pascale wowak photoblog

For the ladies!

2012-02-09T14:03:26-08:00

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of doing a group headshot session with the most fantastic and lovely group of ladies. I expected nothing but the best seeing as my dear friend Kathryn Besser, the author of the wonderful book DIRT & SUNSHINE, was hosting the event at her house and had gathered a group of her fabulous friends to participate. The ladies were all truly delightful and so very sweet. They welcomed both myself and my trusty (and much beloved) esthetician friend, Jenny Hoye, with such warmth and kindness!

Jenny and I do these group sessions for the ladies & mama's out there and it's such a treat for everyone involved. You moms know what I'm talking about when I say that a mother's needs always come last. So, it's critically important to make the time and effort to allow yourself some fun "me" time. We structure these group sessions so that Jenny first spends a little time doing the make-up for each participant and then as they come out of her chair one by one, I then do a series of head shots which the ladies can later use for any number of purposes (business cards, social media networking, Facebook, prints for your spouse/significant other etc...). The ladies get a chance to get all dolled up by a seasoned professional (Jenny is AMAZING) and then get photographed by another seasoned professional (that would be me!) who knows exactly how to pose you and showcase your best features!

I think it's fair to say that everyone was delighted with the gathering AND the outcome! The session is also set up to be a really fun social event so that when one person is getting their make up done and the other is being photographed, the rest of them can mingle and catch up and just have fun! Kathryn, naturally, was the best hostess on the planet and kept everything running smoothly while also making sure everyone had an ample supply of drinks and snacks etc... She is truly incredible! I LOVE you Kathy!

These group sessions are truly a blast and such a fun thing to do for any group of girlfriends who want to get together and socialize, catch up, while also getting some much needed self care, enjoy a little glammed up Hollywood style, and end up with the really valuable and productive end result of having some fresh, updated, FANTASTIC new head shots! Such a win-win!

Every lady ended up with 20 head shots each but I just picked 3 for each one here due to space constraints.

If you're interested in setting one of these up with me and Jenny, drop me a note! :)

The Measure

2012-01-28T19:30:14-08:00

I had the honor of doing a commercial shoot for my friend Kiki Fluhr, the brilliant designer behind The Measure. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be friends with such incredible kids clothing designers!? She sent me two ADORABLE Valentine's Day dresses and my girl Juliet, of Maya's Curls, sent matching hair accessories to help style the shoot. SO FAB! The best part of all these collaborations is that Juliet, Kiki, Jayme (of Lillipops), Julie (of ZOZOBUGBABY) and I are all really close friends and so we are able to be totally in sync and mix and match as need be. It's so delightful to be a part of such a fantastic group of creative, innovative, independant women business owners. I'm so grateful for the amazing friendships I have developed with them over the years. It's a major blessing in my life! And Ellie definitely reaps the benefits of these relationships! HA! :)

Since I had two dresses to photograph, I decided to have Ellie's dear friend Emerson join us on this shoot. I have photographed Ellie and Emerson together before (THIS POST) and these two girls are just MAGIC together. They WORK it. I love them! We decided to combine the shoot with a fun playdate of baking Valentine's Day cookies and just hanging out at my itty bitty cottage home. My kitchen gets the best light and I thought it would be fun for them to be engaged in an activity together for the shoot. The light, while magnificent for a few minutes, quickly shifted and left me with no choice but to take the shoot outdoors (OCF was ruining the look I was trying to achieve) and into our tiny little matchbox of a backyard! The girls still managed to stay happy and effervescent and played along. They even came up with the idea of drawing Valentine's Day themed artwork on the "chalkboard" I had just recently mounted on the side of our shed. It's actually just a HUGE piece of plywood I painted with chalkboard paint and my sweet neighbor affixed to the side of the shed for me. They kept doing their artwork even when I went inside to clean the mess in the kitchen (see the shot I grabbed from inside) and then posed for a final quick series of shots of their Masterpiece just before the light completely disappeared on us!

A huge thank you to my best friend Kirsten for loaning me her beautiful Emerson and to Kiki for the dresses and Juliet for the adorable hair accessories! Go check out The Measure and Maya's Curls if you want to find some fabulous custom made items. I'm all about supporting mommy-run businesses!!! Ellie's entire wardrobe is from my friend's shops! GO HANDMADE!!! :)

Valentine's Day - Lillipops Style!

