Dear Young Amanda

Dear Young Amanda,

I have a message for you…

We have a lot to talk about. Let’s sort through it together.

First I want to start by saying how amazing of a person you have turned out to be. You have learned a great deal so far and have used it all to become an intelligent lady. I am truly amazed by you.

Backtrack to 19 years old when you decided to learn Film Photography, an art medium you would later become fixated on. You were driven to get skilled even though film was much harder than anything you ever took on. Dad allowed me to use his camera that he had cherished for years. A gift from his father. You thought you could make him proud if you got really good at it. It’s okay that you and Film Photography don’t mix. It’s the thought that counts here.

You soon became totally enamored with Digital Photography and started shooting your friend’s bands. How cool are you? WAY too cool.

Life didn’t involve as many decisions back then. Not like now. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out eventually.

Look at you with your long hair and favorite Keith Haring poster in the background. You’re in your early 20’s looking radiant as ever. Cute and single at the time without understanding your fullest potential and worth. You had so much to learn about love and life. Boys came and went but you kept on striving to be the best version of yourself anyway. Part of me misses your innocence but part of me wishes I could give you a warm embrace.

You decided to pursue your love of Graphic Design in college where you also learned how much you truly loved Photography. Lucky for you, you met friends who stuck with you for the long haul. Gaining more confidence within yourself and not being afraid to go after what you wanted.

College was a struggle just like relationships with the opposite sex but you made it work. And just like that, you graduated, fulfilling a need for accomplishment. Feels like you made it but have you?

Then to the time, you felt on top of the world. You entered a relationship that would change how you interacted with others and how you treated yourself. It was love until it really wasn't. Your 20's were for learning who deserves you and who has bad intentions.

If I could hold you now I would take all your past hurt away giving you a fresh start. That’s not possible and you had to learn your lessons somehow. You have never been one to learn the hard lessons easily, stubborn ass!

Thank you for the laughs, for the cries, and for everything in between. Thank you for being my rock, my anchor; for keeping me grounded when I feel like I might otherwise blow away. Thank you for all of the things you do, big and small. Thank you for giving me these reasons, and a million more, to be thankful for. You are amazing!

Sincerely your grateful vessel 🙏

CorePower Yoga Redondo Beach Shoot

Let's go back to summer of 2017 when I had the absolute pleasure of photographing 11 of the CorePower Yoga Instructors at the Redondo Beach studio. This was surely a year of building self-confidence in my work! I really pushed myself to shoot more often, exploring more styles and ideas. I am so very thankful for each and every person who came to participate in this shoot. Thank you for being truly inspiring human beings and giving back to your community.

We had snacks for those who got hungry while we stretched out and warmed up. Outfits and poses were coordinated ahead of time to ensure complete efficiency. I’m a firm believer in planning most of the details beforehand making the process of shooting quicker and much more efficient. Each Yogini (short for Yoga Instructor) had a 15-minute time slot. There were two time slots for group photos. Both studio managers and the Hot Power Fusion Instructors. We lucked out with having a large 10-foot open window full of natural light. I filled in the rest of the light with my Octobox for softer even light.

Everyone was recording Instagram stories while we shot with each Yogini. Fun playful music played in the background making the experience smooth but relaxed. Above are a few of the behind the scenes stories from that day.

I am quite proud of the outcome of this shoot. I had never shot in a yoga studio before. Checked it off the long list of dream locations I want to photograph. The images were overall pretty sharp in focus even though I could have made the Shutter Speed a little faster. Below are a few of my absolute favorite shots from the day. I hope to photograph at the studio again in the near future.

My favorite part of this shoot was getting to showcase all the Instructors abilities and strengths. It’s always been important to me as a Photographer to capture all the beauty each of my subjects posses. Until next time CorePower, NAMASTE!

Yoga Photography 2017 with Tips l Behind The Scenes

Hey Yogi's and Photographers! If you came here to get some tips on shooting beautiful yoga photos then you are in the right place. I'll get into some of my favorite tips in a minute but first let's talk about the planning involved.

Planning a photoshoot can take time. Time to plan the location, the concept, the lighting setup and so on. If your concept is pretty specific then you'll probably also spend time searching for a team to help assist you. If planning out details really isn't your thing then no worries. Sometimes going with the flow works out rather well! Plenty of my shoots have gone well with just having a general plan and an open mind.

Dean - @thetaoofdean

TIP 1: Allow time for the subject to stretch before you start shooting. 

Personally, I feel like this is pretty self explanatory but for the sake of talking about an important tip, we are going to add it in. Just like athlete's, Yogi's have to warm up their muscles and joints. I typically allow my subject a good 15 minutes to stretch out and get warmed up. This way my Yogi will be able to get deep into postures with much less trouble. Also, safety first!! While they are stretching, you can spend time setting everything up.

Mel - @melliecay

Bev - @threeebeverley

TIP 2: Detail shots go well with full body shots. 

This might sound like not a big detail to pay attention to. I assure you though, getting a good detail shot will only add greatness to your set. For example, getting a shot of your Yogi with prayer hands to third eye center has a lot of visual interest. Everyone and their sister want to look like Instagram Yogi's these days so create a story through each photo. Moral of this tip is to use your creative eye to find those interesting detail shots.

Paris - @paris.coleman

TIP 3: Bring a list of the poses you want to shoot and refer to the list in between.

Preparation is KEY!! Putting together a list with your Yogi before the shoot will save you both time. Instead of scrambling to figure out the next pose, go through a list. This makes the shoot flow a bit easier. I always ask my Yogi what postures are their strengths and go from there. Start with simple on the mat postures and then work your way up to standing.

Check out the Behind The Scenes video for more fun below!