A while back when I first started my photography business, I suckered many of my friends into being my muses and luckily, I was fresh out of college and had no shortage of beautiful girls to woo with my camera. Larissa & Liane are some of my favorite muses to be sure. And let’s be honest here for a moment: they totally love the attention and admittedly so. Haha. Larissa and I joke about how I’m only friends with her because she’s beautiful and that she’s only friends with me because I make her feel pretty…as if vanity reigned king in our relationship. And while I’ll admit that I do have pretty friends, their beauty is not the driving force behind my attraction to them. Shocking I know. You see, I’m a firm believer in the notion that everyone is beautiful and that beauty takes on various forms and is quite layered. There’s an ebb and flow therein as well, and I’ve found myself recognizing the ever-evolving subtleties to be magnetic. I’ve recently been perplexed by the tactics I have to employ to notice, capture and share the beauty I see in people. It’s tricky yet fascinating. So I thought I would try something a bit different and see what resulted. I typically shoot outdoors and on location because that’s what I know and love best. But as of late, I’ve been wanting to experiment shooting indoors using window light and taking a more Vanity-Fair-esque portraiture approach. And wanted to create imagery that was simple, intimate, dramatically lit, and glamourous. So I had my girls come down a bit early before our Oscar viewing party and we created this series of images in about an hour in my dining room. #bam

You may recognize these two from their appearances in the official j. shipley photography promo video circa 2009. And if you can believe it, I’ve not photographed them for reals since. And to be honest, I’ve not a clue as to why. They are two of my best friends. and we hang out ALL the time. Stupid. But it’s 2012 and times are a-changin’ people. :-p

First up, the stunning Liane Koh…

This is my favorite one of Li. Isn’t she GORGEOUS?!!!!!And this is Larissa Staie…

And for the record, this is my favorite shot of Larissa from the day. I imagine she’s telling herself to channel her inner sex-goddess. She doesn’t that sometimes. 

So what do you think? Shall I continue to explore portraiture in this fashion? I’m thinking so! I have an idea brewing, and I’ll fill you guys in on it oh so soon. Stay tuned. 🙂 xoxo, – j.