Ode to Mothers

There are quite a few projects that I am working on.  My journey into fine art has not stopped even though I am not blogging it all at this time.  I have a series of photos that I need to polish before I approach a gallery and share with the world.  It's been a few years in the making.  In the meantime I have smaller projects, one that is ready to share!

A new series I am working on that I want to share with you now is titled "Ode to Mothers."  It is not complete but I have 4 pieces that I am ready to share!

I am currently looking for models... mothers with 1, 2, 4, 5, 6+ children.  I have plenty of 3's! ;)  I am also looking for cultural and ethnic diversity.  I want to represent as many mothers as I can!

Fine Art | Commissioned work

It is finally ready for the general public to see!  This dear woman is a friend of mine and she approached me one day and said, "I would like to hire you to take a one of a kind Jennifer Wolfe portrait of us.  I want it to be a fine art piece."  She had an idea and shared it with me.  I took it home, mulled it over and drew up my interpretation of it. 

 The next meeting we had I showed her the drawing and explained what I wanted to do.  She was thrilled and exclaimed that I had made her idea an even better one.  Then it was time to talk price.  I have an irrational fear of charing people money.  So, I told her my price and she was VERY quiet.  She said she had to discuss it with her husband.  I thought, well, that was fun while it lasted.  She got back to me and said she was a little shocked at the cost but she knew it was worth it.  We got to work. 

I went into her home and set up.  I took pictures of several elements in her home to add to the piece later.  She wanted her dog in the photo as well, and he belongs there anyway.  Freddy is part of the family. 

This was the first time since the decision to go down the path of fine art, that I actually got to put a piece together.  At this point I had photographed 2 of my other pieces but had not put them together.  This was going to be the true test to see if I could do what I was setting out to do.  

I spent countless hours on the computer piecing this together.  There were over 50 layers and 15 photographs. 

I showed it to her and she is in love.  I printed it with a professional fine art printer and it is breathtaking.  

As I was shooting and editing this piece I had such a strong feeling that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my artistic talent.  I felt happiness and peace and I know I am going down the right path.  I can't wait to finish the other pieces and to share them with the world!  I need a lot of support with this.  It is not an easy path but it will be worth it!  It really will be worth it to invest YOUR time and talent with me on this project.  I am still looking for volunteer models, hair and makeup artist, locations and props. If you have anything you would like to contribute please let me know!  I will not leave you empty handed either.  I have done trades with everyone involved thus far.  From photographing their prized truck, to photographing family sessions, to giving them furniture and props.  So, let's talk and trade talents! :)

Fall Bohemian

This was a long project, longer than i thought it would take me to finish.  

A big thank you to Ania for coming out to model for me. Isn't she gorgeous?? She was such a pleasure to work with.

I made this dress the night before the shoot because I could not find anything I loved enough for her wardrobe. So, I grabbed a 50% off coupon for Joanns and picked up some pretty lace and a pattern on sale for $1. Super simple pattern. 

 The cuff is from Forever 21.

 The necklace was handmade by Lyn Montes.  She is so talented!  Gorgeous work!  

I did her hair and makeup myself. Not too bad. ;) I had hoped to have a professional come in to help but she had a family emergency so of course she was excused!  

 This is the image I envisioned when I dreamed up this photo shoot.   I drew it out... 

Rock Star

There is another part to this particular shoot but it is not finished yet!  The images that I am releasing now are some of the fun shots that we did AFTER we got the one shot that I had been dreaming in my head.  That one shot will be released shortly once all of the elements are put into place.  In the mean time, enjoy these images of this hot momma and drool over these guitars.  These were only two of the 4 she brought.  Quadruple drool!  A BIG thank you to N.D.G. Artistry for the hair and makeup.  She was wonderful to work with!  I sent her ideas that I had and she made them better. I really wanted a faux hawk braid and she had no trouble whipping this up!  Thank you Nicci!  Thank you to our fabulous model, Michele.  She was perfect.  Not only did she own everything she wore and used but she rocked it!  We played lots of fun rock bands and she sang and got into character. :)  So much fun!  Last but not least I want to thank Lyn for being such a great assistant.  She helped make all of this possible and was willing to do whatever I needed.  What a great team!  

Red Riding Hood

This has been one of my biggest projects to date.  I love fashion. I love working with models and I love stories.  For a few years now I have wanted to do my own rendition of Little Red Riding Hood.  I decided to this version with a high fashion twist. 

 I am so grateful for Justine and Adam for being a part of this project and for being such great models.  Also, I want to thank Kathy for the awesome face painting job for our wolf and for Cortney and her mad skills with hair and makeup.  Thanks to Caley for being a fabulous assistant and Brian for being a great conversationalist.  

After 4 months of post production I am pleased to release the final product!  

Here of some of my inspirations that I gathered from story books and Forever 21...

And without further ado, here are the final pieces!

Be careful when walking through the forest alone. 

And be careful who you choose to prey upon.

The Hair and Makeup

I introduced you to the models in the last post.  Now I would like to introduce you to the hair and makeup team.  

Kathy from Faces by Kathy came to paint our fun mask on Adam.  She did a fabulous job!  Thank you Kathy for sharing your morning and talent with us!  I hope to work with you again!

Then, our ever so talented hair and makeup artist came and did the hair for both models and the makeup for Justine. Thank you Cortney!  If you would like to see some more work by Cortney you can visit this blog post with Nikkie and blog post with Caley.  

Stay tuned for the final art piece!  Coming soon...

A sneak peek into my new project

I have been brewing some ideas for many months now and finally was able to get all of the stars to align.  This past Saturday I did a conceptual photo shoot with some talented models and hair/ makeup artists.  I would like to introduce you to the models today.

Adam Runge

Justine Joy

A special Thanks to Cortney Shoemaker, again for a fabulous job on hair and makeup!  

Stay tuned for more clues into the concept!

Winter Bohemian

Remember the Fall bohemian shoot I did a few months back?  Well, that gave me an idea to do a winter bohemian shoot too.  Since I live in Southern California snow is not an easy thing to come by.  Well, I decided to take a trip to Big Bear and even though it was a warm day there was still snow on the ground.  Not as much as I had hoped; it was melting off the trees.  We were still able to get some great shots.  Thank you to my model Carrie for giving up her morning to model for me.  

Happy winter!

Fall Bohemian

I had an idea, that idea festered in my mind, my dreams, my thoughts.  I searched for the right ensemble until I found it.  The model?  Another photographer and friend of mine.  We set out after hair and makeup for the trees.  We got off on the wrong exit and could not find a way to turn around.  Finally we got to a light and were able to make a u-turn.  I was noticing the trees as we drove and thought this location is perfect!  All of a sudden I see a dirt road turn off and I made a bat turn onto it.  I apologized to my passengers and then we stopped and stared.  It was perfect!  There were a few large trees surrounding on another.  We kept an eye open for snakes and other creatures as we trekked through the wilderness.  We came to the trees and saw a beautiful clearing that was perfectly shaded by the trees from the noon day sun.  There was a perfect tree for the girls to climb while their Mommy and I got to work.
I have been so enchanted by bohemian style and this idea has blossomed into many more ideas... coming soon.

This shoot I used a very shallow depth of field mixed with some deep focus.  Which is your favorite? And why?

Happy Fall!