Sneak Peek on the Petal Shoot

You swooned when you saw this face, didn't you?
It's ok. 
You TOE-TELLY swooned!

I saw you.

Full post coming up!

keywords:  inspiration, inspired by manuel l. librodo, manny librodo, hmua, hilde marie johnansen, donna devlin, samatha roth, sami roth, linifotto, lj masty, petals, technocolor, styled shoot, styling, stylist, blog, blogger, stuart blog, stuart blogs, stuart florida blogs, stuart florida blog, stuart blogger, stuart florida blogger, treasure coast blog, treasure coast blogger, martin county blog, florida models, model mayhem, marin county, florida, stuart, florida, stuart, treasure coast, florida, portraiture, cool shoot, muse, be the muse, pretty muse, makeup, colorful shoot, beauty, how to model, how to style, linifotto photography, kiss & makeup, donna devlin hair and makeup.


  

I'm the thing that warps time long enough...

It was 1970, I had been sitting on the bottom shelf of the magazine section in the dime store for at least an hour. Thankfully they hadn't asked me to leave. They never did. I was 13 and showed up every Friday after school with my allowance and did the same thing. Bought a chick magazine. I stood up switched magazines and curled up again on the bottom shelf to get transported into Vogue's version of never-never land. Dreamy. Yes, and it took a lot of time valuing the pages to finally decide which magazine should be brought home and later completely disected.

All that prettiness and shine and glossy hair and sleekness was going to manifest itself in me. Somehow.  My teenage flat-chested body was convinced I'd learn how to get my boobs to grow and my feet to stop. Heck, I was running out of time and very worried my body had things backwards. At 13 this was just about the most important thing in my life. At least until I thought about the store owner's son coming down the isle.

(Ha, no I didn't photograph Anna Nicole Smith for this Guess ad, but it WAS memorable, and unfortunately I don't know who did). 

It's complicated and I can't remember whether I was hopelessly attracted or revolted. but I do remember, clearly, the crackle from his arm brushing across the top of my head as he walked too close down my isle. My hair had been singed, it was electric. I was certain of it. He may have been flirting but I was mortified. Or maybe it was livid. Exact feelings were too difficult to decipher at that age. But, what had just happened?  Could he see the girl I was caught deep inside my own head?  I felt vulnerable and transparent and self-conscious. Surely he saw the desperation I felt studying the models in the pictures. I was so busy wanting to be the pretty girl who was flirting with the boy on the glossy pages that I didn't notice I already was.  And...

The proof was still tingling on my head.

Yet, like any proper teenager I was horrified especially after I quickly looked away and then down.  And there it was.  Neatly aligned.  My unbreastesses and then my feet right below them. I needed to go home immediately and look in the mirror quick to see if I could see what he saw, surely he didn't notice my, well, feet? 

(This is Morgan, adorable, young and full of laughter.) 

Funny how often this pattern of wanting what I already had would be repeated through my life and how often I couldn't see it.  Looking back at how often I missed myself trying to catch up to who I wanted to be and who I was and then later find out that it already happened and I missed the fullness of the moment. How many women miss the fullness of their moment?

Today, I can show a woman her beauty by photographing her.  Later, when she's stammering amazed at herself. Proud. The promise in her heart, that she is beautiful. Her visible confusion whether it's ok to be giddy loving herself or be ashamed is all the confirmation I need. That's when I'm content. I'm the thing that warps time long enough to let the girl catch up with herself. I let her look back over time and reveal the amazing beauty she has right NOW. I distract her long enough during the shoot to let her magical self emerge and then capture her.

Once those photos are taken home and studied she senses the preciousness and rapidly changing life she lives. She knows instinctively that no matter what tomorrow brings she relished today and has proof of it. Promises are made to be more self-aware and in her moment.


P.S.  Yes, my feet stopped growing.  And that other thing?  Yeah, that happened, they grew. The boy? I don't recall but I bet I wasn't the only fire he set.

20 days and now look

This little blog grew. Quickly!  Thanks!!

In 3 weeks this blog went from being a private project with just a few hits to over 650 hits.

Surprisingly enough people from 11 countries have visited. (cough cough...makes me a tad nervous, I liked it when I just wrote posts and didn't think anybody was reading it.)  Here you'll find photography.  Lots and lots of pictures. Mostly photos of people. I consider it photography that makes women (of all ages) look super fabulous.  It's also about Stuart, Florida.

This model is Kay.  She's incredible and incredibly 50.

The look and feel for this shoot was a fashiony portrait session. Energy and vitality.

This was at the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island off Stuart, Florida. Its a favorite spot for professional photographers.

Happy Labor Day Weekend.

Keywords:  Kay, kay morgan, stuart, stuart florida, martin county, treasure coast, jensen beach, photography, portraiture, new style of photography, barter, small local business, stuart blogger, blogger in stuart, photographer blogger, beauty blogger, being over 50, linifotto, beauty & the beach photography, 

This little piggy went back to MojiToes

I'm feeling extra special tonight. Why?  Well I couldn't resist going back to Mojitoes Nail Bar to get one of those bejeweled pedicures, and another one of their signature drinks.   See my review of the MojiToes Nail Bar.

