marin+holiday lights // a winter shoot

Amidst the strands of falling lights, difficulty with reflectors, and Marin and I chatting away about anything and everything, I managed to snap a few photos.
Marin is a total natural. This shoot was one of my very favorites because I got to experiment with "studio" lighting. This is the first time I've attempted to shoot indoors, and you can decide for yourself if it was a success. I tried out different reflectors and lighting angles, and of course strung some holiday lights for a little bokeh effect.

How were your holidays?
xo,
hannah

we wish you a merry christmas

And a happy new year. I hope you all have a happy, healthy, blessed Christmas. And please remember to keep all of the victims of the Newtown shooting and their families in your prayers.
I'm so thankful that I am surrounded by my loving family this holiday, and I'm always thinking of those who aren't as fortunate and praying that they find a way to make their Christmas merry as well.

xo,
hannah

marin+holiday lights // preview

Hi. This is my lovely friend Marin. Marin and I went on a holiday lights shoot. Yes, you should probably get excited to see more :)

xo,
hannah

life in a blur

As a photographer, clear, crisp photos make me all warm and fuzzy inside. BUT, in my photography class at school, we're learning about a photographer (shame on me for not remembering his name) who is famous for his un-focused, blurred out photos.

At first, I wasn't too keen on manually focusing my lens to purposely blur an image, but something about the fuzzy effect of the images reeled me in. I have a new love, folks!

Do you think you're going to try this technique? Give it a shot, you won't be sorry :)

xo,

hannah

P.S. My heart goes out to all of the victims of the Newtown shooting, and their families. Nothing like that should ever happen, it honestly makes me cry when I think of all of those young lives lost before they barely began. Keeping them in my prayers.

one lovely december day // the z family

One lovely December day, I was picked up by Mrs. Z with my camera bag slung around my shoulder, off to shoot her family.

The Z family is pretty adorable. Don't you agree?

 

 The shoot didn't last long, what with there being three little ones all under the age of 5, but it was so much fun. Which shot is your favorite?

xo,
hannah

thankfulness

Thanksgiving weekend has been a break I won't quickly forget. Here is a quick list of things that I'm thankful for:

•crisp nights spent outside with my family surrounding our little fire pit
•photography
•my morning playlist
•the occasional warm day thrown into bitter cold ones in late November
•multiple mugs of coffee and tea throughout the day
•loud, hearty laughter
•falling asleep in the cabin listening to the fire crackle and waking up to find a thin layer of snow dusting the mountains
•hot cocoa with whipped cream
•inside jokes
•long conversations with my friends, talking about anything and everything
•getting up early to go to mass with my family
•the official start of the holiday season

What are you thankful for?

xo,
hannah

electro eyes // a review+tutorial

Today I bring you the Wet n Wild Idol Eyes Creme Shadow. I received the colors 'Graphite' (left) and 'Electro' (right) to review.
These retail for $1.99 and I must say they are totally worth the investing in. They glide onto the skin smooth and creamy, but will crease like crazy if you don't set them with a powder eyeshadow. That's really my only complaint! They are pigmented, smooth, and last as long as you need them to if you set them with eyeshadow.
All the shades in the line are frosty (from what I hear), and aside from these two colors I have two other ones, in "Pixie" and "Techno".
They have no fragrance whatsoever and are extremely light on the eyes. All in all an awesome product :)

From left-to-right: Electro, Graphite, and Pixie.

Here is a tutorial using "Electro". I had so much fun with this because I rarely use blue shadows and I don't think I've ever done a tutorial with blues, so enjooooy!

Step 1: Prime your eyelids. I'm using the original UD Primer Potion.

Step 2: Smudge "Electro" or any other blue cream shadow that you have onto your upper lashline and bring it about halfway into your lower lashline. Don't be too careful, just blend it a little if it's messy. Wing it out slightly, not too far.

 Step 3: Set the cream shadow with a blue powder shadow. This one is from the Coastal Scents 88 Original palette.

Step 4: Set the cream shadow on the lower lashline with a darker blue. This shadow also comes from the Coastal Scents palette

Step 5: Let's start adding warmth to this look! Smudge a copper shadow on the remaining half of your lower lashline.

Step 6: Apply a light shimmery color to your inner corner. This one is from the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip palette for green eyes.

 Step 7: Draw a thin line of copper eyeliner on your upper lashline. Let it follow the wing of the shadow, but not all the way out.

Step 8: Line your waterline with that same copper eyeliner. This one is by Wet n Wild in 'Bronze'.

Step 9: Add mascara and guess what? You're done with ze eyes! (The mascara I used was Covergirl's LashPerfection in Blackest Black.)

Keep the rest of the face pretty neutral. After I did my foundation I actually used Milani's eyeshadow in 'Coffee Shop' for blush/contouring. It's a warm burgundy-rose color that's pretty dark so I used a light hand and applied it to the sides of my cheeks as well as my temples. For lips I just used NYX's xtreme lip creme in 'natural'.

Zat is it! (In case you couldn't tell, I was going for a French accent there)

Any requests for future tutorials? Leave a comment and I'll throw something together :)

xo,

hannah