Ode to Union Station!

So, as you know by now - I attended what we did call the LAST after dark education experience.  A place where you can make your OWN experience what you want it to be.  A place where you are challenged to not just take but GIVE of yourself at any given moment.  BE a part of something.

Because it was my understanding this was the FINAL after dark I wanted to put into play a few concepts that I dreamt up....and one of them I dreamed up during a class session.  I believe I was in one of Brian Demint's classes and I thought to myself.....

What can I do to show homage to this space? UNION STATION? 

We all know and love the grand hall - but the grand hall was all tore up from the floor up.  My lovely arch was guarded by ropes and walls were missing. :(  But every day....I walked in and saw something unique - and perhaps no one else saw....

THE CARPET.

Did any of my other fellow after darkians see this madness??!!!  It was golds with highlights of reds and shading of blues and blacks.  I thought to myself - what about this homage to the carpet?  What would THIS look like? 

I jotted down a few ideas....and approached Dena Demint about it.  I was like hmmm...and she was like hmmmm!!!!  And then I found Erin and talked to her at one of the adventures wandering around the hotel.  She had this PERFECT golden dress that matched up with the concept perfectly!!!!  This was kindof a secret project I put together to show my love not only for after dark, but an inspiration of the hotel.  We have been taught many times over to be inspired and follow through with your ideas be it a success or a failure.  I definitely wanted this to be a success!  I didn't care how tacky the carpet looked - how could I make this amazing!!!???!!!!

Erin hopped in with her ideas and styling...and we got the makeup done to mimic the flowingness of the flooring.  We left out the reds on the face because we made her lips red.  By the end of it all - I felt this glamourous feel to it and the flow of Erin's modeling plus the styling made it super duper fun.  I am still working on finished artwork for these pieces - but as you can see - the ideas were formed....and I'm executing with full-forced-passion!!!!

Here is a close-up of the work Dena did.

This was sooo amazingly fun to not only BRING ideas to After Dark - but concieve them on site with wonderful teams of creatives all over the hotel.  It turned out SO COOL and I look forward to the final series I'll be doing for this homage. :) 

Was anyone else truly inspired by spots in the hotel?  
Share your thoughts and inspirations!

Love Jen


Photography: Pink Light Images
Model: Erin Leigh Pribyl
MUA: Dena Demint
Styling: Erin Leigh Pribyl (dress)
Location: Union Station Hotel, St Louis MO
After Dark Education

The Carter-Westlund Wedding!!!!!

I have been slowly and steadily working on these images from Ryan and Kari's wedding! I was soooooo very honored to capture their day as they had specific ideas and things in mind for their images.  We talked in much detail about the venue, the reception and the family photos!!!  All in all, I've been so happy to share the LOVE I captured in so many of these images.  I can't explain it all, but you saw it AND felt it the entire time we were all there! Thanks Ryan and Kari for trusting me with your special day!!!!!

And now, more art!!!! (more to come of course)

In the midst of March We had Justin + Jennifer!!! at the Dallas Heritage Village!!!

So we had a BLAST with these 2 and their wedding party.  She had so many fun ideas and things to share with me as we created and shared their day.  The food trucks that gave us food were sooooo fun!  She had various circus-type themed things as well as simple carnival style items.  They definitely put a TON of personality into their day!!!! It was super super super fun - I'll be back later with some more images...but for now, here are FOUR never-released collages!!!!

WOOT!

To boldly go where no girls have gone before!

Well, I'm sure SOME folks have gone here before....but WE have not!!! This was our first full all out fun inspirational shoot based off the Original Series Star Trek.  

So after about a year and a half of thinking, waiting, living....we made the Star Trek shoot happen yesterday!!!!  We are getting in RIGHT BEFORE it gets super super super hot...and wanted to take the 1960's original series and do some imaging based on the show and the fun things we love about it.  Carrie volunteered to be our Orion slave girl, Becky our lieutenant and Destiny the Borg. ;0  We started off with all the lovlieness and after we finished out initial setup, we moved into anime eyes and a few other outfit changes.  It couldn't have worked out more perfect...and I have to thank EVERYONE involved! You guys are the folks that make dreams happen. THANK YOU!

Here is today's little vlog real quick!




And here are some teaser images....a more detailed gallery coming soon!

