Sarah, the Pirate : The Sarah Sovereign Photography Blog!

In Winter : Portraits of Jennifer!

2012-01-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

Today during the freezing rain we did a super quick photo shoot. It is CHILLY out there! Model is Jennifer Ault and we were assisted by the awesome Audra.

Amber & the Sailboat : Portraits

2012-01-13T23:50:00.000-08:00

Last Spring I did a sunshine session with Amber Short, owner of the Book Man and all around awesome person! I've posted a few of these before, but here are a few extras. Thanks to Crystal McHargue for rocking the lighting ... as it's currently snowing out now (and thus, pretty lovely out) I still have to say I'm super extra looking forward to sunshiney days like the day of this shoot again!

Teacups & Things

2012-01-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago my friend Jenelle gave me this wicked mug from Kilnhouse and I LOVE IT. Sooo pretty. Also, I went to the thrift store just before Christmas with Crystal and scored this beautiful teacup, as well as an old movie camera and a tiny vintage end table for $4.50. (No pictures of the table as of yet, but I'm planning on painting it yellow ... someday.) Also, I am super obsessed with decorative tape -- I am using it on everything these days.

I've begun working on the memory book sample which should be available online soon, but for now, I have a small date with a little game called Super Mario Bros. 3. {I watched The Wizard last night, which always makes me want to break that puppy out and ... get super frustrated. SMB 3 is super hard, y'all.}

A Little Bit of Site Maintenance!

2012-01-09T02:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of doing some light 2012 tweaking to the site, so look for small changes in the next few days. I'm sort of / kind of overhauling the gallery section when I'm able to find time. Tomorrow I'm photographing objects for a memory book, a sample of which will eventually be put online to flip through.

What did I do this Christmas vacation? Not a whole heck of a lot. Jamie and I got super addicted to episodes of Degrassi Junior High on Netflix, and spent a good deal of time in pjs and blankets snuggling with Jax on the couch and watching the drama, poor fashion choices and Spike's hair. We went to Sechelt for Christmas Eve to visit family, I made a small dent in my reading pile, braved the sales at Ikea and had the first Mini Session Day ever. {More to come!} I also started working on a geometrically patterned platter from Color Me Mine. {Most fun ever! And staffed by awesome people.}

I also worked quite a bit on my Smash Book! I've made art journals for years, but there are so many cute and awesome little lists and pads and add-ons you can throw into these books that it sets my little crafting heart on fire.

Back to classes tomorrow! And this upcoming weekend I'm taking engagement photos for two super awesome people who are getting married this upcoming September. My resolution this year is to get into shape so I can ~~wear a spandex unitard to my wedding~~ feel awesome as well as to take up quilting. I've been determined for years to make quilts with crazy colour blocking and geometric loveliness and I'm going to actually attempt to take a class in it this spring. 2012 is going to be GRAND!

Willard Asylum Suitcases

2012-01-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

This project is so amazing and fascinating. Here's a write up:

"In 1995, the New York State Museum was moving items out of the Willard Psychiatric Center in Willard, NY which was being closed by the State Office of Mental Health. It would eventually become a state-run drug rehabilitation center. Craig Williams and his staff became aware of an attic full of suitcases in the pathology lab building. The cases were put into storage when their owners were admitted to Willard sometime between 1910 and the 1960s. And since the facility was set up to help people with chronic mental illness, these folks never left. An exhibit of a small selection of the cases was produced by the Museum and was on display in Albany in 2003. It was very moving to read the stories of these people, and to see objects from their lives before they became residents of Willard." Jon Crispin. {View the accompanying video!}

Jon Crispin painstakingly unwraps each carefully bound suitcase and photographs the contents, documenting the process as he goes. Here are a few of the images taken by Jon Crispin for the series. See more images here and here.

(Link via Foxtail + Fern)

A Perfect Day

2011-12-31T01:45:00.000-08:00

I recently managed to get my old external harddrive up and working again. I've carried it all across Canada with me and it's been sitting in my cupboard for the last five years, so browsing through all the files makes me pretty nostalgic. It's crazy to think how much my life has changed since when those pictures were taken -- and how much it's stayed the same.

In June 2007 my cousin Melissa and I made the journey to Queen Charlotte City from Masset for the day. We ate at Queen B's, saw some fishermen catch halibut, listened to live music and hung out for a good couple of hours in a field of buttercups at the edge of the ocean. It's one of my favourite memories and finding those pictures really underlined why photography is so important. You don't always need to hire a professional photographer or use a fancy camera -- taking photos of everyday events and all the little things is an amazing and important way to memorize your past for your future.

Looking through all the years of pictures stored on the harddrive makes me feel so nostalgic and just a touch wistful. I'm lucky to live close to my parents and my brother, but most of my close family is far away. I high five the Internet for existing on a daily basis so I can keep up to date with everyone -- this Christmas I got to see my best friend Dallettes' little girl react to all her presents under the tree via video and one of these days I'm finally going to attempt Skype. At the start of a new year, it's lovely to not just look back on 2011, but to look back on the past years as well. I'm so lucky to have so many fantastic things to look forward to in 2012 -- not only my wedding, but visits from my nearest and dearest, too.

Haida Gwaii is one of my very favourite places on earth. Winding along the highway in the greatest 4x4 truck ever ("Pearl"), sunshine, ocean air and wildflowers -- here's one of my best days ever.

Little Red Riding Hood

2011-12-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I am about to head over to my mom's to help Ikea-size her living room (we braved the busy roads out to Port Coquitlam and collected as many half price frames as we could fit into our cart and we're going to make a family photo wall!) but first I wanted to post these Little Red Riding Hood pictures. They are a couple of years old now, but I recently re-tweaked the colour and pop of them. Originally shot in October, these pictures were taken on a damp and chilly day. Clothing and fashion designed and created by the amazing Macey Faulkner, assisted by my right hand woman Crystal McHargue, and aided by Jennifer Reichelt. The model is MacKenzie, who did a fantastic job, especially considering how cold she was!

Head Shots of Elizabeth

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

I did a small post a little while ago with the head shots I took of Elizabeth this year, but since it's the end of the year and I'm updating everything, here's a larger set. Elizabeth Toney did her own hair and makeup for the shoot -- if you're looking for someone to do amazing hair and makeup, I couldn't give her a better recommendation. She's amazing! In fact, she's doing the makeup for my wedding this August.

Country Summer

2011-12-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

For sunshine days out in Conmee and apple orchards as far as the eye can see. <3.

Melissa, Duncan, K & X

2011-12-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

I love this little family! <3.

Awesome Little Family: Chilliwack Photographer

2011-12-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

My nephew Connor is super awesome times a billion, and this Christmas I got to photograph the rest of his awesome family during Mini Session Day!

Sabrina Fair - Portrait Shots

2011-12-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

This year I took the cover photo for the Sabrina Fair poster put on by the Chilliwack Player's Guild. Hair and makeup was done by Elizabeth Toney, and the shoot was directed by Emily Hamel. Here are some of the images that we took!

The Memory Page on the CPG website.

How A Pumpkin Grows

2011-12-09T23:33:00.001-08:00

My little nephew Connor, who I get to see tomorrow! I can't believe how fast he's grown ... it seems like yesterday he was a wee guy and now he's this redhaired ball of energy who knows his alphabet.

"I don't wanna leave the park, Auntie" :( SAD FACE.

Okay one more swing!

A Post About Crystal!

2011-12-09T14:35:00.001-08:00

This Autumn I got to photograph my best friend Crystal and it was EPIC. Not only will Crystal be rocking the world (off its axis) this August at my wedding, but uhm, she's also, I don't know, awesome, funny and hardworking and maybe works with the best people in the world. She's always in my corner, ("WHAT. YOU DID THAT FOR FREE?") and oftentimes is my right hand woman on creative shoots. One time (embarrassingly recently) we sat and chatted in my car without realizing I'd left the lights on for three hours, and as a result my car wouldn't start and my brother had to come jump start us at 4 in the morning. Special thanks to Jami for doing makeup and helping with lighting on this shoot! Crystal, YOU ARE AWESOME and beautiful! I'm so thankful for an amazing friend like you!

