Before the Earth Awakes ~ How it all came together

The making of "Before the Earth Awakes" was probably as much fun as seeing the finished product.

The gown was especially unique in its creation, so I thought I'd share a few of the behind the scenes tidbits that came together to create this special fine art session.

The clothes:

Originally, I had planned to work with Lemon Daisy Boutique to create a one of a kind outfit.  However, timing and circumstances didn't align for that to happen, so I channeled my inner Sue Bryce ~ photographer and gown-hacker extraordinaire ~ and searched thrift stores & antique shops for the perfect gown elements.

Enter in~ the mother of the bride suit.

A 50 cent mother of the bride suit, to be more exact.

Yessss...

 

I wasn't too keen on the top, but the skirt was a great shape for the nightgown-inspired-dress that I had in mind.  

I took measurements and texted my sister to find out my niece, Brooke's, measurements.

It was perfect in length AND width.  Woah!  (Thanks, God!)

The color wasn't quite "earthy" enough for my taste, so I coffee stained it.  I had to do it three times, as the fabric wasn't holding the stain well.

I also scrunched the skirt, as it dried, to add some wrinkles and texture.

When Brookie tried it on, it was itchy.  So I "sewed" (aka hot glued) a slip to the inside of the skirt.

For the "sleeves", I added a vintage, crocheted collar that I purchased in the same thrift store for 25 cents.   These were attached via safety pins, which will allow me to use the skirt in new ways, in the future.

Aaaand of course, I coffee stained the collar as well, dipping it haphazardly to create a mottled look.

The headpieces:

The wreath was made from dried flowers that I stole from around my house (many of which were from my yarden, last year).

***Now here's where I need your full attention...

Don't ask me HOW I know this, but just as a PSA- I strongly recommend that as your are making your headpieces that you avoid the urge to place them on your head until the hot glue has 100% dried.  Jusssst sayin'...

The fascinator was again made from dried flowers and weeds (some from the side of the road).  They were hot glued onto a metal clip to mimic a fascinator and birdcage.

It was a lil slippery, and had to be adjusted multiple times, so its appearance in the shoot was brief.

**Lesson learned.  Get grippy clips.

All totaled, the gown, slip, and headpieces cost less than $5.   This sort of blows my mind, as this shoot is by far one of my favorites, but the cost of everything was so little. 

The ladies:

My niece, Melanie, was my intern for the day.  She loves photography and was such a big help!  (Thank you, Mel!)

And my niece, Brooke, was my model for the day.  Not only can she nail her facial expressions without much prompting now, but she is a champ with "ballet hands" as well.

We even tried a few unique poses, but because of the shape of the dress and her chilly toes, we were only able to capture one elegant cheer leading + ballet hands pose.  We will most likely do something creative with her posing in the future.  Girlfriend has some moves!

 

While "fine art" poses and expressions were the goal, we had a good time capturing a few shots of Brookie's true 11 year old self, as well.  lol

Thank you, Brookie & Mel for making this session so spectacular!

Thank you to Hull's Spring Hills Farm for allowing us to use your property again, and to Uncle Buck and Aunt Laura who unknowingly also let us use their property.  ;)

And finally, I'd like to thank Brooke Shaden and Emily Soto whose beautiful work has influenced this new style in my children's portraits. {Thank you!}

To view portraits from "Before the Earth Awakes" click here.

For more information on booking your child's portrait session contact Kim Winey at kimwineyphotography@gmail.com.