Serena Star

ZOMG @#$%^&*() WHERE HAVE JOO BEEN!

2011-11-26T22:59:00.001-05:00

So it's that time again! I noticed I have slacked off on my blog again (Man I've been TERRIBLE this year!) I apologize in advance, it's another REALLY long post. Pretend it's like... several short posts? =X

Sooooo this big question. SERENA WHERE HAVE YOU BEEEEEEENN!!!!!?

To be honest with you - I'm not quite sure. One day I posted about my birthday (mind you that post was much delayed and holding up another 28 unfinished half written blogs that I originally planned to post - most of which have no relevance anymore. example: "Dave's Art Show." Well his next art show is about to happen. Who the heck cares that he won awards for his eye series...and the crazy story of me driving there and really cute photos of the two of us and this pinup dress I was wearing with him. That was like, months ago already.)

ANYWAY! so to continue my story........ and POOF next thing I know here it is over two months later. (eek!) (plus squeal and a few more zomgz and eeks.)

Well I know in long long long long long ago posts I mentioned I got a house. Yes, a House. I promised photos of said house.... I know someone out there is still awaiting said blog post about said photos of said new house. (I think it's one of my 28 queued blog posts).. BUT! It's sort of a disaster area with boxes cluttering up literally everything right now so it's not the most flattering thing to photograph. Does not give said new house justice. I do have some photos on my FB here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150432284213294.443284.501818293&type=1&l=8c1d43984f
and I do keep updating it with random images of my disaster area. Maybe I'll post a blog once everything looks sort of nice.

So anyone that said moving isn't bad is LYING. It's like, oh lets drive back and forth with boxes and bring them into the house and pile them up. That won't take long. It'll also save us money on paying movers or renting a moving truck. I'll move whenever I have a free day while working and things will go smooth. Not. ...and then the days go by... and then you aren't sure which house has that bill you need to pay... or where your actual bed is, or where that prop is you need to shoot a client with, or where you left your toothbrush, etc. You get the idea.

I think one of the hardest parts of the move was bringing my kitties over to the house. Being new at moving I didn't know you are supposed to place them in one room with things that are familiar to them and let them go. Give them a few days in hiding and let them come out on their own.

My story went like this: Bring said poor babies to new home. Was upset about having them in crates so as soon as I open the front door, I let them out in the entrance. I expect them to go ooooo what's this? (Especially about the stairs since we didn't have them at my Mom's house) and be like ZOMG STAIRS@! RUN! PLAY!

Well Kitties didn't want to come out. First they cried, then they came out. I coaxed them up the stairs to show them the bedroom because I felt they might feel more comfortable if they smelled all my things. They quickly race under the bed and don't come out for several days.

Not knowing what to do, Dave and I took them out from under the bed and locked them out of said bedroom hoping they would explore elsewhere. This lasted probably less than a couple hours (even though I was sitting with them in my computer room!) They started crying and bolting into the bedroom every time we opened the door.

.K!..So this is where I got smart. I called my good friend Ivy who has moved a bajillion times with her kitties and begged for help! She told me to let them hide in the bedroom... Hence I did. Well long story now shorter than I could make it, they are now crazy little pains in my bum (Like I originally imagined them being only worse) running across everything and getting into anything then can which keeps me from working on photos... yet they still run and hide under the bed anytime a loud noise occurs. -.-; (BLAH!)

So NEXT! I've been photographing weddings.... Lots of Boudoir.... Lots of retouching. My company's sales have more than doubled in the past year. (Which is great, especially in a recession because now I own a house... So all that extra money that I was like HECK YES NEW GEAR is now ;.;.....I can haz wantz gear? Especially when a new camera can cost me the same as a really nice used car... Which I also need. Heck, a new lens can cost me as much as a used car. There are three new lenses I want each starting at $2000 and going up from there. (Just remember... House... Toys... Car... House... Toys...) I think all three will be happening in the near future >_>;

I also finally had to upgrade to CS5.5 and Lightroom 3 from CS3 and Lightroom 1 because CS3 can't read the new camera files that my second photographers have. (I really love my Fuji. I'm going to probably use it till it dies.) Hence I had to spend a lot of time on my bum at my computer attempting to learn new programs to continue working on my new client's work. (All while having to go back and forth between my Mom's house where the studio was located and my new house! GAH!)

I'm still teaching photography workshops! Classes take a lot of time and energy to make. It's almost like writing a book - it needs to flow smoothly and tell a story. If not you put people to sleep. My most recent was this past week at Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography. I made part 2 of my "Through the Looking Glass into another Realm, Using Fashion, Fine art, and Fantasy to go from Mundane to Avante Garde." This class was focused on Posing and Lighting (and always inspiring to find the you inside.) If you put part 1 and 2 together, I now have a full day program (hint hint!) I have to thank Dave, my amazing graphic designing fiance who made me awesome graphics to create diagrams of my lighting with. There may be a lighting book to be published in my future.. possibly? potentially? Anyone interested =D?

"Kudos to Bob Wood and the Oficers of the Antonelli Chapter of the Student Photographic Society for arranging tonight's program by Serena Star. It was excellent! Proud to claim such an accomplished young artist as our own. Serena, thanks for giving back. If you missed her presentation, check out her website: http://www.serena-star.com/
John Hayden, President "

I've been getting all brand new scarlet fairy clothing photographed and up for sale http://www.etsy.scarletfairy.com. This part of my company is still slowly growing. Not quite fast enough as I would prefer, but beggars can't be choosers when your life is saturated in EVERYTHING.

Dave and I are working on a music project. I am getting back into singing (something that I haven't done since I graduated with my second high school diploma from a tech school for acting. I was also forced into the school chorus XD) I realize I really suck. I mean - really. Have you ever been pretty good at doing something and then quit it for like 7-8 years? I have a LOT of work to do... but we have a baby grand piano now - so how can I not sing =D? (Dave keeps patting me on the back reminding me I have a pretty voice and am writing pretty lyrics. It keeps me going, but makes me nervous about the general public. =X )

I'm also getting (mildly) back into modeling - For the sake of art projects. I haven't had time yet, but it's something I plan on doing to create art. I've got a lot of costumes and ideas I need to get out that I want to do =D I'm still toying with the idea of getting back into makeup (at least for my own side projects.) I'm not sure whether I want to make the investment or not though into the kit for how little I use it. (Had to throw out my old kit since you can't use old makeup on people.)

I'm still planning my own wedding which still has no date. (And no it won't have a date till Dave gets out of college next winter). Imagine me holding my hands out like a scale, now place house on one hand and wedding on the other. House tips the scale just a wee little bit. I have a whole themed wedding planned and a story to go with it. Just you wait. It's secret too XD I think it might take me that long just to get all the details made and ideas together... and find a photographer to photograph it. (Does anyone know how freakin' hard that is when you're a photographer and know a bazillion photographers?)

Oh and to finish it off, I'm working really hard to finish my first novel in my Chronicles which I hope to be selling on Amazon very soon =D (I even have a cover mock up now... but you can't see it yet.. =P) I've been working on this book since I was probably like 9ish? Maybe younger? It is absolutely nothing like the original idea. In fact it's a different story concocted sometime probably in High school. I've picked it back up once a year over the past few years but finally let my mother and Dave read it and now I've got them hooked. I figure it must be good if I've got them reading it because I had to beg them to begin with. I have four books almost completely outlined out right now and about 40,000 words written. It's been super secret! (Imagine me humming Mission Impossible while typing this paragraph.)

I feel like I'm missing stuff o.o I know I am because it's been what... 2 months (Holy Geez where does time go in my life???) I look back at my schedule and I have lists written REALLY REALLY tiny every day of the past two months. (Dave is always asking me how I can write or read my tiny tiny list.) A list that I keep doing, crossing things off - and then adding more to x.x. It's never ending. It seems to magically remain either the same length or longer no matter what I do. (I'm going to need a bigger schedule book. That or a REALLY big marker board for my office.) I am here though! I am alive. I will attempt to post stuff thats sitting in my queue. There is now 29 =D

I now have a tumblr that posts (most of the time) a photo a day. http://serena-star.tumblr.com/

I have a youtube channel and Dave and I will be working on making videos of everything from Behind the scenes of my shooting, tutorials of photography & makeup & more, Candid days of my crazy life, Slideshow videos of my photography (thanks to eMotionmedia.com for photographers), and so much more:
http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialSerenaStar

OH! I have a terrible addiction to reading. I found good reads... add me as a friend here: http://www.goodreads.com/serenastar
... I might post up some reviews of books I like and clips of my up and coming book here in the future as well!

I do have a twitter! http://www.twitter.com/serena_Star, but if you are a friend of mine on my personal facebook, it posts there as well. That's halfway maxed out though.

I guess to finish off this post (although I know I probably lost over 2/3rds of my readers within the first few crazy paragraphs), I want to know what my fans think (and I will probably post this again since like I said, I lost most of you already.) What do you want to see more of? I'm taking my website and branding in a slightly different way. I want you guys to know Serena Star the Artist -- Not just Serena Star the photographer... Because I'm more than a Photographer. There is way way way more to me and what goes on in my crazy mind. How do you feel about getting to know me - all the aspects of my insane life and what I do, not just my photography on my blog, fb, etc?

xoxo~!

Happy 23rd Unbirthday

2011-09-25T13:11:00.001-04:00

I say unbirthday because it took me nearly two weeks to post (Bad Serena), but house and work has been keeping me busy busy!

So I wanted to post up some highlights from my Birthday! You can view the entire album here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150456559918294.448294.501818293
^Viewing the entire album is a great way to see all the fun and crazy faces of Re in order =X

My day started off attempting to answer my 250+ Happy birthdays across a wide variety of websites (mainly Facebook). Dave had class until noon and my mom worked, so I figured I would attempt to relax a bit (although I originally had 'house work' written on my schedule book. I was quickly talked out it it.)

We went out to dinner at Applebees, starting the evening off arguing in our normal family tradition over who was going to sit where around the table.

After Dinner (thank you to my family for not telling the restaurant it was my birthday) we went back to the house for some cake and such. Now normally my family buys me an ice cream cake, but they were apparently scarce this year.... So they figured, what the heck. Anything Princess-esque would work. Well, they did well. Apparently Disney has created friends for Tinkerbell. I must attempt to find this movie although cheesy as it probably will be.

Obviously my family, Mom, Dad, Brother - and Dave were there. But my friends Joanna and Katie (and the creepy mannequin we photograph all the Scarlet Fairy stuff on) also attended my party. As Tradition we all sang the Viking Happy Birthday dirge courtesy of my medieval upbringing. (Yes the one that used to get posted on my locker at school which was confiscated by the counselors before they tried to kick me out of school... Yeah Really. That one. Gotta love growing up as a SCAdian.)

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/birthday-dirge-faq/

This pretty much just about sums it up. With a lot more verses that aren't really as dreary (well, maybe). Imagine a room full of really really really REALLY drunk people with less scary faces laughing and slamming their beer goblets on a table singing this while eating a feast of medieval food... I loved my childhood.

So as to continue with normal tradition, I get an enormus butcher knife (American Mcgees Alice for the win) and a spoon for my cake. The spoon to get the first bite out of the middle of my cake - and the knife to destroy my cake =D

And thus the passing out of cake begins

My brother was pretty amused by the scary amount of icing on this cake.

My parents really did go out of their way =X

And something to keep my cats from playing footsy in my drinking water while I'm working. (Weirdest cats ever.)

The Tinkerbell card started SINGING. (/immediate close and reopen cautiously)

Both my Mom and Dad's cards made me cry. Bad. My mom gave me her card earlier in the morning.

The crazy singing Fairy card brought me back to earth =X

And last but not least, a few days later at the Guild Print competition, my friend Gino gave me a balloon for my Birthday! I was so excited to see it tied to my chair!!!! I was going to tie it to my wrist but I was afraid with how much I use my hands when I talk I would slap people in the face with it. I tied it to my purse and enjoy it's company until near the end of the night when it somehow came loose and floated to the ceiling (/sadface). My guildies came to the rescue and attempted to get it down from the ceiling, but alas it will live it's life out above the chandelier (Thank you guys for trying! xoxo!)

On a final note before the commenting commences - Yes, I know. I'm like a little kid. I probably will be until forever. Live it up - have fun. Sometimes it's healthy to be a little immature =D

Halloween 2011

2011-09-09T15:27:00.001-04:00

Well one of my absolute favorite holidays is right around the corner again.... Halloween!

To celebrate this amazing holiday where adults get an excuse to run around in sexy costumes, I wanted to throw up a one look special to photograph those amazing costumes you spend such a fortune on and only get to wear once a year! (and normally only once, period!)

Halloween Special 2011

-One Look Session (Must be with a Halloween costume)

- 1-2 hours shooting time

-Complimentary consultation session

- Coaching to teach you how to pose like a model!

- Select proofs in a private web gallery for you to view or a Complimentary proofing session to choose final images

-Access to select costuming and props including but not limited to Cat girl, Playboy Bunny ears, Dalmation ears, Nurse, Demon, Angel, Witch, Sexy Faerie, Maid, School girl, Flapper, Medieval Dresses, Magician, Belly dance, Burlesque dancer, and more assorted props and lingerie

- 3 Fully retouched 8x10(12) prints on Metallic or e-surface paper (That's one free print!)

- 3 Web photos (900px longest side) emailed to you of the prints to post on your facebook or other favorite social networking website!