Mini Session Extravaganza - December 10, 2011!

2011-12-01T11:57:00.001-08:00

On December 10, 2011 I'll be doing mini-sessions from 10 - 1 p.m. at a local park! Sessions are only $100 for up to a family of four and come in half hour slots. This is a great opportunity to have some Christmas pictures done during the flurry of holiday activity that accompanies December! Images will be carefully edited and sent to you before Christmas so you can pass them out to family and friends this season. That's 10 to 15 beautiful images to share!

So how do you book your spot? Fill out the handy contact form or call 604 799 5503. Spots are limited!

Want more than a family of four? Add an additional person to your group for $20 per extra person.

What should you wear? Colours that work together -- either the same colours, similar shades / tones of one colour, matching colours in a palette of your choice.

What if it rains? In the event that it's pouring rain (and not just a light mist) the rain date will be December 11, 2011 from 12 - 3 p.m.

Book today!

Memory Books - $50 dollars off from November '11 - February '12

2011-11-17T03:31:00.001-08:00

This winter I'm running a memory book special! Order a memory book starting at $400 and receive a $50 discount from November 20 - February 14. Memory books not only make great gifts, all the images are shot in RAW or scanned in high resolution, meticulously edited and each book is made with great care and attention to detail and design. Catalog a collection, document memories, remember a loved one or capture an event. Shoot combo pricing is available. To learn more visit the google document or see the pricing guide. Images are backed up and multiple copies of each book are available to order.

Design Tweaks + Alicia

2011-11-17T02:58:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed, I've been doing some little design touches here and there all over the site. Originally I was going to make the move to Wordpress, but things be busy and in lieu of making The Great Switchover, I've given the blog a new header and some a new colour scheme to boot. Look for new galleries to gradually be added to the main site, as well as little things here and there.

What have I been up to? I did some event coverage for a 90th birthday at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver. Let me tell you, that place is FANCY. I also designed the poster for the upcoming Chilliwack Player's Guild production of 'Tis the Season and I'm also creating the program for it. (In fact, that's what I'll be working diligently on in the next two days.) Also? My friend Emily totally wrote it. High fives to Emily, who is awesome. You should all probably drop your plans from November 30 - December 4th and go see it. Twice.

While I've been super slow with the updating, here are some images I took this past August of my good friend Alicia. Alicia have been friends since high school, when we both discovered the other loved reading and nature and thrift store finds that are awesome. My trips to Thunder Bay are always so crazy, and this one was no exception. I booked a series of photo sessions into the 10 days I was down, spread across the city, Fort Frances and Kakabeka. Somehow I managed to go from shoot to shoot and have time to visit in between as well (three months later and I'm still patting myself on the back.) so I spent an afternoon with Alicia.

Here are a few from that session. The field with the stoves and fridge and the house? Totally old family property we snuck onto (sorry Uncle Ron!). Finding old appliances in wild country is both surreal and awesome for photographing purposes.

Comments / feedback about the new design? Please let me know in the comments!

A Halloween Post!

2011-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. I've been preparing for it all month with awesome favourites (Hocus Pocus anyone?), far too much candy and a Halloween costume session with Cordelia. Jamie and I visited the pumpkin patch and Jamie actually constructed a giant man-eating Super Mario Bros. plant that will be dispensing candy this evening outside our apartment. I especially love how Halloween just kind of automatically transitions into Christmas, thereby making this time of year my absolute favourite.

What else did I do in October? I traveled to Seattle to meet up with my longtime friend of awesome photography, Amy Nieto, who did an engagement session with Jamie and I at the Seattle Public Library. If you have never been to that particular library, GO. GO NOW! It's huge, spacious and one of the neatest buildings I've ever been in. How can you argue with a glowing escalator and a red level. AN ENTIRE LEVEL MADE OF RED. So awesome! We loved Seattle so much. After the portrait session we wandered over to a little handmade organic market where I picked up some dried herbs (lavender, sage, and lemon thyme) in a little cloth bag, feathers and awesome pads of paper courtesy of Rifle Paper Co.

I've also done a lot of sessions this month, and still have a few spaces open for November and December! I'm afraid I've been horribly lax with my blog, but pretty soon I'll post pictures of my shoot with the awesome Crystal, a vintage family session, a baby session, a colourful family session times a few, a handful of creative sessions and some event photography times two. Until then, please enjoy your Halloween, eat a ton of candy and enjoy a Halloween special or five. Might I suggest the Disney movie that scared the pants off me as a kid? Look down below for a youtube snippet!

Portrait Session: Jami

2011-10-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I took some portraits of Jami, where we drove all the way out to Agassiz with her friend Laura (who also did hair and makeup) and my right hand lady Crystal.

Baby Addyson

2011-10-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

Ah! I'm so far behind in updating! You can always see new shoots on the facebook page first: www.facebook.com/sarahisovereign/! This autumn I had the chance to photograph the lovely and awesome Addyson. Here are a few images from our session. I constructed a little nest with butterflies for her to sleep in = cutest thing ever.

October is Awesome.

2011-10-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Lately I've had the lyrics of Sarah Harmer songs running through my head, one of which is "I'm out of the hideout" and maybe also, "The grass is happy and I think, so am I". Fall is awesome. I love how all the leaves are changing colour, the golden glow outside, the new Feist album rocks my socks off, and there are pumpkins, goblins and ghosts everywhere. It's been a long September, so I'm focusing on getting my mind out of the past and into the future: Halloween is coming, Christmas is around the corner and next summer... well, I'm getting married or something. {YAY!}

Yesterday Jamie and I went to Wisbey farms and picked out a bunch of pumpkins. 10 in total, a few of which are teeny tiny. I also picked up fresh hot peppers, tomatoes (which are either giant cherry tomatoes or small regular tomatoes?) and apples, which I'm now enjoying for lunch: spring mix greens, balsamic vinegar, three tomatoes, a few slices of cheese, a couple pickles and four bright red strawberries = best lunch ever.

On Saturday I went shopping downtown Chilliwack with my mom! Lunch at Decades (I'm back on my diet so it was my last Greek wrap and caramel macchiato of the season), and then we wandered down to The Button Box (I picked up three beautiful plates to put cakes on for our reception next August), Lellow (my friend Georgia makes the Swinky Binky they sell there -- and she's totally using owl print fabrics = awesome.), I picked up three vintage dresses at the Wellington Emporium for upcoming shoots, little pumpkins and a baked apple pie candle at Creekside, and we stopped in Appeldoorn's for tea.

Other things that are just plain great: new photos over at the facebook page and a couple more shoots in the next few weeks! I have a couple of spots left in November and December. PLUS Jamie and I are heading to Seattle next weekend for an engagement session with my good friend Amy Nieto!

Also: This video is amaaaazing. I want to live in that apartment.

Just some words to live by

2011-10-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Site Updates & Fist Pumps

2011-09-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

- There are a few changes happening in the 2011 pricing guide, as well as some changes being made to payment policy (which will be outlined soon!)

-I'm also in the process of redesigning the entire website, with a hoped-for launch around Christmas / early 2012.

-I TOTALLY BOUGHT A BRAND NEW COMPUTER. YESSSSS. So excited! This will be such a help to efficiency and awesomeness. I feel like every time I say, "I just bought a new computer!" I should accompany it with a fist pump into the air. 80s style.

-I will be creating and posting a price list for prints ordered through me. Please note I've also created a change to the way in which you receive your prints -- cds can now be purchased in addition to the session fee.

I am also now booking portraits into October (only a handful of spots remain!) and November. It's a wonderful time to book Christmas portraits for your nearest and dearest. I'm also very excited to be shooting again this autumn with the Chilliwack Player's Guild! Tomorrow is the 21st Anniversary for The Book Man (THEY WILL HAVE CAKE), and you should probably go to it. You should also know that some of the advertisement they've used for the promotion features photography by yours truly. Last spring I had the joy of photographing the one and only Amber Short and it was the perfect response to what had been a very stressful, struggle of a winter. Thanks Amber, for the awesome photo shoot and also, for being able to jump higher than anyone I know.

