Stacey Bode Photography

Ooh….here’s Cheeky Lamb shoot #2!

It’s hard to figure out what to write about Perry without sounding like a total weirdo.  It’s because I completely, gushingly, adore her.  What’s not to adore?  She’s smart, fun, cool, sweet…..my adjectives runneth over.  I dare anyone to take a bad photo of her.  It aint happenin’.  She’s just a downright awesome gal in every way.  Um, and have you seen her?  Everybody I know who has met Perry always has something to say after the experience.  It’s usually something like “Wow!”, or “Are you kidding me?”, or “Good grief that gal is pretty”.  I’m almost certain I said all three.  If in the next few days, her boyfriend starts to experience a strange feeling that he can’t explain…it will be the result of a wave of envy from folks who’ve seen his gorgeous lady on this blog.

I didn’t realize until after the shoot that we sort of shot scenarios of 3 of the 4 seasons.  I guess we’ll have to do another session to include “summer”.  Here’s the set-up we did that I think is “spring”.

Perry is an avid knitter, so I love that she brought some yarn to play with.  These are shots that make me think of “fall”.  Nuthin’ says fall like a knitted sweater, no pants, and a see-through shirt!

Our last scenario definitely has to do with “winter”, and also has to do with why we may not be welcomed back to the Atlanta Motel.

Perry, you are one stunning human.  Thanks for letting me show that in some photos.

Soon, I’ll be posting Perry and Tara’s tandem photo shoot…..with acrobatics, birds, and doll faces.  Oh boy!

For a few weeks, I’ve been hinting about a new facet to my photo biz that I’ve been working on.  I’m so daggum excited to finally have officially begun my new division of Stacey Bode Photography!  It’s called Cheeky Lamb, and it’s a slightly left-of-center take on boudoir photography, disguised as a way for me to get knee-deep in my shameless love of portrait photography.  Oooh, here’s the logo….

My approach to boudoir photography is about mood and sensuality, not just boobs and butts.  Don’t get me wrong, I think nude photography can be really beautiful.  Howevah…..whenever I see a stunning photo that has naked action bits, that’s immediately where my eyes go.  Can’t help it.  We’re all drawn to anything we’ve been taught is taboo.  As a photographer-slash-control freak, I want the viewer’s eyes to go exactly where I want them to go, which is typically the face.  Hey, the face is naked, right?  This is not to say that I’m against taking nude images.  I’ve done it in the past, and would gladly include those types of images if someone requested them.  I don’t want the significant others of my clients asking if it would have killed me to include just one naked photo.

My goal is to make anyone in front of my camera feel relaxed, special, and phenomenally gorgeous.  With that said, allow me to introduce you to the very first cheeky lamb.

Tara completely embodies the spirit behind this whole idea.  She’s fun, sassy, and bravely vulnerable.  I suppose it also doesn’t hurt that she’s a natural beauty as well.  If Tara is in a room full of people, the probability that you will be looking at her is very high.  I’m sure there’s a mathematical equation for this.  Let’s call it The Tara Theorem.  You can’t argue with math.

We had a blast playing dress-up, listening to music, eating junk food, and taking lots of photos.  Woo hoo!  Tara, you totally rocked the face off this shoot.

Here are some of the fruits of our saucy labor….

Tara easily picked up on the mood of these shots.  It’s rare when a photo turns out exactly how I imagine it in my head, but these are like someone stuck a USB port into my brain and hit the print button.

Enter, the jackalope.  We heart the jackalope.  We fear the jackalope.  We don’t recommend touching the jackalope with your bare hands.

Here are a couple “behind the scenes” shots.  This one I took using the reflection in the TV.  Can you tell which one is me and which one is Tara?  Hint, I’m the one who looks like a scuba diver.

Here’s Tara chillin’, with the ever fabulous Robin sayin’ hello.  Y’all hear a lot about Robin on my blog.  We second shoot with each other all the time, have weekly doggie play dates, and eat bagels together often.  She was such a huge help throughout the shoot.  She reads my mind before I do, and makes fun of me whenever possible.  “Hey Stacey, I think this shot needs to be more creepy”.  Did I mention she’s also the queen of sarcasm?

Tara may have the perfect profile.  Kinda not fair.

I adore this next series because it really demonstrates the light side of Tara’s personality.

In the words of the late, great Robert Palmer….”It’s closer to the truth to say you can’t get enough, you know you’re gonna have to face it, you’re addicted to love”.

Tara, thank you so much for being ridiculously awesome, patient and willing.  This actually isn’t the end to Tara’s photos.  We had a second shoot that day with our pal Perry, and they wanted a “tandem” session.  Their duo shoot and Perry’s images are coming soon….hooray!

Two things I love to do are learning, and scratching items off my list of goals.  I was able to do both last week when I finally attended the One Light Workshop taught by Zack Arias.  He’s based right here in Atlanta and is well-known beyond our southern borders for his lighting chops.  I had gotten to a place with my photography where I felt very comfortable with natural light and bouncing my hot-shoe flash when available light wasn’t so available.  Photography is probably the only part of my life where comfort makes me uncomfortable.  It’s so cool to me that I’ll never know everything about photography in my lifetime.  So, when I get too relaxed in my ability, I immediately want to know what’s next.

I’ve had an irrational aversion to what I’d call “studio lighting” for years.  I figured it was time to tackle that fear, and experience something new.  I wasn’t sure if off-camera flash techniques would fit my typical shooting style which involves a lot of moving around, but thought I’d be happy to learn about it even if I rarely use it.  I’ll try to condense my ramblings here by saying that I have already incorporated the workshop info into a wedding last weekend, and an all-day portrait shoot yesterday (which I can’t WAIT to post!).

