This post is a long time coming but today I was finally compelled to write it =]
As a photographer, a lot of my time is spent with families: re-unions, newborns, weddings, seniors, etc. All of these people are looking for an image to remind them of a special time in their life. And I love it when people approach me, trusting me with this task.
As an artist, I try to conceptualize and re-create an idea or an emotion. You have probably seen a lot of my personal photography work, and a lot of it would probably be categorized as “fashion” photography.
I get asked a lot why I work so much with models and why do I like painting on naked people so much. People tend to throw the word vain around an awful lot and make remarks such as, “You just don’t seem like you’d be into that sort of thing.”
That sort of thing? What exactly is that sort of thing? And why are you making such vague assumptions about me? I am an artist, I thrive on beauty and I want to share the beauty I see everyday.
Narcissus by Michelangelo Caravaggio, a favorite Greek myth and a favorite painting of mine. Narcissus was so in love with his own beauty, when he was lured to look upon his own reflection in a pool, and not realizing it was himself, he fell in love with it. He could not tear himself away from his "love" and eventually died there.
But now let me clarify: I am the Beholder. These are MY eyes. There is nothing wrong and nothing vain about women wanting to feel how beautiful they really are. Wanting to look and feel beautiful does NOT make anyone vain. You’ll notice in most of my work that very few even have make up on(don’t get me wrong, I like to go crazy with make up sometimes, it is fun to play around! But it’s never needed) . I don’t do crazy retouches (although I am a retouch master and have a side retouching business…just because you CAN does not mean you always should). I use a variety of women, all shapes, sizes, colors, because they are all gorgeous. When I have a say in wardrobe, I always ask my girls to keep it simple.
My art…my job as a photographer… is not to simply CLICK a button, and bring every image into photoshop and completely smooth their faces, remove every wrinkle, freckle, birthmarks and features that makes them, them. Before I even click that button, there is usually this awkward moment between myself and my model (and if you’ve ever shot with me, you KNOW what I mean xD) There’s this difficult task of displaying, in a pose, how this person before me inspires me. Is it their laugh? Their eyes? Do they carry their arms as though they are floating on the clouds? The way their hair falls into their face. Basically, the things that you generally notice when you fall in love…those are the things I search for when I take these pictures. And those are the things I strive to capture.
No, I am not saying that I fall in love with all my models! I am not that creepy! But I am open enough to not be afraid to search for those subtle things, things that ones professionalism may prevent them from seeing. There is a sense of intimacy in all my personal projects. I do not simply select models that “look good” because that is not what makes a beautiful image. Most professional models that I have worked with actually, are rude and think they are the hottest thing to have ever walked the face of this earth. THAT is vanity, my friends. And it is a hideous creature that I do not wish to work with ever again.
It’s the beautiful people…with beautiful quirks and beautiful souls. They make my images shine.
So, last night my husband and I were lucky enough to get to see Floater at the historic Whiteside Theatre in Downtown Corvallis. First of all, Floater is amazing. They’ve been around forever (’93) and every single album is a masterpiece. They are Oregonians, so if you are reading this and have no idea who they are you probably aren’t from around here. Although you may, since they are still huge and have been up for Grammys in the past. Still, they choose to play small, local venues and and keep their ticket prices low so people don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to see a show. They are very community and fan conscious =] They even had a local band, Ambush Party, open up for them (they were pretty awesome too, will add pics on my Facebook soon) The event was in benefit of restoring the theatre…it was a beautiful, intimate setting…I believe ticket, merch, and drink sales all went toward Whiteside Theatres restoration project. Check out their website if you’d like to contribute and see some great shows at the same time =]
Pictures! Here are a few. We were right up front and I didn’t have my camera out long because all the moshers were getting crazy so I had to put it away. But Robert Wynia was right there! And it was a pretty sweet show, sans the morons behind us. I couldn’t get any of the drummer because from my angle he was totally concealed by his set =[
After the show Rob gave us each a hug =*] He was sweaty but I totally didn’t even care.