I am diligently editing the remaining photographs from all the summer sessions and should have them ready to send soon. Watch for updates and longer sneak peeks via the blog!

Lita Modeling Portfolio

2011-09-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

This summer I was able to do a session with Lita, an aspiring model in Ontario. Thanks to my cousin Melissa for giving me a hand!

Road Trip Into Ontario

2011-09-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Lillia is like a little ball of sunshine, so a sunflower field was the perfect little side stop to take some pictures. Also, the car was constantly breaking down, so stops were frequent and we needed as much sunshine as possible to prevent ourselves from kicking the car and just storming into Ontario on foot.These pictures chronicle our trip through Winnipeg, Kenora and towards Fort Frances, Ontario.

Lori & Family : Chilliwack Photographer

2011-09-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

This summer I had the opportunity to travel through Ontario and take pictures. Lemme tell you, it was a blast. A busy, busy, busy blast, but still lots of fun. I'm still in the process of editing all of the photos from the sessions I did there (ten sessions in under two weeks, plus visiting with friends and family. Excuse me while I give myself a high five. Awww yeah!) and it's a lengthy process. Here are some of the images I shot at Lori, Joel, Hannah and Alyson's session! They were so much fun to photograph - what an awesome, funny, loving family.

Here's some background on the session. I had flown into Winnipeg and met up with my cousin Melissa, her toddler Lillia and her two giant dogs and the plan was to head to Fort Frances from there. We spent one night in Winnipeg and then headed out on the road. Or... tried to. Melissa's car limped the entire way there, breaking down just outside of Winnipeg. Luckily a lovely couple swung by our overheated car and gave us a hand. We may have driven 60 the whole way, but we eventually made it to the planned session with Lori and her family... albeit with a handful of cooped up dogs and a darling, but cranky little girl.

Something like ten hours,(instead of the planned four hours) later we were kicking back in Fort Frances. But at least we made it!! Now Melissa and I are temporarily sporting the same make of car (since I totaled mine on speed bumps the size of Buick's outside the apartment) so fingers crossed both of us can keep our vehicles rolling. (Especially since Melissa is roadtripping out next summer for me and Jamie's wedding.) (WHEE!!!!)

Anyways, here is a bigger sneak peek from Lori and Family's session!

If you're interested in a session with Sarah Sovereign Photography, please send me an email!

Dandelion: Stills from a Short Film

2011-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

SSP: On Vacation!

2011-08-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be away through the month of August photographing my way through Northwestern Ontario, Winnipeg and ... New York! If you send me an email, I'll reply as soon as possible but replies will be fairly sporadic as I travel from place to place. If you've booked a session with me along the way, you can always reach me at 604 . 799 . 5503. Hope your summer is full of adventure and awesomeness. Happy August!

Summer Update + Vacation 2011!

2011-08-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this in between preparing for the history exam I'll be writing later today, so my brain is currently a mish mash of pre-14th century history and the two recent photo shoots I did.

Last Sunday I shot The Secret Garden with Emily and Liz and it was SO FUN. We hunted down a few spots in Yarrow and did an editorial take on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I asked Jamie's mom if we could have some the flowers from her garden and she generously gave me an entire rubbermaid tub FULL of roses, crazy daisies, hydrangea and little yellow wild-like-flowers. My mom and I had gone to the Wellington Emporium the day before the shoot and I found some of the most awesome stuff ever. I have a real soft spot in my heart for the Wellington Emporium ... they have so many great things. I went in there about a month ago and made a comment about looking for a taxidermist who might have some songbirds and they had the number of someone I could contact ready to go because they just have stuff like that on hand.

Anyways, my mom and I found this lovely all lace white dress for Liz to wear and the creepiest, most haunted doll ever and got both for a steal. The doll looks about a hundred years old, but the previous owner had dressed it up for a child, so it had this horrific velvet dress with feathers on and a bizarre headband glued on with ancient sticky tack and extra unnerving fishnet stockings. After a little bit of work she was fixed up and ready to photograph... and you know, she may be extra haunted and might possibly come alive at night, but she looked awesome enough in the shoot that I've decided I don't care. ... Although Jamie did pointedly throw on Child's Play the night I brought the doll home.

The next day I did a morning shoot with my friend Georgia for The Book Nook, reversible fun-patterned bags just big enough for a book or two. We set up some suitcases and teacups in a field and photographed each purse. They are going to be available in a week or two at The Book Man.

I'm in the process right now of switching over domain hosts as well, so the actual www.sarahsovereign.com domain may go down for a few days. In such a case, the blog will remain available as well as the facebook page. You can always reach me at sarah@sarahsovereign.com as well.

I'm also going on vacation this Saturday! You can still get a hold of me, but responses may take a little longer than usual. I'll be gone from the 13 - 30, and traveling around Northwestern Ontario and flying out of there to New York City! I can't wait to finally meet my best friend Melissa's two kids, my cousin Melissa's daughter Lillia, rock it like a hurricane with my cousin Keri and generally have one long summer BBQ in my old hometown. When I come back I'll have a handful of new shoots as well as a new semester and a new site recoding from Burgoyne Online and Computer Services so stay tuned!

Happy Summer!

Email Issue Fixed!

2011-08-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

The email form was down for awhile -- nothing seemed to actually be getting through to me. It's all fixed up nice now though -- my sincere apologies if you haven't received a response from me from the form! Please resend, or contact me directly at 604 . 799 . 5503.

Now booking sessions from September - December 2011!

2011-08-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Now booking sessions from September - December 2011! Share a little photo love this fall with creative portraits from Sarah Sovereign Photography. Fill out the contact form or call 604 . 799 . 5503 for more information!

Little Caleb

2011-08-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Taken just hours after little Caleb came into the world, Crystal and I set him up next to the big hospital window on his blanket and took some soft light photos of his super cuteness. Congrats to Jenn and Justin!

Magician

2011-08-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

The Magician shoot from last autumn! Photography: Sarah Sovereign, Hair & MUA: Elizabeth Toney, Model: Emily Hamel.

One Big Awesome Family!

2011-08-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Crystal and I did a session with our good friends Jenn, Justin, Mackenzie, Cameron, Olivia and Caleb. They are just the best, most awesome little family and taking photos of them was the most fun ever. Here are just a few from our great session!

Parisian Derelict : Editorial

2011-07-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

On a rather hot day last week Liz, Crystal and I got together for what was supposed to be a classic style "Day In Paris" shoot. When we started shooting at the abandoned gas station location though, an entirely different story began to lay itself out.

{Hair, MUA, Model: Elizabeth Toney, Lighting & Manager: Crystal McHargue, Photographer: Sarah Sovereign}

Soft Sailboat

2011-07-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite window in our complex. I love that outside tree.

Fabrics!

2011-07-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

I love working with fabrics. I've done some fabric mapwork, as well as some patchwork in the past and I definitely have plans to do more. The biggest issue right now is the craziness that is our office / studio -- Jamie and I decided to completely revamp our space about three weeks ago and we're still sorting out everything. Truth be told, I have a lot of stuff. So, with plans in the works to possibly grab some wall shelves, I've got a new shiny red cabinet to house all of my art supplies and an Expedit bookshelf I'm using to colour code my books. (This is how I spend my Saturdays.) I'm also working on reupholstering / repainting two chairs -- one of which I bought for seven dollars at Value Village three years ago... uh, it's time.

So, I've bought some tough aqua fabric and I'm going to get my hands on some white spray paint (or pink, or yellow, haven't decided yet). The second chair is a comfy armchair that I'm going to reupholster in mustard yellow and IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME! The woman at the fabric store looked at me aghast when I mentioned my colour theme, but rest assured, it will look lovely next to my sailboat and Jamie's wicked Darth Vader helmet. I have no idea what I'm doing, so it should be interesting.