I really wish I was flexible enough to kick my own butt, because I should not have waited this long to take the workshop.  Worth.  Every.  Penny.

We were lucky to have two wonderful models for the day.  Here is a musician named Garrett looking very cool (and not just because it was freakin’ COLD out).  I often like the look of a blown-out bright sky in photos, but Zack showed us how to light the subject and keep the sky details in tact.  Sweet.

This is the lovely Rosanna, who I’m hoping didn’t catch pneumonia after posing in the freezing wetness for us.

Next up was some indoor lighting…

Later in the evening (did I mention the workshop lasted 17 hours?!), we were split into groups and kicked out of the nest.  Here’s me attempting to fly while taking pics of fellow photographer Linda, who could totally have a back-up career as a supermodel!

Sadly, I had to abandon my group when I was lured away by the sounds of loud Justin Timberlake music blaring from the studio.  So I followed the beats to one of the other groups who was playing around with a red curtain and spotlight effect.  Yay!

Here I am welcoming guests to my show.  This pic was taken by a sweet photographer from Ohio named Dallas.

The next day, I wanted to make sure I grasped what we had gone over (since my brain was set to “zombie” by the time I got home).  I took this pic of Matty, which I think is swell.  Hooray!

Please stay tuned, since I have some posts coming up that could mean big things for the future of my biz.  I’m ridiculously excited to share them with you!

I can’t believe what a pro Carter is at such a young age!  When my dad would try to take photos of me at that age, I would often get yelled at for sticking my tongue out, or ruining group photos.  He would count to three for everyone before snapping the shot.  My brain was programmed to think that when it heard the number three, it was time to completely flip out.  Carter is far more mature in front of the camera than I ever was…..or still am.  Not only is he adorable, but he’s also one of the post polite kids I’ve met.  His sweet mom Barb joined us for the shoot, and did a super job making Carter laugh.  I don’t know what she was doing behind the camera, but it must have been very entertaining.  I need to install a camera on the back of my camera!  Carter, thanks for such a wonderful shoot, and if you don’t book the next big campaign for Gap Kids, then somethin’ aint right in this world!

It’s been a busy week, and I can’t wait to have full blog posts up about the One Light Workshop I just attended, and Hastings and Lee’s wedding that I shot yesterday.  In the meantime, here’s an image from the wedding where I used a technique I learned at the workshop.  Woo hoo!

Headshot season continues!  Woo hoo!  I have been real darn lucky to work with some fabulous actors recently.  This pretty gal below is Crystal, and yes….her personality is just as adorable as her face.  She’s even more lovely in person.  Man, I am lucky to have a job that allows me to meet new, awesome folks all the time.  Sloane Warren worked her stuff on hair and makeup.  I think she and I were probably embarrassing Crystal during her shoot because we couldn’t stop telling her how fantastic she was in front of the camera.  We can’t help it, ’cause we don’t lie.

I know it’s a little early for things Valentine-related, but I saw this and couldn’t resist.  I spend a lot of time in my office, and I swear I’ve never seen this before.  This little heart of light was shining through the window onto my floor.  It made me all warm and fuzzy on a morning that I really needed to be reminded of all the love in the world.

Aw, heck.  I’ll take the mush a step further, and provide you with a favorite poem of mine.

“The Drunkards” – Rumi

The drunkards are rolling in slowly, those who hold to wine are approaching.  The lovers come, singing, from the garden, the ones with brilliant eyes.  The I-don’t-want-to-lives are leaving, and the I-want-to-lives are arriving.  They have gold sewn into their clothes, sewn in for those who have none.  Those with ribs showing who have been grazing in the old pasture of love are turning up fat and frisky.  The souls of pure teachers are arriving like rays of sunlight from so far up to the ground huggers.  How marvelous is that garden, where apples and pears, both for the sake of the two Marys, are arriving even in winter.  Those apples grow from the Gift, and sink back into the Gift.  It must be that they are coming from the garden to the garden.

I hope everyone goes through 2010 feeling very loved.

To all the other photographers out there who shoot headshots, you will understand when I say that Donna is a “dream client”.  She is fun, easy-going, professional, and completely effortless in front of the camera.  Her natural ability during our shoot even prompted me to ask if she had done some modeling.  I know, that’s probably THE dorkiest thing to ask someone, but I was just blown away by how easily she changed poses and expressions without losing the connection with the camera.  Ok, could I possibly gush any more about Donna?  Definitely, but I’ll quit yapping, and let you see her awesomeness for yourself.

I have to give a quick shout-out to my girl Sloane Warren who worked her makeup magic on Donna’s gorgeous face.  Wonderful work as always, Sloane!

I’ve known Brad for several years now, but there’s just something fun about calling him “Mr. Brooks”.  So, Mr. Brooks and I had a lovely, yet sub-arctic, photo shoot recently.  He’s a fine, fine actor who currently resides in New Orleans.  My camera was lucky enough to catch him while he was visiting these parts for a spell.  Brad, you are always a joy to photograph, and to be around in other non-photo ways.  Also, you are ridiculously photogenic.  Quit makin’ the rest of us look bad.

Fletch just celebrated his very first birthday!  I can’t believe how the time has flown by.  I never dreamed that this ridiculous, fluffy maniac could bring me so much joy.  He also helped me discover a new measurement of time:  the period of time between when I’ve cleaned up all the fur around the house, and when new fur magically appears.  I call this time frame “fur units”.  One fur unit is roughly equal to 5 minutes.

Happy Birthday, my Fletcheroo!  You totally have my heart.