the occasional "behind the scenes" shot a photographer or friend on set will snap. One of my goals for this year has been working on my own photography skills to add more to each blog post. I started really focusing on this at the end of last year when I decided to take a few pictures for a friend, followed shortly by my brother asking if I could take a few shots of a costume he had made. I quickly realized I loved doing location shots, but the second I was indoors, I'd start feeling stuck with what I should do. I was gifted a wonderful studio light that I've been practicing with, but I knew I needed a little more guidance when it came to the technicalities and questions that would pop up as I experimented.

Lucky for me, BlackAxePhoto also wanted to work on some studio lighting techniques, so we spent an afternoon shooting model Sydney in a homemade studio setting, using my light, my newly purchased reflector, and creating a fill light with one of his softbox setups. 

Sydney was a great sport while I took my time figuring out what each and every change to my camera settings or light settings did, and I really appreciated the tips both she and BlackAxePhoto suggested during our time together.

I had a lot of fun being on the other side of the camera (and putting myself in odd positions like flat on my stomach or with my back pressed as far back into the wall as possible to get a range of shots with my 90mm lens), and it helps that the folks I was working with were fun too.

Thanks for the rundown on some important basics guys! I'm excited to apply these newly learned ideas to more of my blog posts.

-B

[sidebmodeling]

BTS: Black Axe Photo

First planned shoot of 2016: Completed!

This past January I helped out modeling for a studio lighting class at the SOPHA in Manchester NH. I've modeled for that class in the past, but it had been quite a while since I'd visited the wonderful studio. Not only was it a joy to get back into the swing of modeling for a class, but I met Nick Serpa of Black Axe Photo, and exchanged contact info to plan a shoot together. 

(Images below taken by Black Axe Photo at SOPHA, January 2016)

While the shoot that we've been working toward is still in the planning stages (don't worry, that will be happening before the end of this month), we decided to get together for a more low key shoot while we waited. 

Nick found a location using AirBNB to shoot at, and the owner, who is also a photographer, loved our idea. They have a beautiful home, with great decor (I loved the giant map they had in the guest room with push pins in different countries) and everything about the shoot flowed smoothly. 

Well, except for our lack of memory when it came to terms and posing (at one point I suggested we sing the "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" song to figure out where I should place my hands for different shots), but hey, I did what I was asked and rested my face on my shin (it was actually a really nice stretch) before moving it to my knee to prove I was listening (we both had a good laugh, and then I put my hands in the wrong spot the next time, so it evened out).

I don't remember the last time I laughed so much during a shoot.

We had a great time, took some really nice shots (which I can't wait to share), and plenty of outtakes as well (let's be honest, those are one of my favorite parts). 

One of my favorite outtake moments was when we were shooting outside and found a shovel (because in New England, you really can't safely put your shovel away until about June) and I decided it would be my new prop (because sometimes, I just don't understand art director's decisions on set, so this seemed like a great tribute). It actually looked a lot better than I thought it was going to!

So of course I had to do something even more ridiculous and turn it into an air guitar of sorts...

...because fashion...right?

I will say my favorite set of the day was when we did a natural look in the kitchen in front of a chalkboard and brick wall (and not just because it involved coffee).

It's also when I spent the most time laughing and making all sorts of lovely expressive faces while lighting was adjusted and conversation flowed freely.

And by expressive faces, I mean awful, borderline scary expressions...(I feel pretty, oh so pretty...)

Ridiculous gestures aside, I'm very pleased with how our shoot went and excited to show off our hard work (yes, I did actually work, and not just showing off how high my eyebrow can go). 

Thank you Black Axe Photo for the memorable shoot and great outtake images!

Make sure to check out more of his work on model mayhem.

-B

[sidebmodeling]

Networking

If you read my last post, you'll know that there have been quite a few changes happening for me, both personally and in my work on here. I also mentioned in that post my taking the plunge to do something I've been wanting to do for years.

Today, they arrived...

My very own personally designed business cards!

While this may seem like a little thing to some people, for me it means I finally have enough confidence in my work that I'm willing to share my passions with other people. Sure I have a blog and website up for two years now, but it feels different when people can just stumble upon your work versus you taking the time to talk to that person one on one, and hand them a small bit of your portfolio with each business card you share.

I want to thank the photographers who let me use our collaborations for these cards:

 Dan Minicucci Photography

Megan DeBlois Photography

Adam Avid Photography

Little Skull Photography

Zachary Stone Photography

 Thank you, each and every one of you, for giving me the chance to create such fantastic artwork to share with all the people I meet. And thank you to all my viewers and supporters for giving me the confidence to do this for myself and my work (Shout out to Moo.com for such great service and inspiration)!

I'm excited to see what else this year brings for both my personal and professional growth. I hope you all decide to take the journey with me.

-B

[sidebmodeling]

Moving Forward

It's been too long since my last post, but for good reason. Lot's of changes have been happening over the past month, so I've been quite busy to say the least. 

I've moved again, this time closer to my 9-5 job, so that's a huge stress relief when it comes to things like time and commuting. However, it all happened very quickly resulting in an onset of running around to finalize plans, pack, makes lists, etc. It took a week or two, but I've finally settled down enough that I was able to pull my camera out for a snap or two to prove I still exist!

I also took the time to update my look a bit with the help of Tanya Amalfitano. This update was what I like to call "stage 1" of my new look for the year. Big changes are coming soon relating to that category...but not too soon...

We had a mild winter (a bit of a bummer considering I had a winter concept to shoot that never happened, but I'll just save that for next winter), but I can't express how nice it is to know that Spring is just around the corner. Only a couple weeks until we start seeing even more sunlight in the afternoons! I can't wait to do more exploring and start working on shoots to update my gallery for 2016! 