Finishing up The Book Man bookmarks the other day, I ended up taking a number of new pictures with the possibility of adding them in. They didn't make the final cut, but they were so fun to take anyways! Look for the new bookmarks soon (their new store is ~~now open in Abbotsford!~~ Opening soon in Abbotsford!).

Happy Day After Canada Day! I hope you are all resting and relaxing. I slept in a tent last night which .... let's be honest, reminded me why I don't generally sleep in tents. I will now be spending the afternoon with a very disgruntled, much maligned cat, a cool glass of iced tea and a little bit of this movie or perhaps this movie.

Pssst....

2011-07-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey! Did you know I have a facebook page for Sarah Sovereign Photography? And Happy Canada Day everyone!

www.facebook.com/sarahisovereign

P O U F

2011-06-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

In conjunction with The Studio, this past winter we turned my apartment into a makeshift studio and, inspired by the pouf works of the rococo period, made hairstyles that reflected different areas of the Arts.

{Hair and Make Up: Liz Toney, Creative Director: Emily Hamel, Manager: Crystal McHargue, Model: Liz Toney, Emily Hamel, Concept and Photography: Sarah Sovereign}

So many updates!

2011-06-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

1. Look for new bookmarks to appear at The Book Man sometime in the next little while! In keeping with a literary ideas theme I revamped a number of the older bookmarks for the next run, as well as created ten more fresh book-themed designs that are going to look lovely in the new store soon-to-be-opened in Abbotsford! I'm putting the finishing touches on them now.

2. I am going to be in Thunder Bay this August! I can't wait to meet my best friend Mellers' two little boys, my cousin Melissa's little girl and just see everyone I haven't seen since 2009. I can't believe it's been so long! The great news is that I'll also be setting some time aside for a limited number of pre-booked photo sessions! Creative portraiture, kids, families, couples and everything in between. If you are from the Thunder Bay / Fort Frances area drop me a line to inquire / book your session.

3. This past Tuesday I did a lovely, dreamy little creative shoot with Liz and a number of other delightful people. Thank you to Megan, Buttercup Jones, Georgia, Sydney, Sinead, Liz, Josh, Julie and St. Thomas Anglican Church. Pictures are slowly going up on flickr.

{Hair & Make Up: Elizabeth Toney, Model: Sinead Penner}

Sabrina Fair

2011-06-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you set up crazy amounts of lighting equipment in your friend's living room, dress a model in a pretty pink dress and lovely hat, and have a photo shoot. This is what happened when I had the pleasure of photographing the poster for Sabrina Fair this past winter! Sabrina Fair happens July 6 - 10 and is being directed by the amazing Emily Hamel. GO SEE IT!

Dandelion - Short Film

2011-06-22T14:46:00.001-07:00

Music - "Flume" by Bon Iver and "Your Protector" by Fleet Foxes.

Things I Would Like To Do More Of / Learn To Do:

2011-06-14T01:03:00.000-07:00

- Needlepoint / Cross-Stitch. The last time I made a cross-stitch it was in the shape of an apple and I was giving it to my seventh grade teacher. I do a lot of sewing with fabrics in my art practice, but those are generally x-stitches that don't call for orderliness or neatness. So, as I sit around my apartment covered in moved furniture and crazy books + thrift finds + Star Wars figurines, I could use a little order.

- For that matter, I'd like to work a little more with fabrics. I have been planning to do a quilt since like, 1875 so it's about time I get on that. I'd also like to incorporate a more free-flowing use of fabric into my art. Which is crazy because as you just read above, I just called for more organization. This is how I roll.

- Painting. Last autumn I did this crazy mixed media with paint thing that is currently propped up against something in our storage unit. It literally weighs about three houses and I lugged that beast all over campus. I wanted to hang it on our apartment wall, but I was pretty sure it would take down the dividing wall between us and the apartment next door, and then we'd have an awkward moment with the lady that constantly berates the state of our hanging baskets. Much more awkward even then the time our cat ran out on the balcony, scaled the divider, and scurried through her open balcony door and hung out in her apartment doing God knows what.

- This is completely unrelated but I just realized that I recently downloaded some music that seems to consist of one guy drunkenly, incoherently yelling for about thirty seconds. Huh.

ALSO unrelated, but Jamie and I are reorganizing our apartment! With a new filing cabinet / hutch, the Ikea Expedit bookshelf (now times two!) and some more organizational elements the ... apartment is a huge mess. But! Once it's completely revamped life will be grand, especially because it's t-minus just under two months until my good friend Amy Nieto comes to sleep on our chaise lounge and have my cat sleep on top of her.

Today I went for coffee and a walk with my friend Carolyn and once again fell in love with some of the rundown soon-to-be restored houses of Garrison Crossing:

The rest of this week I will be shooting a short film with some stop motion animation entitled Dandelion. Previews to come after Wednesday!

The Boxer

2011-05-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Photography: Sarah Sovereign
MUA: Elizabeth Toney
Hair: Jennifer Ault
Model: Ashley Lucas

Spring and Pretty Things

2011-05-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

I have been scoring like nobody's business at thrift stores lately. A fur stole, an awesome sailboat ... I went to Value Village yesterday and found the most adorable framed needlepoint works. I've photographed the two little birds, but I also found some lovely flower needlework pictures as well, and the prettiest vintage painting of oriental poppies.

My next favourite thing to photographing people is photographing little things. I love documenting all the knick knacks I keep kicking around our apartment. People have a tendency to wander into our place and get caught up looking in all the little corners. We are a mish mash of Star Wars memorabilia and tiny porcelain deer. Nothing beats coming home with an awesome find that will fit into your home just right. What's funny is that I still have a little pile of things I really have no idea what to do with... like a giant vintage light fixture in my parent's crawlspace in the moment. It's amber coloured and straight out of your grandparent's living room but SO AWESOME.

Yesterday was a great day! The sun was shining, I took some pictures and edited the sailboat photographs. I wandered over to Color Me Mine and began painting a teapot for my mom to use in a Tea coming up at her church, hung out with Crystal and then grabbed a drink with my mom. Last night Jamie and I went to the drive in, too! My favourite part about the drive in is that sort of pre-sleepover feel you get when everyone is wandering around in their pj's and night's coming. You can feel everyone's excitement as they snuggle down in their trucks and cars and wait for the show to start. We saw Thor and Pirates of the Caribbean and rolled home around 3 a.m. sooo sleepy and extra ready for bed.

Tomorrow we get my nephew all day and I am pumped to take him to the park, take some pictures with him and just spend a bit of time with my favourite little ginger. OH! And also awesome, my mom has a program in her classroom that involves taking home a little stuffed lion and then detailing his adventures in a book that's brought back to the class. She left him with Jamie and I tonight so that Connor can play with him tomorrow. Let me tell you, that Lion is going to have the adventure of a lifetime! We will be introducing him to coffee, playing with him at the park, and showing him the delicate intricacies of interacting with the ferocious Jax. With portraits coming up on Wednesday as well, May so far has been pretty much jampacked with awesome.

Happy May Long Weekend everyone!

Amber & the Sailboat

2011-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am so very much in love with the sunshine and the blue sky and all the green awesomeness growing all around the valley. It's been a really trying winter, but spring promises a lot-- Jamie and I changed our lifestyle, eating healthier and exercising more. We're going to be taking up swimming and I'm going to wow the world with the finest dog paddle in Chilliwack. So far I've come down three sizes and Jamie has lot sixty pounds. It's pretty amazing, and we're high fiving ourselves like nobody's business as we adhere to the strictest but most rewarding changes of our lives.

I did a few larger scale photo shoots this past winter and was really wanting to do something low key and simple, so I put together a very impromptu shoot last night with the lovely Amber Short. Crystal was even able to come out! I recently picked up a reflector and I must say, I'm pretty much in love. It made all the difference during our sunset shoot!

Afterwards, Crystal, Jamie and I played three person Mario and then I made Crystal sit through all my old film school movies. Complete with the Robot and my brother dramatically emoting in an office setting ... my films were always so hilariously emo.

