October 29, 2013

By request: how Tony and I do vintage outfit shoots


This past March, in the comment section of a vintage spring outfit post, the immensely lovely Harlow Darling of Vintage at Heart left the following, sweeter-than-sweet comment and question:

"Tony is such a fantastic photographer and you make a great team. My boy still has so much to learn but I am so grateful to have him to take photos! Do you think you'd ever do a post about how the two of you take blog photos? I'd love to hear about the process that goes into your wonderful blog posts."

Now, if you're a fan and follower of Harlow's, then you'll likely already know that the outfit photos she posts are knock-your-socks-off gorgeous. From the ethereally lovely sunlight that bathes her in many, to the stellar, diverse range of places she takes beautifully styled snapshots in (including the sea and zoo, to name but a couple), it's impossible to spend time on her blog and not fall in love with the elegance, romance, and timeless charm of her vintage outfit photos. In fact, I've often thought of her as a source of inspiration for me on this very front, which made it all the more touching when she said what she did.

I love answering as many questions from my wonderful readers as I possibly can, and all the better if one lends itself to a blog post, which I felt that Harlow's really did – especially because it's not the first time I've been asked about something pertaining to photographs that appear in my wardrobe related posts here.

At first, I must admit, I felt like I could explain the process in a thirty second elevator pitch, because there is nothing overly complex about how we go about taking snaps, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that doing so would be selling everyone involved a bit short.

To begin with, it should be noted for the record, that (for all intentions - occasionally my mom or sister has snapped a photo of Tony and I together that was used in a post here) Tony is the only person who has ever photographed me for the purpose of this blog.

I am, by no means, a model and I've never even given serious thought to hiring another photographer. This isn't to say I wouldn't work with someone locally if they were interested, but I've not been approached, and having a skilled part-time photographer as a husband, it wouldn't make sense to me from a financial standpoint to pay someone for shots that Tony is more than capable of taking. Perhaps the one exception to that would be indoor studio photos, because as I've chatted about before (such as here), really do not have much in the way of indoor lighting in our condo (but Tony is in the process of acquiring the right lighting equipment to facilitate that).

As things have gone so far though, again, Tony has been my one and only photographer and that has worked out great for both of us. Having had a longstanding passion for photography, but a full-time career in an entirely different field, taking my photo gives Tony a chance to frequently indulge in his passion for the art of the lens, and I get to feel comfortable in front of it because it's my husband taking the snaps (I'm tremendously shy and self-conscious, so there's really no one I'd feel more comfortable taking pictures with than my hubby of nine years).

Now, as most of you know from past posts, my health often makes leaving the house impossible for me. Some months I might feel well enough to head out on three of four different days, other times I may go two months or longer without a single day at all when doing so is possible. As a result, the majority of the time when I am well enough to head out - even if it's just for a day of running errands or yard saling, we pack the camera along and aim to take photos at some point.

In terms of the equipment we currently use, Tony generally shoots with his Canon 30D, or more, recently, his amazing new Canon 6D (goodness, do we both adore this serious workhorse of a camera!), which he purchased while we were in Calgary last month. On a small handful of occasions, he's also shot with my Canon XSi Rebel. We have a great little point and shoot camera, too, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, but so far it's only been used in one of our shoots (that being when we went to a petting zoo last year). There have also been a few times when we took photos using Tony's iPhone 4S, such as this night of fishing and this rainy day spent at the Beach City Beach Cruise.

Generally speaking, we aim to use the 6D or 30D, but sometimes, just depending on circumstances, it is more convenient, practical, or in keeping with the weather, to use the iPhone, and since Tony has it on him at virtually all times when we're out and about, it's pretty much guarantees us the ability to take photos in nearly any setting or time of day until at least dusk.

Now, when it comes to the locations we're taking pics in, we often let the day itself dictate where we end up snapping away. Though we have made photo shoots the sole focus of our outings occasionally, more often than not, we take photos either before, in the midst of, of after doing various other things (ranging from grocery shopping to visiting relatives) while out and about.

