OUTSIDE – Vogue and a Latte

Gift Guide: The Photographer

December 3, 2020 by Madison

Happy Blogmas Day 3! We are doing this, y’all!!

Today is the first of a few gift guides — it’s not too late! I am not done shopping for my family and friends and if you are, MAJOR props. If you have a photographer friend, family member, or are a photographer and need some Christmas list ideas, this post is for you. The entire image above is clickable (simply click on the red boxes with a + on them) and shopable except for these 4 extra special gift ideas:

Illustration
An illustration is a perfect gift that elevates an already present photo. I personally use @denofdreamers Tara Nix for my illustrations. She is affordable and her images are so quality! I gifted my boyfriend the image above for our 1 year anniversary and it was such a special gift.

Brevite Jumper Backpack:
CAN’T RECOMMEND ENOUGH. Holds everything. So many compartments and places for everything a photographer could need at a shoot or for a workday at a coffee shop. Seriously, get this for the photographer in your life.

Gift THEM a photoshoot (branding/headshot or a simple family/couple shoot!)
As a photographer, I would LOVE to be gifted a branding session or a couples session to have photos taken OF me! It is really important to get in front of the camera to learn how your clients feel but also just to get some updated photos of yourself! Clients want to see their photographer’s face sometimes too (: You can learn how to gift a photo session in this post I wrote.

Workshop from their photographers
Some photographers like Dawn Charles offer workshops, resources, guides, etc. that can be SO helpful for new and intermediate photographers. The photographer in your life definitely has a favorite photographer of their own… ask them who they are and then do the research to see if they offer a course or workshop!

GIFTCARDS!
Specifically to coffee shops. Starbucks would be great. Or even a Trade coffee subscription! They need their editing fuel!

I hope you were able to get some good gift ideas from this post! Happy shopping!!

PS: If you feel so inclined, I would LOVE to hear how you got to this post. Instagram? Facebook? A friend?

PPS: Feel free to share this post!!!

3 Beginner Photography Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

November 3, 2020 by Madison

As a photographer forging her way into the world of lifestyle, portrait, and family sessions galore, there are a lot of mistakes to be made. Lots of bumps in the road!! Thankfully, we recover and learn from them. And thankfully (most) clients are gracious. Whether you are just beginning to toy with the idea of grabbing your dusty camera hidden at the top of your closet or are heading into your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th holiday season as a photographer, here are some mistakes I made so you (hopefully) don’t have to!

1. Always Turn On Your Camera BEFORE a Shoot… And Always Bring a Backup

Check your battery, your SD card, and that it actually takes a visible photo!
Storytime: A little over a year ago, I was parking my car and walking up to meet a client at Lido Marina Village. I greeted them with a big smile, chatted for a bit, and then got to shooting. I found the right location and lighting, then set her up with her first set of posing directions and began to click away. As always, I checked my screen to take a look at the photos and lighting and adjust accordingly. I noticed that my screen was black. Yes, you read that right, black. My heart stopped for a second and I panicked. I had to think on my feet and didn’t want them to notice anything was wrong yet. So I lifted my camera back up to my eye and began to shoot some more. Still black… I told them I needed to fix the lighting and quickly scoured every setting I could possibly look at. I removed my lens and put it back on. Nothing. At this point I couldn’t hide the fact that something was off so I had 2 options: Continue to shoot and pretend everything was good and then say that something happened to the SD card (keep reading for the storytime on THAT subject) or tell them that something was wrong with my camera and that the photos weren’t capturing. I went with option #2 as that was the most honest, even though it was harder, and started explaining to them that I had no idea what was up with my camera, that I checked every setting and had no solution for the problem at that exact moment and needed to take my camera to the camera shop. I offered to take some iPhone photos for her so that she at least had a little bit of content from that day and assured them I would send back their deposit as this was completely out of their (and my) control. She and her husband were very gracious even though I could tell they were obviously very disappointed. I assured them that once my camera was fixed, I would reach out to them and offer a discounted session price to make up for this inconvenience. Clients prepare for shoots whether that be a hair appointment, taking off of work, buying a new outfit, or making a drive to the location you are meeting at. It is very important to give value to their time. It turned out that they did not end up wanting to reschedule, which is completely understandable. That was definitely a negative result of a beginner photography mistake! I didn’t beat myself up for it, mistakes help us grow and become better, but it was definitely a major lesson for me.

