The quesion I am asked the most often.....how in the world did you do that?!

First off, I always make sure I have a note pad on hand, as I never know what might spark an idea as I go throughout the day!

Most of my photos start with a really rough sketch and then they start to build in my head. Once I have my idea thought out, I'll start to think about how I can get a certain pose and then what props would be needed. Most of my sets are handmade, many of which are old barn wood, etc. that I have on my rural property.

Most elements of each photo are taken separately. This keeps everything safe and fun for the dogs and really allows me to go a bit wild with my ideas.

Once all of the photos are taken I download them into my computer and start blending them together. Every pixel in every image I make comes from my camera. I never, ever resort to AI. If I can't create it, it doesn't get included.

This type of editing is very similar to the old days of the darkroom. Although I will admit, much less complicated! Believe it or not, photographers of yesteryear did similar types of editing. Masks for composites were physically cut out, different papers were used for different tones and contrast, dodging and burning was used to add shape and draw your eye to select points in the image. All the same things digital editing has been built off of!

This particular scene was quite the project! I build the entire set over a long weekend. My family lent me a handful of the props and I sewed up a dog sized apron watching TV one night. I then did all of the shooting over the course of 4 days. I would often go back to the studio to make slight changes and tweaks to poses and positioning of the set. And of course, I had to make up my own wallpaper pattern! This image was so much fun to create!