Stacey Bode Photography

We should all feel sorry for Lauren. I mean, it’s gotta be tough going through life looking like Scarlett Johansson. Poor thing. All petty jealousy aside, I adore this gal. She is super-sweet, and turned shooting into hanging out instead of work. Yay! She’s also a smarty-pants, and writes a financial blog called L Bee and the Moneytree. She actually makes matters of money into something fresh and not terrifying. Magic! We took these pics so she could make some updates to her site. Woo hoo!

I gotta mention some biznass in this post too. First, thanks to Gina Rickicki for once again doing lovely things with hair and makeup! Second, I’m glad to have another example of a lifestyle shoot to show folks. It’s a type of shoot that not a lot of people are familiar with. I’ll often get someone asking about headshots, but as we discuss further, I find that they need something more “editorial”. Lifestyle shoots can be geared specifically towards what a person needs. They can be business promo shots, dating website portraits, modeling portfolio pics, and the list goes on. Lauren needed these photos for her blog, and some of the words that came up in our planning were, “fun”, “preppy”, “quirky”, and I think “sassy”. Or maybe sassy just happened on its own. The point is, there’s a lot of flexibility with the mood and style of these shoots, which makes them super swell to do.

Lauren, thanks for being so darn cool. Murray the dog also gets a gold star for awesomeness!

I am in awe of Jamie. First of all, she is vivacious and giggly, with a tack-sharp wit. Then, I checked out THIS video of her singing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (she’s an uber-talented mezzo soprano). Holy WOW! How does that powerful voice come out of this sweet woman? I got chills listening to her. The second OMG thing about Jamie is her ability to rock the heck out of a photo shoot. We took some new pics for her website at the wonderful Oakland Cemetery, and she absolutely owned every single frame. I’m instantly envious of anyone who possesses this ability. To make the shoot even more awesome, we had her cool hubby join us, as well as the lovely Gina Rickicki, who conjured up some hair/makeup fabulousness. Despite some hot weather, followed by an unexpected rain storm, we had some pretty incredible photo playtime. Jamie, you are a dream to photograph, and your beauty can’t be stopped!

Three things I enjoy…taking photos, the Goat Farm, and my pal Lucky. This shoot had it all, baby! It also didn’t hurt that it was such a beautiful day, it seemed like springtime was being dangled on a stick in front of us, but just out of reach. Oh, GA! Lucky and I had a swell time goofing off, wandering around, and takin’ a bunch of pics for him to use for multiple biz/performing stuffs. You guys, he’s the voice of Dr. Krieger on “Archer“. If you have not seen this hilarious show, you should probably slap yourself. So you can hear his cool voice there, and you can see his handsome face here. Win, win!

I love when someone comes to me with a specific photography idea or style that they want to capture. Hayley had some inspiration from one of the great dames of our time, Mae West. I love Mae’s style, and knew that it fit Hayley perfectly. It was clear that this would be a wonderful bit of portrait play time. When someone has such a well-defined vision for their shoot, it’s a fun challenge for me to get what they imagine in their head to work its way into my camera. So, I couldn’t have been more pleased when Hayley gave me the thumbs-up after seeing what we got. We had the best time taking these pics, and our fabulous friend, Gina Rickicki, worked some major magic with hair and makeup. Hayley, you embody all the wit, sass, beauty, smarts, and moxie of Ms. West. As she said, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”. Hayley, I think you’re doing in right.

Here’s a quick preview of some shoots I recently did with the ever-fabulous Jas Sams. Next time you see her, you should ask her if blondes or brunettes have more fun. However, I’m certain that she could have fun with any hair color. Also, you should totally check out her cool blog Smile Big and Pretty!

Yet another great thing about being a photographer is that it’s the perfect excuse for me to get together with folks that I need some catch-up time with.  My swell pal Tim, who’s also the Grand Poobah over at Push Push Theater, needed some portrait-type photos for various purposes.  Thank goodness, because we needed some serious chat-em-ups.  Photo playtime, grab a beer after, everybody wins!  Disclaimer: no hands, chairs, or adorable blonde offspring were harmed during this shoot.  An apple may have been harmed during this shoot.

This is my pal Becky from Canada!  She is daggum lovely, sweet, smart, and has a wit that shall not be reckoned with.  How could I not like this gal?  She’s an incredible improvisor/performer, AND she’s way crafty!  She travels all over selling the wonderful things she makes.  Am I a little envious?  Yes, yes I am.  She needed some fun photos for use in art publications and such, so we got together for some photo playtime.  She might not want to admit it, but she’s a superhero….who has yarn.

Two things I love:  Jenna and The Plaza Theater.  Now, I can add a third…..Ann Marie!  These two uber-lovely ladies are writing partners, work on films, and create all sorts of coolness.  I was so excited when Jenna told me they’d be in town over the holidays, and wanted to get together to take some portraits.  They needed business-type shots, but wanted to do them in a way that was more fun and unique than the usual fare.  Hooray!!  Jenna worked her magic to get us into the Plaza, which was completely perfect.  I’m so glad I got to meet Ann Marie too, and it’s hilarious to witness the banter between these two gals.  You will be hard-pressed to find two women who are more driven and more sassy.  That’s a sweet combo.

Ann Marie and Jenna, thanks a million for such an awesome photo playtime!

Prepare yourselves for a big slice of beefcake!  Yum!  It’s the “Men of Dad’s Garage” calendar!  I’m so glad they brought me on board for this project.  I did these shoots throughout July, and waiting this long to blog about it has been a special kind of torture.  The fabulous folks in these pics are ridiculously talented friends of mine, and they represent the improv ensemble at Dad’s Garage Theater.  The purpose for the calendar is to promote all the cool shows for their next season.  That way, people can see exactly when the shows are running.  Smart.  Even smarter?  Adding some eye candy to that info.

