Fashion Photography

I was recently approached by local designer Ashraf Valliani, owner of fashion brand 'The Heritage Collection' to do a fashion shoot of her latest summer line of Eastern wear. The collection featured bright colors, stunning hand embroidery and elegant designs of classic Pakistani couture. Ashraf Valliani wanted the shoot to showcase the essence of her brand name highlighting the unique combination of fabrics and color interwoven with traditional hand work and embellishment. I knew right from the get go that I was going to have some serious fun with this shoot.

We chose the Valliani residence as our location of choice focusing on the simplicity of an outdoor setting. Ashraf hand picked 6 stunning outfits and accordingly had set aside accessories and jewelry for each outfit. Our model Ruhee Jaffer was looking gorgeous with her glamour hair and makeup done by Alina G. Karaman. We were ready to go!

It was a bright morning and I had to make sure that the shadows cast were used to my optimal advantage and of course in other cases to avoid them all together. Each outfit had its own personality and I needed to make sure the pictures portrayed that uniqueness. We worked in various props to add another dimension to the pictures without it looking too staged. Ruhee Jaffer was amazing with her poses. She knew exactly what sort of look to work into each picture theme we were trying to achieve. It was our first time working together but we quickly understood each others style and creatively made each outfit come to life.

Needless to say I had a wonderful time at the shoot and got some really fun shots. Thank you Ashraf Valliani for introducing me to a whole new world of creative photography and good luck on your upcoming Summer 2011 exhibition. For more information on this designer please visit her facebook page "The Heritage Collection by Ashraf Valliani".

Heres a sneak peek from the shoot
Warmest Regards,
Khadija

Life's little joys..

The lovely Haq family got in touch with me a couple of months ago wanting to schedule a family shoot highlighting their recent wedding anniversary as well as the birth of their baby boy, Ayaan. Mrs Haq had mentioned that she was not able to get any professional pictures of their new bundle of joy and that at 6 months she really wanted to capture the happiness that their little baby brought to their family. I was of course thrilled to take on the job and started my planning.

We went to a local farm on a bright saturday morning and got right into the swing of things. It was such a treat to meet the Haq's in person. The couple were so calm and relaxed in their business casual attire and baby Ayaan was full of smiles to start off his shoot. All three of them wore relaxed khaki's with white shirts. Mrs Haq adorned her outfit with a bright purple jacket and accessorized with blue. It was just the right pop of color to add to the muted palette. On top of that she brought along blue helium balloons to add a touch of whimsy to the pictures. I absolutely loved it and against the bright green foliage of a Virginia summer it was color galore.

My favorite spot from this shoot was an old wood plank flatbed trailer sitting in front of a red barn. I liked the lines of the wood planks in succession to one another and the organic feel to the whole setting. I got some fun shots of Baby Ayaan with his stuffed toys hanging out on the flatbed. He was very intrigued by the wood grain. I tell you babies have an eye for these things as well. After all they are known to be little explorers of the mind.

I also took advantage of a small field with yellow wild flowers scattered everywhere. Baby Ayaan loved the flowers and wanted to grab at them to eat them. He was adorable in all his glory and I couldn't get enough of his smiles and happy demeanor. The couple was absolutely loving the curiosity and excitement manifesting from within their little baby, the glue that made them family.

Thank you Haq family for allowing me to be a part of your family on this very special weekend where it was all about enjoying life's little joys.

Heres a sneak peek from their shoot.

Warmest Regards,
Khadija

Refreshing family fun at the farm

A couple of weekends ago I met with the beautiful Costa family for a fun family shoot at the farm. Amy Costa had approached me a week prior to their scheduled shoot asking if we could incorporate the kids only uncle and aunt in the shoot as well. I thought it was a fantastic idea and we went with it.

From the minute I met this amazing family all the way till the end of their session I couldn't get over how connected and together this wonderful group of people were. Each so different in their own personal ways but there was this ease and comfortableness with one another that shined through in their pictures. You could feel the love and fun that they must have on a regular basis.

I loved how they coordinated their outfits through color. The adults wore jeans and white tops and even though you'd think everyone would be in similar white button down shirts, each one of them showed off their own sense of style in such a distinct way that it was very refreshing to the eye. The Costa's adorable kids who ranged in age from 6 months to 4yrs old were so cute in their white and lime green combination. I particularly adored the little lime green tutu skirts on the girls.

I honestly have fun in all the shoots that I do but this particular session was extra special seeing the wonderful and refreshing bond shared between extended family members. Thank you Costa family for allowing me to capture the essence of who you are as a family.

Heres a sneak peek from their session.
Regards,
Khadija

Kids will be kids

Whenever I see kids playing together they remind me of little puppies rolling around in the sand getting their paws wet and dirty while gnawing at each others ankles. Its the cutest sight and the perfect reason to get that camera out and start shooting. Well this spring break I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph the gorgeous Khan kids. As cute as they were together I think what mesmerized me the most were their stunning grey/green eyes. Both the older daughter and son were fleeting all over the place but they had such a calmness about them that I just kept shooting. We had bubbles, and trucks and swings to photograph around. Even though at times I felt like I wasn't getting a single good shot especially of the younger son who wouldn't want to sit for even a second in front the camera, I had the best time running around after them.

The setting was lovely. I met with Amina Khan a week prior to the shoot because she wanted to get an idea if their backyard would be an ideal location for their shoot. I thought it was perfect. With the bright red flooring on their deck, white washed fencing and the amazing greenery surrounding them it was a very serene and peaceful place to photograph. Plus with the lighting of the late afternoon sun you just can't get better than that. I was even able to capture some fun shots with their latest addition Haaniya. Such a sweet and pretty family and a real pleasure to work with. Thank you Khan family for letting me capture your adorable kids.

Heres a sneak peek from their shoot:

Regards,
Khadija