July 17, 2011

From pastels to rich ethnic flare

Usually my baby shoots have revolved around the 'cuteness' of a baby's world. They are always dressed in adorable little outfits adorned with animal characters and funny little sayings. With that of course comes baby elements such as rattles, toys or even a favorite lovey. I normally use blankets and pastel colored backdrops to create a sort of soft and cuddly environment which we automatically associate with babies.

However when Sumera Sehbai, mommy of 9 month old Rehan approached me, she had something completely different in mind. She wanted to dress her little man up in a traditional South Asian outfit called the Shalwar Kamees. That of course got my creative juices flowing and had me rambling through my closets to find appropriate props and backdrops to build the perfect ethnic scene for Rehan's 9 month shoot. I was super excited!

Instead of pastel I was thinking rich reds with mirror work and embroidery. I used a few simple elements to balance the richness of the colors because after all it was a baby shoot so I brought with me my favorite white shag rug and a plain white backdrop. Along with a few ethnic looking pieces at Sumera's house we were able to create the perfect setup for Rehan's shoot.

We started off with a few basic shots of him in his most comfortable attire, a plain white onesie. He looked so cute and innocent in his play clothes that I could have taken the whole shoot with him dressed up like that. He was so happy. We then changed him into his traditional outfit and thats when the real fun began with the props. We went from mirrored hat and waistcoat ensemble to baby cuteness with a red chair and then him just crawling around surveying his surroundings. He was truly the sweetest little thing and fit the picture we were trying to create so beautifully.

This shoot had me thinking out of the box and it could not have happened if it wasn't for Sumera's wonderful idea of wanting to dress her little guy in a shalwar kamees. I absolutely love it when clients bring a piece of themselves to a shoot. Theres nothing like adding your own personal touch to anything and to a picture perfect moment it adds a whole new meaning to the story being told.

Thank you Baby Rehan and Mommy Sumera for giving me the opportunity to look beyond the pastels.
Heres a sneak peek from Rehan's shoot.

Warmest Regards,
Khadija










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