Below are some images from my lovely sunshine-y shoot. Complete with people walking past the trail with commentary, "Is that Lady Gaga?" was my favourite ... or the obnoxious teenage boys slow clapping as they passed. Hilarious. Thanks Amber and Crystal!

The SSP : Volume One photography book is available to order!

2011-05-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

80 beautiful pages printed on premium lustre paper! Take advantage of the full preview provided by BookShow and order a copy of your very own. Thank you for supporting Sarah Sovereign Photography!

Sarah Sovereign Photography by Sarah Sovereign | Make Your Own Book

Spontaneous Easter Road Trip to Merritt!

2011-04-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Sarah Sovereign Photography Book!

2011-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed the little graphic over there in the corner that mentions the Sarah Sovereign Photography Book : Volume One... and if you've clicked it, SOOPREESE! It currently leads nowhere! Don't worry, it'll soon be back up for sale. In the meantime, here is a sneak peek at some of the 80 page, premium lustre paper awesomeness:

Little Hunter

2011-04-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Film, Farm Planting, 2004.

2011-04-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Sapling

Raspberry Cane

Clothing Wishlist.

2011-03-26T20:10:00.000-07:00


This tunic from Lucie Lu.


Brooklyn Dress from Lucie Lu.


Print Dress from Torrid.

Great Gatsby Out of Print C

Link Roundup

2011-03-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

1. This beetroot pesto pasta looks SO GOOD. Jamie and I are on our crazy new diet (20 lbs so far!) and we have a cheat meal coming up on the 27th. We fully intend to grab everything we can eat in an hour, and then feel ill the rest of the night and remember why we made the choice to not eat like that anymore. I bet the pesto would taste delicious mixed with some quinoa! Hit the link for the full recipe and some beautiful pictures at Design Sponge.

2. Also from Design Sponge -- 5 Songs to Start Your Day. I love the idea of doing this. I recently sent off a pile of mixed cds across Canada and into lovely Portland ... and one even to Australia. I love finding new music and sharing new music, and then on occasion rocking out to said music until my disgruntled German neighbour from below pounds angrily on his ceiling. My apartment: incredible soundproofing through the walls, horrible soundproofing through the floors.

3.
Game boy soap... which reminds me of the hours and hours and hours I used to spend playing Duck Tales and Super Mario on family road trips. (Via Red Velvet Art Blog)

4. The Art of the Title: To Kill A Mockingbird.

5. These amazing hair tutorials from A Cup of Jo .

6. Flores del Sol etsy shop. (Via A Cup of Jo)

Ophelia Revisited

2011-03-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Last spring I took two separate shoots with the awesome Lacy in downtown Chilliwack and at Sardis Park. Originally these pictures were supposed to be for a medium format film project I was working on, but I think I like the digital photos better. Based on Ophelia from Hamlet, we did two separate shoots with two different outfits, each lending a sense of lightness or a sense of darkness to the shots. Here are a few revisited photos from that session!

Soapylove : Love.

2011-03-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Soapylove is a delightfully sweet soapmaking company ... and I am super extra in love with their soapy pops, cupcakes and fizzy bath bombs. And their photography is SO PRETTY!

And then Tiger In a Jar made a beautiful little film about them... SWOON.

soapylove from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Things I Love : BHLDN

2011-03-19T13:29:00.000-07:00


This one is my favourite!

Pretty in love with the pleating on this sucker.

I'm pretty sure I'd never take these off.

They have a wide variety of cover ups!

All from BHLDN! Such a beautiful store!

Via Ever So Lovely.

Things I Love: Oh Dier

2011-03-18T20:20:00.000-07:00


Beautiful recycled wood signs from Oh Dier.

Via Ever So Lovely.

Dressing the Window with the Studio!

2011-03-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Who is the Studio? We're a creative collective that uses fashion photography to promote local arts and culture! And we operate right here in the Fraser Valley. We recently rented out a window space on Wellington Avenue in the Chillibowl and last week dressed up a window for the upcoming Chilliwack Player's Guild's performance of The Drowsy Chaperone. Oh.. and we had a blast. Join our group on Facebook under "The.Studio" for more updates as we continue to create and develop projects in B.C.!

Connor!

2011-02-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

We had my nephew come visit us last Sunday, where we spent the day meandering around the park and watching a whole lot of Sesame Street. Incidentally, Cookie Monster could use a whole lot more screen time. We're in the process of finishing up preparations for a photo shoot next weekend inspired by the french courts of the 18th century -- can't wait to get started on it! Look for those photos sometime in the next few weeks.

Knick-knacks plus pure awesome.

2011-02-07T01:18:00.000-08:00

One of my new favourite videos ever.

Oh how I love this video.

2011-02-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day cake tutorial. It'll just melt your heart ... in stop motion!

diy valentine's cakes from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Harriet & The Bicycle

2011-02-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

Just before I left the wilds of Thunder Bay for the ocean-y goodness of Masset in 2006, I got the chance to take portraits of the amazing Harriet Carlson, an amazing photographer in her own right. We started out downtown Thunder Bay, with it's brick buildings, fire escapes, and graffiti-ed buildings, and then moseyed on out to an abandoned house in Conmee I'd kind of fallen in love with. We ventured inside, where the half-eaten furniture was still set out, the light streaming in through windows onto this beautiful, neglected space. I went back to the house one more time before I moved, during a snowstorm -- those pictures will eventually be available on this site as well. In the meantime, here is a little bit of a preview of what's in the new gallery.

Visit the gallery over here!

Balance.

2011-01-31T01:53:00.000-08:00

Well, this weekend is officially over and I am heading to bed. I still have a mountain of projects to sift through this week, but I'm beginning to find a way to balance everything which is fantastic. Some helpful tips I've learned include lots of coffee, time outs with Snassafras Jax, and a little bit of scheduling to keep the ball rolling. (Side note, Jax is sitting impatiently beside me occasionally clawing at my hand, which is Jax Code for WHY AREN'T YOU IN BED YET? DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?)

The new site is semi-launched ... to be honest I did something crazy to my index file while I was messing around with site building, so throwing the new layout I've been keeping in the wings up seemed like the easiest alternative. Thus, there are many little bugs, things to add, things to take away and changes that will implement themselves gradually. For now the majority of galleries aren't viewable, but the three listed under "Featured Galleries" are. A note for those that have really huge screens -- my site may look a little messy in your browser. It'll sort itself out eventually!

I'm still working on the Carnival shoot images from this summer -- the gallery is up and running, but there will be a few more images added as time goes on. I promise this is the most boring and technical post I will make this week.

The Balloon Lady

2011-01-29T09:48:00.000-08:00

I love the massive amount of images files on my hard drive impatiently waiting to be rediscovered. I messed around with the Winter / Spring 2009 images of Jenn as the Balloon Lady recently. This was the first shoot in which I worked with Crystal, wherein I realized that not only is she an amazing and nice person, she is extra invaluable and just general awesomesauce when it comes to helping photo shoots run smooth like butter. I am also a super huge fan of the way Jenn worked her weird black crinoline with surprisingly expensive balloons against the back drop of Cultus Lake. Good times.

Portraits Revisited

2011-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Spirit of the Circus, 2010. Model: Chelsea. MUA: Elizabeth Toney.

The Magician, 2010. Model: Emily. MUA: Elizabeth Toney.

The Romance Between A Girl And Her Book, 2009. Model & Make Up: Sheri.

Jenn, 2009. Model: Jenn.

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

2011-01-28T01:25:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up that the site is going to be a little wacky for the next month as some web design fiddling occurs. If you see some things appear and disappear, just assume it's magic and immediately freak out. Or you know, grab a coffee and high five me when this beast is bigger and better than ever.

A Little Short

2011-01-27T11:38:00.000-08:00

Fiddling around with some quick stop motion whilst putting together the Book Man commercial.

Why Don't You Spend the Day With Ernest Hemingway?