2012-01-27T19:07:34-08:00

My brilliantly talented friend Jayme of Lillipops Designs designed this new Valentine's Day themed dress for Ellie to model and me to photograph. She could not have created a dress more suited to my Ellie Bellie. When Ellie first laid eyes on the dress she quite literally gasped. Then she breathlessly whispered: "I love it!" And then she quickly put on her "Business Face", got all serious, and firmly asked me: "I do get to keep it right?????" Hahahahahaha! Yes, baby, you get to keep this one. This is obviously what she'll be wearing for her Valentine's Day Party at school! :)

It had been a while since I had done a commercial shoot with Ellie since I can't squeeze them in during my busy season (September-December) but it felt so good to get back into it with her. The girl was just MADE for this stuff. If I weren't so disgusted with what the modeling world does to a little girl's sense of self, I'd sign her up with an agent lickety split. But, instead, she gets to be MY personal model for all my commercial gigs and we are both completely satisfied with that! She absolutely rocked this session out. Love my fiesty little Year of The Dragon/Scorpio girl. :)

If you want to get one of these dresses for your little girl, I suggest you order soon, they are all custom made and Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! While you are at it, go check out everything in Jayme's shop, it's all INCREDIBLE. She also does these amazing knit wraps for women. I own two of them and get stopped on the street with inquiries every time I wear one out! Just completely fabulous in every way!

Also, the two adorable hair accessories Ellie is wearing in this shoot are custom designed by another one of my uber creative friends, Juliet of Maya's Curls. Her whole shop has everything you could possibly ever need to spice up your girl's wardrobe. Aside from all the kiddo ones I have from doing shoots, I actually also own two of her adult hair pieces and absolutely LOVE them. Highly recommend the Feathered Pewter Josie with Tule. It looks soooo good!

Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be friends with the most amazing designers and creative minds!? I've also got another shoot to edit with two dresses from The Measure Clothing Company coming up soon! So much eye candy! SQUUUEEEEEEEEE! :)

A frank discussion about sensuality and being "middle aged"...

2012-01-26T23:43:46-08:00

I think it's time for an open discussion about being a "middle aged" woman. As I rapidly approach my 40's, I am discovering that the world has some pretty deep seeded impressions of what it means, or what it "should" mean, to be a middle aged woman. And these impressions are incongruent with my reality and the reality of most of my friends. So, I think it's time to lay it all out there because it's a message that needs to be heard by the masses - or at least by the 5 people who will actually read this. :)

This past weekend I went on a mom's weekend away and hung out with 4 of the most vibrant, outrageously funny, energetic and wickedly smart women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We are all "middle aged." And *gasp* - alarmingly - this did not stop us from having the time of our life. At one point during our stay at a gorgeous hotel with insanely perfect window light, I spontaneously decided to do a Boudoir shoot; as the model rather than the photographer. It was definitely a dramatic shift for me as I'm always the one capturing these types of images, and not remotely accustomed to being in front of the camera under any circumstances, much less these. Having said that, the only momentary awkwardness had to do with me accpeting that I would not be in control of the camera rather than the fact that I was posing semi-nude in front of 4 other women for the purpose of some really sexy images.

After the shoot, I giddily mentioned on FB that I had done a Boudoir session, but not as the photographer. At one point, a friend half-jokingly posted that I must be going through a mid-life crisis. And while her comment was genuinely made in jest and with no intention of being derogatory, it still upset me insomuch that I found it aggravating that society seems to have placed some sort of arbitrary age limit to a woman being able to BE sexy, FEEL sexy and OWN her sexy.

There ended up being a very heated debate on my FB post about "middle aged" women doing boudoir sessions and I felt that the commentary was so poignant and valid that it needed to be shared. The assertion that any woman of a certain age must be going through some sort of "crisis" if she wants to engage in a playful boudoir session was quite firmly laid to rest. It is my inherent belief that boudoir sessions are actually best tailored to women who have finally come to a place in their life where they are completely at ease with their body and themselves. Quite frankly, it takes a woman who has raised a child, nursed or rocked a baby to sleep, given up sleep for years on end, cradled a sick child with her strong and capable arms and been puked on once or twice to fully appreciate what she is capable of, how truly amazing she is and how incredible her body really is. A body which has LIVED many a year, and SURVIVED any number of situations/afflictions, and GIVEN LIFE or SUSTAINED life, is one that can be fully appreciated by its owner. It is in part thanks to the journey of motherhood that women gain the kind of authentic and liberating self confidence that makes them utterly invincible. We don't just THINK we are superheroes, we KNOW we are.