So! These last few months have been a whirlwind of Maternity and Newborn sessions, a relatively new subject for me to tackle. And it’s been awesome! Minus my awkward rambling, apologizing to the expectant mothers about having to climb the stairs to my studio, and asking them if they feel comfortable walking a few blocks to the river front hehe but hey what can I say? Regardless, it’s been crazy and I have loved every minute of it.
And let me tell you now, I have gone a bit prop crazy.
It gets expensive! And cluttered, oh so very cluttered, very very fast. So I came to a pretty good solution I think, that keeps the images unique and let’s me kind of control the creation more too.
I taught myself to knit!
Sure, the first few hours made me want to cry (haha!) BUT once I figured out the slip knot ( =P ) the rest just took off. The strange hieroglyphs in the books all began to make sense…CO, K, P, YO, K2TOG….that’s my language now. I started with the basics, the simple knit stitch. Once I could knit a scarf with my eyes closed I moved on to different stitches…and then I began alternating the stitches and combining them in difference sequences to see how they ended up looking. I began making simple beanies. Then square tops…now I’m making pixie hats, bonnets, and kitty ears! I am currently teaching myself how to make an awesome stegosaurus hat/blanket. I’ve been making little wraps with big holes to let little tootsies pop out of.
The great thing about knitting is that, with enough time and effort, I can teach myself to create almost anything I want. And with that sort of freedom and creative license, I won’t have to keep chucking my money at someone on etsy who makes mass produced items. I may not be the best ( I still drop stitches and lose them forever sometimes =P ) but once I start getting more of these awesome ideas in my head OUT the quicker I’m on my way to being it.
Any knitters out there? Let’s share patterns!
has sprung, or so it would seem =] Upon arriving at the local bakery, I noticed these beautiful berries all bunched together. Not because of their incredible vibrant hue, as one might think ( I mean, they are pretty BAM!) But no, it was their scent. I smelt something sweet along the busy road. I followed my nose to these little beauties, paused, noticed the clouds were retreating, felt the cool air…then got super excited and started digging in my bag for my cam ;]
Since I saw these this morning, I took extra note to my surroundings for the rest of the day. Vines and ivy are beginning to resume their twisted growth upon the towering trees at Takena Landing. I noticed shops and homes are planting these gorgeous lime green and purple leafy bushes in their yards. And even in my own backyard, I spotted several the tulips beginning to sprout. It’s only a matter of time!
SO this passed Friday, my friend and I were lucky enough to be able to photograph this awesome event for our zine Midnight Muse. Being my first time photographing a runway show, I was pretty nervous!! But determined to get some amazing pictures.
1) The atmosphere was super chill and completely erased all my tension as soon as I walked into the door. The vibe was electric! 2) I got to mingle with some amazing artists, designers, and new models (which as you all know, I am ALWAYS up for meeting new models for my random on whim casting calls ;] ) 3) the colors! The lighting was perfect. I had brought my flash but honestly, I didn’t even pull it out for the runway…I really wanted to preserve the intensity of the lights! I think the outcome was amazing. 4) I couldn’t be happier with how the turned out 5) Thank you Timmery for putting on such an awesome show, and letting us be a part of it!
The show also partnered with an amazing organization called the Nakate Project. You should definitely CHECK THEM OUT and support their awesome cause =]
So without further ado, here are all the images I captured from the night. If you would like to grab any of the images, you can grab them from here. If you were involved in the show, you have the option of purchasing hi resolution, logo free CDs of the entire show for $20. Just send me an email and I’ll send it your way!
Dear Andy Olson (of District 15) and all other representatives of Oregon,
I wish to express to you my opposition for the SOPA/PIPA bills currently threatening my freedom, and to share with you how deeply it affects myself and my friends.
I am a resident of this beautiful state and a free lance artist. Due to epilepsy and lack of health care, I am ineligible for state assistance, unmedicated, and unemployable. I therefore must make a living of my own, and I have just recently been able to kick off my own photography business.
