Back into the Groove with Sneak Peeks!
I AM ALIVE!
Yes, after weeks of no updates, I finally have reminded myself there is a blog to post to. =)
Here are some sneak peeks from a couple photographers who shot with me for my March 1 shoot!
Photo by the ever-amazing Tricia Davidge.

Photo by the visionary Amy Jensen.
Photo by me. My sneak peek is a little purposely different to throw y’all off the trail. I saw this shot and couldn’t resist doing a little antiquing on the editing, I just love the vintage-y looking flower crown from Dark Pony Designs our little model Stevie is wearing.
Once our big reveal on the event website is up, you’ll be able to see final shots of everyone’s looks, and we are SO excited for it!!
My co-stylist and friend Emily and I got a bunch of local creatives/artists/vendors together for a free cross promotional event where everyone gets to have fun and network, and get amazing photos out of it. So we got nail people, dress designers, makeup and hair, we got a pony, more photographers, a venue… everything you need for a killer photoshoot.
The pure energy in the room at 6 am with 7 models and a ton of makeup and hair people just bursting with creativity, pumping the music up, etc., was incredible. Everyone had a blast and wants to do it again. And so do we.
And this is the way collaborative projects really gain speed— find creatives in town who are interested in doing more.
So often for artists when they build a business off of their passion, their passion becomes a chore because their income is based off of what a client wants, instead of that mad creativity that drove them into business. Personal projects and collaborative events are a great way for creatives to still pursue their passions in a very creative way, also network, and build the signature portfolio they don’t have time for anymore.
When I got all of my makeup artists, photographers, models, and stylists together in one place, the venue was bursting with rekindled creativity. Especially for makeup artists, who don’t get to do stuff like this very often, they loved being able to pursue a creative side of makeup and hair in this way. Each and every person involved had such a great experience working together and creating something entirely unique to their portfolios, every single one wanted to do it again.
So, check out these amazing photographers, makeup artists, stylists, nail techs, designers, and above all, the most amazing people to work with.
Amy Jensen, Photographer www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Jensen-Photography
http://amyjensenphotography.com
Jamie Solorio, Photographer www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Solorio-Photography
http://jamiesoloriophotography.com
Tricia Davidge, Photographer https://www.facebook.com/TriciaDPhotography
triciadavidge.com
Models:
Kyla Olson, Yellow
Dani Vierra, Pink
Shayla Reyes, Blue
Veronica Shiell, Green
Bailie Altemus, Peach
Breana Rich, Purple
MUAHS (all Redding, California Area):
Nikki Gibson, Candy Nails Salon
Sarah Salinas, Crush Salon ( facebook.com/SalinasStyles)
Amy Thompson, Crush Salon (www.facebook.com/pages/Crush-Salon)
Alyssa Ecklund, Crush Salon(www.facebook.com/pages/Crush-Salon)
Cody LaFranchie, Painted Beauties
Jeremy Riley, Painted Beauties
(https://www.facebook.com/PaintedBeauties)
Shelly Herod, at the Nail Boutique, Anderson.
Tricia Davidge, at Regis Salon
Venue:
The White House At Churn Creek: http://www.whitehouseredding.com/530-221-3219 7335 Churn Creek Rd Redding, CA, 96002
Designers:
Ginger and Kirsten Mallard at Altered Wing Studios, Redding.
Dark Pony Designs darkponydesigns@gmail.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/darkponydesigns (Lace gloves, flower crowns, tutu dresses)
Karen Borden, little girl’s tule dress uniquelyhandmadeonly.com
Kristina, of Kris’ Sweet Cakes, whose fabulous treats you shall see on our reveal! www.facebook.com/KrisCakeNBake
I don’t take a lot of weddings (I seldom do, actually) because they are so much work and a crazy amount of stress (plus if you have seen my rants about non professionals taking weddings you’ll know why as well) but comments from the brides like this make it all worth it to shoot. <3
Thanks Anne! You were so low-key, your whole day was a joy.
Find the Gems!
One of my favorite parts about our local area is how secretly (or not so secretly) stunning it is. Whenever I get a bit of freetime, I love to explore parts of the North State I’ve never seen before, even if it’s just down the road.
On Saturday I got to introduce a couple of Nor Cal residents to one of those little stunning secrets:
Clear Creek Gorge. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rueb/3466262572/in/set-72157607497160243/
As I understand it, Brian Reub http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Rueb-Photography/121928334886 cut his teeth here as a photographer, and is part of his stomping grounds. (Check out Reub, he’s incredible). I learned about the gorge from him and have visited there several times with friends as part of a great outing to beat the heat of Northern California.
All the photos up here are not of the main falls: I wasn’t at the right angle for those and I only took a couple snapshots this time, but trust me when I say the big falls are awesome, and totally worth scrambling over a small creek and big rocks for. =)
Many who know about Clear Creek don’t even follow it up to these gorgeous cascades, and some don’t even know of the fall’s existence. So imagine my pride when I got to bring these two out for it.
Here’s a couple courtesy of Nikki (http://www.facebook.com/NGosneyPhotos) that she took (I only snapped off a couple shots because I made a cardinal mistake: I left my memory card in my computer! Nikki kindly let me shoot a couple on hers):
So if you have some free time and want to beat the heat, check this gem out, or even better, just start exploring! You never know what you’ll find…. just around the river bend. =) (/end Pocahontas moment).
Happy Wednesday!
I’m partnering with Burnsini Vineyards for my upcoming styled shoot! The story of this winery is awesome, I love what the founders did for their local community, kudos to them for really bringing out the potential in their area!
