Holiday relaxation!! jk

Heyyyyyyy dolls. My finals are over and it's officially Christmas break for this girl!! I'm looking forward to these next couple weeks off, (WHO AM I KIDDING) I never have a day off let alone a couple weeks... but a couple weeks to work, plan, retouch, regroup, from home, my cozy, wood stove heated home :) :) :) Yesterday & today I sent off/delivered the final images from the past three shoots & wedding from the past few weeks that I've been working on.

So, between sending off & preparation for the next ones, I officially have ONE day with nothing photo related going on. ---ME DAY. Looking forward to seeing my favourite hair dresser tomorrow!!!! Hahah photos are making my blonde hair suffer.. badly.

A couple weeks ago I got an email from a student from Ohio University asking if I could make some time to answer a few interview questions, that she was writing her journalism paper on me! I thought that was super cool to know someone miles away was keeping up with my work and life and found it interesting enough to write about! I answered some great questions she had asked, and last week she sent me the final copy for me to read. Reading someone else's words about me and my life is so eye opening, seeing myself through someone else's eyes is pretty awesome and scary.

Another thing I was working on was a final project for my Photoshop class. I used a program at school to record my computer screen while I retouched and made extreme alterations to one of my images to create a conceptual photo called "Trapped" 

Thanks to Alyssa agreeing on the spot "Hey Alyssa, you home? you busy? No? Ok I'm on my way, I have an idea for a photo I'll pick you up in 5" ---then for hanging in there on a freezing cold day at the beach, in a dress.. Fully trusting that I knew what I was doing when asking her to pose as if she was trapped in a non existent cage. Haha

 I have the best friends 

a few shots that have or haven't made it to my instagram feed

Marianne & Bobby searching for sea glass

All these are taken with my little white iPhone - follow me in insta instaaaa for my daily, sometimes weird, street shots, words, behind the scenes, my lunch, my life on the go.

 @alliebeckwith

Expect excessive posts due to holiday excitement 

Sneak into my mind

Seemed so ironic that the words spoken were "You still know me." Because all I could consider was the opposite.

The easiest & hardest thing I do
The first and only thought that comes to mind when I put pen to paper.
Layers of sadness I am inspired to explore 
Untouched, undiscovered territory. 
A light that burnt out, but you still see it for a split second. stinging
After the storm has passed,
Turning over stones to find secrets in the creases. 
Without letting go because the twisted corners of my mind like it there. 
A getaway from happiness.
It left me, passion.. That I can only visit when I’m lonely.
The blurred spot in the distance, 
Squint carefully to see it. 
Unable to quite make out what it is.
But it’s there.
A figure
I can compare it to the outskirts of town, 
on the other side of the hill..
Easily looked over by the sun
Left again in the darkness,
Maybe tomorrow. 

New York City -take 1

In NYC I had the pleasure of working with Andrea @ MUSE Models NYC

Of course nothing I do comes gracefully. A big thanks goes to Kayley & my mother for baring with me when I decided I wanted to shoot on the Staten Island Ferry, it required us to go across for testing of the location, being squished up against 100 people on the lookout, pacing up and all around the boat trying to scope some good spots, running through the terminal with 2 minutes to get to the next ferry to return so we weren't late for the shooting. Hahah all in 20 mins. Luckily our second time around, everything went smoothly. Always easier the second time around eh.


While I was in New York I came to a concrete conclusion. Though I always believed that if you work hard enough for something, you'll get it. In New York City "The city of dreams" one might think that that is so far out of reach that it really is "just a dream" I like to go against the odds, and be the exception, whenever I can. So I did what I do best and took a chance. The chance of going to New York, emailing anyone I could, meeting up with everyone I knew there, and enjoying every single second of it, setting up photo shoots, assisting on photo shoots, shooting. Taking it in. Realizing, this isn't impossible? It's totally possible. If I work hard enough. But it sure won't be given to me. I used to think "Someday, someone's just going to see my stuff and say HEY we want you to move to this city and work for us, you're that flippin awesome" ha..haa... doesn't happen. I opened my eyes pretty quick and realized I was dumb for even considering that happens to the hardworking people I admire.  You gotta work your butt off and make your own opportunities, they don't get served to your door.  I won't even lie that the thought of even tryyyyyyying to set something up in New York didn't scare me, ...it scared the shit out of me! But the only thing I could think of is if it didn't scare me, then its too comfortable. Fear is a good thing, if it doesn't scare you it's not big enough. I think too many of us are too settled in where we are, and only aiming for things that we can see in the distance, instead of taking a shot further than we can see in the horizon.