In the interest of sharing other people's opinions on this rather than just my own (clearly biased) appraisal of the situation, I'm going to share some excepts from the thread. I realize that not everyone will agree with what is said here and that's perfectly fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion! But I do believe we do women a tragic disservice when we box them into preconceived notions of what they can or cannot do, how they should or shouldn't behave. One of my favorite quotes of all time is: "Well behaved women rarely make history." Naturally, I am not encouraging illegal behavior here, but merely stating that it is sometimes necessary to go against the norm and to follow one's heart when choosing to live a healthy, happy and enriching life to its full potential. For me personally, as I emerge from one of the most challenging transitions in my life, having intensely focused all my energies and attention onto helping my children navigate the choppy waters of a divorce, I am finding it more important than ever to make sure I am also meeting my own needs and filling my tank so that I can keep chugging along this sometimes overwhelmingly difficult path of being a single working mom. Being able to get away for a few days and recharge my battery, have fun with my girlfriends, go dancing til dawn and OWN that part of me that is NOT a mommy is undeniably healthy and necessary. All moms should allow themselves the right to do that. Without worrying about being judged by anyone else, and especially not by other moms. Ultimately, I can't help but whole-heartedly believe that Boudoir sessions were MEANT for middle aged women. I have never felt more capable, strong, fit, in charge of my own destiny, independent, happy, sexy, healthy, fulfilled and CONFIDENT in my life than I do right now. And when you feel that on the INSIDE, it shows on the OUTSIDE. And that's Boudoir magic right there, baby.

"Celebrating your femininity, strength and beauty is nothing to EVER be ashamed of. I'd rather see photos of real, beautiful, wise and SEXY women who have worked their asses off for not only a great body, but for real happiness, than skinny, starved, waifish twenty-somethings that have no IDEA what it means to be a real woman."

"I think it is amazing. You have worked so hard to make healthy choice in ALL aspects of your life. I am very, very proud of you. I know the courage it took for you to get on the other side of the camera and what a great experience for both you and Julie. Beautiful art you two!"

"Quite frankly, women in their 20's just DO NOT have their shit together enough to rock out a boudoir session."

"Celebrating one's hard earned body and strong sense of self should never be classified as a midlife crisis."

"I rather enjoy being so comfortable in my own skin and at a stage in my life where I am no longer encumbered by the insecurities of inexperienced youthfulness."

"Going through a huge transition in life and having beautiful, classy, intimate photos of yourself is all part of your rebirth and celebration of the incredibly beautiful person that you are, inside AND out. If only we could all find the acceptance and appreciation for our own bodies and lives that you have found for yours!"

And with Valentine's Day coming up, I cannot possibly think of a better gift for a woman to give herself (and I'm sure her significant other wouldn't mind them either!) than a Boudoir session. Isn't it about time you harnessed all that Warrior Goddess Spirit inside you and let her shine?!

And I'll finish up with one PG image from my session. :)

@Copyright Julie A. Martin Photography

A smidge of Portland, a touch of Tacoma and a whole lot of laughing.

2012-01-25T18:19:37-08:00

This past weekend I was able to spend a few days hanging out with four fantastic friends of mine for a West Coast "convention" of sorts. My dear friend Julie of ZOZOBUGBABY arranged this surprise trip with the intention of flying me up to Portland where I would then meet up with her and our mutual friend Amber (who was flying in from Texas) and the three of us would do a little road trip up to Tacoma to grab our third friend Lija and then all four of us would go surprise our friend Jayme who just moved out to Anderson Island up in Washington State. We kept the plans secret for nearly TWO MONTHS but then just a few days before the trip, the Northwest was being pummeled by insane storms with flooding, snow and sheets of ice covering much of it. To add to the dismay, Jayme's little island was without power for over a week. So, we realized that in the interest of actually enjoying ourselves, we had to change up our plans a bit and let Jayme in on the surprise! I still flew into Portland and got to enjoy a great evening with much laughter, hanging out with Julie, Amber and our mutual friend (and irrepressibly funny) Shannon Sewell. We then hit the road the next morning and all met up and crashed at Hotel Murano in Tacoma, WA for a couple days. Needless to say, it was AMAZING. The five of us are all very busy moms, some of us single working moms, some of us business owners and/or full time employees, some of us still nursing babies... so to get away from it all for 4 days was *quite* the treat! We are also all very, oh how shall I put this..... not the most demure of women... so, yeah. We had fun.

I took some quick headshots of all the ladies on Saturday morning in the hotel room (which was FABULOUS might I add) and then we wandered around Tacoma, hitting all the antique shops and book stores. Threw in some wine tasting. Ate to our heart's content without having to wolf down our food, share our meal or cut someone's up for them.... And, admittedly, there was a fair amount of alchohol consumed as well...Ha! :) Saturday night we all went dancing at the local gay club (which everyone knows always has the best dancing and music) until the weeeeee hours of the morning. And then we got to sleep in. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Heavenly. And I even got to go in front of the camera, for a change, as the model for my friend Julie's first attempt at shooting a boudoir session! I'll be doing a separate post about the whole experience of being IN FRONT of the camera next.

This was just the most restorative, rejuvenating and unbelievably delightful trip you could possibly imagine even though it was raining and snow was on the ground and there wasn't a beach or fruity drink with an umbrella to be seen. The "quality" of this trip was in the company I kept and the joy of being surrounded by four wicked little comediennes who had me in stitches from morning til night.