Moral of the story: Had I checked my camera prior, this situation could have been completely avoided. I would have seen that something was off with my camera and simply rescheduled or just started the shoot with my backup camera. Had I had my backup camera, none of this would have happened. I would have simply switched to my other camera, changed over the lens and SD card, and kept the session moving. ALSO, never put your camera in overhead storage on an airplane. 🙃

I now ALWAYS check my camera before leaving the house. Does the shutter close all of the way? Does the image appear on the screen? Do I have enough room on the current SD card living in my camera? How is my battery level? I also never go to a shoot without a fully charged backup camera with a blank SD card inside. I never want to freeze on the spot like that again or lose a client’s faith in me!

Amazon Prime Day 2020

October 13, 2020 by Madison

Let’s make this short and sweet. Here is everything I have bought on Amazon over the last 6 months and then below that is everything I have on my wishlist for this year’s Prime Day. Happy shopping y’all!!

HAVE:

WANT:

What’s On My Counter ( and what should be on yours )

November 2, 2019 by Madison

One of my favorite things to read from bloggers and influencers that I follow is their morning and night routines. I have always been so intrigued by morning routines ( I did a whole series on them on the blog actually, you can read one here or search “morning routines” in the search bar ) and especially by the products that actually WORK. The beauty market is infiltrated with thousands of products, some that work and some that don’t, so reading and watching influencers I trust talk about their favorite products is something I highly value.

So that’s what this post is all about! Products that I consistently use every day and have seen major results from. Products that I have re-purchased, which honestly says a lot, especially if they have a higher price point. Honestly, I am willing to spend good money on products that work for my skin and hair because as I get older, staying youthful is key. Also as I get older, investing money in quality products as opposed to cheaper products has a lot of value to me, too. This list is tried and true and you guys need these items.

Tap the title of each product for the link to my current favorite beauty items! Happy shopping!

+ Olaplex No.3 – $28
If you’ve been following me for a little while, you know that my hair has been a JOURNEY. I have tried everything and I feel like I have finally been able to see some growth and change in my hair. I owe some of that to this product. It is an intense, thick, hair mask that nourishes and replenishes hair. Since using this product I have seen major growth, shininess, and thickness added to my hair. I have used it probably 5 times, once a week, and I should probably start upping the usage. This product came highly recommended to me through friends and influencers but also from people who use it at their professional salons, which is what really sold me on the product. They have some other products that come highly recommended too, that I will be trying soon! I will absolutely buy again and continue to update y’all on the transformation.

How to Fly Spirit Airlines with One Carry-On and Enjoy It.

October 27, 2019 by Madison

One carry-on? Yup. You read that right. Shocking, especially if you know me.

I am here to share the in’s and out’s of flying with Spirit, how I prepped, my experience, and why I would 100% do it again.

Before booking my roundtrip Spirit flight from LAX to Atlanta (for only $167 I might add… that is unheard of, honestly) I did a little research. I wanted to make sure that I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and where I needed to set my expectations. I read a few awesome blog posts (like this one) and figured I was ready to take the plunge. I didn’t have anywhere to be, technically, until the morning after my flight, so I was accepting any potential delay and clicked “confirm purchase” on the website. A couple of things that I did when purchasing this flight:

Dreamy Silk Tunic + How To Wear It

February 3, 2017 by Madison

Happy Fri-YAY and welcome back to one of my personal favorite places to be, Forge A Frenzy!

So, just a mini recap on my life, moving across the country can take a lot out of ya. And when you find your energy after that process, normally making friends/unpacking box after box takes priority over my endless and growing blog to-do list. Now that things are settled, I have been able to finally take time to focus on what I love most, being creative and designing beautiful things.