Vintage Camera, Parasol, Books, and Paint! | Asheville Senior Photographers

During the cold, dreary winter days, it's fun to go back and post some warm and colorful images from last summer!  Emily and I definitely found lots of different ways to infuse lots of color in to her senior portrait session.

This first set shot against the graffiti wall in this gorgeous green dress are some of my favorites!  

And those earrings and big statement ring were the perfect touch to finish off this outfit.

Emily also brought along this pretty parasol to include in a few images.  I think it adds a soft, feminine feel to this image.  It's perfect with that soft grey dress and delicate cameo necklace.
This image ended up being Emily's and her mom's favorite, and is now a beautiful wall portrait in their home.

Another outfit change.  This time the same cameo necklace, but with a blue dress.  And then we added a stack of her fav books as props.  And then she even thought to bring along her glasses to go along with the book theme.  Love!

Emily's 4th outfit was this perfect long black dress.  She looked A-MAZ-ING in this dress!!!  And that aqua and royal statement necklace were to die for.

We had so much fun planning Emily's session.  So many different ideas, props, outfits, locations...  We finished up the session in the most fun way there is to finish a portrait session.  

By painting her face of course!

When Emily told me during her pre-session planning consultation that she loves to paint, I suggested she bring along some paint supplies and have a little fun with them.  She was totally on board with my crazy idea, and we had a ball painting her face.

Emily, thank you again for choosing me to create some fun senior portraits for you.  

And thank you for being on board with my crazy ideas! 

I think one of my favorite quotes will fit her quite nicely.

"If you never did you should.  

These things are fun and fun is good."

~Dr. Seuss

Don't be afraid to loosen up and have some fun with your senior session!

Going to a concert at the Orange Peel? | Asheville, NC Photographers

Hey y'all! So I decided that I should write about something that relates very closely to Asheville.   
Music!!! 

Pretty much everyone in Asheville lives and breathes music. And the best way to experience music is through a live show! 

Of course everyone wants to look their best for a show, you never know when you'll meet the band or the love of your life. So here are a few tips for y'all!

At a lot of music venues it is hard to keep up with coats. So the first tip is to maybe consider not wearing a coat and just embracing the art of layers. My preferred layering method is a t-shirt or tank, then a light cardi, and then a thicker cardi or lightweight jacket over it.

Next tip, don't be nervous to throw in some color and prints! You are at a show, what better reason do you need to show your wild side! Mix and match and be fearless. You want to stand out and share the spotlight with the band.

Thirdly, bring the perfect bag! A good medium sized bag that has some stretch to it is perfect. You can fit your layers in it when you start getting a little toasty and have room for a camera, tickets, wallet, and whatever else you may need!

 

Here's a few shows that are on my list. Maybe I'll see y'all there!

Have fun and dance the night away!

 Cold War Kids on Feb 4^th @ the Orange Peel

 Lotus on Feb 5^th @ the Orange Peel

Excision on Feb 24^th @ the Orange Peel

Blanket Scarves | Asheville, NC Fashion Trends

I'm so excited to tell you about a new series we are starting here on the blog. I've been wanting to have something like this for a long time.  Unfortunately I'm not really qualified to write this series, so I have been searching for a guest blogger to help me out with it.  I'm happy to say that I have finally found the perfect person to help me out with this project.

So what is this series I'm talking about?

Style and Fashion Trend Posts!

Many of you have seen my posts on Instagram and Facebook about the boutique that I'm partnering with in Asheville.  I head to Asheville every month with some of my senior models to photograph the latest fashion trends.  While shooting these fashion shoots, I met Amy.  She styles all of the shoots for us.  She is so great at putting together some amazing looks.  She creates lots of interest in the outfits we model by layering many great  pieces & accessories together to create the perfectly complete outift.

I will stop jabbering now and introduce you to Amy!

 

Alright ladies! So in case you haven’t been on Pinterest yet or seen this out about, the hot item of the season is….blanket scarves! They come in all different colors and shapes, and are one of the coziest trends!

You can find these scarves at a few little boutiques downtown, including our very own Charmed! Aerie is also rumored to have a few, so check out the mall.

