Taking a photo is like capturing a part of someone’s soul forever, almost like attaining immortality. As a travel and event photographer, I am always on the lookout for people who are super special, living a larger-than-life existence and really experiencing true joy every step of the way.
Downsizing to 70 Sq Ft For The Love Of Country Music
I found that in Hope and Mitch when they approached me to take pictures for their upcoming Cosmopolitan feature article and for photos for Hope for branding. Hope is a hot country-pop artist with a passion larger than life itself. And when Cosmopolitan heard that she sold everything and converted a van into a home so she could solely focus on making awesome music instead of spending her hard-earned money on frivolous things, they had to do a feature.
How cool is that? Being featured in a Cosmo article! Hope had to just be on cloud 9, right? The backstory….Hope Blanchard is an up-and-coming country music artist who sold everything to live in a van in Nashville with her husband to pursue a career. The backstory….Hope Blanchard is an up-and-coming country music artist who sold everything to live in a van in Nashville with her husband to pursue a career. I instantly fell in love with their happy-go-lucky attitudes and true country spirit.
Cosmo Magazine Photo Shoot With Synergistic Creativity
Joshua Tree had popped up on the country music couple’s radar several times during conversations with a photographer friend. They wanted one day of shooting filled with many looks that would fit in well for their story. The photos also needed to be suitable for other promotional and media activities. And, they were also going to shoot their own music video! Crazy cool, right?
While working with the couple, there was a tremendous spirit of collaboration and brilliant communication. The shoot lasted several hours with many hundreds of photos emerging, out of which 80 were shortlisted for the Cosmo feature, and then 3 were submitted to the magazine, with one being published.
The perfect photo that says it all is a rare commodity! But, I am truly honored to have been selected by Hope and Mitch to be part of this experience and sharing her story.
Joshua Tree Photoshoot For Cosmopolitan Magazine – How’d We Do It?
Roughly 7 locations were chosen to bring the personality and story of these two amazing musicians to life. Geology Tour Mine Road, Cholla Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree west entrance, and Quail Springs Picnic Area were a few of the backdrops we chose. These locales were perfect because they encapsulated the desert cowboy aesthetic that resonated with the couple’s personal style. Hope loves cowboy boots and hats and had a tough time getting rid of the 10 tote bags of boots she had amassed before she moved to the van lifestyle!
The locations were very dreamy, and the photographs ended up with an almost nostalgic and warm edit to them because of the way the natural light was changing during the many hours of the shoot. However, Hope and Mitch never lost their spectacular natural energy no matter how many hours passed. They were really the warmest people and most passionate for their craft that you are ever likely to meet.
We made the most of the sunrise and sunset part of the day, including the golden hour and mid-day, because the couple had a music video to shoot too the next day, and experimenting with different looks and adapting to natural light was part of the exercise.
Photoshoot In Joshua Tree – My Approach
The Joshua Tree Cosmopolitan magazine feature ends with an epic quote by Hope. ‘Maybe you’ll want to hear my music, and you’ll remember my name. It’s Hope for a reason.’ I love it! This couple’s vibes were so in sync with my own! They are people like me who believe in going the distance, pursuing your dreams, and accepting no one else’s version of who you should be.
It won’t be the last time we connect in the future and work on more projects together!
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Check out some of the incredible images from our shoot!
