Branchbound Bridal Lace Jewelry Photo Shoot

Sarah Louise (affectionately to her friends as Slu) runs one of my favorite Etsy shops, Branchbound, and just happens to be a pretty super person. I was so excited when she asked me to shoot some of her pieces for her bridal look book! I love that Slu's pieces combine the delicacy of lace with the bold colors and size of "statement" jewelry.

I found my model, Kelsey, through my Facebook page and set up the shoot for a Saturday morning. It ended up being pretty chilly, but Kelsey powered through like a champ! She's getting married later this year, so this was good portrait practice for her, and she did great. We used my wedding gown and a vintage gown for the shoot, so don't worry, her fiancé isn't getting a peek at her dress too early! I was hoping for at least a little cloud cover since it wasn't a golden hour shoot, but it was FULLLLL sun. I feel like I made the best of what we had, though...unless I'm just delusional. So without further rambling, here are some of my favs! Please head over to Branchbound to check out her fabulous line (and tell your friends!).

iPhone 4(S) Photo Case Giveaway - Space Jam and Hungry Policemen

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm still in my pajamas enjoying my day off work. I don't really get into Black Friday shopping, but I know a ton of people who do! I thought I might do a giveaway to combat all the money spending that is going on today :) It's always nice to win something, right?! I've been sitting on these two iPhone 4(S) cases for some time, just waiting for the right time to give them away. I tested them for a few days on my own phone and loved them! They definitely aren't for people who are prone to dropping their phone because it's not made for protection. It's made for looking awesome! They were made over at Aluminyze, which I highly recommend.

One case has Hungry Policemen on it, and the other features Space Jam, and there will be two winners! The first winner that I draw will get to choose their case. Here's how to enter:

1. Like my Facebook Page: Kristi McMurry Photography
2. Like the post on Facebook about this giveaway

Simple as that! Here are some options for even more entries:

1. Comment on the post about this giveaway on Facebook saying which case is your favorite - one additional entry
2. Share the giveaway on Facebook (make sure you make the privacy settings public so I can see it) - two additional entries
3. Tweet about this giveaway and mention @KristiMcMurry - two additional entries
4. Purchase a print from my shop on Etsy (Use code HOLIDAY30 for 30% off) - five additional entries per item purchased 

Happy entering! This giveaway will go all the way through Cyber Monday since that's the big internet shopping day. I will draw the winners on Tuesday. The first winner I draw will have their choice of phone case.

Sol Heritage Product Photos

One thing I really wish I could do more of is product photography! I have these lofty goals of shooting still lifes for magazines and products for look books. It's ok to dream big, right? What I love is trying to showcase the products in the best way. Of course I have much to learn in the way of planning shoots and prop styling, so most of what I do now is pretty basic. Luckily that works well for Etsy sellers like Sol Heritage.

The photos above were taken more recently than the ones below, and I think I like that location a little better for the outdoor shots. I loved working with Juliana on these too! She's a doll, right?! Luckily she lives right downtown so we just walked to the location and shot away. We also used the seemless in the ad agency she works for, so the shots on the white background were super easy!

One of my 2014 goals is to send a portfolio to Garden & Gun (so far out of my league, it's not even funny) and Tennesse Home & Farm (slightly more in my league, but still a stretch). Before I can do that, I have to actually build a portfolio of studio shots! My food photos for Green Frog are definitely a good start, but I'm looking forward to working on much much more. I might even approach some Etsy sellers about doing styled shoots of their work. If you know of anyone who might be interested in something like that, have them email me! kristimcmurry@gmail.com

I hope you all are having a super week! It's been crazy busy lately, but in a good way. I am brainstorming some really exciting creative things with some of my Jackson friends, so I look forward to sharing more about that. I'm also considering re-branding in 2014 (eep!), so lots of research and brainstorming happening about that. Whew!

