Sew Trendy Retreat | The Journey
Friday morning at the Sew Trendy™ Retreat came with sleepy yawns and mumbles for coffee from both photographers and staff. The day before had been flooded with events, from an opening photo-session to career-beneficial classes. The Sew Trendy™ staff was running on a precarious amount of sleep, and photographers had filled their minds with new techniques; but, the upcoming theme for the morning session caused a murmur of excitement to build within the group.
It wasn’t long before the awakening effects of caffeine were forgotten, and replaced by pre-event fever. This creative crowd packed up their gear, hopped in the van, and headed to the historical McPolin Farmstead in Park City, Utah.
Fields stretched over the ground, curving over the mountain hills. The grass looked like a soft green lake, extending to tree lines that ombred into darkened wilderness. The McPolin farm’s white walls lifted from the ground to conceal the sky behind it. The massive structure stood rigid and proud as it sheltered a long history. The Children’s Literature theme of the photo-shoot fit the atmosphere of old tales, struggles, and happy endings.
This beautiful pioneer house would be the backdrop for a sunrise session. The chilly night air hadn’t dissipated yet, but the old massive wheat cylinders blocked some of the early a.m. breeze.
The photographers switched up teams as the sun peaked over the mountain edges, and studied their first sets of the rotation. Just as the golden light poured over the grass, and against the house, the first clicks of cameras rang into the air, and the photographers got to work.
The first set was Little House on the Prairie. The modernized style was portrayed in the lace sleeves of the Marie gown, while the stunning model, Sirenya Henderson, dallied with the billowing evergreen dress. The theme was perfect for the location, while still maintaining the trendy look of today.
The photographers had become pros at sharing 10-minutes at each station, and it showed prominently at the next set. The Anne of Green Gables is a sister-set to the Little House theme, and often combined to create a new story written in images instead of words. The champagne Marina gown glowed against the landscape beneath the draping fabric, while a beguiling depth emitted from Katie Perez’ dark and alluring features. Fields of wheat waved under the shining light, creating a dazzling backdrop to the extended-length gown.
As the lighting changed, sets were moved around the farm, and the group was re-invigorated with every change, though some differences affected more than others. Each photographer was highly experienced in their careers; however, some prodding was needed to remind them of their brilliance. Shyness towards aggressive directing had begun to sprout; not unexpected as new elements in the arsenal of their skills were being tried. For instance, maternity photographers have a learning curve to traverse when it comes to guiding non-maternity models. The range of motion is different enough to need adjustment, and the dresses will sway in a way that the artist might not expect. The retreat had the hurtle covered, and time was provided for coaching that presented new ways to build confidence during high-pressure events.
These two maternity sets were created with a Boho-style in mind, and caused inspiration amongst the photographers. The click-happy reactions of the group presented these scenes as favorites. Lindsay Alviani, showcased the Deja gown in a deep brick color. The lace skirt spilled behind her in a hi-low style, while she embodied the flirty detail of the off-the-shoulder flounce top. Lindsay presented the alluring look with confidence, and radiated natural beauty no matter where she posed on the property.
The partner Boho-theme presented an opposing color scheme, but with an equally dazzling effect. Carly Larsen, donned the Edith gown. The camel color softened the scenery around her, while the horizontal details of the draping skirt was almost overwhelming in its beauty. Carly moved in the dress with a femininity that reminded of the miracle of pregnancy. She was glowing in the Boho-look, and lit the creative minds into a fierce blaze of ingenuity. When both models wore the dresses within the tall wheat fields as the rising sun highlighted each grain, onlookers lost their breaths. The magnificent gowns perfectly complimented the environment, and offered a picture we were unlikely to forget.
This sessions also had an impromptu class focused on the transitions of movement for the models. Sew Trendy™ coached them on how to make their poses into a form of dance. This provided photographers with many more usable frames, and brilliant moments ready for print.
The Pride and Prejudice set was a display of womanly strength, just as it should be given the heroine of the novel. Briana Hulme’s red hair was a siren against the show-stopping gown. The gorgeous champagne Wendy gown was carefully matched with a shining sage Jane robe, and brought the classic character into existence before our eyes. This movie-ready look owned the show.
Speaking of another favorite novel being mastered into reality, the Charlotte’s Web set featured child model Journey Kay, and our favorite storybook animal. That’s right, Sew Trendy™ brought in a pig specifically for this beloved tale. Charlotte the spider wouldn’t have played as well for the arachnophobes out there; so smart choice, and props to the props. Journey embodied the sweet character, while she presented the Quincy gown in ivory, and ruffled beauty. Her light and fun demeanor paralleled the dress’ style. The empire waist Quincy created a sweet and simple style, and resurrected our memories of story time at playschool.
Maybe, it was the hard work of the staff to bring this together, or it could have been from being surrounded by such talented individuals; but, the pride that emitted from each attendee was exemplified in one quote:
“This event was organized to give the best experience to photographers, and take them out of their comfort zone. Watching them take their talents to a higher potential has been inspiring. I knew I would have moments of being impressed, but I never expected to connect to each one of their personalities as much as I have. These are the people I love to work with; their passion is motivating.” -Valerie Best | Owner of Sew Trendy™
The morning closed with editing, some grub to reboot energy, a few quick naps, and a vibrating readiness amongst the crowd, because a grand finale photo session was coming that evening, and if the previous sessions were an indication of what to expect…
The evening session was going to be incredible.
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The Sew Trendy Retreat Photo Contest is has started!
Like your favorite photos to give that photographer a better chance of winning the Overall category prize.
If you see the photo has been nominated for a "Best Of Award" (you will see this in the photo description) - comment NOMINATE to give that photo your vote!
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A special thank you to our amazingly talented hair and makeup team, be sure to take check out their work!
Tierra's Beauty Bar | Lexi Harker Beauty | Elite Makeup & Hair by Crystal | Hair by Jenny | S. Lauren Beauty Co. | Katie Adair Makeup
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Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page for our NEW Feature Friday event!
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