THANKS AGAIN!

Both regular, and anime eyes! + TRIBBLES!

A little bit of ship action.

The Orion slave girl....in her beauty.

Once it got dark, we could create a few dramatic images....since I had made those visors and all that!

Destiny and Becca Jett's creation - they did good for only 2 hours work.

These overlay images are inspired by: "Is there in truth no beauty"

HIGHLIGHTS from St. Louis!

I have spent a lot of time working these past weeks and months...that I needed to stop and also share the HUGE event that happened in April!!!!!  I went to a huge photography experience to learn, grow, receive and create.  There is something about being around people that truly care for your future and who you are as a person and artist.  I was fully encouraged and EXHAUSTED when i got home! ahahah!!!!  I wanted to show you some of my personal highlights of the event in pictures....

I will highlight some CITY pictures in another post!  These are some of the creative images we made while at our workshops, pods and sections where we tinkered with lighting and styling of various kinds.  Thanks to ERIN who was an amazing coordinator and model for all of us to work with.  And of course, EVERYONE involved at After Dark.

ENJOY!

The amazing Jane! - took her through LOTS of images and stylings! - The anime eyes was my idea!

The enrapturing Erin! from day 1 - it was ON!

Some fun things WE all did at AD. :)  It is a group thing, not a ME thing.

The amazing styling and concepts of Brian Demint - and we got to be a part of it!

I call this Anime Eyes meets HUNGER GAMES! :)

Angela was a little chameleon! Soft and classic one moment, and lil zombie girl the next!

 I'll post BONUS images later....I had a GREAT personal day as well!!!! It wasn't just all work work work!!!!! WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very fun FAIRE wedding with dragons, seahorses, elephants and love!

Here is my 2nd ren faire wedding of April!  This couple was super super cool and also had a few creative requests as the wedding day went on!  Very soon I realized since they had a dragon guestbook and a dragon CAKE....I had to incorporate something super unique to ONLY THEM - so when we found the little garden with trinkets and fountains - I grabbed a picture of them w/ the dragon wings. :)

You can see the teasers here below - but there is ONE MORE big piece coming for them!  I was commissioned as part of their package to CREATE a movie poster!  I have already begun the process since they are huge movie buffs.  (as am i!)  I'm taking inspiration from some super iconic posters and mish-mashing something JUST FOR THEM!  I can't wait to share it....

In the meantime, please enjoy a few snippets and details from their day!  I think Vanessa looked quite amazing (as did all her girls) and Jason and the guys also!  Everyone had a lot of fun and we had some fun pictures come out from it all. :)

ENJOY!

It's all fun in FAIRE and love!!!!!

I had the HONOR to photograph this wedding!!! I was soooo fortunate to find this couple and rather, they found me and made my day a fun-filled wedding extravaganza!!!!!

Our day was spent at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival

I was striving to make images for them in all the sense of good family portraits as well as some super-creative fun things around the fair!  We had a BLAST doing so.  I wanted to share one of the images I was really really happy with as far as location/look.  I think there are so many different details to a faire...and once we stopped near the chainmail store - I thought to myself...WHAT CAN I DO HERE?

I tried to shoot through it and could not get a focus - it was too tight-knit together...and my camera couldn't handle it.  But as I walked around it, I noticed the particular garment could work another way!  So I "draped" them in chainmail per say. :)  I hope you enjoy these teasers from their wedding day!  There were a ton more - but i'm always obsessed with the couple by themselves and having fun.  Yes, we did have fun!!!!

Enjoy the FAIRE through our eyes!!!!

This is wedding 1 of 2.  The next one will be up in a few days!!!!

Congrats you two!!!!!

Kenley launches her PINK LADY line!!!! - and SUNRISE in Montauk!!!

Oh what a day it was!!! We had a great time celebrating Kenley's launch of her new line for the PINK LADIES!!!!  My friend Garret was attempting to parallel park as I jumped out of the car and walked around the block!  There she was! ALL PINKED UP!!!! It was super fun to see the store Slapback and see all of her cute little clothing in there.  If you are in NYC or traveling there, go stop in!!!!  I made the journey to BROOKLYN and wore my lovely cake topper dress!!!!!  She made clothing inspired by a lot of the styles and characters of the movie "Grease"...you have to see how carefully tailored they are!  Everyone there was modeling them and I was able to get my own scarf and Kenley tshirt! :)  ENJOY THE PICS!!!!

