Sacred Ground's Cafe

Allison Lawson September 12, 2018

I had the unique experience recently. Sacred Ground’s Cafe needed images and I thought how fun to photograph people in action cooking and serving. When I met with Natasha I learned that she had other images in mind because she has been working on a cookbook. These were just going to be food images!

I loved the challenge and have worked with food in the past but not with someone else preparing it! We set a timeline and planned the meals. And then I added another component. We were not going to be able to photograph all of her recipes in one session. So I offered to teach her what I could so she would be able to photograph her creations as they were made.

Using only natural light, a bounce card, and some fancy papers I set up in the cafe at a time they were not normally crowded. One plate after another came out and I had about 10min with each one. After we were done I even was lucky enough to get some leftovers to take home! The whole experience was so pleasant! And brought photography back to the most important thing - quality light. You have that and then the images are easier to create!

Confidence is a Gift We Give to Others

Allison Lawson August 3, 2018

I love what I do! Not only do I meet the most interesting people but I get to instill confidence. Often our perspective gets skewed by the beautiful people we see in the media. It becomes a belief that a few pounds need to come off, that makeup should be on point, trendy outfits need to be purchased, and that time needs to be kinder to our skin. That’s not true! All you need to do is show up! Your picture is a chance to present who you are and the photographer is just your mirror. It's time to be proud of your face!

I wanted to lead by example in this self-portrait and be as real as possible. No makeup because I don’t like wearing it every day, an old tee-shirt that I shouldn’t love so much, and hair that is just doing whatever it wants. I think sometimes we believe confidence is for ourselves but in my experience confidence is also a gift we give to those around us. So, show up in your pictures. Stop waiting for something to be better and start loving who you are today!

Get a better jawline with 3 easy tips!

Allison Lawson June 18, 2018

Ever wonder why selfies are taken at such an awkwardly high angle? By looking up at the camera the skin of your neck stretches out any loose skin and the jaw becomes more defined. Here are some tips to get your jawline to pop while looking still looking professional.

1. Lean in

By straightening your spine and leaning in, like you would in an interesting conversation, you are elongating loose areas and looking trimmer. This is just a slight lean maybe 10 degrees and implies you are ready to engage with the viewer.

2. Out and down

Chin out and down might need some practice in the mirror but it is well worth it. Most of us have the tendency to rest our chin down and in especially when you are trying to stand taller and puff your chest out. Remember only move your face out and down not your whole body or your posture will suffer.