Carnivals and Dinosaurs RAWRRR

Carnivore on Etsy

The last time I was at the zoo, I picked up a few of their little miniature animal toys, which included this teensy little t-rex! They did a dino exhibit a while back, so I guess that's why they had them. I came up with the idea to make it a carnival scene and call it carnivore since THAT'S WHAT A T-REX IS! Maybe it's not that clever, but whatever, I like it. 

The hardest part was perhaps finding a mini ferris wheel. I found this particular vintage one on Ebay. I am so bad with reading size descriptions and actually being able to visualize it. I had no idea if this  would work, but it did! It also came with the little ticket booths, which I think add a lot to the scene. I already had the picnic people, and I decided to add those after I'd already been shooting a little. I almost always add or change something halfway through shooting that totally makes the shot. 

Overall I'm extremely pleased with this shot. It's a little more busy than most of my photos, but I think it's ok to have variety. I could see this being pretty awesome in a little boy's room. Maybe if you have two boy kids, one could have Space Jam in their awesome astronaut themed room, and the other could have this one in their prehistoric dino den! Hope you guys like it.

Space Jam + Giveaway

*(Be sure to make it to the bottom of this post for a giveaway!)*

I have finally completed a photo that has been in my head for AT LEAST two years! I have attempted it once before, and it just didn't work out (left):

I think the first problem was that the astronauts just weren't small enough. It took me a while to finally find these little astronaut beads that were small enough for what I wanted. I decided to some something more straightforward and simple this time with a better background. But something about the composition still wasn't clicking for me. The shot above right was what I ended up with this last time. Something made me want to put a spoon in the jar though, so I tried it.  The fishing line that was holding up the jar wouldn't stay on without the lid though, so I had to give that up...or did I? 

I took the background off the wall, set it on the ground and set the jar of jam down on it. I loved the way it looked! Overlapping the jar with the planet reminds me of a Venn diagram a little bit. I love that it's hinting at symmetry, but it's not at all symmetrical, if that even makes sense. I actually like both of the ones I took this last attempt, but the shot from above just looks so much better to me, so that's the one I'm printing. I hope you guys like it too! I would love to hear your thoughts on it. It's available in my Etsy shop now! I can't wait to see how it looks on the metallic paper that I use. I feel like it will really make it pop.

Since I'm so SUPER happy that I finally did this photo and like it, I would like to offer a free 8x10 to one of my readers. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post letting me know that you'd like to be entered! I will choose a random winner next Thursday (May 2nd) when I get back from vacation.

Update: Diane (comment #7) is the winner of the print! Congratulations, Diane. I hope your boys love their new print. 

Crocheted for the Arm

I have an Etsy seller who sends me LOTS of items to photograph for her shops. Pretty much everything she sends me is some sort of crocheted item, like slippers, coffee mug cozies, cowls, leg warmers and a new one: bracelets. I had never seen crocheted bracelets before, but I looked on Etsy and there are several sellers making them. Who knew?! This weekend I powered through photographing almost 100 of these, and I enlisted the help of my saucy friend Margaret for the modeling. Occasionally I model the stuff myself, but it takes forever, so I get help when I can! Here are some of the different ways I shot them. The glass decanter was a new set-up, and I rather like it. It was the perfect size for the bracelets to rest on.

I am pretty pleased with how they turned out! I decided to ditch my crumby background stand and just put the paper on the wall, and it worked out well. I blew it out a little bit, but I think for Etsy that's not a huge deal. I would really love to shoot for a clothing designer or even a vintage seller one of these days! It would be fun to photograph a collection for a look book, especially outside of the studio.

These items can be found soon in ChicNWarm or WarmToesesandCozies

Virginia Pearl Vintage

I can't believe I am just now sharing my newest Etsy shop, Virginia Pearl Vintage! I guess it just completely slipped my mind to blog about it. I'm hoping to post updates here occasionally, but I think an introductory post is definitely in order. I started this shop as a way to sell some of the plates that I collected for my wedding. I was pretty picky when I chose my reception plates, and even pickier when choosing what to list in the shop. I have had so much fun researching the different patterns for the listings! I haven't been able to find date information for a lot of them, but when I do find that kind of thing, it's very exciting.  Here are a few of my favorites listed so far.

