the Honeyshot blog

All Dressed Up and Places To GO!

11:51 AM

LinkedIn, Facebook pages (for businesses), Instagram, your websites ABOUT ME page, your professional profile on your company's website, your business card, handouts, pamphlets and brochures; these are just a small list of places where putting a face (or in this case-a gorgeous headshot of yourself) to the name can mean more business headed your way...

Introducing Headshots and Personal Branding Portraits! <cue fireworks>

I have to say, when I first contemplated shooting this genre, I was mystified. How creative can we really get? When you pros sit on the stool, stiff and unsure of what to do, to then suddenly start doing a little "walk" for me, and smiling from ear to ear, THATS when I fist-pump because I know that its probably what may welcome new clients to start ringing you up for your business and trustworthy service! I was approached by a friend to shoot his headshots for his website profile as a realtor with his company. As I set up the backdrop before his arrival, I wondered about poses; how many different looks can I accomplish. Will he really smize (smile with his eyes) for me?

As we style your shoot, we are designing to your needs. Deciding on the overall look and feel, the message you may want to convey, and exploring the appropriate mood by way of lighting, posing, and attire is only half the excitement. I like to treat these shoots just like I would a Glam shoot or Portrait shoot, where you'd bring in multiple outfit options; suits, ties, casual work attire, it all works!

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the self-made Entrepreneurs who are looking for Personal Branding images that tell an entirely different kind of story of creative expression, adventure and above all, SUCCESS! The diversity alone calls for its own Blog post!

Next thing I knew, I had a couple more Male Headshots booked.

Tony, a College Admissions Administrator, was so thrilled with his gorgeous casual and dudoir portraits, that he decided to dive into a sleek gray suit and show me what he gots! Those freckles, tho!!! Check him out! ;-P

Here are some favorites....

Boudoir Photography

NEW YEAR. NEW STORIES

2:15 PM

I cried. The first portrait session of the year and it was of me and I bent! My tears came almost as instantly as they dissipated. Emotions came in a flurry and then, just like that....a calm relief washed over me. I exhaled and smiled. Agnes Obel made all the right classical piano moves as she sang me through my favorite playlist. An hour or two later, nervous excitement of the initial unknown-scrolling through the images, the sense of finally creating and processing new work after what seemed like an eternity. Being behind the camera is where I prefer to be, but to start this year off right and wriggle out of my creative reprieve, I felt compelled to scratch my itchy trigger finger. I woke up to the camera perched on the tripod, set up the night before precisely composed and ready. I had to do the Limbo to get to the bathroom, to avoid moving it a even a smidge. The pure anticipation of envisioning the bright light of the sun seeping into the room, what I feel comfortable wearing, the poses-if any...I went to bed and woke up with the same rush; MY SHOOT! Is this what my clients feel right before their session?! :-P

Yes...I took a time out. An overly extended time out, for some good and some "meh" goings on. A step up the ladder in my 9-5, life changes and loads of soul searching led to time away from doing what I love the most. Building a business on my own is not the easiest thing to do while maintaining a separate career 17 years in the making. Yet, during this break, I still obsessed behind the scenes on all things Honeyshot Photography, building a brand new website for easier navigation, uncomplicated and more streamlined showcasing bolder images, planning all the new Portrait projects lined up, including the introduction of Headshots & Personal Branding packages (more on that later *pinky swear*) and how to serve you all with an amazing portrait experience. Learning how to educate on the value of a photograph in this disposable digital world we live in and the importance of creating an heirloom legacy; something for you to treasure for years, for your children and family to treasure for generations. Something way more substantial than a JPEG file, which for sure, will soon become obsolete. I've discovered and added new products to my line, ones that I promise will make anyone happy to own. I have even envisioned my very own images printed and professionally mounted, that's how seriously gorgeous these new products are! With every click on the remote after setting up each frame, I imagined I was not myself, but a new friend I made, whom would feel proud of allowing her inner beauty shine with confidence through my lens. My tears came easy with the realization that this is exactly what I want to be doing for the rest of my life... This feeling of excitement is exactly what I wish for you.

I'm super excited to share all of these wonderful things, along with new stories of more beautiful people. Real people. You.

For now, I'll share one of myself.

My story is one of woman who's hungry and not just for pizza! One who's overcome so many obstacles and will sometimes even skate around them if she has to. A passionate latina of caribbean descent, born in Brooklyn. A minimalist who favors ice cream in bed any day of the week and loves to make her belly rolls talk in a funny voice. She's a mother of two fierce girls. A 43 year old empty nester who gets fired up for all things creative and is striving to start her own business. Being the capturer (ummm, I maybe just made that word up) of beautiful people, things, moments makes her want to scream with joy! Sometimes she gets in her own way putting other people and their interest first. That's just the Motherbear in her. But not this year. This year, she knows better. This year she's going to put her passion first and do the what she's inspired to do every single time she spots a beautiful soul she wants to capture.....

Faces

All Up In Yo Face....with my lens!

8:46 AM

Coney Island

Family Day at Coney Island

8:24 AM

A day at an amusement park is all I can dream of on a balmy summer day, right before sunset, when the breeze is just right and the lines for the rides are not caterpillaring all the way around! The colors pop as loud as the popcorn, callers enticing you to "spend a dollar, win a prize...", and everyone's Dad is anxious to bang that hammer pong all the way to the top...

When my girls were little, we would repeat doing all of their favorite summer activities until they were sick of it. I mean it. The day they said "No more circus" is the day I realized my girls aren't so little anymore. So, "Big girl stuff" we did; city pools, video game rooms, and the grown up side of the carnival. My eldest, always the daredevil, would venture off on the Cyclone Roller Coaster all by herself, leaving us two scaredy cats standing there in awe, attempting to hone in on her face as we follow the cars up and down the slopes just to see whether or not she was screaming in agony or craziness. Turns out, it was both; the girl was smiling, SMILING as she deboarded, lolol. After the bumper cars and a couple games, we would then go watch the fireworks on the Wonder Wheel, which became a semi tradition every July 4. I remember how upset I got one time because I got tricked into getting on the moving cart....the good ol days. You can imagine how happy I was when my girls (now adults on their own) not only invited me to spend the day with them, but at Coney Island?! I literally screamed!!! I felt so grateful, that I even asked if I can bring my camera, can you imagine?! They agreed, it was my day! Grabbed a few shots between rides., it didnt hurt that we practically had the whole park to ourselves..waaaaahhhh!!!! It was the best Spring Day thus far!