Vintage Trailer Photo Studio!

So I recently put down a deposit on this vintage 1971 Streamline Countess Travel Trailer and I am so excited to get it. I'm going to use it for a mobile photo studio to take to festivals, events, and out on location. I want to be able to offer vintage pin-up photos, or themed photos with props, costumes, backdrops, hair, and make up, and edit and print them right then and there while people wait (like a photo booth). I can always have my lighting kit and studio set anywhere I go, and the vintage trailer adds to the whole feel of it. Retro Streamlines are perfect because they don't come with furniture in the living room portion so it is the perfect space to make a small photo set. This trailer is in pristine condition, new toilet, new shower, air vents, remote controlled lighting, new fridge, custom woodwork and upholstery, phone, cable and electric jacks throughout, it even has the original gold hubcaps and the actual owners manual. The trailer was kept under a cover for ten years and before that was lived in by an older woman who took amazing care of it.

Thanks to the recession I am getting such an insanely good deal on this trailer, and I finally feel like my photo business will have a new service to provide that hasn't been done before. I will be able to bring my studio to events, festivals, wedding receptions, and anywhere on location. I can spend the day at pet stores doing creative pet portraits, or when merchants need product photos taken for catalogs and websites I can come to their business and easily shoot each item so all the images are clean and consistent. When I shoot Vintage Pin-Up style portraits, I will have a changing room for costumes and space to do make up and hair in a well lit area with a big mirror. There is so much storage, I have never seen a trailer with as many cabinets and drawers, as well as electrical outlets so it will be perfect for all my crazy props, backdrops and lighting equipment. I will also have my laptop plugged in during shoots so images can immedietly be photo-shopped and printed while the customers wait. Then they will be given a receipt and card telling them how they can order more copies of prints at a later date. I will post more pictures in my next post, wish me luck!

My Altered Art Work Area

I have been working on my new altered art shell shrines, paper weights, crosses, collages, and photo prints that I hope to sell on etsy or at Portland's Last Thursday in the Alberta Arts District at the end of this month. It's so hard to sell things like this though, when you use your favorite charms and collected findings and put your heart and soul into each piece....it makes me want to price them really high so no one will buy them. At this point I need to start learning how to let go, my house is becoming horribly cluttered and over run with "found objects and craft supplies" (I can justify just about anything I buy by saying it's for my art or photo studio - a prop or a piece I need for a new shrine I am making). Unless I start using all this stuff I've collected I am going to officially be a hoarder/rat packer....or I better make plans to open a really eclectic museum, ha ha. I love to be surrounded with visually stunning art and objects that get my creativity flowing, I am always afraid that if I don't buy something that catches my eye and gives me that fluttery feeling of excitement and inspiration that I will forget and never find it again. The other reason is that everything I find is at flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores and on craigslist at insanely good bargain prices and a lot of the times one-of-a-kind, so the chances of getting it again are usually impossible. I'm sure there are a lot of others who struggle with this same problem, let me know if there is a name for it or some kind of support group I can join =).
Here are some photos of my work area, so you can see what I am talking about.

Dia De Los Muertos

Me and my friend Amber Mercedes decided to practice doing our makeup for an upcoming Day of the Day photo shoot I have planned. Amber is my makeup artist, hair stylist and set designer on my photo crew, and we had a lot of fun as you can see in the photos below.