Also, earlier that morning I had a quick trip to Montauk for that "romantic" moment for myself...from the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Thanks to JOE for taking me out there - we stayed up all nite and caught sunrise. LOL!!!!  I came back to Queens at about 820am....and overall Saturday was just amazing.  I can't wait to get back there in August to finish what I started! WOOT!!!

Here are some pictures!!!!

To see/buy/purchase:  www.kenleycollins.com
And check out the Slapback store in Brooklyn! :  http://www.slapbacknyc.com/

A stolen moment in the mirror!!!!

Jetzain brings gifts!!!! :)

Kenley singing at her party - rocking out to STREET BOSS! - Jetblack Bullseye

Gorgeous moment, pink lady, window light! :)

HERE is my *VLOG* of the event!!!!!

Huge thanks to JOE for driving me to Montauk the morning before the Pink Party!  This was a cool, surreal moment....it could have been the lack of sleep or the dreamyness of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".......enjoy! And here is Montauk!

MEET ME IN MONTAUK!!!!!

Sunrise in Montauk Point

My first sunrise on the East Coast.

Thanks to Joe G for driving me there! It was surreal. - I felt Eternal Sunshine.

The road that went forever.

Here is my VLOG of the sunrise moments in montauk!!!!! ETERNAL SUNSHINE!!!!!!

It is the YELLOW donut phone!!!!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?
yes folks, it has finally fallen into my arms!!!!

I grew up with this kind of phone...I have many fond memories of the giant cord phones with push buttons and rotary dials. ;)  We even had one with a chalkboard.  It was fun to be so technicolor. :)  I remember our house in rural Oklahoma was APPLE GREEN - it is hard not to be flashy in color when my mom and grandma are super flashy and creative themselves.  I appreciate that!!!

Anyways - after waiting about 2 years...I finally just threw my hands up and made this mini-dream happen this week.  The guy had posted it on ebay and it looked so amazing and pristine in condition.  I had to jump on it and get it done.

Here is my little "vlog" about it....

I hope you enjoy it as much as me!
It is the LITTLE things!

What are the LITTLE THINGS from your childhood you remember?
It could be anything!! A doll? A phone? A record - and in some cases...maybe certain clothing you were fond of.  :)  Maybe it was just memories in your mind....

Don't ever forget to celebrate some things in your past...you were created special....

THREE THINGS!

THREE THINGS:

#1 - I'll be SAINT LOUIS - April 21-26, if anyone wants to grab a photo shoot with me - i'll be in town there. I will have limited time, but if you are interested, please ask!

#2 - I'll be in BROOKLYN NY, at the Slapback Brooklyn location on Saturday May 4th, 2pm. Again, if you want images created or made that day - I'll be there with camera in hand! Would love to creat with you!

#3 - The last weekend in June, I'll be in GREEN BAY Wisconsin teaching a workshop! If you are local or know friends nearby to ANY of these places - please get them in contact with me. I love love love love creating ART for you! ♥

have a SUPER day!

Ya wanna send me to NYC? I can crash Kenley Collins' launch party!!!!

Yes yes yes! You remember her!!!! I crashed her birthday party in February during fashion week...it was amazing to hang out if only for a few hours...and say hi and just BE!  There is something I appreciate about this passionate woman - I think simply put, it is her passion. :)  She doesn't ever give up and she is just up there with some of the designers I enjoy! :)

She is having her PINK LADY launch party on May 4th....
and i'm dreaming BIG to go.................

Whatcha think? Are you a GREASE fan??? A movie buff  like me?
I've been pink-haired for a while now...and I find it refreshing to be celebrated, if only indirectly through creativity of fashion and of people. :)

Herez the party flyer!

VLOG 14 - laundry and talking about Project Runway!!!

HEWO, here is VLOG 14......i'm in between events!!!!



Here are the blog entries i was talking about where I met KENLEY!!!!!

MEETING KENLEY!

And here is my small picture "tutorial" on doing a "remix fix" of your old tank tops if they are too stretched out!!!!

TANK TOP remix

To see what Kenley is up to: 

http://kenleycollins.com/

Love Jen