A couple weeks ago, I took on a lovely little project where I got to style and shoot some head shots for The Wedding Scoop’s own founder Leana Doray. I’m so pleased with how the photos turned out that I just had to share…though I can’t take all the credit. Let’s just say it helps to have a very photogenic model.
For those who haven’t met her in person, Leana is the dictionary definition of the perfect girl-next-door. She’s a natural beauty who barely wears any makeup, has a toothpaste-commercial smile and is probably one of the nicest people you’ll meet (I mean, she used to be a schoolteacher for crying out loud).
I started out by doing a one-on-one makeup tutorial, which was so much fun. I demonstrated a photo-friendly look on myself and had Leana follow along on her own face so she could learn the techniques and recreate the look herself in the future.
Then I gave her some quick tips on picking an outfit from the pile she’d shortlisted, moved some furniture around, and got down to shooting. Um, can you say gorgeous?
I’ve got to admit: since photography is Adam’s domain, I was a tiny bit nervous to be on this solo mission without him. But I found my groove, and even though Adam showed up halfway through the shoot to say hi, he made a point to hang back and let me call the shots. That’s husband material, right there.
Being the makeup artist, stylist and photographer at a shoot would normally be a lot to juggle, but this just felt like a chick-flick movie montage. Makeup! Clothes! Giggling! All we were missing was some perky background music and dressing room curtains to dramatically swish open every ten seconds. (Next time we’ll plan ahead)
What I adore about these photos is how well they capture not only Leana’s outer beauty, but her amazingly bubbly personality as well. This photo kind of sums it all up, don’t you think?
Thanks for the fun afternoon Leana!
