Sydney Paige Photography Blog: October 2014

**This is a fine art/conceptual post. Please continue down to see portraits, family sessions and wedding related events!**

As you folks know, one of my goals this year was to do a fine art session each month this year! I have kept the goal...but been a little behind on my posting!

But with good reason, I promise! This year I had one big goal to FINISH my first novel in a trilogy series that I have planned. Thanks to a wonderful writers group and a loving husband (who cooked lots of dinners and cleaned the house while I hid away in my office), I have finished it. The past few months I polished and put all my heart into it. I will soon send out query letters (scary process folks) and hope, pray, and drink lots of wine and wait for that someone out there loves my story as much as I do.

But I'm giving myself a teeny tiny break away from it, so I can look over everything with fresh eyes, and thought it was a great time to post my conceptual pieces from the past three months.

JULY.

Primarily I work with female models for my conceptual work, but I had a vision. It started when I was listening to music and a song, Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin, came on my playlist. I had forgotten they were even on my phone and the song brought my imagination to life. I wanted a fallen angel looking out into a dark woodsy environment.

I knew I needed a male model who was not only comfortable with me, but who I was comfortable with as well - especially since this wold be the first time I used a male model. I instantly contacted my cousin Jameson who responded within minutes expressing his excitement.

I started collecting sticks on my grandmothers property, and much to my husbands disappointment, brought them home and displayed them in our living room. A few trips to Hobby Lobby later I had fashioned a wing of sticks together. I wanted them to look bare, and more dark than bones. He would have lost all his feathers (his hope, his pride) in the fall and was staring out into a new world - his new home. His anger fuels him, and vengeance is his plan.

The day of the session, things went...a little wrong. Jameson's alarm failed to go off, so I missed my morning light. He lived hours away and had to make the trip to our grandmother's property. I was going to have to work with bright afternoon light, and quickly because he had to make it back in time for work. I couldn't give up...I had made a goal this year...and I was going to keep it.

Jameson brought his girlfriend who helped with the wings (thanks Lilia!) and I focused on a new plan. I found the darkest spot on the property that wouldn't involve us traveling far (and also avoid my grandmother's gorgeous gardens).

I found a spot by an old shed my parents built out there years ago to hide away some of their stuff when we were moving around. It was old, worn and brought out the wings...it was perfect! Missing the morning light was a blessing in disguise. Special thank you to Jameson for being my first male model to use for a conceptual piece, I am so appreciative and THANKFUL for you traveling to work with me.

Here is 'Fallen Angel'.

AUGUST.

I contacted Savanna later in the summer about being my August model. I had to give her time off from the painting piece (the paint...was quite painful to remove). She was a trooper and of course agreed to model for me again - Thank goodness! I missed my muse!

I had a plan for this session, but Savanna sent me a text of a simple, beautiful hat and some jewelry from a new vintage shop in our downtown square. We just had to do a shoot with some of the jewelry. Frippery Vintage owner, Jennifer, graciously let us borrow some AMAZING pieces. Savanna brought over some new stuff from her mother's resale shop and some pieces from her own wardrobe. I was inspired.

A long skirt she had was a perfect replica of how I described one of my character's dresses in an important scene in my book. It was a sign I had to try it out, see how it photographed and play around with ideas for a future piece I am working on that portrays my novel.

We created a few characters with the jewelry - moving from a light to darkness evolution. Here is how we started the beginning shots...

I don't remember why she was laughing...but I am glad I caught it!

Here I told her I wanted her to be a banished Egyptian Queen. NAILED IT!

This piece! I mean...gorgeous!!!!!!

This one I entitle 'Aura's Darkness'.

SEPTEMBER.

Another goal I had this year was to do a self portrait with one of my conceptual pieces. But my plans didn't work out, so I called on my youngest sister for another idea I had. Luckily, she is at the age where she still thinks I am cool and loves anything to do with make-up.

It pains me to see how grown up she looks in this photograph, but I just love the finished product. Here is the second part of my temptation series (see the first part here).

This one is entitled 'Facing Temptation.'