This isn't to say that everything is done on the fly, it's certainly not. If I'm feeling well enough to go out and I think (or know) that taking photos is going to be in the cards, I'll try and put together an outfit that I want to appear here on the blog. Sometimes I may have a specific garment, accessory or other element of my outfit that I want (or need, in the case of a review item) to share with all of you, other times I'll just let my mood, the weather, and where we're headed lead my choice of ensemble. I adore dressing up and love that the photos we take allow me to share my beloved vintage wardrobe with all of you week after week, month after month.

Camera in hand, outfit, hair and make-up done, we'll head out and go from there. Sometimes, especially if it's later in the day and we know that it might be dark by the time we get home, we'll try to take photos first (frequently, when such is the case, opting to do so in our front yard, such as this tartan ensemble from late last year). On others, we may go about our day, doing the things we want/need to, and then drive around town or a neighbouring community (or town) for a little while, scouting for a spot that would make for a good backdrop (which is, interestingly, precisely how we found the spot where we shot the pictures for the post that prompted Harlow's question).

I've always enjoyed a spot of on-the-fly adventure, and taking this approach to location scouting provides just that (it's also lead to discovering some really beautiful areas that I'd never even stepped foot in before we came across them together, such as the wonderfully quaint community of Ellison, B.C., located just on the outskirts of Kelowna).

Occasionally it's also meant scrambling to find a suitable backdrop before the sun set or the weather became too brutal (this day in May 2012 spring to mind in the case of the latter), but even there, one has to enjoy the challenge. We're shooting for fun after all, not because there's money involved or we're working on a deadline. It's a hobby in this context, and one that consistently remains fun because we don't have a lot of rules in place when it comes to how each shoot unfolds.


 photo ChronicallyVintagefourseasonsphotomosaic_AntonioCangianoPhotography_zpsad316ed8.jpg

{No matter the season, setting, or available light, Tony's skill as a photographer has ensured one enjoyable, terrific photo shoot after another.}


There have certainly been times, too, when we knew long before leaving the house that we were wanted to take photos at a specific location. Three that spring to mind just off the top of my head have been the S.S. Sicamous, the aforementioned Peach City Beach Cruise, and Bear's Fruit Stand.

Aside from our own little front yard (we don't have a backyard, as our condo is part of a four home unit and there's another unit on the other side of our back walls), one place that we've turned to often for shots taken locally has been my mom and step-dad's house - specifically their backyard and deck, both of which are often bathed in beautiful light.

When it comes to taking pictures, if time permits, it's not uncommon for Tony to shoot anywhere from one to three hundred (and occasionally more) photos. He's a fan of close-up face shots in particular (as he loves to take portraits in general), whereas I tend to favour full (or almost) full body snaps that show off as much of my outfit as possible, so we aim for a mixture of both with every shoot.

Though there have been a couple of times when we took photos a different locations on the same day (while I was wearing the same outfit), typically we only do one shoot a day and try to keep it to about 15 minutes or less (especially because it's often difficult for me to stand for more than a few minutes at a time, and to date we've not included my wheelchair, which I sometimes use when out and about, in any of our shoots). After we get home (or the next day, just depending on how late it is and/or what else we need to do) we upload the photos, and I go to work editing them.

I'm a huge fan of minimally edited photos in the sense that - unless for artistic effect - I don't do a lot of retouching or heavy editing. I have a professional background in photography myself (specifically product photography), so editing at a basic level is a snap for me. Tony absolutely knows how to do this kind of editing himself, too, it's just that he has an extremely busy work schedule and I also enjoy editing, so I'm more than happy to handle this step of our photographic process.

When I say editing, in this context, by and large what I'm talking about is selecting the photos that I want to use in a future post, cropping, adjusting the lighting, highlights and/or shadows (if need be), perhaps applying a very minor (in the sense of scarcely detectable) filter, or removing any glaring blemishes.