2011-01-26T00:09:00.000-08:00

I used to read on my giant king sized bed in Masset, with my windows wide open and the sunshine streaming right on in. In the summertime, this was also accompanied with a BED FULL OF KITTENS!!1 which was pretty great. I accomplished the majority of my goal to read every book sitting on my book shelf by autumn of 2007, and that included one of my favourite books ever: Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. I picked up a copy of A Farewell to Arms at the Book Man the other day and intend to settle in to read it soon. I have ever so much many more books than the hundred or so I set my sights on waaay back in Haida Gwaii, but I'm slowly making my way through that list. (Note: Good Reads & Book Club are pretty awesome helpers.)

Loving CocoRosie, amongst other things...

2011-01-25T23:26:00.001-08:00

1. I really, really, really, really, really want to make a bunch of my dear friends don Marie Antoinette wigs and just rock out around town ... or maybe just my living room, because it's cold out there. And because I'm the kind of girl who does stuff like this, I'm planning that RIGHT NOW. If you want to get in on the action, email sarah@sarahsovereign.com, and then don't be shocked if I accidentally email you back from my gmail address because it honestly happens all the time. If spots fill up for this shoot, don't despair! I have another one in the works with more details as soon as they are hammered out.

2. I am working on a whole new set of bookmarks for the Book Man and am thus far IN LOVE. Look for them in the upcoming months at a friendly neighbourhood bookstore near you. I also shot a commercial after hours with them last week, and it was SO MUCH FUN. I climbed a ladder, and my gal Friday, Crystal, held the ladder, which meant I didn't fall, which meant I have survived to shakily climb a ladder with false bravado another day. The editing on the commercial has begun, and it's going to be just great.

3. Some music I've been listening to a lot of lately : CocoRosie "Lemonade", the new Amos Lee album is all kinds of awesome, Ben Harper and William Fitzsimmons as always (Mr. Fitzsimmons has a new album out soon and I'm clapping my hands with excitement) and I've just recently started listening to Lia Ices.

4. One of the best resources for fonts on the Internet, in my humble opinion, Font Squirrel.

5. Jamie and I went to Ikea on Saturday night before I was attacked and eaten by the worst flu ever. We got this awesome giant (it looks so much bigger sitting on the floor of our apartment than it did in the store) text poster, a silver frame for one of my prints and a whole pile of their super handy clips. I have no idea where those clips disappear to and how we go through them so fast. I suspect Jax eats them.

Winter Adventure + Exciting Things!

2011-01-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

I am currently cozy and warm inside of my little apartment. Jamie is watching Farscape (FARSCAPE!) on Netflix and outside the snow fell and our apartment building is plastered on the outside with snow people of all shapes and sizes and very slippable ice (I came thisclose to once more unintentionally doing the splits a la circa 1992 during an icy patch in the road. Luckily I didn't because I'm pretty sure I would've hurt something. But I'm sure it would have looked amazing, albeit not as amazing as it did in 1992 when I coupled it with spandex stirrup pants, yellow ruffles, and glitter.) It's the first week back at school and today classes were canceled. This is fine by me because I have a small mountain of homework to tackle, including a creative writing paper referencing a personal epiphany in my life. I think life is kind of made up of a series of little epiphanies, but the one that stands out the most for me is one I had when my cousin Erin died. So I'm gathering together all of my memories, all the hard ones and the lovely ones, and I'm going to write about her. For instance about how her hands were so beautiful and delicate, and the way her laugh sounded, and how great and talented and missed she was, and is.

I'm also working on some non-school projects -- bookmarks, websites, and plans for a commercial shoot this Sunday. Not to mention the state of my desk at the moment. It's covered in VHS tapes and little bits of decorative paper. I tried to convert some of my old VHS movies to my computer last night but our converter machine appears to HORRIBLE AND AWFUL AND I HATE IT. So so so frustrating. It's the reason that now everyone on Call of Duty Black Ops knows that I hate it, because as Jamie played with his microphone on I had a mini-fit at it and threatened to toss it out the window. It won't actually take in our VHS tapes -- everything is set up and ready to go, but every time I try to actually put a tape into it, the tape gets stuck and then I have a panic that my old taped episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may be lost forever. Well. Just kidding. What I really want to back up are things like the crazy awesome soap opera my friends and I made in high school, or the footage of my Nan and her best friend drinking rum and coke while my Nan gets irritated and tells my dad to "Turn off the fil-m, John." When I was a kid there was footage of me and my best friend being all ridiculous on orange pop and doing a ton of things I found embarrassing when seen on tape later. Somehow that footage was taped over with an unfortunate episode of LA Law.

Today Jamie and I took a walk around the neighbourhood and stopped at the coffee shop down the way for the best thing ever : caramel macchiatos and banana chocolate bread. SO AWESOME. I slipped five times on the walk home alone. Good times.

I HEART SNOW!!

Music Video Monday!

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Elephants - Warpaint

Little Red Riding Hood Revisited!

2011-01-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight I took a bit of time to fiddle around with some of my older photographs -- the Little Red Riding Hood set from Autumn of '09 has been refreshed, and is now viewable on Flickr!

The Continuing Adventures of My Apartment Wishlist...

2011-01-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

On the weekend I made turkey soup from scratch and this week I did the same with pasta sauce. The pasta sauce needs a little bit of work as it still tastes absolutely nothing like Mel's grandma's sauce, aka, the sauce that had me skipping dinner at my own house 4 out of 5 times a week as a kid.

Jamie and I, believe it or not, are still in the process of properly moving into our apartment. We've got a few prints hanging on the walls (including a "vintage" X-Men poster hanging in our kitchen... sweet.) and we recently redesigned our living room ... we've got this crazy huge chaise lounge that I love, but it's just one extra piece of furniture too much for our poor little apartment so we're constantly looking for the best way to implement it. We shifted around our bookcases a bit and now have a little reading area... which means I'm yearning after some fantastic floor pillows. But we still have a lot of empty wall spaces and our office needs a ton of work. Bookshelves like these Smart Shelves, or, how awesome is this Blu Dot Chicago 8 Box shelf?

I'm trying super hard to not get overindulgent with some of the super awesome holiday sales rampaging through my inbox these days, but it's a challenge. As a result, I just couldn't resist this beautiful Rosa the Owl from Urban Outfitters, or the discounted Fox Confessor print (which will soon be hanging in our bedroom).

I'm also a huge fan of these pillows, which would look amazing on our couches. I quite like the fawn print, as well as the elephant print.

Not to mention these beautiful pillows from Urban Outfitters!

Our bed currently sports a light blue Ikea print duvet, but I really, really love this quilt from Anthropologie. (Side note, as I write this out, our upstairs neighbours seem to be possibly babysitting an entire city of children whose only activity appears to be jumping up and down as loudly as possible. My bookshelves are shaking!)

And this might make me a huge (yet so awesome!) dork, but what about pairing everything up with this lovely Star Wars movie poster? Awww yeah.

Music Video ... Wednesday

2010-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am a little backlogged with posting videos, but that's because life has been busy. Well. Relatively busy. More so, relaxingly busy as I usher in the new year in my fantastic little apartment with a decorated Christmas tree, a cat, and the best boy in all the land.

I did a little bit of online boxing day shopping in the form of Urban Outfitters and it's fabulous sale. I picked up a whole heap of thrifty faux eyelashes (some just $1.99!!) for upcoming shoots, some adorable knee socks, and something I have been searching for for nigh on twenty years: DECENT BUNNY SLIPPERS. Wheee!

iTunes also had a super awesome sale this week as well, and I reaped in the benefits via gifted iTunes gift cards! So, in the spirit of posting awesome music videos, here is a song I grabbed today that I can't stop listening to: Devil Spoke by Laura Marling.

Love : This necklace.

2010-12-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Dodecahedrons by Spinthread on Etsy.

Things That Amaze Me : The Miniature Pencil Art of Dalton Ghetti

2010-12-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Dalton Ghetti is a Brazilian miniature pencil artist. Using a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife he is able to build these spectacular tiny creations. According to the article, Miniature Art on the Tip of A Pencil, his longest work took two and a half years to complete. Outside of that, most of his works take at least months to complete.