-Don't want prints? I will swap out the prints for 3 additional web photos =)!

Only $159

$149/ea for groups of 3 or more (up to 5) in the same day (So grab two or more of your friends and make it a fun day out!)

Makeup is not included, but I have several Artists that I recommend!

(Plus then you have sexy makeup done to go out in the evening!)

Don't have any experience posing in front of the camera? Afraid you aren't "model material?" I hear this almost daily at my studio. My answer to this is Don't worry! I have loads of experience guiding women no matter how nervous they are into relaxed, sexy, fun poses. My goal is that we have lots of fun and have some images that you can keep forever to remember this fun time in your life!

If you've been wondering what it's like to have a "Serena Star" experience, this is a great, inexpensive opportunity to have fun and see what it's all about!

Don't have a costume (Shame on you, tehe) It's totally ok! We have tons of pinup lingerie and cat ears, demon horns, masks, and more available for you to use! You can also check out my companies clothing store at http://www.scarletfairy.etsy.com for some cool things for halloween this year! (Coming very soon)!

This special is also good for couples, kids, and more looking for a nice halloween portrait! Have more than one costume you want photographed? Contact me for a special package ;)!

Special Ends Halloween! Don't wait, book now as spots fill up quickly!
Go to my website at http://www.Serena-Star.com and contact via my Contact Form!

Pennsic 39 (and 40?)! Or not =X!

2011-08-17T22:28:00.000-04:00

Well then, going back through my blogspot drafts I noticed a post that I never made!

This is how it began:

OK, so I promised I would post up from pictures from my vacation! I have to admit, I sort of left my camera in it's bag most of the time..... I needed a break from work =P My friend Katie took a TON of pictures though! So between hers and mine I think we have a good variety to tell the story. I will only post a few here, but the rest are all on my FB page Here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.481863893293.264734.501818293&type=1

More of an explanation of what Pennsic is, you can read here: http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/07/vacation-time-d.html

End.

Well, a whole year has passed since I attempted to start this post... and I never did post Katie's photos... Alas, this year Dave and I made the hard decision to not go to Pennsic. This would be the third time, I believe, in my entire life that I did not make it to Pennsic. (And it was 40, too!)

I guess now that everyone is home, I should officially explain myself as to why we made the hard decision to not return to our beloved medieval home... Dave and I just got a house =)!

I know I have been seemingly distant and terrible at posting up new blogs and new photos on facebook lately, but reason is because I'm just keeping up with all the work for my clients while cleaning, painting, moving etc! I have TONS of new stuff to share that I have been working on recently, and tons of new clients that have given me permission to share their photos! There will also be photos of our new home posted very soon -- so be patient! It's absolutely lovely and I can't wait to show everyone!

So in memory of last year and missing this year, I'm going to post up some thumbnails of photos that never made it to the blog last year. I miss my Pennsic Family and hopefully I will return next year!

Besides, I guess there's always 50 ;D!

Me and Dave =D

Dave's working on making sheathes for his new knives!

What the heck is Doug doing in the background >_>?

Camp! Dave's makin' om nom noms =D

Joanna's Henna!

Katie Bug and Eric working on other leather stuffas!

I wouldn't even ask =X

The boys were keeping themselves entertained by keeping the people on the road entertained while Joanna was Body painting us for the Mardi Gras Party!

http://www.Jzino-Bodyart.com

Dave bought me a pretty for my birthday last year!

It poured so badly the night before we decided to leave the main poles in out tent broke!! Seriously - even duct tape couldn't fix this one (Holy cow! >_>)

Speaking of Rain, have you seen the disaster that's struck our town? My family didn't make it to Pennsic so the Pennsic storms decided to follow my friends home =X My basement tried to become a swimming pool and for many others, it did! Joanna made a really great blog post - but check out the damage - roads are gone, water is up to car windows... It's insane - and in South Jersey!?

http://jzino.blogspot.com/2011/08/pittsgrove-under-water.html

And last but not least -- this is what my hair turns into when I take it out of the braids =X Don't forget to check out the rest of the photos at the link at the top of the page!

xoxo

Thomas & Taylor: Forbidden Romance

2011-07-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

This couple has to be one of the coolest couples I have ever photographed!

You might remember Taylor as the blonde bombshell from my old post here: http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/03/taylor-sites.html

Well Taylor is now engaged and soon to be married to Thomas! These two are truly meant for each other. With each click of my shutter I could tell they were a perfect match... It was just in their eyes as they looked at each other. Something you might not know about Taylor is that she's a Fairy Tale major! How cool is that? So they contacted me about doing a shoot together reminiscent of the King Arthur movie. They did their research, and even brought their own wardrobe and props (which is a super rare treat for me as I normally provide everything!) We brought in makeup artist Rathana Sin of MRS Beauty http://www.modelmayhem.com/1138287 and bodypainter Jzino Bodyart http://www.jzino-bodyart.com/ to do the grunge, dirt, fake blood, and celtic woad markings.

I had so much fun. Every time I put down my camera, these two would start goofing around and fighting again! I remember at one point, Taylor decided that Thomas wasn't dirty enough and stole the spray bottle from Joanna (Jzino) to apply more "battle wounds". They are such a beautiful couple. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did photographing it!

To view more fairy tale romances, go to: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.407729752002.199946.87975462002 or contact me at www.serena-star.com if you are interested in creating your own Fairy Tale romance story with your loved one!

More Pinups and Sable Sin Cyr Feature

2011-07-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

Some of my work with Pinup Model, Burlesque Dancer and Clothing designer Sable Sin Cyr recently went up on the internet magazine, Flip Magazine! I've known the owner of the magazine for some time as I modeled for the company's book Pinup for the Troops - http://www.forthetroopsonline.com/

I actually met Sable several years ago through him on a trip up to Massachusetts to shoot with TK Expressions, a fabulous and fun pinup photographer! Sable and I became instant friends and she was one of my model muses until she left for Wisconsin to continue her education in the field of costume design! Below I've posted a couple pinups that I did with TK Expressions (I can post more pinups from the trip if you all are interested ... Just let me know! It was one of my last pinup shoots before I semi-retired!)

Anyway, On to Sable Sin Cyr! This girl makes me wish I could put some of my belly dancing experience to good use. Her burlesque is tasteful and sexy... Just like her! I have always had a secret dream to perform on stage - but I don't think I ever will =X I have total respect for this girl!

Here are a few awesome examples of images in this article, but check out the issue for free here: http://www.flipmagazine.net/ (Please keep in mind that magazine is a Men's Glamour Magazine and I believe there may be some nudity! NSFW!)

You can view an entire album of her in the gray lingerie featured below at the link here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.331688117002.162453.87975462002

You might also recognize her as the model in the Bachelor Pad magazine, Issue 8. You can view in my not-up-to-date tear sheets gallery here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.98318932002.105467.87975462002

And you can still buy this issue and subscribe for many great other issues at: http://www.bachelorpadmagazineonline.com/

Isa Voros - Little Fairy Girl

2011-07-09T20:59:00.001-04:00

Isa, Isa - How do I describe Isa. Isa Voros is a stunningly beautiful semi-new model in the scene. For anyone looking for a model muse, this girl knows how to pose. She is a modeling power house! She was a pleasure to photograph and was tons of fun - she was even willing to try out my crazy fairy ideas! One of the first i've had in a long while. I did the makeup for this photo shoot. She brought her own wardrobe for the more fashion-style imagery and then I mixed in a little of my own from here at the studio for the boudoir and fairy tale images! For the Fairy set, I built the scene while Jzino Bodyart http://www.jzino-bodyart.com/ did the bodypaint on her chest and arms (You don't have to be naked to get body paint!) ! The wings she is wearing were hand created by a close friend of mine, Ivy Darling!

Become a fan of Isa here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Isa-Voros/138174439564572

I also wanted to throw this really sweet blurb she used to have on her ModelMayhem page about Joanna (Jzino) and me!

#14219 Serena Star (photographer) Wow, working with Serena was an awesome experience! She has fantastic vision and is wildly creative. I was definitely impressed by the whole experience and the results, even after having such high expectations already from seeing her portfolio. Being a model herself, she was extremely helpful with posing. I consider myself VERY lucky to have worked with her and am dying to do it again!

#661104 Serena Star (mua) You can tell that Serena has a LOT of experience in makeup! She did a fantastic job, which is especially hard for me to find because I don't have a typical face.

#598345 JZino (bodypainter) Joanna was great to work with! She is super talented and the paint looked awesome both in person and in pictures. I liked it so much that I wore it out that night after the shoot

Megan's Boudoir Album Birthday Gift

2011-06-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

I was given permission by one of my wonderful boudoir clients to post her beautiful album on my blog! Megan came to my studio looking to create an album as a gift for her hubby for his birthday! We brought in makeup artist/hair stylist Alayna Rakes to do her makeup and hair! Stunning!

Megan rocked the photo shoot. She obviously has a beautiful body and she naturally flowed through poses with little guidance.

Now I must say, this couple has a wild side! For the rest of his birthday gift, they went to an island where they lived with a tribe and had to catch their own food and afterwards went to a resort! She said while with the tribe, it was the healthiest she's ever felt. I don't think I could ever do it, but how awesome is that, right?

Don't forget to click on the image below to full view this album - it really is beautiful and I am so excited to be able to share it with you all =)!

2011 Professional Photographer Mag Cover Competition

2011-05-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

So I entered again this year to the Professional Photographer Cover competition!

The image I submitted is of Angelina Aucello, a beautiful girl and a budding actress. I think the hollywood style really suits her. This is one of my favorites of this style of image so I'm really hoping it wins! Makeup was done by MRS Beauty, hair and styling by me! This is also a merited image in the Professional Photographers of American Print competition!

Angelina has such a sweet heart. She wrote me this short testimonial a long while ago and I don't think I ever posted it on my blog. It's been on my facebook (along with a before and after) here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=155286782002&set=a.126038242002.119341.87975462002&type=1 but I wanted to share with you how great she is and why I want her on the cover!

"As an Actor, having a stellar head shot is nothing short of ordinary. After all, a good shot is in some cases the sole determinant of getting that audition call or booking. When it was time for a new head shot, I knew exactly who to contact - Serena Star. For years, I have followed Serena's profile on Model Mayhem, and I have always been inspired by her work. Her style is unique, artistic, and simply beautiful- capturing people at their best. My shooting experience with Serena and Rae (the makeup artist Serena recommended to me) was so far beyond my expectations. Serena and Rae made me feel comfortable, beautiful, and gave me helpful direction throughout the shoot. Being a model herself, Serena knows how to photograph the human body at its most attractive angles and poses. Her prompt retouching and final photo delivery is the finishing touch that throws every photo over the edge. Since shooting with Serena, my new photos have landed me an increasing number of auditions and bookings. My success lies in her work! =)"

-Angelina Aucella

I try not to bother people too much for votes since it's for fun anyway, but it's been nice to hover around the first 5 pages without really asking. If you get a chance and wouldn't mind taking a moment, please vote for me at http://www.ppmag.com/cover-contest-2011/vote/11577/

... Everyone voting (for anyone on the site - hopefully a 5 star for me, too!) is entered to win an Ipad 2 =D I don't believe they spam, at least my mom has never told me they did - the only ask for your email and name to sign up (which is so you don't vote multiple times). It's a great organization/Magazine, so I trust them =) If you are a photographer, get your bum on there and submit something, too! Competition is great for the soul - especially if you don't make it. Just get up and try, try again. Good Luck and Thanks!

A very late Update for 2011

2011-05-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

I know this post is long overdue, but I just never seem to find the time to really sit down and type up. So many things keep popping up and changing and who knows where to start! I also haven't wanted to bury my extremely giddy post about my engagement XD. Bad Serena x.x;;; hehe

Well I guess things would probably be best at the top!

After many many many days with the Lawyer and our Accountant and an even larger bill, Serena Star Photography is no longer Serena Star Photography! We have become Star Fairy Studios LLC with divisions of Serena Star Photography (Photography studio ran by Serena Star - me), Scarlet Fairy (Clothing Company co owned by my amazing seamstress mother and myself!), and Wishing Star Studios.

Within Serena Star Photography, you've probably seen lots of small changes across the board from website to products we now offer, and even more coming soon. The studio is still in a state of ever remodeling. Those of you who have been to the studio, we still lack a sign (which at this point is probably a smart thing with all the changes, hehe!)

We are now also focusing more on marketing to High School Seniors and Weddings which are tons of fun! We've been doing them for years, but we want to make sure everyone knows it! We are really focusing on building self esteem in women of all ages, all shapes, and walks of life!

After a ton of questions and a bit of coaxing, I am now putting together workshops to help teach and inspire photographers, and have been traveling a bit doing so! It has been a really great experience for me as I think I've learned as much as I've taught, and it's been great to network with people across the world!

In the realm of Scarlet Fairy, we have finally launched our facebook and etsy page where we are now selling our products! We have Pinup/Burlesque inspired Lingerie, Tiny top hats, Tribal Belly dance outfits already up!

We are working on a Boudoir Photography inspired line for those photographers out there who want to have in house wardrobe. They will consist of the decorated bras, waist cinchers, and tutus without underwear (that your clients will provide for sanitary reasons)!