It's incredibly important to me - in any context - that I present a really realistic version of myself. I could doctor my face (and even body) if I wanted to while editing (Photoshop wasn't turned into an active verb for no reason!), but I have zero desire to do this. I certainly don't love everything about my appearance, but what would bother me a lot more than a wrinkle here or a curvy calf there, is someone meeting me in real life and feeling like I'd presented a false version of myself online to the world on a routine basis (again, I'm not a model and these photos are just for fun, so there's no reason - short of pure vanity - for me to become a digital plastic surgeon).

Once I've edited the photos (sometimes there's little to no editing, beyond selecting and perhaps cropping the images themselves, needed), I either set to work on a blog post right then and there, or tuck them away for use later on when I have more time (or feel well enough) to write.

That, my dears, is it. I'm sure that the process from start to finish that I've just outlined here is very similar to the one followed by many vintage and non-vintage fashion bloggers the world over.

I like to inject diversity into both my outfits and where we shoot, so while some locations will (and have) certainly appear here on multiple occasions, we also strive to find new spots to shoot in, and even keep a list of possible places to taken snaps in (which I nicknamed our "phosholo" - short for photo shoot location - list).

We're blessed to live in a gorgeous part of British Columbia that's teeming with beaches, arid desert-like hills, forests, and urban settings, and between those, my parent's house, and our own little front yard, I think we could easily keep shooting for decades and never run out of interesting locations.

It is my profound hope that just this is able to happen, as I truly love sharing both our passion for photography, as well as my vintage outfits, with all of you. These photos are also stand as a wonderful reminder of the adventures - both big and small - that Tony I get to enjoy throughout the course of our daily life together, and I'm sure that we'll always look back on them and be grateful that we have these beautiful digital keepsakes of times gone by.

Thank you, dear Harlow, for your terrific comment and the opportunity it gave me to delve into this topic in greater detail with all of my lovely blog readers.

And, last but in no way least, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Tony, for always waiting patiently while I get dressed and ready to go out, and for taking the fantastic photographs that enrich this blog - and my life - immeasurably. I am grateful beyond words that you are my own personal photographer and precious husband.

38 comments:

  1. I wish I had someone to take photos for me, your Tony does a great job. May I also say how beautiful you look in the photo of you wearing the blue top and flowers in your hair. Of course the other photos are lovely too, but that one really caught my eye :)

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  2. Love this post, and glad to know I wasn't the only reader wondering about your shoots. It's certainly fantastic that your husband is so wonderfully skilled! Indoor light is such a tricky thing, good luck with getting that sorted.

    You are such a wonderful model, it's not all your husband's skill, you have to take some credit too ;)

    P xxx

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  3. It's fun to read how others do this. You have two big advantages over me. First, Tony, obviously. It's wonderful you have a skilled photographer who caters to your needs. Taking pictures of oneself without assistance is hard. Second, your ability to shoot outdoors. Not only do you live in a beautiful part of the world, you can travel through it, dressed nicely, without drawing attention. That's nice. You probably take it for granted. I've been outside in women's clothes only a handful of times and each time was very stressful. Feeling cooped up inside and getting bored with indoor backgrounds propels me outside but going there takes courage, planning and portable supplies. Anyhoo, back to you -- I love your outfit posts. You and Tony deserve a lot of credit for them.

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    1. Hi Ally, thank you very much for your comment. I'm very sorry that your experiences with wearing women's clothing in public have been stressful. That's completely understandable of course, and I really commend your courage for doing (and all the more so for doing it multiple times).

      We are very blessed to currently live in a gorgeous corner of the world, you're spot on there, but I do not take it for granted for one minute, especially because my health often makes it such a challenge for me to get out at all, that I savour and feel grateful beyond words for even the simplest of outings or photo shoots. I never know for sure when the next one will be (days, weeks, months?), and I try to celebrate each with my wardrobe choices (which do - much to my chagrin as incredibly shy person - draw attention often, but fortunately it's usually positive) all the more because of that fact.