I can’t sufficiently describe here how much fun this was for me.  However, if you shove enough good tequila in my face, I might share a few special details.  Which shoot had the most giggling?  Which one was surprisingly dangerous?  Which one was I not wearing pants to shoot?  Note to potential clients:  I will definitely be wearing pants during your shoot.

So, I do a somewhat adequate job of keeping this blog at a PG-13 level.  I may be pushing it a bit with this post.  If your eyes, soul, or heart are of a delicate nature, I suggest that you do not scroll down.  You have been warned.

JANUARY

Here’s the one from this shoot that made it to the calendar.  We all agreed that the champagne missing the glass was the winner.

Here’s another shot I love from this shoot.  Having just started watching “Mad Men”, I have a new appreciation for Z’s sharp, cool, rat-pack style.  Nothing wrong with ringing in the new year with champagne and a handsome devil.

FEBRUARY

Anyone who knows Christian will understand that we had to involve robots.  Years ago, he made the costume he’s wearing.  During our shoot, he told me a great story about the first robot costume he made, and got stuck in.  Awesome.

This one didn’t make the calendar, but I adore it.

MARCH

Dad’s Garage could totally be accused of false advertising, since Amber is a lovely lady in the man calendar.  That’s why I thought we should play with that idea, and make her look like one of those androgynous Calvin Klein male models, or one of those Herb Ritz photos from the 80s with gals dressed as dudes.  I also figured that since Amber was the only girl in the group, she should be the only one that gets to pose with a half-naked woman.  By the way, a big thank you to gorgeous Alison for allowing us to completely objectify her incredible yoga bod.

Here’s the calendar shot…

…and another favorite.  To all the guys who see this calendar…..you’re welcome.

APRIL

I wanted to experiment with the “April showers” concept, and Lucky has a friend with this amazing car.  Win, win!  I just wish we could have gotten his dog, Abe Jackson, in more of the pics.

Not in the calendar, but I love this one too….

MAY

So, what do April showers bring?  May flowers, of course?  Only Tommy could pull of such a smoldering look while covered with this many blooms.

Seriously Tommy, that look should require a permit.  Weapon of mass seduction.

JUNE

Randy has a show coming up next summer called “Slaughter Camp”, and nothing screams summer like actual screaming when there’s a maniac loose in the woods.

I think my direction before this next image was “more blood!”.  I must also thank Breckan and Rueben for playing dead so nicely.

JULY

I think Mike got the easiest, most relaxing shoot.  On a hot day, he had to look hot while chilling by and in the pool.  I guess it wasn’t all a walk in the park.  I did make him wear that goofy headband.

God.  Bless.  America.

AUGUST

When planning this shoot, it didn’t seem physically impossible to fit three guys in one tub….and all my photo gear into a bathroom.  Trickier than we thought.  Thanks for being such sports, fellas.  Turns out, the toughest part was keeping Dan from finishing that burger before I took the pics.

Dan, Ed and Chris made the cover (this next image)!  We should have called them to announce it, like they do for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.  Thanks to Leigh Hays for letting us use her sweet purple bathroom!

SEPTEMBER

Oh, dear.  This shoot with George and my hubby Matt actually ended up being more tame than I thought it would be.  These guys are not known for their shyness.  I had to stop between each frame because I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t hold the camera still.  This calendar photo still makes me belly-laugh every time I look at it.

Nope, nothin’ crazy about this….

OCTOBER

Rene got the coveted Halloween month (also the month of his birthday).  I wasn’t sure that “mummy” and “sexy” and “funny” could go together, but Rene happily proves me wrong.

Though not in the calendar, here is my favorite from this shoot.  I dig the throwing action and mischievous expression.

Here’s another idea we had for October.  That’s our pal Chris Brown in his oh-so-creepy Rotzo costume that he made himself.  So talented.  In between shots, Chris and I were hanging out in the theater, when an unsuspecting young lady walked in.  She saw him, screamed, and ran out.  It was swell.

Sweet dreams…….

NOVEMBER

Not only does Matt deserve bravery points for the obvious reasons, but he also deserves recognition for the most harsh modeling conditions.  The AC wasn’t working (was in the high 90s outside).  It was painfully hot just standing still, then we made him lounge a few feet away from a fire.  I can’t confirm this, but I’d guess he had no hair left on the other side when we were done.

In case you’re not sure what to be thankful for this Thanksgiving…

DECEMBER

Kevin, I’m so sorry for the pain we caused you.  I’m sure all the smooching, groping, and attention will haunt you indefinitely.  Thanks to our snow wranglers and beautiful hand models Megan, Coop, and Hayley.

If you’re very, very good, maybe you’ll find this under your tree on December 25th.

Thanks so much to all my brilliant friends!  Please go check out all the shows at Dad’s Garage!!!  If you think these folks are hot, wait ’til you see how talented they are!

Family portraits + sword fights = YES!  Jon and Raymond Carr are two of the most cool, creative fellas you’ll meet.  They wanted some portraits to give to their folks, and I was more than pleased to oblige.  It cracks me up how different they are, and they made fun of each other throughout the shoot.  I would expect no less.

I could continue to babble on about the awesomeness of our photo time together.  However, I think you’ll be able to tell what a blast we had just by lookin’ at the pics, so I’ll let them speak for themselves.  Cheggit!

You guys got swag.