In the Springtime of his Voodoo

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Crashing Nightingale

“If we had no winter, the Spring would not be so pleasant.” ~ Anne Bradstreet

Spring brings so many things: rebirth, warmth and unfortunately allergies. What I’ve noticed though is that it brings great photo opportunities. I think every season offers this but Spring is a little extra special because of all the lush colors that come after rain has replenished the earth and everything blooms. It’s sensory overload to someone that is looking at things through a camera lens. 🙂 Spring casts it’s spell on us and we are drunk on the colors, the things that have blossomed and everything the earth is offering at this time.

My dear friend Amy of And How! Imaging visited me recently to give me a quick lesson in studio lighting and of course I couldn’t resist this photo opportunity. She looked like Spring itself with her dress and accessories and it was such a perfect day weather-wise. Below are our Springtime session portraits I took of her; some with the use of my new lighting equipment! 🙂

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”
~ Sitting Bull

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
~ Mark Twain

Photo Shoot with Amy of And How! Imaging

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Crashing Nightingale

The lyrics, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” rings true for this recent photo shoot with my gal pal, Amy. She is an established photographer and owns her own photography business with her husband, And How! Imaging. You may be familiar with their work since I’ve blogged about photo shoots with these creative people. This time the camera was turned on Amy and I was the photographer. Amy is very knowledgeable and oozes talent in her own work.

I recently enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography and I’m currently taking an intensive course in portrait photography. So just like any school program, this one has photo assignments after each unit. I asked Amy if she would be my “willing model” and she agreed to my delight. I had a specific assignment to accomplish with these photos. Amy was such a natural (as I knew she would be) and below are a few photos from the photo shoot. Amy has been a big help with giving me great photography advice. If you’re getting into a hobby or field, it’s always nice to have someone you can bounce questions off of and to give you the dos and don’ts. I’ve truly gotten by so far with Amy’s guiding hand while I’m in school.

Trying out a little tintype editing. I hope some time down the road learn the real deal 🙂

An Enchantment with the Edwardian Era

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Crashing Nightingale

You may have heard the term, “Old Soul.” Typically it’s used to describe a person that is wise beyond their years, has one foot in the past or celebrates history in some kind of way. Buzzfeed has a great checklist for signs you’re an old soul which you can read here (I said yes to some of these; can’t say I didn’t partake in a party phase in my twenties 😉 ).

If you’ve perused my blog you may have gathered that I’m kind of an old soul. I love history and feverishly can’t get enough of anything between the late 1800s up until the 1940s. It’s who I am and I’ve had a love for all things historical for a long time.

I bought an Edwardian blouse from Wildfell Hall Vintage a few months ago. She is delicate and I knew she deserved another spot in the limelight. So what better way to give her this than a photo shoot?! So I talked to my friends of And How! Imaging and we made some Edwardian magic.

Check out the photos from our recent photo shoot where we channeled my inner-Gibson girl. 🙂

A precious, mouldering pleasure ‘t is
To meet an antique book,
In just the dress his century wore;
A privilege, I think

Because I could not stop for Death–
He kindly stopped for me–
The Carriage held but just Ourselves–
And Immortality

Nightly, from their azure towers,
To keep watch above the flowers,
In the midst of which all day
The red sun-light lazily lay

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all –

A Few of My Favorite Things

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

Well hello, December! You slipped up on me quite quickly! My intention this year was to get a head start on my holiday shopping. I have started a little but have a lot more to go. But I have my nice (and maybe naughty ;)) list made which is half the battle!

So I’m sure I’ve mentioned in other blogs and on my Facebook page that I love supporting independent businesses. My husband is an independent business owner so I see the hard work that goes into owning your own business. Let me just say, it’s not as easy as it looks! You are your own everything….Public Relations, Marketing, Creator, CEO, Assistant, Human Resources, Finance..the list of departments and job titles goes on! And a lot of times it’s rolled up into one person. So my point about this is why I love supporting an independent business owner. Whatever business that may be. I know my money is going towards someone’s business that they love and put their heart and soul in to. They can have an actual shop that I can go to or a virtual one. Both work for me.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite “things,” which are places or people I recommend you shop with!

Vintage or vintage re-production clothing: I love it. And something I spend lots of my monies on. My heart races when my eyes make contact with a 70+ year old garment. I mean, come on, it survived so many years and here I am holding it! So one of my favorite places to shop for these things is Sugaree’s located in historic downtown Murfreesboro, Tenn. This adorable shop tugs at my heart strings. I truly feel like I’ve stepped back in time like I’m a 1950s woman having a shopping day. Staci Higdon, the owner, carries an array of fashion lines including BB Dakota and Stop Staring! Clothing. She also carries many accessories such as jewelry, vintage hats, vintage gloves and shoes. You’re sure to find a gift for someone and probably walk out with something for yourself.

My next introduction got the spotlight last summer when I wrote a blog about it. Live True Vintage is an East Nashville, Tenn shop with good intentions and amazing vintage items. I follow Live True Vintage on Facebook and Instagram and Tammy Pope, the owner, posts the treasures she finds and I’m constantly having to practice restraint from not wanting to immediately go there and buy it. Her shop is very charming and she carries TONS of items; men and women’s clothing, hats, accessories, posters…the list just goes on. Do yourself a favor and go ahead and put this business on your go-to holiday shopping destination. Another place you’re bound to walk out with a gift for yourself too. Hey, treat yo’self!