I'm going to post a few favorites from our mini headshots and a small collection of images I took while we wandered around Tacoma. We actually didn't have our cameras out all that much, but when the inspiration hit, we were ready!

I'll start with Julie, who was the mastermind behind this whole trip and who made it possible for me to come up and be a part of this fabulous escape from "real life".... if but for 4 days! :) If you are not familiar with her ZOZOBUGBABY line of clothes (are you living under a rock?!), then you should definitely check it out! She was just recently featured in Parenting magazine too! Go Julie!

Next was the stunning Lija. You simply cannot take a bad picture of this gal. She's got 1920's Hollywood starlet looks! So fab!

Next, was Jayme, whom you might know from LILLIPOPS DESIGNS. I'll be shooting an ADORABLE Valentine's day dress she made tomorrow! She's another awesome children's clothing designer that you MUST check out!

And last, but certainly not least, is Amber who flew all the way from Texas to join us! She's the brains of the operation seeing as the four "artistically minded" ones in the group couldn't figure out a bill to save our lives, thank goodness for Amber! Ha! She also has the most contagious smile I've ever seen and if you aren't smiling ear to ear while looking at these pictures of her then there's something wrong with you. She has the quickest wit and kept us on our toes! A complete natural in front of the camera to say the least!

Then, just a few from our wandering ways in Tacoma. The one huge antique store we visited, Stanford & Sons, was such a treat for someone like me whose favorite show is American Pickers..... Ha!

Tomorrow I'll do a post about being IN FRONT of the camera for a boudoir session.... :)

Gemma & Nico (in utero)

2012-01-19T16:43:13-08:00

This past weekend I went up to visit my friend Rosaura (who is a fellow professional photographer) and grab some shots of her very pregnant self, her family and her incredibly happy little girl Gemma. The weather was really iffy and it was SUPER cold outside but we braved the elements nonetheless and went to the local playground to hang and shoot. Afterwards, Rosaura and I retreated to her bedroom and spent more time focusing on a bunch of EPIC semi nude maternity shots, which you won't see here, but were a bunch of fun to capture to say the least! It's always a treat to photograph another photographer because you "speak the same language."

Gemma is the most joyful, charming and delightful little girl. She giggled nonstop and ran around the playground bouncing from activity to activity, always on the go. A feisty, high energy little firecracker and I think I know who she gets that from.... :) Gemma was extra sweet too because she told her mom that she was going to give her baby brother Nico her favorite bunny and her favorite blankie, both of which we made sure to capture images of her with based on the story behind it and the tender emotional connection. SO sweet. :)

Rosaura got to pick the images she wanted to show on the blog's sneak peek so here you go! ENJOY and I cannot wait to meet baby Nico. CONGRATULATIONS again Rosaura and Scott!

For those who will be asking, Gemma's adorable dress is by ZOZOBUGBABY and her hairband by BLUE EYED FRECKLE!

Maggie, Conor & Charlotte

2011-12-31T19:33:51-08:00

This wonderful family lives several states away but they come back to visit family in California (where I first met them and they became clients of mine) every year for Christmas. So, we always schedule a family shoot during Christmas week while they are in town so we can continue our annual tradition! It's such a treat to see how much the children have grown and changed in a year's time span. Last time Annelys was pregnant and this time I got to meet baby Charlotte! The poor little thing was under the weather and not anywhere close to her usual effervescent self and yet, despite this, she was BEYOND adorable and cute!

I was also able to meet their Au Pair, Gretchen, and get some pictures of her with the kids and family as well. It was, admittedly, a slightly chaotic shoot but with three adults, two rambunctious kids, a ridiculously cute little baby and one high energy photographer, we totally pulled it off!

Annelys and Sean, I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Lily, Maya & Rowan

2011-12-22T21:14:11-08:00

This is another long time client family of mine whom I just recently had the pleasure of visiting again for the arrival of yet another little girl in the family! Three gorgeous girls! I think I captured approximately three BILLION amazing images, so it was really incredibly hard to narrow down the sneak peek. I had to just accept that many personal favorites would just have to wait for their eyes to see them when they get the CD package. Lily and Maya could not have been more cooperative and ridiculously cute. I was able to get an inordinate amount of stunning sibling shots which can be (let's be honest here!) incredibly hard with a 4 day old newborn, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. But they were DELIGHTFUL and fun and responded so fantastically well to my antics. In fact, mom had warned me that Maya refuses to have her picture taken and when I initially asked her to let me take her picture she responded with an emphatic NO! Two minutes later she was mugging like crazy for my camera. So, yeah, that was certainly rewarding! :)

Kim and Doug, thank you for welcoming me into your loving home a mere 4 days after giving birth to little Rowan! I had a great time with you all and hope you are thrilled with the images we created that day!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!