Sheffield- Anniversary

American Queen- Nancy 

Noritake- Seville 

Fanci Florals- Painted Poppy 

Mikasa- Blue Daisies 

If you're wondering about the name, it's actually my grandmother's name. She has always hated her middle name, Pearl, but I absolutely love it. I think Virginia Pearl has such a nice ring to it.  I need to take some plates over to her house and take a picture of me, her and the plates for the shop page! I'm sure she would love that (no she actually wouldn't...she's shy). 

I would love to know what you guys think about the shop so far! I'm planning to add some more plates in the next couple of days, so keep an eye out. I've got a friends discount code in the shop, so if you find something you like use FRIENDSOFVP for 15% off! Have a lovely weekend. 

Guidance Needed: Leg Warmers

Sorry for the odd photos in this post. It is ridiculously cold and windy outside today, and I was just not having it! I chose instead to utilize this gorgeous motif in my office building. These disciples (there are several more) were donated to the university, and somehow they ended up in our area. They look utterly ridiculous in the setting, but they are actually really neat. They used to be in a church, and I think they fit in a little better there :) When they first arrived we had visions of placing them in each other's offices, bathroom stalls, the top of the stairs, the elevator, etc., but we found out quickly that we couldn't do that as each one weighs about 50 KAGILLION POUNDS. I mean seriously, I have no idea how they got them up to our office in the first place. 

That is my "Oh no, Peter, look. I knocked some leaves off this fake tree. My apologies." look.

details:

dress- Etsy (Jennifer Lilly)

shirt- Walmart

belt- Etsy (Mouse Trap Vintage)

necklace- Etsy (Laura Lombardi)

leggings- Target

leg warmers- gift

shoes- Old Navy

Now let's talk about these leg warmers. I have NEVER worn leg warmers. Never had a desire to, never really understood the point. Just wear pants, am I right? I still kind of don't get it, but I got these for Christmas and I figured I would try. Am I doing this right? The jury is still out. I know that as a whole this outfit is OOC (out of control), but I kind of like the busy-ness. Check out the Etsy stores I linked to in the details! All three are excellent sellers with some amazing pieces. I'm a huge fan of this dress even though you can see straight through it and the slightest breeze sends it floating up. I wish I knew enough about sewing to make a lining for it. I actually bought it to see if I liked it for possible bridesmaids dresses. It didn't pass thank goodness since it ended up being so cold. I didn't think my girls would like how short it was. 

So, can any of you give me advice on how to wear these leg warmers? Any other 80s trends you can advise me on? Side ponytails? Yes? How many questions can I ask in one paragraph?

Quilling

Earlier today Etsy posted some photos on their Facebook account featuring an art form called quilling. I've seen things like this before, but I never knew what it was called! It's created using lots of strips of paper coiled and curled into an image. It looks so intricate, and I can't imagine how much patience you would need to create something like this. One of the shops that was featured is YakawonisQuilling. Here are a few of my favorites from her shop

I think Rhett would enjoy the Ron Swanson piece in his room upstairs. That room needs some manly touches! A lot of the pieces in her shop are prints of her originals, so they are affordable. I think it would be amazing to own an original piece though! It would definitely be an investment. I know it's odd, but I'd love the full figure muscular system original...it's just so amazing!

I hope you all are having a fantastic week so far! I guess it's been about a week since I posted, but not much has been going on. I'm very excited about the weekend, though! I'm heading to Nashville with some friends for the zoo run. I'm not going to run it for a few reasons, but I'm going to be the best cheerleader for my buddies! We'll also get to hit up Trader Joe's afterward...which is an essential part of any Nashville trip.

