Spring Is In The Air!

Since it is so nice outside today in Chicago I feel like some images from my shoot this weekend with David Stephens Photography would be the perfect blog post!

This shoot was a spin off of some images I came across on pinterest and we did more with the ideas then I could have ever imagined. 

When collaborating with a group in the industry sometimes the concept is not fully grasped but whenever I work with David and Karla, we are always on the same wavelength and it makes my job that much more fun.

 Modeling is something that I have grown up doing. I have been doing it since I was 7 days old...to see how much I have grown in the industry is amazing! Meeting the people I have met the past 2 years and the experiences I have been blessed with in the last year has really helped me grow in my career.

I always have a blast shooting with David and Karla and this just proves that! Collaborating with fun and talented people always makes my job even more fun. David and Karla always push me to get to that next level and that is what a great team should be doing!

I can't wait to start shooting outside and have fun shooting in the sun :)

xoxo

Woman Crush Wednesday

A model is nothing without her Hair and Makeup Artist :)

 

Karla Mendez Artistry has been the HMUA I have used since August 2013. She is the most professional women I have worked with in the beauty industry. Karla has been in the industry for over 8 years working  in Chicago, NW Indiana and surrounding areas. She was also the Lead Hair stylist used for NYFW in 2013.

Karla has been there supporting me since she met me! She has helped me with shoots, pageants, and just life advice. Her charisma on set is contagious and I am always more then pleased with the looks she does for me!

As her bio states:

"Karla is currently doing hair and makeup for special events like quinceneras, weddings, videos and more as well! Whether her jobs take her to high fashion photo shoots, fashion shows, a television studio, or a music video set, Karla displays her mastery for creating the look of the day in a matter of minutes. Karla is available to travel on location, teach lessons, and encourages you to take a look at her portfolio, you won’t be disappointed."

A model is nothing without her HMUA and I am so lucky to have such an amazing one in my life! She is my woman crush Wednesday and I can't wait to bring her with me on future shoots :)

Check out her website :)                   http://www.karlamendez.com/

xoxo

Up & Coming Chicago Designer

The lovely dress you see me wearing on the right is designed and made by new Chicago Designer Nichole Lee Garlough. I met this designer at a shoot in August of 2013 and have kept a close relationship with her since.

She sponsored me for Miss Illinois USA 2014 and the dress above is what she made specially for me. The requirements for the dress were just to be a black cocktail dress. This would be the dressed used for the opening dance number for the pageant. I told Nichole that I wanted it to represent my personality a little so making it sexy and sassy was a must. She really nailed it! I got more compliments on that dress then I could keep track of!

If you are looking for a designer who really tends to the needs of the client then Nicholalee is the girl for you! Check out more of her designs on her website below!

Nicholalee Fashion

This designer is going nowhere but up in her designs! Can't wait to see what she does next :)

xoxo

International Tips

Sorry to have been MIA from the blogger world for the past 10 days! I was on vacation and took a break from blogging! Today's post will be about shooting Internationally, in honor of me coming back to the U.S. from Aruba.

I was privileged to have been chosen to shoot in Barbados for an international campaign and absolutely love the experience. Island beaches are always so much different and the water is always so clear! Some pointers for shooting internationally? Well I am still learning myself but what I learned is:

1. Over packing is a good thing! Sometimes the designers and the clients like what you have from home more then what they originally picked

2. Once work is over it is exhausting to do anything else! But....always stay an extra day to have some fun!

3. Shooting in warm weather NEVER gets old!

I love what I do and would love to shoot internationally more often :) Ideas and auditions in the works! Never give up on a dream because once the ball starts rolling in the right direction...it only gets bigger and better!

xoxo

Behind the Scenes...Weekend Shooting

 I recently got to shoot with photographer Tony Marquez this past weekend at the Intercontinental Hotel. This is my second time working with Tony and this location was one of the best ones yet! Shooting by the fountains and stairwells of this hotel makes it appear like we were in Europe somewhere.

                                                                                                           To the right is a behind the scenes shot. The look we were going for was Calvin Klein...a more clean look that is also fashionable. Music blasting and scouting for cool secret places to shoot in the hotel is what makes location shoots so much more fun!









The image to the left is a picture of the fountain we shot at. I loved it because it looks like something you would find in Italy or Greece. The arcitecture for this pool area was amazing and gave the shoot a whole new vibe. I cant wait to share the images with you and the rest of my fans! Stay tuned for more <3








xoxo