You can become a fan of our Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/ScarletFairy (Please do to keep up to date with all our crazy ideas!) We have Elizabethan/Tudor gowns, Marie Antoinette style dresses, and more on the way! We are also going to be making lolita/visual kei outfits, and Pinup inspired sundresses very soon! We've even moved into doing some steam punk inspired wardrobe! As things keep growing, make sure to keep track of our website at www.ScarletFairy.com and our etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ScarletFairy

Wishing Star Studios is a dud name so far. Still not yet sure if I will be using it. I was going to split it into a more family oriented Brand than Serena Star Photography for my Seniors and Children! Photographers out there, Let me know what you think - Bad branding or a genius idea ;)? If genius - Where would you stick weddings? Under the very fashion and Boudoir oriented Serena Star brand or this one?

In other big news, my fiance, Dave, is slowly becoming more involved with helping in the business. He has about another year to go before he graduates college with a degree in Graphic Design. He is phenomenal and we will be working together to bring anyone interested in photography templates, borders, textures, brushes, and more to help you with your work flow =)!

I am extremely proud to say Dave received Blue Ribbons on two prints in his very first Guild of Professional Photographers of Delaware Valley print competition! (Spring 2011). I will post the images below =) One you will probably recognize as the ever popular corseted photo of me, and the second is Model Bad Charlotte in Scarlet Fairy attire/Tiny top hat; makeup and hair done by me! He has also received awards on his graphite drawings for his "Eye Series" at his college art show. You can view his college drawings including his eye series here: http://dave-star.deviantart.com/gallery/27051511

He just discovered the wonderful world known as Wacom, so I expect to see some pretty bad ass stuff coming my way soon =D. (I really need to buy a new one, myself. Mine's been unusable since I switched to mac... which is a pretty long time =X)

Speaking of Guild, I am now the Print Competition Chair person for the organization! I completed my first print competition with this Spring Comp and I think it went fairly smooth. It's a bit of work, but rewarding after the competition is over to see what we accomplish =) I will also be speaking for them very soon on June 16, 2011 from 7-10pm! Go here: http://www.gppdv.com/ and check out the June Meeting!

I wanted to leave you off with the album I made highlighting all the best (and what I'm allowed to post online) of Serena Star Photography of 2010! Don't forget to full view, or view each page separately on my facebook fan page here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150098909352003.285520.87975462002

So much more to come! I know I am definitely forgetting a ton of stuff since I've been meaning to write this since January and I kept putting it off! I will start trying to backtrack and play catchup. I didn't want to put any more into a single post, (I know how boring long posts can be to read) so check back often and keep your eyes peeled for lots of great photo shoots and all kinds of great things going on!

The Proposal

2011-04-03T17:49:00.001-04:00

You know how they say Amazing things come to those who wait?

I think i've experienced one of the happiest days of my entire life.

No, happy isn't even the right word - Happy doesn't even come close to how I'm feeling right now.

Bliss. A state of intoxicating Euphoria.

Words can't explain this feeling that's swept me off my feet. I've never felt so wonderful in my life.

Butterflies start fluttering -- the good ones. The ones that make you quiver - ones that start in your heart instead of your stomach. Butterflies that spread out, cascading like a river through out your body then radiating energy, releasing into a glowing aura that follows everywhere you go. Your pulse starts to race, your eyes and nose start to burn as tears start to build up, and then your breath is stolen for but a moment. Your heart skips a beat.

My hands shake as I type, I bite my lip - Elation overflows.

I'm speechless.

I'm in a surreal dream land.

I can't believe it's real.

Who knew we would come so far? After everything we've been through - all the changes in our lives - the ups and the downs... figuring out who we were and what we wanted, that the boy I connected with the moment I laid eyes on, was drawn to like a magnet, and fell in love with the moment we spoke, was the man I am going to marry.

Dave proposed on our 5 year anniversary, March 29th, 2011.

I have no idea where to start - I can't seem to put this feeling into text - I just know I am completely taken by it every time I think about the day. I'm sure i'm driving my parents (and friends) crazy talking about it non-stop. I can't help but smile this huge grin every time I drift off - which is constantly. My eyes and nose burn as the day washes over me again and my mouth starts to hurt at the creases. After all these years of being a boudoir and wedding photographer, I'm still honestly not sure if it's normal to be as ecstatic as I am. I have no idea where to start or what I should be doing now. I just know nothing can take this feeling from me.

I know it's cliche, but I am definitely on Cloud 9. The day was so magical - a fantasy come to reality. I can't imagine anything more perfect or romantic then what he did!

Lets start beginning of the 29th. Dave planned a full day to celebrate our 5 year, taking off class at college to spend the day with me. We started off at the Museum of Natural Sciences. He really wanted to see the dinosaur exhibit and I was excited to see the Butterfly exhibit. I didn't know there was one! I went with my mom to one when I was in elementary school and I cherish those photographs. I love butterflies, and he knew it!! They are like the gateway creatures into the Faerie realm!

We went through the animal exhibit - I didn't really take to many photos - I never expected it would end up being such a big day!! My goal was to get photos of the butterflies even though I didn't bring my macro lens (I was nervous of bringing my camera to Philly to begin with in case I needed to leave it in the car later on.)

So then we got to my butterflies and moths!

Dave asked the guy working in the butterfly garden to take a photo of the two of us. As we were standing there, he leaned over and whispered into my ear.... I was so nervous because this guy that worked there was standing with camera in hand, waiting to take that stereotypical smiling photo of the two of us (so I thought). I'm super shy about public affection and this guy was just standing there with my camera so I was blushing to begin with...

.....but then got down on one knee.

My heart stopped dead - I knew immediately. He pulled out the most beautiful ring and asked me to marry him. My brain was mush. I think I said oh my god over and over - he actually had to ask if that meant yes =X Which of course ... Yes!!!!

Yes, before you comment, I know it's on the wrong hand. He was so nervous and he's left handed.... I was in shock, so happy, not sure whether to stare at Dave or the insanely sparkly ring, and I had my coat in the other hand. I moved it later =D

Yeah... I'm crying...and smiling. Makeup was all down my face.

(Just looking at these photos gives me happy teary smiles! ^_^)

I have the best memories in the world! And photos to remind me!

I also found out later that he even sat down with my parents and asked permission! How completely classy and old fashioned is that? I love it!!!!! So perfect! He had spent months planning how he was going to propose and trying to make the day perfect. They also told me that he searched everywhere to find the perfect ring! It's like a fairy tale!

Afterwards we stopped to see this beautiful bird outside the exhibit. The guy at the butterfly exhibit chased us down thanking us for letting him be part of our moment and gave us a butterfly that has passed on to keep to remember the day. I'm going to either frame or scrap book it ^_^ Dave told me later he had shown the guy the ring and had asked him to take the photos while I was busy with the butterflies!

Afterwards we went to Varalli, an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia across the street from the theater we were going to! (Parking in Philly gives me anxiety so it was perfect since we could park at the Kimmel Center and walk!)

^I wish I had a photo of the super cute corset top I had on under this jacket =X

And then it was time for the show! Dave bought us Parquet tickets so we were really close to the stage! This was Dave's first theater experience. He had never been to a show before, but I'm a theater geek so he knew I would love it (and he was right). The show rocked and the day was absolutely amazing! (I was a little nervous about letting a random person in the streets of Philadelphia use my camera take a photo of the two of us =X)

Back at the hotel at the end of the night we took a photo for FB!

I love my Ring!!! It's currently having a new band made because I have absolutely tiny fingers (Apparently size 7 is standard and my fingers are a 3!) Dave has amazing taste in jewelry.

You can view all the photos from the day if you go to my FB page here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10150237896793294&id=501818293&aid=376696

I knew it - in my heart. I was reading back in my journals, reading over all the little moments over the years... Patience I wrote - if it's mean't to be, it will happen - and it has! I feel like a little kid. I wanted to share this from 2004 - It's so amazing to see how far we've come.

http://SchizophrenicKittie.deviantart.com/art/Purrs-My-boyfriend-8577505

I think this just about sums up how I feel =D

Censorship

2011-03-08T01:24:00.002-05:00

Blogs are supposed to show the reader who someone is right? Get to know a person- share what's on the writer's mind, the things they like, and what they do -- sort of like a public journal. If you are reading this post, please follow through until the end as there is a light at the end of the journey and a purpose for the negativity that ensues.

There is a spot inside me that's deep and dark. Not the light and fluffy Rena that most people know and love. The Rena with the shy and contagious smile, and squeaky laugh.. with that occasional little snort. That exhilarating high of bouncy excitement and laughter has to come down sometimes - and when I crash, I crash hard. Sometimes I feel like I'm two souls sharing one body. Walking some crazy demented tight rope.

Well, I'm tired of being censored. By myself, my friends, my co-workers, and my family. Not a single person in this universe is a perfect being. Everyone has a dark part in their soul that comes out occasionally. Most people hide it really well - others not so much. This has nothing to do with what is "right and wrong", because I fully agree with following rules, laws, and being kind to everyone. Two wrongs don't make a right. I strongly believe in Karma. (and I'm not saying attention-loving repetitious whining is right either). This deals with the true feelings that dwell within all of us. The ability to be allowed to show raw emotion no matter what - even when things are deep in an emotional roller coaster, without fear of judgment.

What artist in history has been perfect? As far as I know, pretty much all the top historical artists were somewhat "crazy". I think that's what makes us artists. I think it's because we allow ourselves to expose a piece of our soul in our work - that "crazy" so to call it... and people see truth within that. They empathize with that part of us because they too are afraid to show it in themselves. Fear that others won't accept them-- but they respect the artist for being able to.

Musicians do it every day -- showing their pain and suffering through their music... People eat up the lyrics - dancing till their feet can't handle it anymore when things are good - and listening and crying - screaming at the top of their lungs when things are bad. They connect from an emotional level to the Musicians lyrics - the ones that walk the line - a line I walk.

I don't see why the artistic photographer girl shouldn't be able to be like the Musician. I'm a Photographer. I'm a Clothing Designer. A Makeup Artist, a Writer, a Dancer, a Singer, and an Actress. I am an artist. Pure, Simple, and Unadulterated. I express myself through many mediums. The good, the bad. The happy, and the sad. Maybe I don't have a thick enough skin to handle the conflict when people don't understand. The people that don't connect with me or are too closed minded to identify with the fire burning inside.

I've been censoring myself for a long time. Afraid of what my acquaintances, co-workers, clients, and fans would think if I showed anything but the good and positive side of myself. I want to be a role model showing people the positives that have come out of my life... Afraid if I showed anything else, it would tarnish the image that I've been trying to show people about the beauty in everyone. But human pain can be a beautiful thing as well. It's what makes us who we are -the good, and the bad. If it wasn't for the bad in my life, I wouldn't be the fun loving, crazy person I am today.

It really hit me on New Years when Dave and I broke up - and again after spending all of Imaging USA with him. Most people didn't even realize we had broken up. I swallowed all my pain and turned on the happy face to post about all the great new things going on in my business (which mind you, they are), but I was broken. Vulnerable. My heart was tattered and torn. I needed to be strong- and I was. The only person I had to talk to was my best friend who didn't know what to do or what to say. I cried because I had no one else I could be myself with. I was tired of putting up this facade that had pigeon holed me into being able to do no wrong. Sometimes I would feel as though I was no longer a human being. Just a bunch of safely placed thought out words on the internet.

Even this entry. I will probably sit on for days staring at -- wondering whether or not I should post it. This, along with all the others I've deleted... Wondering how it would change people's perspective of me. But this is me - not the entirety of me, but a real part of myself. The artist that my family, friends, and Dave know and get to see. The me who while isn't perfect, has a wide range of personality- From the love and fun in my heart to the dark, quiet corner. (Edit: So I did sit on it for a few weeks. Sorry guys for the lack of posting!)

I used to not care. When was that 16 year old artist smothered? The one that picked up her camera and decided to create art out of passion. That girl that graduated high school after years of torment from people that didn't understand only to be told, "Don't ever change who you are" by those same people.

I wonder sometimes when I look back over the last couple years. My excuse is always the same: "Maturity." What is maturity? Is it concealing your true personality to fit into society's "Normal"? If so, how can we ever have real relationships with anyone. True friendships - True lovers.

I was asked yesterday why I quit modeling. Why I didn't continue when I enjoy it so much. Well...that could be a post of it's own -- but when you really look at the answer to the question in short form, it's Society. I sat there and thought about it, really thinking as I posted a very controversial music video on my personal FB page, wondering whether or not I should delete it, my heart racing with anxiety because it might be taken as "inappropriate." The longer I sat there watching it on repeat, I wondered - why? People added my personal page - not my professional page. It's not like I posted it on my business's FB page (although I really don't see why I couldn't -- The latex outfits throughout the video are amazing! I would photograph them.)

It all started with a bad photo shoot I modeled. When I turned 18 I started doing some nude modeling - I was young and in an art school - modeling for friends that I trusted and amazing fine artists. I was always doing tasteful shoots. I did however have this ridiculous dream of being a playmate at that age. I was almost 20, I think, when I did a photo shoot for the first time getting paid for a nudes. The photographer wanted full frontal glamour nudity... playboy style sort of thing. Their work was beautiful and they were paying $500 -- which would get me to Pennsic that year ... I figured what the heck and agreed to do it. We did some outdoor nudes which made me really uncomfortable, but I was young and stupid, and I didn't want to say no since they were paying me what I thought at that time was a ton of money. After the photo shoot they shoved a model release into my hand that I shouldn't have signed. I felt so guilty with myself and like trash and just absolutely terrible. Mind you the photos they did post are beautiful and tastefully done, but still I offered to buy the images from them just on principle and offered them a lot of money. They went to their lawyer and started a whole bunch of drama with me because they wouldn't do it. For the first time in my life I felt true anxiety.