Black Beary

I shot a new photo for my Etsy shop a while back, but I just realized that I never posted it here! Of course the concept is a play on words, but the set-up was inspired by the Things Organized Neatly blog. I submitted it to the site, but I don't think it made it on. I'm still pleased with the outcome though! I would love to do more with fruit, I just need to come up with another fun idea for it. I do have one in the works involving astronauts, so keep an eye out for that :)

Christmas in July Sale

In the spirit of Christmas in July (this is a big thing on Etsy), I decided to do a little sale for the last half of this wonderfully sweltering month. If you buy any print in any size in my shop, you get a print absolutely free! All you have to do is let me know which print you want free when you check out. The standard rule of "free item must be equal or lesser value" applies. A lot of folks buy my images to display in sets, so this would be a perfect time to get yourself a cute set of 2 for that blank wall in your home!

Bedroom Wall Display

A week or so ago, I pretty much emptied my bedroom to make room for a new bed and a new wardrobe, both of which are HUGE. The only other piece of furniture in there is my dresser (also huge) so I actually have a nice, simple bedroom now.  I actually enjoy it being kind of minimal in there. Anyway, the point of this post is to show you the wall next to my bed, which I've been gradually adding things to. I have some larger prints that used to be on there, but I'm going to put those elsewhere, because I like the look of smaller pieces all grouped together.

I see these gallery walls in lots and lots of homes online, and I love the way they look. The great thing is that it can constantly evolve. If I get a new piece, I can either add it on the side or completely re-arrange everything. I have tons of the paint that I used on that wall, so re-painting is no biggie. Since a lot of these pieces came from Etsy, I want to share links so you can create your own gallery wall!

The top right Twin Pops image is by annatillettdesigns on Etsy, and she has tons of adorable things! The PB&J print is another one of my favorites from her. Right below that is an embroidery piece by ItsAStitch (Malarie), whom I've gotten to know through twitter and Etsy. She's incredibly talented, and has many many more gorgeous pieces in her shop. The piece right below the muscle embroidery + the one to the right of my engagement picture both came from this website: Feed Your Soul. They haven't updated in a while, but there are still lots of free downloads available from some wonderful artists (like Leah Duncan).

The two round embroidery pieces came from another friend of mine, Devin, who runs OooohStitchy. It's been really hard not to buy like 20 things from her shop, but I definitely couldn't pass up "I know, right?" and the crazy cat lady :) The piece on the clipboard is from the Etsy shop Jellybeans. I love the print, but honestly it took forever to ship from Canada, and the seller got snippy with me when I asked about it like a month after ordering it. Oh well, still her work is cute. That cat print at the bottom there was a gift from my wonderful friend, Gabrielle. It came from tinyconfessions, which is one of my absolute favorite Etsy shops. I can't even tell you how much I love that print, and I know that is totally something Dudley would think (it says "I am concerned about my own unstable behavior").

The photograph in the tan frame and the one with no frame both came from Etsy, but they were free gifts so I don't remember what shop they were from. The one between those two is a piece by a photographer in Charleston, SC. I picked that up as a souvenir when we went there. Of course that one on the far left is an engagement shot that I framed.

I hope to add more pieces to this collection, and maybe even start a gallery wall in my studio upstairs if I ever re-floor and re-paint it!  Do any of you have a wall like this in your home?

A Hare in My Salad

I finally have a new photograph for my Etsy shop! I got the idea just last week and actually put it together last night. It's been so long since I did anything new that this just feels incredibly refreshing and motivating. I might even have another new one for you in a few weeks! Here I give you "A Hare in My Salad" Get it? Hare...hair...haha.

Since Etsy has these new fancy "about" pages, I took the opportunity to get a picture of me with the setup. I am looking ROUGH, but I don't think most people will care, and I really shouldn't either. You can see more pictures and my "story" on my about page (which I think is really cool...thanks, Etsy!)

I hope you all like the new photograph! I picked a pastel background so that this could work for Easter, and I picked salad because I'm assuming hares eat lettuce...and carrots. I'm really happy with how it turned out! It's even better than the picture I had in my head, which is always a nice surprise.