Photo shoot - Behind the Scenes

Photo shoots are always so much fun... and usually have at least one awkward situation.  Have you ever looked at an amazing picture and wondered 'how did the photographer do that?!'  Tight spaces like bathrooms (especially powder bathrooms) often require some acrobatic talent and superhuman balance.  And sometimes the photographer winds up some pretty tight spaces themselves, like  crouching in a bath tub, praying the water doesn't get turned on!

Here are some delightfully funny pictures of Erin from our last photo shoot.

Erin, crouching in the tub to get the perfect shot of the vanity. 

Crouching down to avoid being seen in the mirrors.

Hiding behind a small wall to avoid those pesky bathroom mirrors!

Caught ya!

I'm Back.... and totally ready for 2014!

I'm Back!

Was I the only one who noticed that there was one less week between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2013?!?!? I hope not!  That missing week sent me in a fury to pick out gifts, organize travel, and wrap up any jobs before the Christmas holiday.  So.... I took a blogging break to focus on some priorities. And well, relax for a change.

But, it's already February of 2014.... time to get back to it!  I have this feeling that 2014 is going to be a fabulous year full of fun, challenges, new adventures, and lots of laughs!

Something new I've started this year is an Instagram account; it's a fun way to share photos of some of my recent work, random happenings, or great memories with family and friends. You can click here to check out my Instagram account Decrospective and also enjoy some of my favorite photos below.....

Bathroom detail of a recent remodel project. 

Evan and I at Casino night at Interceramic

Kitchen finished just in time for Christmas

My adorable niece and I!

Custom floor screen.... done!

Such a fun floral arrangement for a breakfast room

Midnight floral arrangements!

Muddy boots at a muddy jobsite 

Roomie Love!

Space planning - making sure everything is going to fit before we order :)

Master bathroom heaven!

Professional Photography :)

Art is such a difficult think to sell to a client, it is usually quite personal and not always easy to pick just the right pieces that will tug on someone's heart strings.  

While working on a clubhouse in Dallas, the client and myself decided to go with an "Old Chicago Train Station" style.  The furniture was easy to find, the rug too. But when it came to the artwork, we struggled a bit more.  Sitting next to my assistant, Erin, looking through options, I said, "I really just want some cool photos of an old train."

Her eyes lit up!  "Umm.... what about these?" she asked while clicking through some files on her computer.  Up popped several photos of a trip where she had taken some great photos of some old trains. BAM!

The client loved them, printed them on metal, and they are now hanging proud in the clubhouse!

Check out Erin's works of art!

Erin and her photo fresh out of the box!

Erin signing her art, of course :)

Erin's train above the fireplace!

Her second photo is in the office waiting area prominently displayed! (more photos to come!)

Want to see more of Erin's photography?! Check it out at her awesome website www.erinrosephotography.smugmug.com

Behind the Scenes - Photo shoot

Designers are often depicted as glamorous, high-heel wearing, antique-loving, iPad-wheeling people. 

Truth is, there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that is a lot dirtier, trickier, and heavy-furniture moving difficult.  The ladies at By Design have a new mission - to bring you some of the off-the-wall things that go on in our crazy world.

Earlier this month, I had my cowgirl's home professionally photographed by my favorite photographer, Brad Carr. (Check out his website here!)

Photo shoots can be really tricky.  More often than not, a photographed space is not at all how the space is lived in. In addition to taking over someone's personal space for awhile, camera lenses often skew what you see and furniture/accessories have to be placed accordingly.

Anyway - here are some amazing behind-the-scenes shots.  Can't wait to show you the professional photos once they're finished!

Who was ready for her closeup? 

Jesse. Pets are great things to have in interior photos; Jesse was gracious enough to model in a couple of shots!

How do you get a great photo of a fabulous powder bathroom? 

Yup! Squattin' on the toilet!

Brad's computer is directly linked to his camera.  This way, we can see exactly what is going on with lighting, exposures, and get a general idea of how everything looks.

Have a lot of windows causing some unwanted shadows? 

Sometimes we have to cover certain windows to get rid of unwanted shadows or brightness. 

How comfy is your bathtub? 

Brad will do anything to get the perfect shot!

Even if it means standing on his car to get the perfect shot of the house!

Can't wait to show you the pictures!

Professional Cat Photo-Bombers

Recently, a project of mine was professionally photographed.  Having a space photographed takes a lot of planning and staging.  Professionally photographed spaces are not spaces that people actually 'live in.' They've been cleaned and de-cluttered.  

The house looked amazing with it's rich colors and materials!  The clients' son is away at college and their only live-ins are their three cats.  These guys loved 'helping' us during the photo shoot.....

"Oh yeah! We can help you with the photography equipment!"

"I think the lenses are in here!"

"That ottoman is just not enough for this space.... ugh, I guess I help!" 

"Look how excellent I look next to the flowers and veggie bowl.  I am the perfect accessory!"

"Outta my way! I want to be next to the veggie bowl!"

Special thanks to Kathleen Ryan for the amazing photography job!  Keep checking in to see her work!

And of course, great thanks to Brandon Lynch at Keechi Creek Builders for building such a beautiful home!