Erin L. MalcolmLeave a comment

Unique Date Idea: Luxury Picnic Experience in Austin, Texas

Picture this:

Your significant other has been acting kind of fishy. They take you on this weekend getaway, but keep you in the dark about all the details. You know something’s up. They’re planning a surprise, but you don’t really know what yet. You pull up to your favorite spot and that’s a surprise in itself. Maybe it’s where you had your first date, maybe it’s a scenic park, maybe it’s a stunning AirBNB with a picturesque view of downtown Austin like this one. You think that is the surprise, but then you head to the backyard and see THIS elaborate display. WHAT?!?!? Now THAT’S definitely the surprise. And a darn good one at that. The creative, kind, talented folks at Love and Picnic, a Texas- and Florida-based luxury picnic company, set this scene up for a couple one evening and can I say I’m a little jealous??? As soon as I saw the whole space come together I was in awe! And it’s even better in person. What a unique date night idea!

Pro Tip: Hire a photographer to capture the whole thing, too! From setup, to your partner’s reaction upon arrival, to the cute moments shared enjoying the space, you’ll be glad to have the memories to look back on!

Click the images to see them uncropped*

Erin L. MalcolmLeave a comment

Small Business Brand Photography at Brushy Creek Lake Park

It’s always such an honor to take photos for a fellow photographer. When Hunter and I connected, she let me know that she had NEVER done a sunrise session before. So obviously, we had to change that. We showed up at the crack of dawn and were pleased that we had pretty much the entire park to ourselves, with the exception of a few runners and a family of geese.

As the sun woke up, we frolicked through a long window of golden light. A photographer’s DREAM, however cliche it may be.

Note to anyone interested in shooting here: go in the morning. Such a refreshing way to start the day and, for it being such a hub for photography in the area, it was nice have total creative freedom and not deal with crowds for once!

Erin L. MalcolmLeave a comment

Elizabeth, Co Brand Development Photoshoot | Meredith Schindler of Elizabeth Salon

The other day, I heard a saying about hair stylists also doubling as therapists because, for whatever reason, people feel comfortable opening up to them about anything and everything. And, after working with Meredith, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a saying more accurate.

Meredith is a hair dresser in the quiet, rural town of Elizabeth, Colorado and is everything one could want in a hair stylist — relatable, kind, a good listener, and an even better advice giver. During our consultation for her branding shoot, she mentioned that she’d like to keep the style as natural as possible. Posing was not on the agenda, instead we’d go for a candid lifestyle approach that reflected her fun-loving, free spirit, and love for the Lord that clients experience when they come in for a cut or color.

After an hour of gallivanting around parks in the area, playing on the front steps of her salon, and strolling in the middle of Mainstreet Elizabeth, I think we were right on the money of capturing just that. It was confirmed when I showed the gallery to a friend of mine right after delivery and her response was, “WOW. First, she is such a natural beauty. Second, these images say, ‘Please, come inside, have a seat in my chair, and let’s have a girl chat.’ She’s so warm and inviting! I’m going to go book an appointment with her right now!” If that doesn’t scream brand shoot success, I don’t know what does.

Erin L. MalcolmLeave a comment

Downtown Denver, CO Senior Portrait Photography Session

I’ve known Jade my whole life, so when I was asked to capture her Senior photos, I was nothing short of thrilled. But, we’d completely lost touch since she was barely 10 years old and we all know a lot changes between then and high school. What’s she into these days? What’s her style? What’s her personality like? I couldn’t answer any of these questions. And, honestly, during her consultation… neither could she.

It’s one challenge to recreate a clear vision a client brings to your table, but it’s a different challenge to create an entirely new vision the client doesn’t even know exists yet.

Good thing I’m always up for a challenge.

Variety was the key to figuring out what she was going for. A little bit of urban, a dash of nature, some classy, and a smidge edgy. I will say, it’s fun having complete creative control when tackling the task of creating a vision for someone. We meandered around downtown Denver for a couple of hours looking for spots that caught our eyes. Our favorites ended up being Union Station and walls we found in the Arts District.

On the drive home, I was giddy with the thought of heading straight into my office to look through the magic we’d created and get to editing. Not to my surprise, Jade’s posing experience matched with our incredibly diverse backdrops made for hundreds of drool-worthy images. Upon their gallery delivery, they had the same feeling. And boy is that a good one.

Erin L. MalcolmLeave a comment

Downtown Denver, CO Unique Senior Portraits | Adilyn Malcolm

Search the hashtag “#seniorsunday” and your screen will be flooded with dreamy images of girly-girls in frilly, pastel dresses frolicking through colorful flower fields and rotating through the same 5 cookie-cutter poses. No, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Actually, the photos are usually quite stunning IMO. But…

“They’re just not… me,” said Adilyn while we worked together to narrow down the style for her upcoming shoot.

Being that I’m not just her photographer, but also her older sister, I saw where she was coming from and knew we had to find something totally… Adi. I mean, isn’t that what senior photos are all about? If your senior portraits don’t showcase exactly who you are during this monumental season of life, then what’s the point?

So, we made a list of all things, well, her:

  • Art
  • Grunge
  • Urban
  • 90’s Trendy
  • Natural
  • Street

After a trip to the local thrift store for some vintage items and a quick Google search for street art in Downtown Denver, we were on our way…the next day at 4:30am.

We aimlessly drove around the sleepy streets in search of a hypothetical location that just screamed her name. And there it was. The stone alleyway with vibrant murals and string lights was the perfect blend of vintage style and urban edge for her.

We began to shoot and WOW was she a natural. I used to dress her up in girly outfits and makeup to take photos of her in fields like the ones I mentioned at the beginning of this post and, don’t get me wrong, she was photogenic…but nothing like this. Here, she was herself and there’s nothing more beautiful than that. Here, she was in her element. No makeup, no fancy outfit, no extravagant location — just her in comfy clothes, barefaced, in a location as creative, bold, and interesting as she is.

That’s what I call a successful senior photo session.

What would you describe your style to be and is there a place in your mind that fits that exactly? I’d love to know in the comments!

xoxo,

ELM