After a delightful visit with owner, Bekah and her crew, April and friends, I walked out of there this afternoon with a sashay and a total fixation on my feet. You have no idea what a safety hazzard a new pedicure can be.  I mean really! I stepped outside and all that razzle dazzle with the sun hitting my toe-bling while trying to step off the curb to cross the street in downtown Stuart was, well memorable.

When I came home I didn't raise my head until I got all the way into the bedroom hunting down my husband, who immediately looked at the ground worried. I said, 'Get the camera.'  And, good husband that he is complied and marveled at my toes with the just the right amount of enthusiasm. Of course I know my feet aren't entirely adorable. They are quite old, and chubby, but damn they hadn't looked this interesting in, well, a long time. 

I just love candids, so he managed to capture these.  :P

Fast forward an hour or two and OTLTA, (one thing led to another *) I'm compelled, despite my better judgement, to blog about the whole damn thing. I've said damn four times already. WTF?  Ok, five. Well, we'll just see how long this lasts before I yank it down.

I think I'll mosey over to the pool, maybe my toes will hail a jetliner while I'm floating. I hear you can get fined for that... did I mention I'm blogging everyday this weekend? <cough>

Links:

• Don't forget to check the Martin County link always at the top of my blog. This has a live cam shot of our beach:  http://www.evsmartin.com/lat001.jpg
• My Facebook links:  http://www.facebook.com/lj.masty
• Linifotto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linifotto/150738844987356
• MojiToes Nail Bar, Stuart, Florida  http://www.mojitoes.com/
• Blog review of Mojitoes Nail Bar http://beautyandthebeachphotography.blogspot.com/2011/08/mojitoes-nail-bar.html
•  http://www.internetslang.com/For all the other acronyms you didn't know you needed to know.  

Keywords:  stuart, florida, stuart florida, martin county, florida, treasure coast, jensen beach, hutchinson island, stuart beach, bathtub beach, photography, local blogger stuart, local photographer blogger, mojitoes nail bar, pretty muse, pedicure, beauty, beauty at 55, something new, cool new photography, cool new blog, stuart blogger, stuart blog, niche blog

The Pink Bow Post - Sami

(Note: all images are the sole property of linifotto and may not be used without my permission. Thank you!  (c) 2011 August.)

If these pictures don't make you swoon, nothing will. There is definitely something about Sami and this  bow that is unforgettable.

Objective of this shoot:  Create a branding image for Linifotto, something unforgettable and clean.

(Piece of cake.)

Several months ago we shot Sami in her wedding gown. Afterwards we commented that nothing could top them. I was wrong.... See prior post.

But these sure do.

Sami is a wonderful model, she has a face that conjures stories never told, she can lower her eyes and suddenly you imagine events that led her to hold such emotion in her face. These expressions often take on a life of their own and suddenly we're acting out a vignette so subliminally told we don't even acknowledge it.

Now that I'm thinking about it --- it happens more than I realized. I never thought about this at length, which is another good reason to blog. It forces me to articulate stuff that escape conscious thought. I think many models actually do this, and that's an important ingredient to a good model. I'm not sure what comes first. The model intentionally 'acts' creating the mental imagery or if the results of a shoot make them realize they can do this. Or does the photographer actually drive this?  Hmmm, I guess I'm inspired to go in a certain direction based on the results.

Course Sami doesn't need a bow to be memorable.

Now, here is a very special slideshow - this is probably my favorite.

Credits:
Photography:  Pretty Muse Photography - Stuart, Florida
Model:  Samantha Roth
MUA & Styling: Linifotto & Samantha Roth
Music:  This is for Lovers by Pete Doherty and Wolfman

Facebook links:
Samantha Roth http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1012745442
LJ Masty - http://www.facebook.com/lj.masty
Beauty & the Beach Photography  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beauty-the-Beach-Photography/121368791256478
Linifotto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linifotto/150738844987356


Keywords: Pink bow, cute video, new style, portraiture, linifotto, samantha roth, martin county, stuart, florida, glamour pictures, fun portraiture, different portraiture, BH Cosmetics, styling, MUA ideas, Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach, natural light photography, modeling, looks, kiss & makeup, hilde marie johansen.

A pink bow...well placed.

I love the feeling of a good shoot. And, today's shoot with Sami was amazing. So amazing I just HAD to get a couple pictures up and posted right away.  Sami, you looked so incredible today! Holy Cow!

I love that you are such a good sport, willing to try any experiments I dream up. Thank you for helping me finalize another Linifotto ORIGINAL look! I think this look should be my logo. That's how much I love it.

It was 100% clear that this look would stop traffic, charm bumble bees and melt any poor soul who needed to resist Sami.