As a side note, I've been working on some concepts for photoshoots I'd like to play photographer and art director on, and I'm over the moon with how these ideas are shaping up. Hopefully they'll start becoming a reality shortly!

And lastly, I've finally taken the plunge to do something I've been wanting to do for years now! I believe this will make a huge difference for networking my work this year, so I'm pumped to see how things progress from here. I'll be posting an update about it within the next two weeks, so keep an eye out!

Like I said, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, some good, some less than good, but at the end of it all, I've learned to keep moving forward. You can always learn from your experiences, or try to find something good in less than ideal news. You'll be amazed at how much strength you'll find in yourself when you make the decision to keep going no matter what.

On that note, whose ready to "Spring Forward"?! 

-B

[sidebmodeling]

Winter Pastels

A few weeks ago I purchased some new makeup for an upcoming project. Rather than plan the project out to the last detail and realize the makeup wouldn't work moments before a shoot, I thought I'd play around with a couple ideas to test it all out.

This post is partial review, partial conceptual idea, but I was pleased with how these shots came out, so I wanted to share (because sharing is caring)!

One of the ideas I have uses white makeup across specific features, so I purchased Bloody Mary Mascara and Manic Panic NYC Ice Metals White Witch Lethal Lipstick to play with white accents.

It was startling to see myself with light eyelashes, especially when I'm so used to adding dark mascara and liner to my eyes on a daily basis! I even added some white shadow to my lids and brows for a more cohesive "winter look". The mascara went on nicely and didn't clump too much (always a concern of mine when it comes to new mascaras). I think the next time I apply it, I may use the technique of coating the tops of my lashes first, then proceeding to the underside to make sure it covers as much as possible. Even though they were white when I finished, I still felt like I missed some spots where my lashes met my eyelids when applying. 

I put the lipstick on without any concealer or foundation base, and as someone who has very pigmented pink lips already (finding a red lipstick that looks red on my lips is quite the ordeal for me), they became a very light, cool pink instead of white. It has a strange feel to it as you put it on as well - I believe there is some sparkle to it, and it feels a bit gritty when initially going on.

I outlined my lips with a white eyeliner pencil, and as I filled them in, decided to add blue in the shadows for some depth. It all blended very nicely to create a wonderful pastel look (which happened to match the shirt I was wearing!), so I was pleased to see it blends well.

Next time I use the lipstick, I plan on laying down a base of concealer or foundation first to see if I can create a more solid white versus a lilac shade.

Sometimes I forget how much fun it is just to play around with new looks, though I'll be honest, I don't think I'll be wearing white mascara to work anytime soon...

Personally, I notice that the paler my eyeshadow and lipstick, the more orange my skin looks...not sure how I feel about that...but I think more experimenting is in order (either that or I should just dye my hair green and start working at a candy factory...)!

What do you think of a pastel makeup style versus the more popular "smokey" style? 

-B 

[sidebmodeling]

BTS: Unguarded

My first shoot of 2016, and surprisingly, it's not of myself! 

I had the pleasure of photographing my friend Lindsay, something we've been wanting to do for a few months now. This shoot was planned to go a specific way when we originally came up with it, and absolutely NOTHING went how it was planned...something I'm learning is just bound to happen sometimes.

Not only did we have to postpone it multiple times for various reasons (weather, Holidays, health, etc.) when we finally were able to get together to shoot, my idea of a warm, pastel inspired boudoir shoot became impossible as it was a bitter, dark, and rainy morning, and it's safe to say we both felt the shadows closing in on our creativity.

While I was given a wonderful gift before the New Year of a studio light, I'd had yet to use it (...or learn how to use it...) before the shoot, so my trying to create a warmer, alternate light source also didn't go as planned, and that experience ended with me putting it aside with a heavy heart for another day.

I've learned that not only do I have an aversion to modeling in a studio (essentially for fear of feeling like I'm stuck in a box and running out of ideas), but I also seem to have an aversion to shooting in a studio setting as well. For the first few shots, Lindsay was against a wall in her living room as I attempted to angle lights this way and that, stood on chairs, sat on the floor, and did everything I could think of to make it a dynamic shot. It wasn't until I put the light aside and noticed an alcove by her door, lit only by a rainy window, that I stopped feeling trapped. 

We moved to the dimmer lit area, and she just started looking out the window casually, watching the rain and all of a sudden, everything just fit into place. Neither of us was trying to force something that we weren't feeling, and she visibly relaxed, becoming less guarded in the dark as we let conversation occur like when we are talking over a cup of coffee on any other day.

My focus for this shoot was to show some of the stunning artwork she has tattooed across her body, hence my the reason for having her wear lingerie, to show off pieces that would typically be hidden under clothing. In the process of photographing all of these images, I found myself coming back to her eyes, and the intensity in her expression.

I've never worked on a shoot where I've felt such a strength from a person's stare before, and knowing some of the hardships she has gone through over the past few weeks only made it more powerful. 

When I set out to do this shoot, I knew I wanted to take a pretty picture of my friend, but I never expected to see something so moving. I know that I put barriers up consistently for fear of being hurt - I think it's human nature to try and protect yourself - but it takes a lot to let those guards down...more than exposing yourself physically even. It made me realize what an amazing connection people can make when photographing something or someone.

Thank you Lindsay for not only modeling for this shoot, but opening my eyes to the experiences I can have, and connections I can make through photography...

...The journey is just beginning...

-B

PS) ...of course it's not ALL serious all the time during my shoots, so I've included some outtakes from the day, most of which feature the hilarious and successful photo-bomber "Kitten"!