Now mind you I was already starting to have a little bit of anxiety over the modeling -- I had never cared what anyone thought about me. I dressed the way I wanted, I did what I wanted to do. Being an artist was very important to me. When I started dating Dave, he worried about my image around his family and friends and told me how it was inappropriate for me to be the way I was around other people. He was angry at me when I started doing the nudes (mind you he since is now pushing me to get back into the modeling). My fellow professional colleagues started bringing up the fact I wouldn't get anywhere in life or have a business if I dressed the way I did. My mom went into the hospital almost having a heart attack and the first thing out of her mouth before the list of things stressing her was "My daughter is doing nudes." That's a lot of stress on the back of your mind when the closest people to you are unhappy with you.

I started taking a look at everything in my life.. the way I acted.. the way I spoke.. the things I spoke about; everything had to be appropriate.. diplomatic... professional. I started becoming anxious and having issues with OCD. I couldn't post whatever I wanted to online, I felt like I couldn't be myself... I started taking down all the old blog posts from when I was in my angsty teenage years because I was afraid of what people would think about me if they read back that far. They were raw, full of emotion and that teenage rage -- but it was real. It was true. It was pain.

So I quit modeling. Then the OCD got worse and I found out about dirty makeup artists, unclean stylists, photographers selling photos to stock websites or pay sites, etc and I became paranoid about them. I didn't want to sign release forms. It's like when I got into my first and only car accident. Now, every time I'm in a car with someone and they come to a sudden stop, I get massive anxiety. I feel the airbags hitting me in the face every time. It takes the breath out of me... and every time I pick up a pen to sign a model release form, I start to shake and I can't do it. I get nauseous and sick to my stomach and I feel like crap. Like im worthless. The same feeling I felt that day I signed that release from that photo shoot I regret ever having done.

It continued like that for years until everyone had convinced me including myself that although I did the modeling, if I didn't do it anymore that my clients wouldn't "black list" me for it. Now it all just seems more and more absurd as the days go on because my job is to photograph people and make them look great!

I wrote this back in 2005 as a caption for an emotive photograph I took called Stripped. The words only seem fitting even now.

"Naked, Cold, Crying.
Stripped of every stitch from your body.
That is how life works; stripping you of yourself and desecrating innocence. Everyone is infatuated by that pretty face and cute little body, that appetite for avidity consumes chastity. Childish games are lost behind lustful eyes, turning beauty into some pedophiles new toy. Desensitized - manipulated by the sick contemplation transpiring in some perverse mind. Drowning in sinful iniquities, delusional of it's demented exposition. So naive in the world. So many things in life are always repressing you and you can't liberate yourself or don't want to. You look back on the past and cover your eyes because all you see are the happy times and who you were... or the sad times and realize you never were truly happy. Only that life is one huge illusion. Society rips your soul away from you. It taints your sense of reality from that guiltless ignorance. Condemning emotions to oblivion in a dark world of defiled ambitions. It is all a superficial happiness though- Malignance consumes all. Everyone has their face covered."

Well this past year I started the transition back. I know who I am now. I'm still that same professional fun loving girl, but I'm also that vulnerable youth, too. I am not as weak of a creature as I once was. I've found that piece of my soul and with that I know how to show others how to be themselves as well. I am a stronger person. A more creative and unique individual.

They say "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." I posted that when Dave and I broke up. We spent a month apart trying to figure out who we were and what we wanted in life. I took a leap of faith when I cornered him at work and kissed him the day we got back together. I couldn't find the words to say, but I knew what I wanted - and how to express it. Our 5 year anniversary is coming up this month.

I won't stop or change myself for anyone anymore (except of course dressing professional for all my weddings, hehe). I am an artist - That fun, sexy, confident, yet extremely vulnerable youth that I was. The real me that brought me to where I am today -- not the person I've been trying to become the last few years that's thrown up roadblocks and has held me back.

Remember how I mentioned that the bad experiences in my life are what made me into the person I am today? That bad photo shoot is really what made me experience photography through my clients eyes. The reason I got into Boudoir and Senior photography. They trust me with their lives and how people perceive them when I click the shutter. It made me realize the trust that people give me when they hire me and sign my release form. It made me realize that I have the power to do something good with my life and with that I can change the world. I can make sure that what happened to me, never happens to another person. These negative events gave me the power to build confidence and self esteem in others.

I love my business. I love my job -- I love all the people in my life that I have met over the years. Including the ones that at one point had made me question myself. It was all a learning experience and I think I needed to go through it to come back to this point and appreciate it all the more. I love to enjoy life and have fun doing it. I am passionate about everything that I am doing and I think it shows.

Imaging USA 2011!

2011-01-30T21:50:00.001-05:00

GenNext: Rising Stars was a hit! And thus I finally find time to write on my trip two weeks ago! (My schedule has been booked solid since I've been back!)

My trip to San Antonio, Texas for Imaging USA this year was amazing! The city is beautiful, the weather was (decent XD), and it was so much fun networking and taking photography classes! If you've never been to Imaging USA, I should probably start by telling you it's HUGE. There is so much to do and learn that you can forget to eat half the time.

Classes start in the early AM so by the time you finally get to bed after the closing parties in the evenings (Or wandering around town enjoying the view), you have barely any time to sleep! They cram so much information into each hour and a half class that you really have to take a notebook or you are sure to forget everything you learn. The trade show is so big, three days is really not enough time to walk through it and thoroughly get to talk to all the vendors. (And as I learned, High Heels are not your friend on the carpet of the trade show floor.) I remember my first year, I brought home so many flyers, catalogs, and information that I almost mailed everything home because I was afraid my suitcase would be overweight!

So lets start at the beginning, sort of! Dave and I arrived at the Philadelphia airport and did not have to go through x-rays or pat-downs (yay!) for some odd reason. That started the trail of happiness for my trip because I had been stressing over that. We get through and head towards our waiting area and who do we see but none other than "Bobby G." Bob Golding, one of my professors from college and a friend! We find out we are taking the same plane and have the same lay over! In Houston we decided to go get lunch at this little sit down diner in the airport that made amazing Milkshakes. Dave was randomly pulled to have his bags checked (he must just have one of those faces =X). It was my first time riding with Southwest airlines, and I am so glad I chose them. The hostess were pleasant and very amusing telling jokes and singing all the information we needed to know about the plane instead of the boring monotone blabbering that I usually sleep to.

We arrive in Texas and Bob Wood (another professor) and a couple of the members of SPS, (Student Photographic Society - an organization I was the Antonelli Institute Chapter's Vice President of during college) had already arrived earlier that day! After checking into our rooms we headed out for Dinner and to check out the Alamo for the first time!

(Thanks Bob Wood for most of the images in this post unless stated otherwise. I don't have a point and shoot and I didn't feel like carrying my heavy camera around all week so I've been swiping photos from everyone else =D) This is Bob wood top left. Bob Golding top right, me on the bottom left, and SPS member Karen on the bottom Right at Chili's! (Which by the way makes AMAZING Loaded Potato soup.)

So anyway! Fast forward a day and my first class was with John Hartman, "How to become a better Speaker." Followed by meeting the rest of the Gen Next program and going over details, seeing the room for the first time, and then a short speaker meeting with the other speakers! After that I think I just went out to dinner with Dave and relaxed the rest of the night. (If you call practicing my program over and over relaxing. I had to tear my 1 1/2 hr program "Through the Looking Glass into another Realm, Using Fashion, Fine Art, and Fantasy to go from Mundane to Avante Garde" apart down into 11 minutes plus an opening video and get the timing perfect.)

I'm still waiting on Dave to give me photos of this super cute Scarlet Fairy outfit I put together from Imaging! The top, Waist cincher, and Top hat all made by my company!

The following day was our Gen Next program! I got to walk through the trade show for a little bit and then thought I was late due to the time change and ran to the rehearsal for the GenNext program. Needless to say, I got there early and just spent some time hanging out and seeing everything pull together. They had 5 foot by 7 foot canvases made up of our images, courtesy of Simply Canvas http://www.simplycanvas.com/

Every speaker's program was about something different and brought something new to the table. The goal from my part of the program was to teach photographers how to take their work from the every day photograph to something completely different and unique by showing what I use for inspiration and thinking about their own! To take a fresh look at what you are shooting and how you can bring "you" into it!

I have always been an artist and my style of fashion speaks for itself in my work. I take inspiration from just about everything, but I have always loved things a little on the darker sexier side. The outfit my company made for this performance was a little more Victorian/Burlesque inspired! (Thank you Lauren! for the image below!) This was me right before going on stage all excited and pumped! Kawaii no?

Oh and here's another one that was taken of me while I was wandering around in the Gallery show! Courtesy of Ginny B =)

I found the fake corset (I decided on a fake one rather than a real one so I could move and breath easier on stage!) at Charlotte Russe, and from that my mother and I started off with a new Scarlet Fairy tutu skirt and tiny top hat! The skirt is ruffled with green lace shaped like feathers and layers of black tooling -- A day wear outfit inspired by the Scarlet Fairy lingerie I'm wearing here: Photographed by Ivy (Wandering Bohemian) at my studio and retouched by me =)

Anywho! We ran through rehearsal and the butterflies started in my stomach! As soon as the music started my adrenaline was rushing and all I wanted to do was dance! Everything was set! My microphone was ran through my corset to hide the cords, my clicky slide button was in hand, and notes (which I never had to look at) were ready at the podium on stage! The doors were opened and I hid back stage preparing to open the show!

There were two other screens in front of these... I wish I had a photograph to show how HUGE the room was. I think someone said the place sat 1000-1200 people and it was packed! I forget who gave me the image directly below. Above by Robert Wood photography again.

Again, Thank you Bob for the close up images of me speaking!

I managed to finish my presentation in 15 minutes (whew!) and then was able to sit back and relax and watch everyone else's! The entire show was a hit and everyone did a wonderful job. Everything was smooth and ran perfect! It was such a wonderful experience and I am so glad to have been blessed with the ability to speak this year at such a large convention! It was an amazing experience and I networked with so many people! Allison (another speaker) sent me the photograph below! There is another group shot of us floating around somewhere, but I'm not quite sure where! Meet GenNext!

Later on that night was the opening party! I met a lot of new people and got to see a lot of familiar faces that I have been friends with for a long time! Below image by Rick (I know, I know.. last image of me from this day I promise! I don't want to play favorites on the images I was sent =D)

Anyway! So the following day I slept in a bit -- took some classes. PPA provided the GenNext program with a booth at the trade show to meet with people who had questions about our programs or wanted to talk more with us about anything. After that, I finally was free to roam the entire tradeshow!

I was able to meet and talk with Emotion Media that made my amazing HD media video of my images for the opening of my GenNext program. They are an amazing company, if you are a professional photographer, you can find them here: http://www.emotionmedia.com/. I also met with a new vendor called "Song Freedom" that provides music for videos and such! http://songfreedom.com/!

I got to visit my lab, Millers http://www.millerslab.com/, and see all the new products they've been making in person. I've decided I love them even more since they actually listened and took notes on some changes and new products I would like to see in the future!! If all goes well, I might be offering some new products soon!

I also met up with Lisa Larkins of the album company, GraphiStudio that I use. I have talked with her several times before and she has been wonderful helping me with my album orders! We might have some stuff bubbling in the cauldron, but I'm not going to say anything else until I have some definite facts! http://www.graphistudio.com/.

I got to meet Tana of Wild Sorbet face to face -- I adore their brightly colored whimsical frames! https://wildsorbet.com/ The list just kind of keeps going and going so I'll probably cut if off there, but it was an amazing tradeshow and I found a lot of awesome new vendors to check out ;)!

That night I went out to dinner with all of Antonelli and SPS! I forget what the restaurant was called, but they specialized in BBQ =)! The meals were HUGE and the drinks were like the size of a bottle, haha. Everyone had a fun time.

After dinner we all head out to the Alamo and did a group photo to remember the day =)~!

(I love my Scarlet Fairy tiny top hats!) And then spent the rest of the night out and about around the Riverwalk. It was lots of fun, but apparently between walking the convention and everything I pinched the nerves in my feet! Still icing the silly things, hehe!

Woo moving on to the last big day! It was sort of a relaxed day! I think by this point I was just trying to keep all my notes together taking classes -- It was all sort of a blur =X! I even got to meet Matthew Jordan Smith at his program! He was another speaker at Imaging USA this year! So here are the last two photos I've received from friends. Thank you Lex for getting photos of me blasted at the closing "Mardi gras" party, lol! =X

I know you can't see it, but here's the outfit for my last night (It was adorable so I have to share =X) There was a woman who took some textures of my legs so watch out print comp, you might be seeing my legs soon =D! haha.

Speaking of which, fun true story. While I was going through the gallery show, I was looking around at all the amazing work, trying to find my prints and a few that some friends did. A photographer comes up to me and asks "Are you a Model?" which is a question I tend to get frequently at photography events with my crazy outfits (usually in the every day world it's just -- "Who's the crazy girl dressed like a comic book character?"). I look up at the print literally above my head and there just happened to be an implied nude that my friend Gino photographed of me. All I could say without laughing was "noooo. I'm a photographer!" I don't know if they even noticed! =X

The plane ride home the following day was a trip. Most of my friends from SPS had all booked a separate flight home. Dave and I get to the airport to find everyone waiting to board the plane.. apparently they had overbooked their flight and they were offered another flight home + bonuses... Long story short, we somehow all ended up on the same flight after our next layover to fly home! Fun trip =)!