Number 3 on the list starts our journey into the virtual realm. That’s one thing that’s convenient about the internet; you can buy and sell across the globe. Parlor Tattoo Prints caught my eye the first time I saw the owner’s designs. This woman creates the most exquisite artwork. Some designs speak to the old school tattoos that you’re grandfather had inked on him in WWII and some are straight from your favorite movies such as Edward Scissorhands or The Shining. Either way, you’re likely to find that perfect picture for your favorite someone. I bought one for my best friend for her birthday and it was a hit. I’ve always love artwork as a gift too.

Next up is another creative designer that creates the most darling ties that have a hidden surprise. Shannon of Truly New Vintage creates peek-a-boo ties that are the bomb! She takes a tie and adds a pin up girl to the underside of the tie. So when you see someone randomly smiling as they are standing there looking totally professional, you can guess they may be wearing one of these cheeky accessories. She has an assortment of pin up pictures and ties to choose from so that you can come up with the perfect gift.

My next introduction is a destination gift. Natchez Hills Bed and Breakfast is the best gift for a little get-a-way. This quaint and peaceful place has all the right stuff. A nice place to sleep, great amenities, beautiful scenery and best of all, wine! This place is located in the heart of a large wine area in Tennessee with the Natchez Hills Winery being one among them. The owners are the nicest people that you just can’t help but feel like you’re at home when you stay. Don’t live in the middle Tennessee area? Check out what your local area has to offer in this realm.

To continue the destination gift ideas, why not present your beloved with a ticket to an event, concert or festival?! Whether it be a one-day, weekend or week excursion, plan a trip to an event. Know someone that loves music? Make their holiday by gifting them a ticket to a concert or festival. Or maybe you know someone that is into a specific genre or area and there is an event taking place that specializes in this. Guess what, that’ll be a crowd pleaser too. I love taking mini-trips so if someone bought my ticket to an event I was planning to go to, they’d be number one in my book. The memories are the gift that keeps on giving. Here are my two recommendations for 2015 events. The Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender & Car Show taking place May 1 through 2, 2015 and the Summer Wine Train Social presented by Muddy Roots Music departing on July 18, 2015. Both are taking place in beautiful Music City, Nashville, Tenn. Don’t live close by? Well, we have an international airport you can fly in to. 🙂

To top off my list of holiday shopping recommendations, I must insist you look into photography. As in contacting a professional photographer and getting a session as a gift for someone or even for yourself. It’s a timeless investment and worth every penny. A lot of professional photographers offer gift certificates so don’t be shy to ask. Much like a day at the spa, a photo shoot is a pamper session as well. Makeup artists and hairstylists are often included in packages so all you have to do is show up and let the professionals do their magic. Don’t know of any? Search in your area and read reviews to get a feel for it. You can view their website to see their work and make a decision from there. This may be an uncommon gift but I assure you, if you give that special someone this as a gift, you’re sure to be loved for life. And the plus side? Photo shoots are fun!

My recommendations for photographers that I’ve worked with and love to death are La Photographie Nashville, And How! Imaging, Blast ‘Em Photography, Shannon Brooke Imagery, Retrospect Nashville and Uvudu Imaging.

Now that you’ve been given some recommendations, what are you waiting for?? Get to shopping! 🙂

His Girl Friday: A Fabulous 1940s-inspired Photo Shoot with And How! Imaging

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Crashing Nightingale

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love photography. I admire it and truly think it’s one of the best inventions. We’ve spent over a century documenting moments in our lives and photographs have preserved those moments long after they have passed.

I have to say, I’m a lucky gal to have some really talented photographer friends. I love coming up with concepts and different looks for a photo shoot and it’s super swell when these talented friends bring these ideas to life. I recently did a photo shoot with my good pals of And How! Imaging. My husband and I worked with them before and you can view the photos here. They are the sweetest people you’ll ever meet and their work is fantastic. They are a wife and husband team, Amy and Chuck Rouyer, and live right outside the Music City capital of the world, Nashville, Tenn. Amy is the photographer and her husband assists her on the photo shoots. Although their work doesn’t stop there, they put a lot of time and care into each photo shoot and the post-production. Then Amy delivers the photos to you like a perfectly wrapped birthday present. And when you open it, your eyes fill with delight. The photos just instantly invoke happiness!

I had the concept of a 1940s look and talked to Amy about this. They had tons of terrific props for the setting; as they did for the first shoot I did with them. They gave lots of creative direction with poses and the different looks for each picture. They took time to make sure the lighting was just right. I appreciate when someone takes time to study these things each time they get ready to capture the photo. You can tell they have done their homework because they always pass the test flawlessly when you’re working with them.

I always think we should pamper ourselves and when we think about this, our minds go to a massage, pedicure/manicure or some other spa-type treatment. But I truly think a timeless way to pamper yourself is a photo shoot. Hire a professional and let them do their work. And once they’re done, you have a spectacular product (your photos) that you can cherish for decades. So I HIGHLY recommend you contact them and book a photo shoot. What are you waiting for?? Jump on over to their website and check out their work! ☞ And How! Imaging. You can also like them on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂

Now, feast your eyes on these fabulous photos from our forties-inspired shoot!