There are a few different kinds of blanket scarves; there are the enormous plaid ones that can actually be used as blankets and as chunky scarves. There are other ones that are still large as well but slightly less traditional (like this beautiful Aztec one!). And last, but certainly not least, there are scarves that are on a slightly more practical level and are a bit smaller in scale.

These scarves are wonderful for so many different reasons. They can be a simple accent to any outfit and all you need to complete a look. The chunky style adds warmth and color in the easiest of ways.

 

Check out this fun YouTube video for a few styling tips on how to wear your very own!!!

Blanket Scarves

My favorite style that I absolutely cannot wait to try is the scarf/belt combo!
Such a cute look and it allows for variation during the day!

Enjoy these tips! 

Until next time,   

                        Amy

                                                                                  Keeping Asheville charming at Charmed

Do you love the blanket scarf trend?  

Where have you been able to find them to purchase? 

 What's your favorite way to wear them?

On Broadway Wedding | Asheville, NC

While I don't shoot many weddings, I did really enjoy myself at Brent & Kerry's wedding in Asheville last weekend.  They chose a perfect venue in downtown Asheville called On Broadway.  It was great for their small wedding with mostly out of town guests.  They were able to hold the ceremony and dinner all in one beautiful location.

They are actually from Ohio.  Kerry found me through her sister who I worked with previously.  Thanks so much Bree for remembering me when you all were traveling to North Carolina!  I don't think it could have possibly worked out much better.

 The details of the wedding were just perfect.  Simple, yet stylish.  I loved everything about it.

Congrats again Brent & Kerry! 

You wedding was so lovely.   Wishes for many beautiful years together! 



Class of 2015 Senior Models! | Hendersonville, NC Senior Photographer

Please allow me to introduce some amazing young ladies to you.

 

Meet my Class of 2015 Billie Mitchell Photography Senior Models!

 

Holly, Shakira, Becca, Arielle, Hayley, Brittany, Shelby, and Marissa.

 

You will be seeing a lot of these gorgeous girls around here throughout the next several months.

 We will be working on several different creative projects throughout their entire senior year.

I feel so blessed to have found such an amazing group of girls to join my team.

 Our very first shoot was a huge success!

 It was a large group shoot.  We started at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Asheville

where we hung out together for an afternoon.  The girls were all treated to

professional makeup application with a makeup artist.

 Then I got to work with each girl individually around the hotel

property to grab a few quick shots of each of them. 

 After spending the afternoon at the hotel, we ventured out to the

River Arts District near downtown Asheville for some fun group shots.

 We had a such a fun day together getting to know each other a

little better and building brand new friendships!

 By the end of the day, we were all exhausted & starved and decided to head

 over to the Mellow Mushroom for some delicious pizza! 

Stay tuned for much more from these Senior Models.  We will be shooting all of their individual senior sessions in June, and I will be introducing each of them to you individually.

If you are a Class of 2015 Senior, get in touch soon to schedule your Senior Portrait Session.  I really strive to make each session unique, creative, and personal to each senior.  In order to devote the time that it takes to create these sessions, and to give my absolute best to each client,

I am only able to book a limited number of seniors each month.

 

Pssst.... if you know one of these girls, you might want to ask them

about the exclusive offers they have for their friends!

River Arts District | Asheville, NC Photographer

My husband, daughter and I went on a little drive last night to downtown Asheville.  We wanted to explore the River Arts District as a possible location for a family portrait session.  It's a very cool neighborhood along the Frend Broad River where 165 artists work in studios in old industrial buildings.

Along with the artists studios, we also found lots of graffit walls!

Most of the studios were closed on a Sunday evening, but we did find the Asheville Glass Center open.

They had about 12 different artists work on display.

It was all beautiful!

They also offer different classes that I must go back and attend!

I can't wait to go back to the River Arts District again during the day when more studios are open. 

AND, we found tons of different shooting locations as well!

I also tried my hand at a little night photography.  I was sorry I didn't have a tripod for the slow shutter speeds that I needed to shoot at 9pm.  I was pleasantly surprised with how sharp these images turned out considering they were hand held shots with a 1/30 shutter speed.

These images were all taken at Pack Square Park.

Definitely want to go back and eat at Pack's Tavern!

So much to see and do in Western North Carolina!