Perfect Imperfections

This is what happens when a photographer has beautiful friends.

This is the wonderful and completely gorgeous Meghan. I have been friends with this girl since my junior year in high school and if you stalk my photos you are sure to see her face quite often. We're in separate cities now doing our own thing, but we finally were able to get together this past break and go hog-wild with pretty dresses and makeup. 

Since Meghan is allergic to cats I had to bring my studio to her, I wish I had gotten a picture of my poor little car packed to the roof with gear! We ran around her house finding pretty walls (the one above is actually her bathroom, with my flash balanced against a gold umbrella in a sink LOL) and anything that gave us some inspiration. 

"I never thought I could pull off red lipstick..." I just HAD to prove her wrong ;)

After we had exhausted pretty much all the walls and backdrops, I started looking around to find some other sources of light to play with... when I realized there were huge windows all around the dining room we were in with amazing shutters that allowed me to actually control the light *Photographer spazz*

I kind of freaked out as I always do when I see something pretty, but Meghan was a trooper as she sat through my microscopic movements to get juuuust the right light...

After I finished spazzing over the window we decided to switch dresses and play with the wallpaper I had spazzed out over earlier in her bathroom. 

As much fun as it was getting these great shots, the best part about this shoot were the imperfect shots. The missed focus ones, the over exposed, the awkward compositions. But why?? Why on Earth would I consider that the best part?? Because I learned so much on this shoot I couldn't sleep that night going over everything in my head. I could feel my adjustments with the camera becoming faster, more instinctual, and less strained. I allowed myself to follow my instincts and even though it didn't work every time, it worked a whole lot more than over thinking everything did! Even some of the mistakes turned out to not be so bad. ;) I actually quite like this one despite the blinding over exposure, miss-focus, and blurriness. Who would have thunk?

Aim for growth through your imperfections, not being perfect.

Love,

Emily