dancin' in the street!

This weeks challenge, is inspired straight from the pages of Vogue, and our good friend, Twiggy!






I read an article once about how the fashion industry has gotten really serious, and how back in the 60’s it was more free and fun and experimental. I completely agree! I think the atmosphere around shoots and style lacks that playful attitude it used to. So, this week I’m asking you to grab a few friends and have a photoshoot!




When I’m out with my friends, in town, or waiting for a film to start- we sometimes find a cool wall and just take pictures. It’s one of my favourite things about going out now- because I know they are all up for it. But it wasn’t always that way, and I still have friends who don’t like their picture taken, but here’s some tips on getting comfortable.

-Find a spot that isn’t on a busy road. A lot of people don’t like to be looked at when they are being silly.
-Pass the camera around. Don’t hog it! I’m sure your friends want to play photographer too. It will only take a few seconds to show them which is the shutter button, and you might be surprized at how creative they can be! (if you have an SLR, set it to auto-focus and I use Av setting, on the lowest number aperture, like 3.5 (this will tell the camera to always use that aperture but change the shutter automatically) so that it doesn’t flash, but auto works well if it’s a little dark.) The people that know me, all know my trusty sidekick, Myles (Canon EOS 400D) and he has sometimes become more popular than me! I have people at gigs and parties and sometimes just at school asking if they can play with Myles. It’s cute, I like it.
-And tell them to get trigger happy! The more photos you have, the better chance of getting one you’ll all love!
-Volunteer to go first. Get yourself in front of the camera first, and do really silly things. Pull a stupid face or jump around. It will get you all giggling and lighten the mood, plus get everyone comfortable with being goofy. This is also a great way to get some photos of yourself, in a way you might not expect. I’ve been pleasantly surprized on numerous occasions.
-Drag someone into the frame with you. Interact and go over-the-top with your poses!
-Turn the camera on someone next to you. If you have more than one camera, getting the candid shots of someone laughing are always good.
-GET CLOSE! Full body poses are great, but getting up-close and personal is bound to be funny too. Snarl, bite your lip or look confused, fill that frame with your funny face!
-Show them the images afterwards. Laugh at them all and tell them how beautiful they look. (because you know they do!)

On choosing locations;
- the less busy it is, the more your subject will stand out. A simple painted door or brick wall are classic favourites. Here are some examples, so you know what i mean;




but when I’ve been pressed for time I’ve shot in front of a metal grate of a closed shop window, or even out in the street.

if you want to see some more examples, click here.

On Hair and Make-up;
- don’t worry about it! The most important thing is the expressions and the relationship you have with your friends. Although, if you plan ahead you could get some cute matching outfits going on!

Looking through my photographs of these types of days, I seem to always make the same faces and poses, but I’ve recently found that old clothes patterns have hilarious poses on them, and I’d quite like to try some of these.




SO- we want to see your best shots! And we don’t mind if you just want to upload pictures or if you want to scrap some or all of them! Have fun with it, and remember to be a little bit stupid in front of the camera!

And now, for our very first ever super spectacular Guest Designer reveal. You may have heard of her...

Ms. Kara Haupt!

Yeah, we know. We really like to start things off with a bang! (And yes, she is our Twiggy muse! Isn't this photo absolutely beautiful?)

Kara is the mastermind behind The Art is Found. Her innovative style has made her a stand-out in the ever evolving world of scrapbooking. And her amazing photography is equally inspiring! What can we say - we just love this girl.

So here she is!

"When Kim first asked me to GD, I was totally thrilled. Work Your Soul is pretty much the coolest concept out there and I love this little blog! I was even more thrilled when she introduced the idea of Twiggy being our inspiration. I had such an awesome time researching Twiggy's fabulousness and was inspired to do a fun little Twiggy self portrait shoot. Taking the "wall pictures" was amazing. I grabbed my bestie, Stephanie, and we totally dorked it up in front of the tripod. Have fun with this prompt! And go crazy! Happy Weekend!!"



And now for Kim's ultra hip photo lovelies. (Note her exceptional ability to capture the little conversations and laughter and goofiness... the girl has skills.)





i finally got around to editing a bunch of great shoots i did with some friends while i was in america.



but i'm soo inspired by what jen did, i might just have to go scrapbook a whole stack of these now!

seriously folks! now THIS is how it's done;





Jen took some AMAZING photos using all sorts of nifty poses&props! i am so jealous of these photos- seriously!

& the winner of our postcard challenge is JOYCE!

you did a great job! we love it! congrats! if you e-mail jen (jgeigley[at]gmail[dot].com) then she'll send your prize out!