Source : Here and Here.

Head shots of Elizabeth!

2010-12-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I took some head shots of Elizabeth for her portfolio. She did an amazing job! Here are a few.

This semester in one post!

2010-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is always a busy one! School is finished for the semester, and I'm now in possession of a GIANT WOODEN CANVAS PAINTING OF MY FACE. Thanks Painting class! I have no idea where I'm going to hang it, but I am considering leaving it in the most uncomfortable place possible. Like glaring down at passersby from our balcony or some such. I also made a collage representing a newspaper article, and a huge painting dedicated to Sarah Harmer. I love Sarah Harmer because it seems like every major life event I've experienced in the last ten years can be easily referenced in one of her songs. I can't wait to start next semester, as well as a few big photography projects I have on the go.

Below are some images from the last semester's art projects!

Elizabeth applies Emily's makeup. The resulting image was used blown up to 11x17 and featured Emily lying in the woods.

Here is my collage on canvas. It's about the newspaper article referencing my grandpa's fire in 1997.

GIANT BOX OF NEGATIVES! I went through some of my old film negs to pick out a few photos to blow up to 11x14 for my final photography portfolio.

Just taken with my cell phone, the final collage and painting self portraits. One element from the collage fell off after I displayed it, so it still waiting to be reapplied. The collage was probably my favourite part of all to do. And, alas, the painting could have used a touch more blending but ... what can I say. Semesters are crazy and I was in a rush to get everything done and handed in!

From my project with Carolyn McKenna we did a photo shoot entitled, "Let the Sunshine In". Here is one of the extra images from the shoot.

Can't wait for next semester and its sure to be awesome projects! But for now, super excited about the holidays and the impending trip for coffee Jamie and I will be making in T-minus 20 minutes. Hooray coffee!

Music Video Monday : Cosmic Love!

2010-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Film, Field In Murillo, 2004

2010-11-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I really, really miss NWO. I don't think I could live there full time again, it's just that I miss the history, and the memories, but sometimes most of all, the feel of walking through a field, the sound of birds overhead, and walking through the country on cool summer days.

Christmas Wishlist 2010!

2010-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Every year I like to make a pretty concise wishlist of fantastic Christmas shopping finds, for myself and for others.

Yesterday Jamie and I did our first round of Christmas shopping, which somehow lead to us coming home with a small bag of Rocky Mountain chocolate, two scarves and a Lush vanilla and honey bath bomb... for our selfishes. However, on the plus side, we did make a solid plan for our Christmas cards this year which are going to be AWESOME.

Without further delay, here is my Christmas Wishlist / Gift Ideas for 2010!

1. Some of the amazing jewelery from Justine Brooks.

2. This Urban Outfitters Laundry Bag. Maybe it's the ruffles, maybe it's the colour, or maybe it's the fact that most of my laundry somehow ends up on top of our dresser and drives Jamie CRAZY, but I have been pining away for this super awesome laundry bag forever now.

3. A delightful iScarf from Lolita's Luggage. It comes equipped with a little pocket for your iPod! Sweet!! And she's local!

4. So very in love with this birdcage lamp from ModCloth. I don't know where I'd put it, but it'd sure be pretty.

5. I have an obsession with owls, so check out this adorable Leo the Owl Bank from UO.

6. I bought this yesterday, but national treasure Holly Black recently came out with an anthology lovingly called ZOMBIES VS UNICORNS!!!11 and it pretty much knocks my socks right off.

7. The Unbearably Cute Wallet from ModCloth.

8. Currently for sale at our local Book Man, Out of Print Clothing offers the most delightful tshirts referencing the covers of old classic books. I, personally, am a big fan of the "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" tshirt.

9. This clutch from Anthropologie makes me think of the kind of night where you get completely dolled up, put your hair up 1960's style, and down shots of Scotch in between discussing politics and smoking fancy cigars.

10. Fall in love with this Nest Ring from Fey Handmade.

11. Give a well-loved secondhand book from the Book Man.

12. A custom camera strap. This one from High Key is pure win.

12. While you're at it, embrace film photography again with the Diana Dreamer. So pretty!

That's it for now! I have a date with a coffee and a couch and a mountain of homework. Can we say : one self portrait painting, one abstract self portrait painting, one collage covered with EnviroTex referencing newspapers, another technical project, a 20 photograph photography portfolio (10 film and 10 digital), one final project for photography featuring zinnias, balloons, cupcakes and vintage televisions, a paper about Marie Antoinette's clothing, two websites, a commercial, a super fun photo shoot, and probably something I'm momentarily forgetting. Whew.

Music Monday : Tallest Man On Earth - Live

2010-11-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

via my cousin Melissa. :)

Please Do Not Feed the Birds, film, 2003.

2010-11-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

Music Video Monday : William Fitzsimmons

2010-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

LOVE. I can't stop listening to "Derivatives" specifically, but I have yet to found music by this man that I don't immediately fall in love with. Listen to that voice, listen to those words. What a sad, heartfelt man. Makes me want to invite him over for comforting amounts of pie.

Down memory lane...

2010-11-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

I used to take film ALL THE TIME. I didn't have access to my first digital until around 2004 or so, and I hated the quality I got from the images. Carting around a tiny compact digital camera was a lot easier than lugging around my giant SLR, but looking back now, the quality is just not even comparable. These days, it's the opposite. I still take film, but rarely. I recently used a large format camera and developed the negatives myself, which is always interesting. Even though it's not convenient, there is something to be said to getting back to the roots of photography and really throwing yourself into the entire process of creating the image. It's a little bit like Christmas when you pull those negatives out of the wash and see, hey! There are IMAGES ON THERE!!!!

I was looking through my flickr the other night with Jamie and we were kind of going through some of the pictures -- images we had completely forgotten taking, places we had been, looking at how crazy fast three years can pass.

Below are some of my favourite film images. Nothing recent (I haven't scanned my new film stuff in forever -- but will be doing so soon.) -- just a few images I took when photography first held onto my heart. Please excuse some of the scan quality --- all of this stuff needs to be rescanned.

Melissa at the Italian Festa, 2003

Mel at McKenzie Falls, 2003. This is also the day I almost drowned.

Melissa, 2003. At one of our favourite places to walk to -- the big Gravel Pit.

My cousin Melissa, 2003.

Becky, 2004.

My two best friends since we were very, very small. 2004.

Alicia painting the sign for Mountain Fresh Farms. 2004.

Super old, picture of my cousin Gen. 1999.

My Nan's dresser, 1999.

My Aunt Isabel calling her horses, 2003.

Just some little things...

2010-11-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

1. Is it weird that this year's number one Christmas wishlist item is an embroidered floor pillow from Urban Outfitters? Because it's pretty awesome, and I can see it planted right beside our fireplace.

2. A big chunk of the Let the Sunshine In photo shoot can now be seen on flickr!

3. My best friend Mellers recently posted this whole thing on facebook about a $400,000 ancient bungalow for sale in my old city, and it made me start wandering down memory lane, checking out various houses. (The house my parents lived in when they first got married is up for sale, for instance! And Mel's old house, where we used to stay up late watching taped "Elvis and Me" made for tv movies, relaxing out on her trampoline and hanging out in her room -- which was at one point plastered with posters of Leonardo DiCaprio as pulled out of Teen Beat, etc.) Which in turn lead to Jamie and I looking up local houses in Chilliwack, which in turn made me totally fall in love with this pretty little house. I would paint the walls in all light colours, turn the upstairs into a little light filled studio and putter around in the garden planting heliotrope and gladiolas. Awesome.

4. Another shot (tinted) of The Magician!

Music Video Monday : Lissie + Ellie Goulding

2010-11-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Let the Sunshine In! : Sneak Peek continued!