Through open information websites such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Craigslist I have been able to promote and share my work with the entire world! Because of sites like this, I have become a PUBLISHED photographer. My work has been featured in blogs nation wide! My work is hanging in GALLERIES! My world is just now opening up to me because of the hard work I have invested into the tools that the internet has provided for me. I am afraid that if SOPA/PIPA is passed, my reach will be severely limited, my business ruined and the last 3 years of my life burnt to ashes.
As an artist, I understand the need for a sort of regulation for piracy…however, these bills are NOT the answer. It may seem like the obvious answer to someone who has no idea how the internet actually works however that sort of innocent naivety only looks cute on small children, NOT members of the House.
Others keep speaking for me, saying that these bills are FOR ME, and will BENEFIT ME…but these bills will only destroy ME and several of MY FELLOW ARTISTS. Even Lamar Smith, the member who proposed SOPA has violated copyright infringement and unlawfully used the work of another photographer without his permission and without credit. He clearly disregards us, the artists who SOPA is supposedly protecting: http://twitpic.com/88ueqz . Here is also the open letter from the photographer that Lamar stole from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxherder/4189641199/
I urge you to do what you were voted to do. REPRESENT US. Speak for US. And if I am the only one writing you today about my opposition to SOPA/PIPA then by all means, ignore me. But if this message is one of thousands…tens or hundreds of thousands…need I say more?
Thank you very much for your time. I hope you do the right thing, because other than writing and calling you, there is nothing that WE can do to stop these heinous bills.
I would very much appreciate a reply! Thank you again,
Sarah Page
Albany, Oregon
541.730.1342
www.sarahpagephotography.com
Now that I have my own studio, I am able to pursue an area of photography I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now: boudoir photography. And with Valentines Day coming up, now is the perfect time to launch a new super sweet package.
The ALL INCLUSIVE Valentine Boudoir Package: $175
Your session will include
- Unlimited time (as long as it takes!)
- Unlimited outfits (let’s play dress up!)
- Location of choice (my studio, your home, or if you’re feeling adventurous, outside ;] )
- Your very own professional Make-Up Artist (Kayleena Makeup Artistry, examples in images above)
- Professional post processing on every image
- Hi glamor beauty enhancements on (15) choice images
- Private, password protected viewing gallery on my website
- Your choice of: (15) 4×6″ prints, (1) custom designed pin up calender, or (1) high resolution CD with all 100% reproduction release
There are many fun and sexy ideas and gifts to choose from ensuring your gift is uniquely your own, including:
Today is Moxxi’s first birthday! We bought her a fluffy new bed that she friggin’ loves and thought it was too cute to pass up this photo op. So without further ado: a morning with Moxxi =]
If you’ve been following me on Facebook then you’ve already heard about the FREE PORTRAITS! Click here to view this as an Event on Facebook. Here’s the scoop:
On top of what’s listed above, you get to choose what color background and a theme: we have hanging ornaments, lights, and candy canes, just to name a few.
Daniel and I will be at the studio as long as we’re needed as we would like to give this to as many people as possible. We wanted to show our thanks and appreciation to all of you and we figured we should just give what we do best =]
Please pass this gift on! You can share/email it using the buttons below! We are accepting scheduled sessions only, please call or email me with your preferred time in order to book =] I will get back to you right away.
Soooo I found out about a week ago that some of my work will be in an upcoming show at a gallery in Portland, and I wanted to share those pieces with you! Chances are, if you’ve been following me around, you’ve probably seen them.
The first two are from my body painting and will be huge, 20×30″ each. The following 4 are from my river series and will be 10×15″ each.
Anyone is welcome to come to the reception and see these pieces and more *hint* The reception is Friday January 6th, 7–9PM and will be on display through the end of the month. The gallery is called the Splendorporium, part of the NPO Art4Life Children’s Gallery. One reason I love them so much.
Anyway, you can check out their website for more info or just ask me ;] Holla!
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