All in all, it was such a great experience, as Imaging USA has always been for me over the years. I hope to keep seeing new faces as I continue to travel, learn, and speak!

So Next year, Same time -- New Orleans!!! I hope everyone is excited, I know I am!!!

Maria Sulkin "The Incredible Sulk"

2011-01-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone's New Year's day was amazing! My hope is to make this year an even better year than the last! I will start off the New Year with a post of a fun shoot I did "Last Year" hehe.

A while ago I get an email from a model about doing a full beauty shoot with fruit. I was intrigued by this concept because I had started something similar a few years ago while doing my flower series as it was another "nature" sort of inspired object. I didn't really do too many fruit so I was excited about the concept and jumped right on the job. I soon find out that Maria is the owner of a Blog called "Stuff your Pretty Face" -- a blog about her life as a competitive eater! http://stuffyourprettyface.com/ Take a look, it is sort of amazing and she keeps an awesome figure, too!

You can view her Modeling page here: http://www.modelmayhem.com/1324666

MRS Beauty was the Makeup Artist for the shoot: http://www.modelmayhem.com/1138287

And here are some of the stunning images we took! It was such a fun filled, messy day!! Maria brought an entire bag of fruits to pick from (most of which never left the building!) We started with a Starfruit (starfish, hehe) with green makeup and a hint of yellow accenting. We then moved onto the Pineapple which was a full out yellow makeup look, and finished off the night with a lot of Red and a Pomegranate (Which I had never seen in real life until this shoot!) If you have never cut one of those, they are MESSY and dye anything they touch! We had to sit our cutting board in water forever to try and get the stain off it! It was tons of fun and the shots are amazing! Take a look!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T22:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope everyone locally is getting ready for the xmas "blizzard" we are about to get! Hope your holidays were safe and memorable! I spent my holidays with the family playing diablo 2, stoop (stew/soup), and with a fridge that decided to die! =X Anyway, wasn't feeling too great and I was to lazy to get the camera out this year, so here is a cute photo I took with my webcam of my dogs sleeping under the Christmas tree! (after the gifts were already opened =X) Anton (the black dog) looks soooo tiny for some reason! Happy Holidays!

Dave Received a Daily Deviation!!

2010-12-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

My best friend, Joanna recommended my boyfriend Dave for a Daily Deviation on Deviantart.com, and a photo that I modeled was selected today!! If you have a deviant art account, follow him and leave him some love!

http://www.Dave-Star.deviantart.com

or link directly directly to this image here:

http://fav.me/d2f9vfj

And here are a view other images we've done together!

I am also a member of Deviant art, you can follow my work by clicking: Here

Ms Manchester -- Theresa Marie

2010-12-19T16:15:00.000-05:00

Theresa Marie (Ms Manchester) was planning her road trip from Pittsburgh to NYC to take a makeup workshop with Mac Cosmetics when she wrote me about collaborating. She is both a makeup artist and a model with a love for FX. I noticed her portfolio was primarily nude work so as always my main objective was to bring something completely different to her portfolio. She packed up a bunch of fun dresses and away she went!

I had a lot of fun with this shoot -- I got to take a lot of artistic liberty to try out new lighting techniques. The double exposures and flow (movement) images are all done in camera- they were not created afterwards in post. What was amazing is that she has a full Lisa Frank sleeve (anyone remember those colorful, cute folders and pencils and such when you were a kid =D?) One of her dresses matched her tattoo perfectly!!! Would you believe that was her Prom dress o_o???? (Top set)

Model:http://www.modelmayhem.com/371054
MUA:http://www.facebook.com/theresamarie.cosmeticartistry
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1956078

And here are the images we did! Again, Don't forget to click on the thumbnails to enlarge them to see full view!!!

Burlesque Dancer Maria Bella

2010-12-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

So I've received some great comments from the tear sheets that I recently did for Alt Noir and Bachelor Pad Magazine! (As seen in the post below) After all the great feedback, I decided that I wanted to share the rest of the images from the sets that the magazines did not use as I feel they are equally as interesting! Again, credits go to Burlesque Dancer Maria Bella (model) http://www.modelmayhem.com/189639

Alayna Rakes (MUAH) http://www.alaynamarie.com/

Hello Dolly Latex http://www.hellodollylatex.com/

& Goth Fox http://www.gothfox.com/

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge them for full view!

Catching up!

2010-12-11T16:40:00.002-05:00

Dear Blog,

I have neglected you again. For this, I am very sorry!

On a fun note, I did my first presentation of my full program"Through the Looking Glass into another Realm, Using Fashion, Fine Art,and Fantasy to go from Mundane to Avante Garde." I was teaching atAntonelli Institute of Art and Photography -- the college I graduatedfrom in 2008. http://ww.antonelli.edu ...It's an amazing school with a lot of changes going onright now! I know they took photos so hopefully I will be able to get a few soon and post them on my blog! I've gotten a lot of really great feedback from the students so I hope everyone enjoyed it, learned a lot, and most of all, were inspired!

So I have two brand new tearsheets out in Magazines right now! Both are featuring Model and Burlesque Dancer Maria Bella!

First is Alt Noir Magazine; you can buy a copy here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/132917

The theme was a Cirque du Soleil type of look. Alayna Rakes did the makeup for both sets and Hello Dolly Latex made the outfit for the cirque set!

And second is Bachelor Pad issue 14! This is my second publication with them! I adore this magazine! The pasties were made by Goth Fox for this set and the rest of the outfit was a sort of collaboration between things Maria and I both had! Buy this Magazine!

http://www.bachelorpadmagazineonline.com/

Best Motivational Video

2010-11-24T22:22:00.024-05:00

I remember seeing this amazing video a while ago. I found it again recently and had to share. This just shows how powerful the spark inside every single one of us can really truly be if we just fight for what we want in life.

And just another amazing person who is showing the world they can make a difference no matter what tries to hold them back.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1330043/Acid-attack-victim-Katie-Piper-poses-glamorous-magazine-shoot.html

Kerli - Tea Party

2010-11-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

Absolutely had to share this video! Dave and I went to see his brother's performance of Alice in Wonderland at the high school. Halfway through the show immediately following the Mad Hatter scene, we get to the intermission. The Mad Hatter and March hare run forward and say that since Alice left, they need new company. This song begins to play and the cast runs up on both sides of the audience, the middle of the set opens up like a double sided doorway and the entire audience gets up and goes on stage through the doors to a "Tea Party" on the other side. There were lots of brightly colored cupcakes and tea =D! I thought it was the cutest concept. I had this song stuck in my head for the next few days and I finally hunted it down....and O_O! I absolutely LOVE the music video, concept, and styling. Very Japanese Lolita-esque!

Fireworks

2010-11-11T23:37:00.002-05:00

I really truly love this song and the video! Another random fact of Serena-- It's really easy to make me cry. I'm one of those girls that watches sappy movies and is balling her eyes out by the end. This video really reminds me again why my career is so important to me. To bring joy to every one by capturing memories and saving them forever in a photograph. To accept, to love, and to cherish all that is what we are, to bring out and let the beauty shine in our world. It's such a beautiful concept.

...and Since it's Veteran's Day.. a friend of mine on FB reminded me of two beautiful videos that make me use a box of tissues every time I see them. Beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkGzqpGx1KU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSTKoKjJ5XA

GPPDV Meeting

2010-10-26T16:18:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was an awesome meeting at the Guild of Professional Photographers of Delaware Valley http://www.gppdv.com. I find networking to be extremely important. It's always wonderful to meet the faces of people who I have met online via social networking in person!

Jerry Ghionis was the featured speaker of this meeting http://www.jerryghionis.com/! If you are a Photographer and you get the chance, I would highly recommend attending one of his workshops or seminars! He is an extremely creative artist, phenomenal speaker, great at marketing (and has the experience to back it up), and has a great and fun personality! He really tells stories and keeps you laughing through out his program while either giving you constant information or inspiring your senses. I had the pleasure of having dinner afterwards with Jerry and his fiancee Melissa with a group of photographers from Guild and I can honestly say they are both genuinly really nice people.

It was great to meet new faces and to see old ones again. I found out that two of my friends and fellow photographers, Ken and Angela, are getting married in Rome very soon! On top of that, Jerry will be photographing their wedding! A few of my old fans might remember Ken as Transposure, the photographer that photographed the fine art black and white of me floating in rope a couple years back http://www.transposure.com. Angela is also a model and a great seamstress and is having one of her Katy Perry costumes featured on Access Hollywood this Friday! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Glamtastik

I also got my trophy for "Best of Woman" =D Of course I was to impatient to wait to take a proper photo if it. Had to blog it =X Now I just have to figure out where I want to display it! I really should buy a display case at the rate i'm going T_T;

Sneak Peak at the new Scarlet Fairy!

2010-10-23T15:40:00.001-04:00

So I know everyone has been patiently waiting for the official launch of Scarlet Fairy Designs! We are predicting January to be when our pieces (the new and the old prototypes) will be for sale on Etsy. Although my partner wants to keep you hanging(meanie, hehe!), I wanted to give you a sneak peak to wet your taste buds. So here are some pictures I snuck in of some of the Decorated Lingerie, Pinup and Burlesque line we are currently working on. Some of these are finished, other's haven't even been cut yet! Get ready ladies, the new outfits are amazing! If you love Scarlet Fairy, keep watching because I am hoping to get a sneak preview of some of the amazing dresses we are working on as well.

Click on the thumbnails to see them larger!

Christmas =D

And a few Goddess sized for the curvy women. More to come =D

You can view more of our outfits that will be sold in previous posts =D!

http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/08/scarlet-fairy-in-blue.html

http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/07/scarlet-fairy-designs.html

Scarlet Fairy is also listed under the Pinup Directory!!

If you love and are a fan of Scarlet Fairy, Please stop by and vote!

You don't have to sign up or anything, just click a star!

http://www.pinupdirectory.com/pinup-related-links/scarlet-fairy/

Retro Lovely Magazine

2010-10-15T00:21:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share a new Pinup magazine that I recently found out about -- I received Issues 1 & 2 and immediately fell in love. Issue 3 and their new sexier "taboo" issue will be out very soon. If you are a photographer (model, or anyone really) looking for inspiration in doing pinups, I would highly recommend this magazine! The quality of the the magazine matches that of some of the actual books I have been published in! It is jammed full of great images =)

http://www.retrolovelymagazine.com

If you are interested in buying a copy, use the coupon code "star" (no quotes) at checkout and save $2 off every copy you buy (any issue, any quantity)!

Awesomeness =D

2010-10-14T16:58:00.001-04:00

Comments like this just make my day. I'm terrible at taking compliments and never really know how to respond -- but this was just awesome and I felt like sharing =D

"Greetings! I just found you on model mayhem and was left breathless for a brief moment - your work is so absolutely stunning - I have no words to describe! God blessed you with so many talents, just amazing... I am your new fan :o)"

My Response: "Thank you Eve =)! Did you add me on MM?"

"Model Mayhem? Yes, I sent you a friend request :o) Also visited your website and again was blown away... Just beautiful, there are artists and creatively talented people, and then there is you. You are in a league of your own. I dare say - the Leonardo Da Vinci in makeup and photography. And no I do not throw flattery around as dollar bills, this is a true compliment, I am sincerely in awe of your work. God Bless~"

-Eve Love Cher

http://www.modelmayhem.com/1782285

I was also tickled pink (yes, I said it. Tickled pink. There is no other way I can think of right now to explain it.) to find I have a blurb on ehow.com when I googled myself the other day. I do that on occasion to see what comes up -- and to see which of my networking websites come up top more so than others =)

http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7290852_unique-wedding-ideas-new-jersey.html

Boudoir Photography

# A unique wedding present for a New Jersey bride (or groom) to give are photographs from a boudoir photography session. Boudoir photo sessions create playful, intimate images that will be cherished long after the wedding. Alongside her wedding photography, New Jersey photographer Serena Star specializes in pin-up style boudoir sessions that emphasize flattering portraiture, romance and "boosting your confidence."

Serena Star Photography

Elmer, NJ 08318

serena-star.com

Read more: Unique Wedding Ideas for New Jersey | eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7290852_unique-wedding-ideas-new-jersey.html#ixzz12CK0XV9V

Source: ehow.co.uk

I was also mentioned in an article about one of my favorite Pinup models to photograph, Sable Sin Cyr! http://www.myfavoritepinups.com/item/sable-sin-cyr

And apparently Dave Cross, one of the instructors on Kelby Training thinks I have "Cool Photography" (Sorry about the crazy messy blue circles -- my wacom tablet isn't working =X)

On top of that, my Imaging USA listing is right under Yervant who is an absolutely amazing wedding photographer and I highly respect him. I got to meet him at a GPPDV meeting =D!

My day has been made =D

New Modeling pics and Gwen Stefani

2010-10-08T01:05:00.001-04:00

I received another new photo today from back when I modeled for M.A.R.s School! I immediately posted it on facebook and one of my friends commented, "gwen stefani was caught in 'spiderwebs' too; eh eh? lol back when she was in no doubt at least.." It made me remember some fun times growing up..... (thanks Steve)

Model/MUA: Me

Photography: Donna Andrews

One year when I was a teenager, I briefly worked at Hot Topic for a seasonal job. They never really let me do anything except for stand up front and greet people as they walked in. I guess my massive collection of Corsets and lolita outfits intrigued people to enter the store.