      Though I don't include it in my photo shoots (I'm not embarrassed at all - it's just easier and more figure flattering not too shot snaps when I'm sitting down), I sometimes need to use my wheelchair when I'm out, and that tends to generate a lot of eyeballs on you (vintage + wheelchair turns peoples' heads big time). I know it's absolutely not the same thing as what you've experienced, but I do know what it's like to have people gawk at you when you're out.

      Thank you again very much for the lovely compliments,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I didn't know about this added difficulty you face, Jessica. I'm sorry to hear that. You have my respect and admiration.

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    3. Thank you deeply, Ally. I like to keep the focus on vintage most of the time - as well as the mood chipper and positive - so I don't delve into such topics here very often. This blog is my sanctuary, so to speak, from all those far-from-enjoyable daily medical battles.

      ♥ Jessica

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  4. I always love your pictures so much, your husband is so talented. I need to send my hubby for photography lessons as he hates taking them. I often use a tripod and remote to take outfit photos!
    It's lovely that you can share your love of vintage and his passion for photography, it's a lovely thing to work on together.
    You never fail to inspire me Jessica. xxx

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    1. Thank you deeply, dear Catherine, that is a tremendously lovely thing to be told.

      Perhaps if he took some classes, your husband's stance on photography would change a bit. Sometimes all it takes is the right teacher or seeing your skills advance to suddenly do a 180 on how you feel about something.

      Your photos always look really nice (as do your great videos), so the tripod and remote are definitely working well for you.

      Many heartfelt thanks again,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Great tips thank you! I'm rather jealous that you and Harlow have boys so available to be your photographers; half the time my man is at work or away so I have to take my picks with the camera on self timer stuck in a tree!

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  6. tony´s photos are always a pleasure to see - can i send my hubby to him too?
    he loves to photograph - but he needs some technically advice how to do in the special case of "outfit pictures".
    but we work on it :-)

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  7. Hi Jessica - you've written a really long post here and I appreciate your patience and attention to all the detail. You and your husband obviously work well together and I admire you for your courage to do things you love doing notwithstanding physical difficulties and him for his support in helping you with your blog. Certainly I myself am inspire by you. Keep up the good work.

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  8. Tony does an amazing job! I love to look at the photos on your blog. ♥

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  9. I agree big time with Harlow! You two are an amazing team and there are very, very few people I will take a picture for. I always feel so awkward and am possible the worst model ever. However, my sister and my aunt are terrific with a camera and I go to them quite a bit. Now after getting my new love, my windows nokia, I am always snapping pics. It has amazing technology in that little phone. And I love the flash. Wonderful!

    We have a Nikon L810 I believe. Ours died and thankfully had it under warranty, so when we got the money back used it towards our new camera, plus warranty!! We got it off of ebay and it was a display model so it was labled used, however this camera was outstanding! I love every picture it takes and the video quality is wonderful.

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    1. *Blush* Thank you very much, my dear friend! It's wonderful that you have close family members who are great with a camera, too. I truly feel for those who don't have a friend, family member, roommate, BF/GF/spouse, coworker, or other person in their life who can help take photos of them sometimes. There should be groups set up in every town for bloggers where people can meet at set times and take snaps of each other just for this very purpose.

      Technology really is growing in leaps and bounds, I agree, and camera phones are keeping pace excellently. I'm so impressed with what our iPhones can do and am delighted to hear that you love your Nokia's camera capabilities, too.

      Many thanks again & oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. As I said recently, I think Tony always takes excellent photographs, and you are clearly a good team.

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  11. Wonderful post!!! :D I am sure that this will help many people! :D
    Happy almost Hallowe'en, dear friend! :)

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  12. You've no idea how your lovely pics raise my spirits when I'm having a rotten day (and I've had a few lately) you inspire me to be bold and try new combos. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in finding your blog a real escape sometimes xx

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    1. What a tremendously nice, uplifting comment - there are few things more touching than being told you've helped inspire instill a greater degree of confidence in someone. Thank you so very much - it's wonderful to have you as a reader.