A little on how I came up with the look, since I'm always talking about styling and getting good 'Looks'.  I usually leave the makeup to the MUA people, but sometimes you need to dig into the elements of the look and figure it out yourself. Haha, maybe I'll share the cellphone pics of what I looked like when I did all the late night experimentation on me. Funny.  But ah, no. Not funny.

Sketches, color swabbing, studying my favorite stylists (Hilde Marie Johansen in Norway on Facebook click here to see some of her AMAZING work  http://www.facebook.com/hilde.m.johansen). I've been more focused on styling a shoot these days than the technical side of photography. But, Hilde, it's starting to pay off, I can tell it's working! Your passion for styling is infectious.

Ok, peace out, I'll have a full post on our shoot today with lots and lots of pictures to share very soon.

Peace Out, LJ

Facebook links:

Linifotto http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linifotto/150738844987356
Beauty & the Beach Photography  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beauty-the-Beach-Photography/121368791256478
LJ Masty  http://www.facebook.com/lj.masty
Samantha Roth Mediary  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1012745442
Hilde Marie Johansen  http://www.facebook.com/hilde.m.johansen

MojiToes Nail Bar

What's the coolest thing to happen to a pedicure in Stuart, Florida probably EVER?

A brand new nail salon called, MojiToes Nail Bar. Yep, that's the name of the swankiest new nail salon around. Why am I doing a blog post on a nail salon?  Although this blog is mostly about photography it's very much about Stuart, where I live, my community. I'm rather new here, still figuring out my favorite haunts and boutiques, especially ones that are owned by spunky visionary women. But, I'm ahead of myself.

Here is how it started. I'm one of those people who consults her oracle, Google, for just about everything. Seriously, I actually type in things I want to know. Example, 'What is a Flash Mob?' or 'What is a Thinspo?'  Yeah, I keep all my potentially embarrassing questions between me and Google. So what happened when I asked for whats new, in Stuart and a tres  'cool nail salon'?

Oracle answered.  "Mojitoes Nail Bar".  I half expect the oracle to spit out a puff of smoke from my monitor. If that were possible it would be greenish with fresh mojitoey mists waifing in the air and I would be engulfed with sounds of soft laughter and people enjoying each others company and the slushy sound of ice swirling around in a glass.

So....I snapped to attention, totally digging the short fantasy, grabbed the phoned and dialed 772-419-8989. Fast forward a couple days and I stepped inside the freshest looking salon. I met the owners, Rebecca and Rondal, they had these huge smiles and I could just tell I was going to love it here.

I sat down with Rebecca at her bar (did I mention it's really a bar with high top chairs and all?) and was hypnotized by her charm and the story of how she thought up this cool place.  Oh wait. Hang on a second there. FYI, Stuart is not the most cutting edge and forward community around. It's a quaint town and half of it's 20,000 residents only live here 6 months out of the year. People here seem to be creatures of habit, older and I suspect a much tougher clientelle to crack than most.  So why open shop here?  What is going to get Stuart-tonians out of the regular places and come here?

Well, I did. And I can't think of a single reason to not come here. After going to the same salon, happily I should add for over 2 years, I decided I wanted something different and fun. It's downtown, its cool  and nail-fashion forward, easy to get to and ample parking.  But the most important thing that Mojitoes Nail Bar is, is it's VERY GOOD.

But back to Rebecca and her idea of a nail salon.  She told me she wanted a place to get her nails done that was just a nice place to hang out. And she nailed it. (Pun intended). She very expertly offered a menu of nail services while telling me the story of her salon. Next thing I knew my nails were as flawlessly done as I've ever had. EVER!

No lie. No exaggeration here. Yeah, she's THAT good.  Plus she had all these cool new products, which I so wish my regular nail salon had. She showed me the coolest looking pedicures I've ever seen. OMG, seriously show stopping toes. So cool that I was soon rambling on about how we ought do a little photo shoot featuring this awesome place because there isn't anybody else doing this stuff here.

And this is how friends are made.
This is how business should always done.
This is how life should always be.
And did I mention the mean MojiToe she slowly slid next to me?  Who does that? I love that!
Now my only problem is what to do about my old salon? I love them too, well I guess this remains to be seen doesn't it?

Thank you Rebecca, I can't wait for our shoot of the coolest beach toes to hit Martin County - you've got a winning combination and I will love patroning your nail bar and watch it all happen. It's fun to be a part of something new and exciting, makes me want to roll up my sleeves and help make it happen.

Who doesn't want to sit down with this while getting a mani/pedi?

As my shiny nails click away at the keys I notice my cheeks are getting sore.  I've been smiling endlessly writing this post. That's what Mojitoes Nail Bar and Rebecca left me with, happy. Happy!

Ciao Bella Rebecca may God Bless you, your family and your wonderful new business!

MojiToes Nail Bar

310 S. Dixie Hwy.

Stuart, FL  34994

772-419-8989

(link ->)www.mojitoesnailbar.com

Find them on Facebook at  (link->)  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001592487946

Peace out, LJ