I remember one day this kid started following me around. I finally got tired of it and confronted him -- he stared at me and stuttered as he simply said, "You look like a Red-Headed Gwen Stefani." Now I personally don't really see the comparison, but throughout my modeling career, I have heard that quite a bit. Either way, I'm a huge fan of No Doubt -- "I'm Just a Girl" is probably one of my favorite songs of all time -- I used to practice vocals to "Tragic Kingdom" back when I was singing. (Another random fact for today - I was Classically trained.) I probably couldn't hold a note very well now though!

First of all, I want to remind you guys of my absolute love of Alice in Wonderland. (I love Alice in Wonderland way too much.)

I sort of feel like this all the time. If you want something, sometimes you've just got to go out and take what you want. You can't wait around and expect everything to be handed to you! I've learned you have to be yourself, work hard, and put your heart and soul into everything you do -- only then will you stand strong where you want to be.

While i'm at it, here is "I'm Just a Girl." I sang this song at a coffee house when I was in High School =D Check out the imagery difference between the video above and the two videos below.... big difference! -- The lighting, Lens choices, styling,... everything! While I adore No Doubt's music, Gwen's new music videos are very story telling in my opinion!

And of course Spider Webs, which started this whole post to begin with! =X

October's Issue of PPA Magazine

2010-10-03T12:41:00.002-04:00

Sooo this month I was featured in an article in Professional Photographer magazine interviewing myself and the rest of the photographers in the GenNext program for Imaging USA! Please keep in mind, I did not photograph all of these images. Only the self portrait of myself in the Green Ivy. The rest is about our program and the interview with me (and everyone else)! Just reading over everyone's programs and with the date ever growing closer is so exciting! I can't wait! It's an honor to be a part of this program and speaking alongside such top notch photographers!

Cover of this Months Issue!

You can see the "GenNext" program is featured!

About the GenNext program in the opening =)

My page on the right hand side!

And the information about our specific programs!

You can download the entire article on

http://www.ppmag.com/

Go to "Current Issue" and click "GenNext"

and it should download the entire article (if you

aren't a subscriber to the magazine itself and

are interested in reading more about the entire

program and everyone else involved!

Guild Print Competition!

2010-09-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned many times before, I really love print competition. It gives me a chance to grow as a photographer and an artist. I can see how my work is being judged, what I could do better, and how I am evolving as an artist. For the Fall Print competition at GPPDV (Guild of Professional Photographers of Delaware Valley -- which includes a lot of the northern east), I was awarded Four out of four blue ribbons and Best of in the Category for Women!

Envision

Model: Jessamyn

Makeup: Darya

Wardrobe: Scarlet Fairy

Hair: Me

Set Design: Me

Assistant: David Star

**Awarded Best of Woman Category**

Blue Butterfly

Model: Amy Schmoldt

Makeup Artist: MRS Beauty

Hair: Me

Cirque Du Lauren

Model/Styling: Lauren WK

Makeup: Me

Sunny Days

Model: Tara Mariea

Makeup Artist: Me

Since I don't think I ever posted about the spring competition, I submitted the same images as I did for PPA(Professional Photographers of America) print competition

http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/06/ppa-print-competition.html

You can view those at the link above, minus the album. Instead of the entire album I submitted one of the images in it!

"Longing" was awarded a Blue Ribbon, "Behind a Dream Like Mind" and "Curtains Please!" scored Red Ribbons (I believe that's what they are called,) they were both 2 points away from Blue Ribbons!

(You can view them all from the link above!) The image that I submitted instead of the album also Blue Ribboned:

Despair

Model: Christine Von Rose

Makeup Artist: Me

1st Publication in Professional Photographer!

2010-09-19T23:09:00.005-04:00

My first publication in Professional Photographer magazine! Super excited! This is an advertisement for the "genNext: Rising Stars Share Ideas & Inspiration" program at Imaging USA that I will be speaking at! Imaging USA is Professional Photographer's of America's National Convention, I've mentioned it bunches in previous posts, so I will let you go find it, hehe!

The actual ad =D If you are a professional photographer

following my blog, check out this program!!!!!

And the image on the top left a little bigger (the rest aren't mine =X)

Model is Morphine

MUA: Me

And I stumbled upon a photo of Dave getting his portfolio critiqued at the last Imaging USA towards the back of the magazine. I did not take this photo, but Dave and I are in it! hehe

Closeup of the image =D

If there is any problem in posting these, please just let me know

and I will remove them immediately=)!

Happy (un)Birthday to me =D!

2010-09-17T17:56:00.008-04:00

On September 13th I turned 22! =D (ugh! hehe) Part of my family live in the Atlantic City area so we waited and celebrated on Wednesday the 15th. We never do big parties, just the immediate family, my friend Joanna, and Dave. I'm just finally getting around to uploading the pictures. I didn't really take many photos and my family still have no idea how to use my camera properly, so there are only a few photos that really came out. I'll leave my family out of the mix because I am sure they don't want to be in the blog =X!

Ice cream cake!!!!!! Every cake is ice cream cake!

(My wedding cake will eventually just have to be ice cream)

I blew them all out all in one go! =D I probably should have thought about the fact I might want to post the pictures online before I decided to get a shower right before my "celebration." Bah to wet plastered hair!

See =D!

After the candle blowing we did our traditional singing

of the Birthday Dirge (Yes we sing the normal version, too! =X)

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/birthday-dirge-faq/

(Thank you to my medieval, SCAdian upbringing. Imagine a room full of drunken people singing this, banging their drinking mugs/horns against the tables at the "thud" part during feasts. Very fun experience =D )

http://www.sca.org

As by Tradition, I get a spoon and get the middle of my cake first... Then I get to grab the biggest knife I can find and cut everyone else pieces. =X Please ignore the messy kitchen x_x;

And then later that night I took a few photos of me and Dave =D You know how hard it is to hold a camera and speed light with one arm far enough that it will focus o_o? I really need a point and shoot!

I got an entire set of Alice in wonderland mugs as one of my gifts from my family =D The necklace I am wearing is another from Dave. It is amber with a hand carved unicorn in it and hand wrapped by the designer =D! My brother gave me another Spyro game for my game boy advanced (Oh boy, here's to more falling off the side of the world! hehe) Overall nice day =)

Tara: South Jersey Boudoir Photography

2010-09-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

A little while ago I photographed Tara -- She had latex dresses and I was super excited! Walking into the studio, I noticed she had a really bubbly personality right off the bat. She was sweet and genuine, very pretty, with a very girl next door feel. We started doing some simple cute pinup images, but as we photographed, the vixen started to show through! She told me no one had wanted to photograph her silver sparkly dress -- as soon as I saw it, I fell in love! The latex was completely forgotten, but we got some amazing stuff! Makeup done by Me =D

I wanted to show some before and afters of my color vs bw photographs!

Christina Aguilera

2010-09-12T18:52:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I know coming from a girl who has a background in Metal, Rock, and Underground Industrial music, this may be odd, but I have always loved Christina (among many other pop singers) -- she won me over with Genie in a bottle (in which I still enjoy belly dancing to, to this day!) She recently (sorta) did a music video I fell in love with instantly. It's really fun to see the mainstream industry bringing in influences from the Alternative industry. This is something I've been doing in my work for years. I've slowly been seeing it integrated more and more over the years. It really shows in this video! For some reason, I can't embed the video, but you can watch it on her website. I would probably suggest not watching it at your place of work -- it's a little sexy and fetish oriented! It's pretty sad when I can recognize latex designers that made some of her wardrobe =X http://www.christinaaguilera.com/us/videos/not-myself-tonight

Anyway, so even more respect -- She has a movie apparently coming out soon and I can't wait to see it in the theater!!! It's about burlesque dancers! With my acting experience, i've always had a secret passion for the thrill of the stage and the art of the performance, so I am excited to see how well this movie takes off!

The Mantis

2010-09-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I looked out on the deck of my Patio and saw the largest Pray Mantis I have ever seen. As I watched it, it started walking up towards me. I bent down to take a better look at it (through the patio door). It was such a beautiful creature. It stood there, watching me, almost face to face, inches from one and another with nothing but the glass separating us. As I stood there, I felt my breath taken away. I just wanted to stand there in silence and watch it. The wind was blowing so hard that day and it swayed gently as it held onto the wood below it. It nodded it's head at me as I watched it. Suddenly, I watched it reach over and grab a spider between it's strong legs and eat it in front of me. It was a wondrous sight to behold.

I've always been interested in the secret meanings of Animal totems and I felt this was a sign from the Universe. It had to be. I've always felt as though spider was a totem for me -- I was raised in a very open minded family, I have part cherokee in me and was influenced by a lot of Native American friends. When I was younger, spiders kept finding me- I would constantly find them everywhere, in and on everything I was working on. Mind you, I'm not exactly fond of spiders. Then these huge blue and red weird spider's started to make webs outside the window of my patio door at my old house. I started dreaming of spiders every night. My friends and family warned me to read up on what spider totem meant because I was just going to keep running into spiders unless I listened to the message they had to teach me. One day I was laying in bed with my sky window open and one lone huge red and blue spider fell straight down from the window on a single line of web and stopped inches from my face.

That day I took out the Animal Speak by Ted Andrews book and read what spider meant. Spider means so much I would highly recommend reading about them. I won't go to much into detail because I feel a lot of the message is personal for me to look at within myself. In general though, spider is about teaching you to maintain a balance in your life -- your past and your future. It's about "weaving your web" to create your future. The web also symbolizes creative energies circling around you (the center point of a web). Spider in myths is known as the guardian of Languages -- another message is about using your creative energies to inspire others.

The Pray mantis teaches you about calming (stilling) the mind and going into your soul, being patient and waiting for the right moment to strike.

The following day after the first Pray mantis, I sat down to have dinner, and sitting on a piece of mail my mother had brought it was a little tiny baby Pray Mantis. How it got there, I have no idea - We carefully took it back outside, but to me it was another sign to look deep inside myself.

Are you "weaving your own web" and creating the kind of life you want for yourself? Change is upon us, I see it everywhere in every aspect of everyone's lives right now. Everything seems to be turning upside down - for better and for worse! Let's focus more on the earlier - take a step back and think about everything going on in your life; contemplate it -- and you'll see no matter what is going on right now, the universe won't throw more at you than you can handle and you will come out of it a much stronger individual!

Being that today is 9/11 I just wanted to add in - Always Remember! RIP all those who passed on this day, years ago.. Look to the past for reminder and keep your chin up to the future. Even one person can make a change in our world for the better!

Halloween Specials!

2010-09-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of all time! In days passed I would dress up the week before and the week of halloween, just because I could get away with wearing all the fun and outrageous costumes i'd collected over the years!

I remember my first year of college -- it was a bit before halloween and I was driving 76 in Philadelphia under that tunnel sort of thing-- I got into my first accident. Those big huge airbags blew up into my face and bam, I was out of it -- seeing stars, chemical burns on my arms, completely loopy. So I start getting out of the car, big poofy tooling blue gown, bright blue makeup, and a huge white and gray fur cloak... out into the middle of the road on 76. Long story short, Can you imagine a blueberry cupcake wandering around in the middle of the road in the middle of the day -- not on halloween? It was an interesting experience.

This is what I looked like =X

Photo to the left by Randy Davis

Makeup/Styling/Model: Me.

Is Halloween your favorite Holiday? Do you have tons of costumes you are just itching to have photographed? Most people buy a new costume every year and only wear it once! Now is your chance to get to try them all back on! Whether your that girl next door or an experienced model looking to build her portfolio, these are the perfect packages for a new sexy FB avatar, a pocketbook sized portfolio, or a private album for your honey!

If you don't have costumes because you are one of those people that end up getting rid of them every year after halloween, don't fret! I have tons of pieces at the studio so we can mix and match =) Check out these fun images mixing cat eats and witch hats with a vintage lingerie!

Basic Halloween Pinup Session

- 1-2 hours shooting time

- 1 outfit change/look on solid colored background

- Consultation session to discuss look in studio, Skype, or on the phone

- Access to select costuming and props including but not limited to

Cat, Bunny, and Dalmatian ears, Nurse, Demon, Angel, Witch, Sexy Faerie, maid, Flapper, Belly dancer, and more Assortment of props, lingerie, and a few costumes!

- Select proofs in private web gallery for you to view or session at the studio to choose final images

- 3 fully retouched 8x12 portraits on metallic or e-surface paper and web files emailed to you.

$149 ($61 in savings)
$139/ea for groups of 3 or more in the same day (So grab two or more friends and make it a fun day out!)

Makeup is additional $75 and is paid separately to artist
*Discounted Makeup for 3 or more in the same day : $60/ea

Deluxe Halloween Pinup "Little Black Book"

Half day Session

- 4-5 hours of shooting time

- up to 3 outfit changes/ looks on variety of colored backdrops, faux fur, curtains, etc.

- Consultation session to discuss look in studio, Skype, or on the phone

- Access to select costuming and props including but not limited to

Cat, Bunny, and Dalmatian ears, Nurse, Demon, Angel, Witch, Sexy Faerie, maid, Vampire, Flapper, Belly dancer, and more Assortment of props, lingerie, and a few costumes!

- Select proofs in private web gallery for you to view or session at the studio to choose final images

- The "Little Black Book" - 10 spread, 15 picture e-surface 4x6 custom designed album with Leather cover and web files for all images in the book

$449 ($96 in savings!)