2010-11-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

I love when fall falls back! Today I am going to make Finnish pancakes, Hoito-style. Autumn always puts me in a cooking sort of mood, because last night I whipped up a batch of Italian Wedding Soup for Jamie and I (basically: cook carrots, celery, onions (optional), 2 cloves of garlic and zucchini in the bottom of a big pot, add in a large can of diced tomatoes, then two containers of chicken or veg stock, salt, pepper, fresh thyme and rosemary, some chunks of kale or spinach, and either little meatballs or Italian sausage .. and ta da! Soup!), with big chunks of fresh bread and a little bit of cheddar. Mmmmm. Not to mention that tonight Jamie's mom is making Komler, a super delicious Norwegian dumpling. I have put in a request for Jamie to bring me some at work! Hooray!

I went to the Evans school shopping fair yesterday with my mom -- it started out as a day full of homework and photo editing, so I had on the closest thing to pajamas I could muster in public. Somehow, this turned into a day of shopping fairs, hunting down Krispy Kreme donuts for a very excited Jamie, and lots and lots of coffee. My favourite part of the shopping fair was Lolita's Luggage -- beautiful knit items, including the most clever and awesome scarf ever. It has a pocket for your iPod! Check out her etsy shop here.

I have another photo shoot currently in the works, and it all depends upon the location, but stay tuned for updates and announcements about it! Below are some further images from the Let the Sunshine In shoot, a collaboration between Carolyn McKenna and myself. MUA : Elizabeth Toney, and modeling by Emily Hamel and Lacy Banks.

Cupcakes and Dreams

2010-11-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

I will give a gold star to anyone who realizes I referenced that from Cocktail. Except instead of "Cocktails" I put into the title exactly what Tom Cruise, of course, meant to say. Cupcakes are soooo much better.

There was a photo shoot around the wilds of Chilliwack this weekend, avec a lovely, huge, super irritating to maneuver but neat to integrate large format camera, and of course, my trusty 7d. This was also my very first collaborative photo shoot, as my good friend and fellow photographer Carolyn also shot and planned with it. It was a ton of work, mainly because we put together a multiple person shoot within the span of ten days, but somehow I have an entire portable car trunk filled to the brim with the most random and wonderful junk. ... My entire backseat is currently crammed with balloons, fun shoes, crazy costumes and probably about a million safety pins, which came in handy.

Here is a sneak peek of the images -- nothing is going to be officially released until Carolyn and I get together this week to rummage through all the images. Once again the amazing Elizabeth Toney did hair and makeup, and this time a friend and fellow classmate Jane came out to carry things, take stills, and be awesome. Thank you to everyone who was involved! Including models Emily, Crystal, Lacy, Shelly and Tasha!

Sneak peek!

Music Video Monday : Wax Philosophic

2010-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Straight out of my hometown of Thunder Bay and filmed by Damien Gilbert, one of my old film school alumni ... fantastic video for Wax Philosophic's "Devil In a Red Dress".

Carnival : The Greatest Show On Earth!

2010-10-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Images from August's Carnival photo shoot are now going up on Flickr. Life is extra busy now (isn't it always?) but I'm in the process of : editing some photos taken last week for Head to Toe Restoration, preparing for some more commercial photography this week, as well as priming and painting a board that will eventually feature Bat for Lashes' giant head on it. (I have to admit, I'd like to be further along on this project than I am and am currently in the "It's due in a week!" freak out stage.) Today I'll be doing a class presentation with Carolyn on the Rococo period, aka, one of my favourite fashion periods of history. The dresses and garments were insanely beautiful, although I do have to wonder how extra creepy everyone looked with their white zinc makeup, belladonna enhanced pupils and highlighted blue veins. Beyond all that, somehow, mysteriously, I busted up my foot real good so have been hobbling around town lately. No idea what I did to it, but at least Advil works.

Also, soon the redesign will begin for this website. The blog will still be available for updates, but there is also a facebook page you can join!

Here are some images from the Carnival!

Music Video Monday : THRILLER! + Muppets!

2010-10-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Mel and I would watch this video over and over and over again when we were kids. These days, I even have it on my iPhone. Nothing puts me more in a Halloween mood... except maybe also the video appearing below it. Muppets + Alice Cooper has to be the best thing ever.

French Bull Dogs + Lightning Bolt Necklaces

2010-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

1. Check out these ever so lovely and pretty easy looking sewn owls.

2. Adorable plush things at Sleepy King. Especially this red fox!

3. Oh My God It Even Has a Watermark - The most amazing business cards you've ever seen!

4. On why Jamie and I want a French Bull Dog. ... someday.

5. DrCraze. Specifically, this super awesome lightning bolt necklace.

Leitura Paper Swashes

2010-10-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Music Video Monday : Mumford & Sons

2010-10-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Love them. "The Cave".

Pumpkin Patch Day + Magician Photo Shoot + Belated Turkey Dinner!

2010-10-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today we're taking our Pumpkin to the Pumpkin Patch, pictures to come, followed by a lovely family turkey dinner, the first ever, at our apartment! Yesterday we somehow managed to squeeze a crazy photo shoot in before work in further shoots for the Circus. We even had Emily pose in front of a giant pile of manure... crazy, high fashion manure, I guess? But it doesn't look so gross in picture form. Clothing by the lovely Macey Faulkner, Hair and Makeup by Elizabeth Toney and the model is the ever fabulous Emily Hamel. (Crystal we miss you!!!) Here are some of the early ones put up:

How much do I love this print?

2010-10-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

A whole lot. "Animals" by Judy Kaufmann.

Five Things of Inspiration : Projects & Lovely Things

2010-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

1. Project Doily. I'd like to make these and then hang them in the little mini-library Jamie and I shaped between our office and sitting area. Right now it houses a chaise lounge that continually gets all my junk thrown onto it slash a very happy and contented Jax cat who somehow finds a way to sleep under the rubble. {Link via Poppytalk}

2. Personalized Chevron Calling Cards. So simple and pretty! I'd like get them in the yellow or aqua. {Link via The Happy Home}

3. Love these polaroid prints of little lions and etc from esoule.

4. I would love to put up some wall stickers in the apartment, easy to apply and easy to remove. Like this dandelion, or maybe my own custom design.

5. Love love love this song + video by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's. "Home".

Ten Things I'm Thankful For About Autumn:

2010-10-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

2. Alpen Secrets Soy & Sunflower Milk Bath.

3. Individual Photo Shoots for The Carnivale. Spirit of the Circus is now up on flickr!

4. That things like this crazy Urban Outfitter's Snuggie are for sale. I would never take this off. I would like, wear this to work.

5. Road trips with my mom! We went to the States this past weekend and got lost trying to find a Walmart. ... that was open 24 hours. I can't believe how many people were wandering around that store at 11 p.m., buying cheese and irritating stock boys.

6. Pumpkin patch awesomeness. I'm hoping to go this Sunday with my brother and his little Pumpkin. I'll have to bring my camera along because Connor + pumpkins is likely going to be so cute my brain is going to explode.

7. Surprise pie at work! Hannah brought by Surprise Pie, Thanksgiving Dinner and a Starbucks gift card and she is awesome!

8. Reading beat up old books. Right now I'm reading "It" by Stephen King for Book Club.

9. The fact that I am going to be painting a huuuuuge painting of a celebrity's face for Painting class. I'm still in the process of picking my celebrity -- which has to be meaningful -- but I'm leaning towards Janis Joplin. I'm in the process of working up my 9x9 square MDF board right now.

10. Most comforting show ever, Jim Henson's The Storyteller, which is best watched on a stormy day with a great big blanket and some tea. The shows are available on iTunes right now for $1.99 apiece.

And of course, I'm very thankful for good boyfriends, great families, lovely friends (even if some are very far away) and a very content and slightly chubby cat named Jax.

The first part of The Soldier and Death :

Updates + Redesign!

2010-10-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Some changes are in store for this website! I'm in the process of doing a redesign that will update all the galleries and change the layout and look of the entire site. This is all being squished in between all my other projects, so hopefully it'll all be up and together in the next few weeks. This means the site may be unavailable here and there, but this blog won't be affected so you can always get updates from here.

Tomorrow I'm taking some photographs with Chelsea, so fingers crossed for a sunny sky ... or at the very least, no rain!