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Ohhh I am so delighted to learn about your photo taking process! I am in awe of the kind words you have said to me, it means so much coming from someone with such an amazing blog - I look up to you in SO many ways. You have been my blogging inspiration for a long time :)

    Both you and Tony are so extremely dedicated and this is why your photos are always a magazine editorial level of amazing. I also really love that you edit your photos minimally - I really loathe it when photos look overdone, it really takes away from the image.

    My photo taking process with my partner is in some ways similar to what you and Tony do. Sometimes when we are running errands I will have a place and an outfit in mind and we will bring the camera so that we can take photos before or after. If there is a location that I think is really perfect for a certain outfit we might go there solely for the purpose of outfit photos. Because I live in Australia, finding the right time of day to take photos is immensely tricky! Our sun in Australia is SO strong - which is not good for photos. When I was in Russia earlier this year I found I was able to take photos at any time of the day and they would turn out nicely, but in Australia we have to take our pictures around 6am - 8am before the sun is too harsh. However this is a personal aesthetic choice - I am Howard Hughes level of neurotic when it comes to lighting which is the result of studying film at university the last four years :P

    I would LOVE to invest in a much better camera than my NikonD5000, but my partner will not side with me on this one haha...

    Jessica thank you so much for dedicating a whole post to your photo taking process! I love reading and learning about how other bloggers take their photos so it has really made my morning reading about how you do it :) I look forward to seeing how you go with taking interior photos when you get all of the lighting equipment you need!

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    1. Hi Harlow dearest, thank you from the bottom of my heart in turn for your absolutely lovely, touching, and thoroughly smile-of-happiness inducing comment. You're so very welcome! I was (just as Tony was, too), and will always be, touched that you asked to know more about this subject.

      So much so in fact, that later on down the road, once we've got more experience shooting with such things under our belt, we're going to do a second post on the subject, this time pertaining to topics like shooting with flash and shooting indoors (two things that often go hand-in-hand!), so you'll get to hear even more from us on the photography front. :)

      I am humbled and so very moved that you think our photos are of such a high caliber. We're constantly learning, trying new things and striving to be better, which is an important part of the photography - and blogging - process, so I hope that as time goes on, we'll get better still. There's always something new and wonderful to discover and try out, and that's one of the things that draws us both to photography.

      I completely understand! We live in an arid (by Canadian standards) desert-like region of the province which is so famous for its (spring and summertime) sun, that tourism, fruit growing and wine production (with locally grown grapes) are our area's biggest industries. The sun can get really harsh here, too, especially in July and August, though I'm sure that what the Australian sun doles out it is more extreme. I love that you're so passionate about finding the right light for your images. It shows and is such an endearingly beautiful element of your fantastic photos. Many is the time that we've waited as well for "the right light" (or as close as possible). It really can make a world of difference in the quality of images that you produce.

      Really and entirely, thank you again so much. You are inspiration to me as well, and as lovely and wonderful a person as any one could ever hope to count as an online friend and fellow lover of photography (and great light!).

      Countless hugs,
      ♥ Jessica


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  14. well the effort sure shows and Tony is very talented. My husband, sweet as he is, is really not into taking pictures and he does it just to please me but getting him into lighitng and backdrops will never happen We also take all of them with our phones, I desperately need a new camera.

    kate

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Kate (from both of us). It's great that your husband is happy to take photos for you because he knows how much it means to you. Your photos are always enjoyable and do a great job of capturing your wonderful vintage outfits. Cell phone cameras have come such a long way these days. I'd have no problem only using our iPhone cameras, if such was the case.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I adore Harlow and she has such great photos, too! Your photographs are always so very lovely, and what a wonderful thing to have your hubby be so skilled (and willing to take photos)! I really need to learn a lot more about photography. Most of what I've done is trial and error, and I really want a DSLR at some point in the near future. I've also always taken my own photos (and I need a new tripod!), but I'm also wondering having a remote would be to my advantage, since my photos end up having quite a lot of blur. Yours are always so crystal clear!! Thank you for posting this. :)

    xox Sammi
    www.thesoubrettebrunette.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you very much much for your wonderfully lovely comment and compliments, sweet Sammi. I completely adore the photos you share on your blog, too. You have a great eye for finding and utilizing beautiful light, which is something that always endears me to photos. I really hope you're able to get a DSLR, they're absolutely the bee's knees and then some! :) Please don't hesitate to ask me (or resident expert on the technical side of photography, Tony) anytime if you have any DSLR questions or just want to chat about photography. :)