Makeup is additional $125 and is paid separately to artist
(Only one booking per day as these are long days!)

*Must be halloween inspired looks!

*Custom Packages can be created upon request. Feel free to send me an email!

*Don't want prints? Just need web files? As about my discounted rate on the first package!

*add-ons and s/h fees additional

*Does not reflect final price after tax

Book now as slots are limited and October is already beginning to fill up! Sale ends October 29th!

www.Serena-Star.com > Fashion Side> Contact > and fill out the form!

_______________________________________________________

I wanted to leave you off with some inspirational cat girl images that i've found over the years online! I'm a huge anime fan =X I know it's a little dorky, but I made this little video clip thingy years ago for my personal myspace (back when I used the silly thing) -- Sorry about all the advertisements and the silly borders and everything =(!

Candyland

2010-09-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love Candyland, seriously? I mean, the old board -- the one where the princess and queen were beautiful pieces of art vs these cutsy things on the board right now. I think it was made sometime in the 80s but I could be wrong. I've never been a board game sort of person -- I am way to competitive, but the board alone on this game inspired me to want to play it. I've always wanted to do something candyland/uno/twister inspired. I am very inspired by my childhood. I think people forget that part of themselves when they get older -- The problems of the world sort of take over -- I know even I can be guilty of it at times! Finding that little piece of immaturity inside myself motivates me! I love the colors and childhood gaming aspects -- the games you would play rhyming and clapping your hands at summer school -- or making chalk games in the pavement.... all of those silly things are things we forget.

I feel like this video is someplace straight out of my head. I absolutely love it!!!! Apparently there is also some talk about there being a Candyland Movie in the process of being made.... Super excited!

Scarlet Fairy in Blue!

2010-08-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

We are working on so many great brand new outfits like the three you saw in my previous post for Scarlet Fairy! Right now, we have been working on some super cute blue toned outfits! In case you missed them, you can view that blog post by clicking here: http://serena-star.blogspot.com/2010/07/scarlet-fairy-designs.html

We create wardrobe for all shapes and sizes, many of these prototypes you see posted here are small because we are working on pieces for promotional work for models right now! If you see something you like here -- never hesitate to leave a comment and so we can whisk it away for you though =D!

Remember, these are just random sample pictures of pieces we are working on right now! (Hence the unfinished lace hanging everywhere and pins =X!) Sorry about the red mannequin! It sorta takes away from the blue =X Enjoy and let us know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated!

Lily DeVille from Colorado

2010-08-28T10:26:00.006-04:00

Lily Deville is a pinup girl from Colorado! She flew out to PA and during her trip, she worked with both Dave and me at the Studio! (Bad news is Dave broke up with me after 4 1/2 years =( so I won't be posting any of his images, but you can check them out on his page!) It was a sort of chaotic event -- We were supposed to receive outfits from one designer after another and finally, Scarlet Bliss mailed us a piece of latex to shoot in... but I got it in the mail the day after we shot =(

You might remember Scarlet Bliss as the designer that loaned us this piece for my photoshoot with Pinup Model and Burlesque dancer, Maria Bella. You will be seeing much much more of Maria very soon after a few magazine publications come out, and hopefully I will be able to work with Scarlet Bliss again!

Onto Lily Deville! She is a sweetheart and although I shot with her for half the time I normally spend with models because I was trading off back and forth, we got some awesome stuff! Makeup and Hair by Me! Styling was a collaborative mix between what she brought with her and what I had =)!

Become a fan of her FB page here! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-DeVille/109543369085422?ref=ts

Raising Rates

2010-08-27T18:53:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give everyone another reminder that my rates will be going up beginning of September!

Everything is going up a little bit, including albums, calendars, prints, gallery wraps, etc!

Session fees will now be as follows:

Quickie Session (1 look): $60 (instead of $40)

Mini Session (2 looks): $120 (instead of $80)

Half Day Session (3 looks): $150 (instead of $100)

Full Day Session (up to 6 looks): $200 (Instead of $140)

The mini session will probably be phased out as well sometime this coming year!

If you want to catch my rates before prices go up, send me a message before September 5th and with a $50 deposit, I will hold a date at current prices! I book up to 1-2 months in advance =)

In other good news, getting Summer cleaning done right now! hehe. Out with the old and in with the new. Bought tons of brand new props and set design pieces so get ready for some specialty sets!

I'll leave everyone off with a portrait to get the juices started for Halloween Pinups! Start thinking about them now if you want them in time for Halloween!

Home, Daily Deviations, and Speaking at Imaging USA

2010-08-15T11:47:00.001-04:00

Finally home after a relaxing (hot) vacation in Slippery Rock, PA at Coopers Lake Campground for the Medieval reenactment event called Pennsic! I made a post about it in previous years a couple posts back so you can read more there! I have some photos and will be getting more from a friend to post up from our trip very soon! (I sort of kept my camera packed away for this one =X!)

I was super excited to see that my profile and class description was finally put up on the Imaging USA website! http://www.Imagingusa.org There are so many amazingly talented people speaking this year so definitely check it out! The final name for the program I will be a part of is "GenNEXT: Rising Stars Share Ideas & Inspiration." Here are some clips I copied off the website -- but take a look yourself!

I was also surprised to come home and find I received a Daily Deviation for another image of mine in DeviantArt.com! This is the fourth one I've gotten! I like to credit where it is due, so:

Vulnerable

Christine Von Rose

Makeup/Hair/Styling: Serena Star

You can view the actual DD website by clicking here

Back to answering all the email I missed while I was gone!

xoxo

Count down!

2010-07-29T02:19:00.000-04:00

I feel like this blog post deserves a "goofy rena warning label" before you read on. It is very early in the morning and I have had very little sleep and I'm a wee bit goofy. I can see myself scrapping this in the morning.

The countdown is now at 4 days...ish to Pennsic! (Technically since it's 2am Thursday morning and we are leaving Monday or Tues o.O;) The studio is completely packed full of camping supplies, tents, tarps, food, clothes, etc etc. If I've mentioned the studio looking like a war zone before -- I really mean it right now =X! My brother leaves Friday morning with my friend Joanna. (She's Jzino of Jzino Bodyart which I use quite often for graphic and bodypaint needs... and also a new makeup artist in training!)

I will be gone August 2-15ish with extremely limited internet access. I will respond to any messages as soon as I return!

So anywho, Weee! The boyfriend has been off on a mission so I've had a week with the house to myself =D (sort of)! Lots of music blasting, Singing at the top of my lungs (Someone should come join me in Karaoke so I can drive my brother insane. j/k. ^^;), dancing in circles around my sitting room (getting ready for bellydancing at pennsic!), and best of all, my own bed with lots of space to stretch across! ...Sort of. I still have Six kitties that seem to like to pile up around mommy at night o_o;

Dave drove down to Florida to visit family so I've been catching up like the busy little bee I am. I was going to post images of me hanging out with an old friend of mine, Keith, who is in the service and was here for a week to visit. I haven't seen forever, but Dave took the camera card with him. Punk.
Dave starts his 16+ hour drive home... *looks at laptop clock* now...?ish?

So far I've finished retouching over 50 images for two magazines! I've also hunted down 150 or so of my favorite images off my many many terabytes of hard drive space and resized them to send to PPA! The images will be shown in my part of "The Ignition" presentation at Imaging USA this year! You should totally be in Texas this year. Have you seen the line up so far? Not to mention me =D (a shameless little plug... !) I still have one magazine submission left to retouch (*crosses fingers I can narrow them and retouch before vacation* ) I will announce them all as soon as they have been published! I've also finished a few images from a couple of my own personal projects... Some that I've been sitting on for several years. It's such an artistic relief to see your finished product finally posted on the interweb.

Anyway, serious question. Has anyone had any experience with the Mytouch Slide vs the Samsung Vibrant. I've had a t-mobile sidekick for 3 or 4 years now and I really seriously need and upgrade. The poor thing is falling apart. I've heard technical pros and cons about both but I want to hear what real people have to say.

Rathana Sin, Model & Makeup Artist from Philadelphia

2010-07-17T17:12:00.001-04:00

I somewhat recently found out that a good friend of mine, Rathana Sin, is sort of retiring from the glamour and pinup world of modeling! Those of you who watch my work know her as the beautiful asian model in my portfolio. If you have been photographed by me, you know her as the fashion loving, amazing Make up Artist (MUA) I work with on a regular basis! I made an album that I titled, "Over the Years," to show all the years of work and different styles that we have done! It's also a tribute to women to show them how they can transform themselves in so many ways with just different makeup, hair and styling! I hope you all enjoy -- There are so many sets we've done I actually ran out of room in this 100 page book before I even hit our most recent work! You can full view the pages on my FB here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=179579&id=87975462002

I wanted to show a small sampling of the makeup work she has done for me in the past few years!

Check out her website at:

http://www.modelmayhem.com/1138287

Sometimes you just have to listen to the Universe

2010-07-17T01:10:00.000-04:00

You know how sometimes the universe keeps giving you signs about something and you keep ignoring them and then one day they sort of just slap you in the face?

Well this happened to me.

My photography is a form of art for me -- a way to express myself and the people who I work with. For a little while I was feeling in a little bit of a circle, doing the same sort of pieces over and over again, different person. I decided to go back to my roots for my own projects and start doing some of my flower series again (I absolutely love flowers). I started getting a lot of feedback, and the universe said, "yes, yes.. good.. You are on the right track." So I spent another month playing with my flowers, but the universe realized I still wasn't getting what it was trying to tell me - so of course chaos began to brew. Well, as Pennsic drew nearer a light bulb in my head went off! I really miss my fantasy artwork! So I decided to start pulling out all my old imagery and props to do some faerie-esque style of work. Without doing anything, I receive a completely random message from a girl saying how much she adores my Fairy tale work. This, mind you, is a comment I have not gotten at all in recent years as I have mostly done fashion, beauty, pinup, and boudoir style work... Thus the universe was happy.

So I was randomly going over the "should I photograph kids" conversation with my mother again. I get inquiries of this type quite often and enjoy doing them when I do, but have never felt I can get as artistic as I feel I could be. I had an epiphany after all this and my brain went DING DING! I can build my fantasy sets just as I do for women and photograph children in them! Next thing I know, I am getting things out of the back of my car and here I find a photography book, "How to Photograph Children." Sometimes I think the universe enjoys messing with me...

So the moral of this story is, if you are pregnant or have children you have been wanting to have photographed, now is the time! Check back real soon for lots of fun new sets and things in the near future (After I get back from Vacation that is =X!) And for the women watching the blog -- if you've ever wanted to be a fairy - get ready =D!

Scarlet Fairy Designs!

2010-07-15T12:55:00.001-04:00

I know I haven't blogged about this yet, but I am co-owner of the clothing design company, Scarlet Fairy Designs. It started when I was drawing up designs and ideas for outfits that I wanted for photo shoots and my Mother would sew them for me. After a while we decided, why not make them for others?

Image above was Photographed by Ivy, Wandering Bohemian. Model is me =D!

Designs are by Scarlet Fairy!

Although I don't do much of the sewing, I create a lot of the designs and do all the marketing and promotional work for the business! My mother is the other half of the business. She is a creative designer and the main seamstress! We have several new outfits we are currently working on so I wanted to show you a few designs. These are unfinished and the final product may be completely different!

These two are definitely not together, but I will get another image when they are =X!

You can view more information and images of our work at www.ScarletFairy.com. If you enjoy Scarlet Fairy, keep and eye on my blog as I will be posting updates, sales and specials, and teaser pic of outfits coming soon here!

Paint!

2010-07-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

As promised, I have pictures of the painting commencing! This is our second hallway! We decided not to put the light greenish faux texture on it (with this pretty light brown for in the corners to vignette the wall) ... mostly by default because Dave didn't feel like doing it. (I painted most of the rest of the wall and I'm terrible and faux finishes =X). What do you think? Should we have put the greenish on the wall? I'm excited to get pictures hanging!

These pants have been through every house i've ever painted since forever.

They are Epic.

and of course our mess =X

Here is a terrible photo of the first hallway we painted! The lighting fixtures still aren't hanging and we still need to finish staining the doors =X! You can't really see the faux finish, so I will get a better picture of this hallway soon!

Here is a picture of Maddie modeling in my hallway! This woman is so amazing and sweet that I will be doing an entire post about our photo shoot soon very soon! Here is a teaser photo (and a photo of the hall!)

Yay for Props and Pretty things!

2010-07-13T22:58:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I photographed yet another wedding with Ivy. Been busy! Wait until you see the images we took of them in the tower at their reception hall!She's been busy getting ready to move again so we spent the afternoon hanging out after this last wedding. She gave and loaned me a ton of very cool pieces of wardrobe and props to play with that will fit into what I will be playing with in the near future! (Of course Destiny has to lay on top of all the new things.)

She also loaned me a beauty dish to use -- (I'm in heaven now, Beauty dish AND octabox =X!) Again, sorry about the terrible pictures. I just grabbed a few snap shots since everything is torn apart!

Dave also finally got his Wescott Spider lights. I've had a chance to play with them once so far when the model Lily Deville was at my studio. She flew in from Colorado! =) I will be posting those images as well soon! What do you do with all your gear when all your soft boxes are almost as big as you?

Vacation time in Pennsylvania! =D!

2010-07-13T02:30:00.002-04:00

Busy Busy Busy =D!

