The trouble with muses....

... is that they never stop inspiring you. 

Okay, I guess that's not necessarily trouble. 

I don't even have a title for this one.

I had a dream. Literally. And in that dream was this photo of Marilyn Monroe:

I wouldn't say I'm a HUGE Marilyn fan. I do love her, I do admire and adore so many of her photos and images. I enjoy her movies. But I don't know much about her, and I certainly don't spend much time thinking about her. That's why this dream was so curious. What was even more curious was that as soon as I woke, I had a flash in my mind of my friend, professional Lindy Hop dancer, Nikki Marvin, wearing her Lindy sneakers while posing as Marilyn. Weird, right? I know. What can I say? Sometimes creativity comes from weird places in the brain.

Lucky for me, Nikki was down for the cause. She threw together a vintage outfit (all purchased at local vintage shopping mecca, Elsewhere Vintage) and spent all day doing her own hair and makeup. Commitment, people. That's why I love this woman.

Here are just a few of our impromptu shoot. Nikki does such an incredible job of capturing not just the look, but the energy and essence of what I love about the original photo. She's casual, but elegant, and even though she spent hours in hair and makeup, she looks like she just rolled out of bed looking like a superstar. I couldn't be more ecstatic.

Thank you so much, Nikki. Love.  

 



Behind the Ballroom

As many of you know, Intuitive Images will be opening a new studio space inside Atomic Ballroom in Placentia. The Placentia location is the second Orange County location for Atomic, with it's first flagship location still rockin over in Irvine. Both locations are owned and operated by Shesha and Nikki Marvin, both internationally acclaimed competitive dancers and teachers, and pillars of the dance community here in Orange County. They've been my clients, my friends, now my partners in business and new opportunities, and it's time I introduce you to them.

Here's a little Q and A with the taller half of the First Couple of Atomic, Shesha Marvin.

1. When and how did you get started dancing, and what's your background with the late Frankie Manning (one of the founding fathers of Lindy Hop)?

I started dancing when I was dragged out onto the dance floor at Disneyland one Saturday night Jan 1996. A few months later I took my 1st class from Frankie Manning and I was instantly converted from a spazzy swing kid to a lindy hopper with a clue.

2. How did you meet your beautiful wife, Nikki, and when did you two acquire The Atomic Ballroom?

I met my beautiful wife Nikki at dance class in the summer of love 2003. She was my student. We were married in 2006 and purchased ATOMIC Ballroom in 2008.

3. If you could be born in another decade, which would it be, and why?

I'm happy with my decade. If I had to play your game I would choose the 1920s so that I could see the true progression of charleston to lindy hop.

4. What drove you to open the second location for Atomic in Placentia?

Opportunity knocks and you open the door. I've known it was the next step for me for over 2 years.

5. What class or program is most exciting for you at the new Placentia location?

Argentine tango is ON! I've been trying to get into this personally for years. Friday nights, me, and Tango.

(The Argentine Tango series will be kicked off on Friday Jan. 28th - click here for more info on a stellar night of Tango, including basics, musicality, and workshops.)

6. Favorite thing to eat at home, and favorite thing to order at a restaurant?

Spaghetti and Spaghetti. Why fight it.

7. Do you hope your beautiful daughter, Anjali, will take over the Atomic empire when she gets older?

Anjali might just hate dancing. We could sell it and retire, who knows. I think of the ATOMIC empire as a small stepping stone in my life.

8. What are your hopes for the future of social dancing?

I need to keep pushing my basics and fight for more freedom.

9. You're somewhat infamous for your 101 Hat Tricks. Any plans to teach others via class or workshop?

Teaching hat tricks to geeks has been a long standing activity for me. I'm sure I will continue as requested.

(Here's a little taste of Shesha's Hat Trick Magnificence)

10. What would you say to someone who wants to get into social dancing, but has no experience?

I can't imagine living a life without social dancing. It fulfills so many human needs at once while also being fun. Any hopeless, clueless dancer can achieve competency starting at any age.

Thanks Shesha!

For more info about any classes Atomic offers, visit http://atomicballroom.com/ , and look for more articles in the Behind the Ballroom series, as I introduce you to more of the friends of Intuitive Images.

~Steph

Be there or be square.

Introducing.....

... Vintage Valentine Pin-Up Mini-Sessions! ONE DAY ONLY!

Grab a spot on January 29th, and give your love a special and unique gift- Pin Up photos of YOU! Session fee includes hair and makeup styling by the great Claire Pedroza (check out the Pin-Up Gallery on my website to see other PinUp sessions with her amazing work). Only a few sessions are available, so if you're thinking about it, book your session now! 

The bee's knees!!!

Announcing our very first.. PIN-UP SPECIAL!!!

Your loved one won't know what hit 'em this Christmas!! ;)

Limited dates available- so book early!!!

Did I mention- MAKEUP AND HAIR IS INCLUDED?!
;)

http://intuitiveimagesphotography.com

stephanie@intuitiveimagesphotography.com

http://facebook.com/intuitiveimagesphotography 

By Popular Demand

Due to the high volume of requests, we are doing our first ever Boudoir Mini-Sessions day!

Perfect chance to use the new studio, and I gotta say, it is a killer deal since it includes makeup artist as well. 

Contact me at stephanie@intuitiveimagesphotography.com to book a spot!

http://www.intuitiveimagesphotography.com/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

B & A Day

With so many styles and post-processing options, it can be tough to decide how to treat a photo.  The treatment should be appropriate for the photo's setting, composition, and subject matter.  So, as more of an informative option, I thought I'd start posting examples of some before and after treatments.  Enjoy!

http://www.intuitiveimagesphotography.com/