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica


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  16. Oh what an interesting post! I love your beautiful photographs! I adore the top left photo were you are wearing the pale blue sweater. You look gorgeous! I just realised you don't have your glasses on in that photo - this really caught my eye. :)

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    1. Thank you very much, honey - and great eye! It's very rare for me to pose with out my glasses (I'm quite nearsighted and tend to squint constantly even in really gentle light without them because my eyes are trying desperately to focus), but it does happen every once in a blue moon (the last time was my post earlier this year about a visit to Knox Mountain in Kelowna). It almost seems strange to see my own face with out glasses in photos now after six (nearly seven) years of wearing them. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  17. This was really great to read! I find it interesting how other bloggers figure out how to take pictures of their own outfits. (It's so tricky to take one's own detail pictures, and some sort of system has to be figured out!) I especially appreciate your minimal editing. I strive for that myself, and it's a very confident, authentic thing for you to do!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Emileigh. It really can be a tricky situation to navigate - I'd be self timing it with a remote for sure (at least most of the time) if I wasn't blessed to have Tony (not, of course, that there's a thing in the world wrong with that approach, I just mean that he's the only person I have who can help take photos). I love that you're passionate about minimal editing, too. That's really admirable of you, and also something that I wish fashion world as a whole would take a lesson from.

      Many thanks again & have an awesome Wednesday,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. What a fun 'behind the curtains' post! I have to admit, I love reading about you and Tony - maybe it's the romantic in me - as it adds a whole new dimension to Chronically Vintage. :)

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  19. I take my photos alone. I have employed Nick a few times to take photos, but he doesn't have the patience or interest, unfortunately. And I don't fault him for that. So I bought a tripod
    I am always learning how to take better selfies for the blog with my tripod and camera. I learn something new every time I turn it on.

    Lisa.

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  20. It was nice of you to tell about your shooting process. I find you are a so beautiful young lady with a huge personality and in my opinion you are perfect just like you are! No need of photoshop!!

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  21. Such a great 'behind-the-scenes' post Jessica. I've constantly been an admirer of your and Tony's photos so it's wonderful to hear the process behind it.

    I don't take many outfit posts but when I do I use a remote and tripod. I'm also not quite brave enough to go out in public and do it, which is yet another thing I greatly admire you for.

    xo

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  22. You two are a great inspiration. I always delight in seeing such wonderfully taken photographs. But, Tony does have an excellent subject! Thank you for taking us behind the scenes:)

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  23. So interesting to read all about your photographs. As I have said before Tony takes some fantastic ones, I like the mixture you use of detailed close ups and whole outfit shots. It seems like a great, fun thing that you can share together when you are out and about.

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  24. You use a wheelchair. Ohh, dear, it made me so sad to read. I have said it so many times before, I love your photos. They are always lovely and very inspiring. Do tell Tony this too,he deserves to know. Happy Halloween, dear.

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  25. Your photographs are such a lovely part of your blog - they enhance the words you write perfectly. I think it's wonderful that you can work on this as a couple.

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  26. This was, besides being incredibly helpful, an extremely loving and sweet post.
    Tony is an amazing photographer! And you look gorgeous in each and every shot. :) It reminded me of Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis. How she said she felt so beautiful in that movie, because Vincent Minelli was in love with her; and each shot of her was absolutely lovely.
    Thank you very much for sharing!
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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    1. Thank you very much for your beautiful comment, darling gal. I love that you relayed that story about Judy and Vincent, I'd not heard it before, and now have yet another reason to adore Meet Me in St. Louis (it, along with Grease and Sound of Music, are my three favourite vintage music films).

      ♥ Jessica

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