My favorite ALL TIME Vacation is coming up in just a few weeks! Every year since I was born except two (when I was two years old and during my parents divorce), I have gone to an event called Pennsic in Slippery Rock, PA. We drive a 7-8 hour drive from South Jersey to the other side of PA with a car packed so full we can't even see behind us!

I will be gone from August 2nd to the 16th with extremely Limited internet!

This blurb is taken from http://www.PennsicWar.org under FAQs

"Pennsic is an annual event, in the guise of a "War", between the Kingdoms of the East and the Middle of the Society for Creative Anachronism Pennsic is also the largest Society event, with attendance in recent years exceeding 10,000. The scheduled activities include large melee battles, tournaments, archery, stage performances, dancing, and hundreds of classes on medieval topics. The marketplace has over 200 merchants selling a variety of wares."

Imagine about a 2 mile around packed with that many people camping in tents! I've personally taken classes on everything from Bellydancing to playing instruments to massage =D...but there are classes on everything from Welding to History! There are also amazing parties every night. It's fun to follow the drumming from camp to camp -- or see fire dancers spin flames, bellydancers or sword dancers perform ... and bards telling stories around camp fires. It's a magical place that makes me happy =D

I've been so busy I haven't even had a chance to check my garb and make sure I don't have things I need to repair =X!! (Dave has a habit of ripping his pants in places I really need to repair before we go -_-;;;;) hehe. These are a few pictures from last year of me and my friends, family, and boyfriend. You can view the entire album here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=501818293&aid=136664&s=0&hash=a49d20a6a10fcadc600a7d3675538e1a

and you can also go to www.Pennsic.net for more information.

That being said, the house and studio are torn apart! It's like a war zone here right now, hehe. We finally got the hallway in the other side of the house painted (yay no more white walls. For some reason they remind of my hospitals.) They are a sort of vintage green color. When I first painted it, I really disliked it because it wasn't green and it wasn't blue and I really wasn't sure what to do with it. We went back to the paint store and bought a light LIGHT green paint to texture the wall. When I came home I saw an aztec or tiki sort of mask in the bathroom that we had brought home from my grandmothers house -- all of a sudden it hit me! Light wooden framed images with the tiki mask on the wall and the hallway would have a very tiki vintage look! Too bad I already bought all the extra paint.... Will post tour images here in the blog soon ^_^

In other news, my good friend Gino gave me a really cool Octabox when I came to visit him! I need to get a new speed ring for it, but as soon as I do I am super excited to get to do some beauty work with it!! Here is a really quick terrible picture of it =X

Imaging USA 2011: San Antonio Texas

2010-06-27T15:05:00.004-04:00

So you've heard me say again and again, I am a huge fan of PPA (Professional Photographers of America). Every year I go to their annual photo convention/trade show to continue to learn new things and grow as both a business owner and an artist. Well, I wanted to make my first Official Announcement that I will be a speaker this year! I am super excited and flattered! So far i've only gotten some details, but the program is going to be HOT! There will be a group of young Photographers presenting chosen based on their Photographic Ability and/or Business skills. We are going to "Ignite" our audience! It's going to be a very inspiring program! To the photographers reading; this will be a program you do not want to miss!

To get more information, you can view the website at http://www.ImagingUSA.com

Speaking of the post I made a few days ago about letting the people in your life know how much you appreciate them -- I heard this song on a radio a while back and it really moved me emotionally. The lyrics are so beautiful and really made me think. I just wanted to share it!

PPA Print Competition

2010-06-26T00:30:00.002-04:00

I'm a huge big fan of the Professional Photographer's of America print competition that they hold every year. You can submit up to 4 images (or albums) and they judge each image based on it's own account vs most competitions that judge one image against another. The competition forces me to really take a look at my work and push to become a better artist. If your images Merit, they go towards earning your PPA Masters Degree. You also have a chance once your image merits to be judged for the International Traveling Loan Collection. If your image "goes loan" you get an additional merit for the print and it is displayed at different traveling exhibits and is published in their Loan collection book! I have had the honor of having two of my images make loan in the last two years!

Well, the results are finally in =)! I took a risk this year and submitted a few images, including an album for the first time that I wasn't sure about! I received Merits for three out of four of the images I submitted this year! I have 9 out of the 13 print competition merits needed to get my Masters! Next year my goal is to get those last 4 needed! Wish me luck!

Curtains Please!

Model: Rathana Sin

Makeup: MRS Beauty

Styling: Scarlet Fairy Designs

Photographer/Set Design: Me =D!

Longing

Model/Actress: Angelina Aucello

Makeup: MRS Beauty

Hair & Styling: Me

Photographer/Set Design: Me

Christine Von Rose - Skin Tight

Model: Christine Von Rose

Makeup & Hair: Me

Styling/Set/Photographer: Me

Album Design: Me

(You have got t see this album in person... it rocks)

This last image did not Merit, but I still love it ^_^

Behind a Dream Like Mind

Model & styling: Rachel Dashae

Makeup/Hair: Me

Photographer/ Set: Me

Graduation Time!

2010-06-25T18:08:00.001-04:00

Big congratulations to my (not so) little brother who finished High School yesterday! My family got together before we went out to have dinner. While we were there, the TV had the Phillies game playing and it started POURING! We knew graduation was supposed to take place outside so we were a little worried. It was a picture perfect day though! The rain passed through in like.. 10 minutes! Just as everything was getting ready to go, the sun came out and it was beautiful! I even saw dragonflies flying around =D! I'm super proud of my brother. He's extremely intelligent and amazing with computers and I'm really excited to see where he goes from here!

My parents got seats right up front...

These are some very proud parents =D

From Left: Dad, Me, Brother, Mom, Grandmom ^^;

The family! Thank you Dave for taking the picture!

...and me with my brother =)!

Inspiration inside me

2010-06-22T17:02:00.004-04:00

I wanted to make a post about some of the things that inspire me. This whole social networking thing sort of appeared as I grew up -- in a lot of ways I feel like I was much more open about my life in younger years. Becoming a model and a photographer that people look up to made me afraid of showing parts of who I really am -- afraid people won't understand the artistic "me" inside. I made my personal pages private and made posts only about those things related to my work. It's hard for me to show the vulnerable side of my core essence. Even now I feel shaken as my fingers touch my keyboard.

I recently found a blog that really inspired me to want to show more about who I am and the people that I love and inspire my soul. I have seen Vicky and Jed of VGallery at Imaging USA, http://www.thevlog.net but I never really went to their website or saw a lot of their work. I forget how I happened to stumble across their site in my surfing, but I am glad I did! The first thing that really stuck out to me was a video about social networking they posted, it is really amazing. If you have a business -- any kind of business, it is really motivational. The second thing was how real they were.

(double Click on the videos to bring up youtube if you can't view the right side.)

While mentioning people from Imaging USA that inspire the emotional part of my heart, I have to mention Jeff and Julia Woods. I saw them a couple years back now, I think, at Imaging USA. Their program rocked, but what inspired me the most was some of the things that Julia mentioned about making time for the people in your life that you love. It touched me.

During college, I pushed. I have this never ending drive to want to better myself as a person and an artist. The first thing that comes to my mind when I go into a photo shoot is, "Can I bring out and make this person shine as beautiful as they really are. Will I be able to bring out their soul?" As a solo business owner, there is always a never ending "To do" list. Often I wonder if it's because I am a young, female entrepreneur and feel I have to prove myself to the world, but after talking to other business owners I realized it's a feeling they all have. I always feel no matter how much I get done in a day, there is more that I should be doing -- that getting work done is more important than going out to dinner with your family -- or simply watching a movie and enjoying hot chocolate with your significant other.

It's hard to make time for yourself. Those little things in your life mean more than you can ever know. To those photographers following my blog -- or anyone, really, Make sure you take time to let the people in your life know how much you love them. Don't just throw words at them before you go to bed at night. Really make sure you stand up and give them a big hug and let them know how much of a difference they have made in your life.

I photographed a wedding this weekend; It was a Fairy Tale, literally and figuratively. Sometimes it takes all I have to remind myself to keep my camera in hand and snap photos instead of joining in and clapping for the happy couple as they walk back down that aisle. At this wedding, I felt the tears swelling up in my eyes as the couple kissed. Without going into too much detail, this couple had so much against them and they pulled through everything to have the most beautiful happily ever after.

Music is a big inspiration to me. In the past couple years a lot of the music videos haven't been very inspiring to me -- live videos of bands playing - violence. Things that never hit my core. I feel the same way about movies. Every day we see things - terrible things on the news. I go to a movie to be entertained and laugh- feel that warm fuzzy feeling, or have a deep connection that really makes me think by the end. On the bright side, if you haven't seen Avatar, you have to go see it. I feel those that gave it bad review just don't understand the spiritual aspect behind it. I grew up in a very spiritual, open minded home -- to me this movie is a masterpiece.

Recently i've seen some amazing music videos that I haven't really seen since Madonna-- Videos that are visually enticing such as Lady Gaga's or Christina Aguilera. (Mind you I don't always agree with all of their fame tactics.) It is amazing to see Alternative fashions such as corsetry and latex in mainstream music. When I was a teenager, I was enticed by the creativity and sensual energy behind such wardrobe - and although I was ridiculed and harassed as being "weird" it inspired the style of work I do today. I look back on those days today and smile.

Many don't know this about me, but I took Four years of acting in an Academy during High school. I actually had two diploma's coming out of High School. I took vocal classes, learned stage and wardrobe design -- makeup -- everything inspired my work. When I see some of the artistic music videos recently, they are so beautiful. I feel my heart almost quiver when I see such amazing art. My lips press together and I cease to breath for a moment before my lungs start to burn and a gasp for air.

I had stopped watching music videos because of how uninspiring a lot of them have been. My brother showed me this a little while back and ever since i've been hungrily looking for more.

Sorry about how long and for posting so many videos into one blog, but I have all these words jumbled up that are screaming through my fingertips. I'm a big fan of Flyleaf's music. I love female singers to begin with, but I just love the way she moves in videos.

And last but definitely not least, how can I end a post about inspiration without at least mentioning Alice in Wonderland. I read that book over and over growing up. I've quoted it during important times in my life. It's so out of this world - I could make a whole post on it. I will leave that for a later time though =)

Tiffany

2010-06-09T14:19:00.004-04:00

Tiffany contacted me a while ago about getting into modeling. She wasn't sure if she could because of her height. (She's the same height as me!). We decided to aim at more of a Commercial/Promotional model type of photo shoot. She drove out to my studio in Southern Jersey. We started off simple with the white dress to show off her figure. She has a really great smile! Miss Rae Sin (MRS Beauty) did the makeup for this photo shoot. She provided her wardrobe and I helped tweak the hair styling for the pinup look!

I love doing these old Hollywood Noir style images!

Something a little sexier!

We finished off with a look I haven't done in a long time!

A new image continuing my colorful flower series =)!

I really miss doing these.. hmmm.. Do I see a sale in the future ;)?

Mother and Daughter

2010-06-03T14:36:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a great time Memorial day weekend! I worked part of it, but did find some time to have a Smallville Marathon with my boyfriend!

I wanted to share one of the sweetest Mother-Daughter sessions I've done in a while.

Back before Mother's Day, Stacy had contacted me about getting images done with her daughter, Kristen. Kristen is also an awesome Mom with a beautiful son! They weren't really sure what they wanted to have done so I had the bring a ton of outfits and we did a few different looks. They brought their own makeup with them, and I did their makeup =)

The first set we did I asked them to stay in the clothes they were already wearing! The color palette matched well and it was more realistic to their personalities compared to all the formal clothes they brought. They loved these shots so much they chose to do a wall collage of these three images above!

I really loved this set of the two of them in black. They almost look like they could be sisters instead of Mother and Daughter! So beautiful!

This last shot was an image for Dad! Something a little different for him to stick in his wallet!

There were Five sets altogether that we did -- I might post up a little something from the other two sets they didn't order from when I get some free time!

Lydia and the Cover competition!

2010-05-27T18:18:00.003-04:00

I'm really excited to say I signed up for a Cover competition using the new image I just finished of Lydia Lael! I had so many great images from our shoot. I've never submitted for their past competitions because I never knew what to send in! I got a few comments from friends saying it looked like a magazine cover, so I figured, why not?

Lydia created the neckpiece for her new design company called Vengeance Designs. I did the Makeup and hair for the image =)! Check out the cover competition at http://www.ppmag.com

or vote for my image at http://www.ppmag.com/cover-contest-2010/vote/30359/

Feel free to browse the other images too! There are so many talented artists in this competition and votes are based on a 1-5 rating so you can vote on as many as you would like =)!

Back and retouching =D

2010-05-19T01:09:00.004-04:00

MARs was absolutely amazing! I had a great time, learned a lot, made some new friends, and got some awesome pictures while I was modeling for some of the classes! I am still waiting on candid images from my friends (I really need to buy a new point and shoot as a throw around camera), but here are some highlights! Remember I did not take these images!

And a couple of me with my boy <3 =)

I finally put together and mailed out my PPA print comp today! When it comes to my own projects I have a habit of putting them on the back burner so I can finish things for my clients early =X Print comp is due this Friday x_x;. I submitted an album for the first time ever!~ I'm so excited to post everything up here for you guys, but I'm going to have to wait until after Print judging! Wish me Luck!

I put together a composite of Celiciagrryl's album! As promised, here it is! You can view the entire thing larger on my FB here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=179585&id=87975462002&ref=mf

Lots of great new stuff coming up!