Model: Andrea @ MUSE Models NYC
Styling & Assisting: Kayley Reed
Moral support & keeping me sane: My mother, Barb.

Cliché NYC Street photographs

So New York was nothing short of amazing, obviously. Needless to say after leaving, I am already trying to plan my next trip back. These are some shots I took while being all touristy. During the weekend there was 0 down time. Actually no, we had about a half hour in Central Park that we considered "down time" haha! While being there I had a test shoot with a Czech model, (At a location where Annie Leibovtiz shot Lady GaGa for Vanity Fair) Okaaaay!!! --  assisted on a fashion shoot for a website that's launching later this month, and did another shoot for a good friend & NYC fashion blogger Bridget Helene. Those two shoots will be up in the next little while, until then enjoy some of these street shots! xx 

Morell Park

Here's an editorial style shoot shot in Fredericton, NB. Using a 2 light setup, one light and one beauty dish.



Model: Lexie Hawks
Styling: Reuben Stewart

Into the deep end

Soo these past few weeks back to school have been intense. With seven, three hour classes a week, working and homework, needless to say I'm a busy girl. I thought that returning to school would put a slight stain on my inspiration and need for making art due to the high life I lived this past summer.. But it's been almost the opposite. It's much more challenging working with what's offered here in the Maritimes, but it can be done with a lot of work. I read a quote last week that stuck, it said "The struggle is part of the story"  --Awesome. I believe it too, nothing worth having comes easy. I think a lot of it is testing who will make it and who won't, by breaking through the barriers we're faced with. A lot will tap out and the strong ones will continue. Maybe, maybe not. Whoooooo knows, work hard, play hard, go with the flow and enjoy every second of it.


Being a happy person, it's weird to find myself being inspired by sadness. I don't even know where it comes from. I'm not sad? But I guess there's comfort in thinking of the past and the way things used to be, with still no intention in going back there. I'm finding it's being subconsciously influenced through my images & writing lately, and I don't hate it.

Here's a new series for you to be totally creeped out by, my twisted mind goes into weird corners sometimes.


x

 Model: Katie
(my roommates think I'm crazy, sorry if you had to pee & the studio setup in the bathroom xoxoxo)

Down by the Bay

I'm so so so excited about this new series. I think some of my best work comes from spur of the moment creative shoots. This was taken on Labour Day weekend in Oak Bay, New Brunswick at our family cottage. It's such a beautiful place, probably tied for my favourite place in this entire world. It's been in our family for 30 years and I have so many memories here I can't even explain, I am in love with this place. Something about salt water and that ocean air, puts me at ease. Being away from the east coast and the ocean all summer was harder than I ever thought it would be! I just love the sea. So I think it's pretty cool that I can do more than go swimming, catch crabs, walk along the beach, here; I can use this flawless location for photos!

This shoot has been one of the dirtier shoots I've done. My family is so supportive and creative, they were in the mud and crawling through sea weed to help me do all of this, suggesting ideas, making things happen, while laughing endlessly of course! Luckily, after lots of convincing and putting sea weed on my own head, I convinced my gorgeous cousins Maria and Hannah to do the same, and chill in freezing cold water while I got the shots I needed. You guys rock.

Some funny behind the scenes shots are at the end, thanks Marianne !!!

xx

Behind the Scenes

Mr. & Mrs. Dumont

In August I had the pleasure of flying home to shoot a gorgeous summer wedding in Rothesay, New Brunswick. The weather was perfect, the location was perfect, the PEOPLE were perfect, everything was pink! (PERFECT) I love love loved shooting this day. It was so hard for me to choose select images to put up here because they were all so happy I could have showed them all. Chrissy was such a beautiful bride and glowing the entire time, the reaction from everyone when they seen her the first time was amazing and her parents & friends are absolutely hilarious! Also I'll be stealing a few of her decor ideas for my big day, so cute!!

I love shooting weddings more each time I do one, so I think I will be taking bookings for 2014 if you know anyone who's started planning! Spread the word!!

xoxxx

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