Emily and I visited with Tom Burnham today, we are so excited for what this season has to offer, and we’re always open to new vendors, creatives, and people who want to get involved!
In other news, I meant to visit another vendor today but my car died!! Driving on I-5 while my car was stalling in the right lane, oncoming big rigs… yeah, not safe. So my baby Jess the Jeep is in the shop, I will just have to do my planning from home!
Interested in being part the creative styled shoot team? Shoot me a message on http://www.facebook.com/AndreaBordenPhotography.
Baby Lily
Here’s a quick photo update of a gorgeous baby girl’s shoot I did a couple months back. She was just 11 days old! Her 6 months will be here before her parents know it. Time DOES fly!
I did this photo (and others like it) for this little family whose new daddy I attended k-12th grade with. Matt has always been such a wonderful friend to me, how could I not resist taking his family’s first newborn’s portraits!?
Have a wonderful wednesday, everyone!
Check out my facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/AndreaBordenPhotography
This week had been so busy! So here’s a blog I MEANT to post a week ago, but when I make some silly mistakes during editing, I realized I’d need to redo some things, so this got pushed back.
Nellie has been a long time friend of mine. She modeled catalog when she was younger and now she’s this super smart super awesome gal who works as a scientist. She’s brains and beauty. I’ve known her since primary school and even though I wish out of our circle of friends we still kept in touch as a group, I’m happy to say she and I at least still chat when we get the chance. I shot her and her fiance last year when they visited, and I’m so excited for their wedding next year in Pismo.
Nellie and her sister are some of the best pair I’ve ever met. They’re kind to each other, they have fun together, and all in all a joy to work with.
We didn’t get a whole lot of photos from that day because it was so HOT! If any of you know Nor Cal heat, you know what I mean. Combined with working in a barn with no air conditioning, we worked with what we had. In their individual shots one girl fanned the other with a collapsible softbox while the other posed. Oh yeah… we’re high tech. =)
Turns out after we got done with the shoot some of the barn doors were left unsecured and some of their escape artist cows took advantage of the opportunity. Nel said it’s ok though, Molly and her mom needed the excitement.
There will be more photos coming, but here’s just a couple for now. Here’s to three fabulous gals!
As part of shooting every day sometimes I happen to have something especially pretty to shoot. Sometimes my subjects are simple color patterns in foliage, or a styled table like this one (for my mom’s tablecloth blog & etsy): http://tiny.cc/j5yjfw
The past couple of days I have not been feeling well, so my sweet man surprised me with my favorite flowers last night. Sunflowers! I just love them, they always make me feel sunny and bright.
Happy Thursday!
If there’s one thing I love, it’s finding gems in sessions I had previously overlooked. Whether it’s because I’ve spent too much time reviewing images or because I simply can’t choose my favorites, I have to take a step back and draw the line in the sand as to when I officially finish proofs. When I revisit a session that’s already been wrapped up, sometimes I do a Photographer’s Edit.
Photographer’s Edits may be a couple images or just one. Here’s one fresh off a BW conversion.
Mariah was so much fun to work with, she was calm and a believer in my method. Eryka styled her makeup and hair, and believe it or not, we shot this is Eryka’s kitchen!
The color version:
Today it’s a gorgeously overcast day, I am looking forward to having a bit of rain.
Happy Monday, y’all!
Let’s introduce this beautiful girl here. This is Anne, a fabulous lady with just the *sweetest* heart.
We had a quick little session in the park, and I had so much fun working with her. First of all: she loves my jokes. Or at least she thinks they’re funny. Or she thinks my joketelling is funny. Either way, she laughs a lot and I LOVE a client who laughs. Not every session has to be serious, and not ever session has to be filled with laughter, but when one is full of smiles like yesterday, I can’t help but smile still.
I shot Anne for her senior portraits a couple years back and I hope to be able to shoot more with her far into the future. She’s my model for my stylized shoot, and there’s such an ease in working with her. Anne is so happy it’s infectious. =)
Today I also get to shoot one of my lifelong girlfriends, Nel. We go waaay back. I am so excited, she’s a scientific researcher down south and I don’t get to see her too often. Check back in for some shots from today!
I’m still reeling from my recent shoot with the fun little shoot from Veronica. Sometimes with my schedule I don’t get time to go over my shoots with a fine-toothed comb. I go for great shots to deliver to clients promptly, and then I go through later to find more gems afterwards, as a photographer’s edit. Here’s some more that I couldn’t live without posting:
These eyes just pull me into the photo!
Also, Friday is my next booked session, with Nellie, her sister, and her mom. I can’t wait to shoot with one of my oldest girlfriends, Nellie, so don’t forget to check then for my next update!
If I could spend my whole life lying on rocks and watching the woods, I would.
It’s creeping up on the anniversary of my leaving California, and I think about it often. I think of it as the most defining thing I have done yet, in so many ways. So many changes, not just 2 years ago, but still being made today.
I have a lot of reasons to go home, some of them more personal than others. Being a totally visual person, the mountains are a huge draw for me. I can’t live without my mountains. I have some family at home I would like to see, as well as friends, some of them I haven’t seen in a good year or more. I have someone rather special at home that I cannot wait to see -coughErikyourbossisbehindyou!cough-. Also, animals I will be very happy to see as well. Waterfalls. Golden fields. Redwoods. Rivers. Rocks. Trees. Creatures. My beautiful California.
There’s a lot to be said about coming home, but the best part is being there.
About me: 