Magic in the Woods:
Part 2 of my Most Epic Collaboration
Featuring a few of my favorites:
Photography// Alex Lake
Goddess Dress// Monarch Clothing
Handmade Flower Crown// Goddess Flora
Amethyst Necklace// 60’s Daughter
A big thanks to Elisabeth and Alex, Goddess Flora & 60’s Daughter for helping me make this happen!
Love & Light
So, sometimes my agency gets especially creative. Sometimes they sit around and think “How can we make our models meet for some serious photos? Putting Tara in a TOTALLY commercial engagement shoot with another dashing Q model? And send them on a road trip – a few hours away from where they live? Even though they’ve never met before? Sure! Why not?” (right??…)
Not only did Q stick me and Andreas in a car alone to travel to Santa Barbara together without meeting one another before, to do the most intimate shoot of our lives, we actually (and surprisingly for me, since I assume everyone thinks I’m a geek) had an amazing time getting there and back!! Everyone else on set was so absolutely sweet and down to earth. I rarely get to look “demure and in love”, so this was a treat! Plus, wearing someone’s actual real live wedding ring (no pressure!) was so amazing! Like playing dress up! We got our Free People wardrobe on and were good to go!
The rest of the day was amazing, went smoothly, the sunset was beautiful, the drive was great, we accidentally visited Neverland Ranch (!!!?) and we all had each other laughing! Jess Wilcox brought a team with her, another photographer and an assistant – so I’m not sure who’s photos are what, but I truly love them all!
I saw Andreas recently at a casting (that I booked & he rocked! woo!!) and it was like family. I was in a great mood right away, laughing my butt off, reminiscing. It was just lovely. A huge part of the reason that I love this job, and that I love acting, is that the relationships you form with people on stage, on set or on a shoot is unlike any you get to form with anyone else on a “normal” job or even on a normal day to day basis.
Frankly, the crap you go through sometimes to get a good photo is a ridiculous bonding experience for everyone. I love this energy. I feel it a lot with other models I work with, photographers, wardrobe, MUA’s… It’s really inspired and I feel totally blessed.
I really, really enjoy working with people who live outside of LA sometimes, as this crew was. They bring a sweetness to the shoot that you don’t really ever get in Hollywood, and it made it easy to look happy and in love. 🙂
I really take a lot of pride in this shoot – shot half digital, half with film! It made my heart happy, and it really got my imagination going, but goodness does it put so much in perspective about where I am in life!
Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love engagements and — oh, weddings! I cry at each and every one. I cried at PHOTOS of my best friend’s wedding. Photos. That’s how much weddings get me.
I love that people want to celebrate how they feel about one another. I love that people want to make that unbelievable and sweetest commitment. And goodness gracious do I love my married friends! More freaking power to you. ( My married with children friends get cookies and like 100 years of ridiculous respect. You guys… I’m so proud.) I admire it and I think you’re all really, truly blessed.
I love love. And I think that any way someone wants to show that to another human being is beautiful!
If nothing else, I’m here to say: get your LOVE on, people!
Love is all you need!
Thank you very much.
Love & Light
Welcome, children.
To a tale of Lookbook Collaboration so beautiful, so unbelievable, so cross-continental and amazing and hopeful that you’re sure to stay for the very last photo! So gather round – you’re in for a good one!
An embarrassingly long time ago, Elisabeth Donaldson, Creator and Designer at Monarch Clothing (and a beautiful girl/soul to boot!), sent me over two absolutely fabulous gowns to model and art direct and take some photos in. These pieces were so exquisite, so decadent and so wonderful, and I felt so privileged to have them to make art with, that I immediately (and in a few different locations) did so. Three or four times, actually.
The problem was, something always happened. Either the photos didn’t vibe with me, or they were meant to be tests and didn’t “capture” the dresses, and my final photos with a photographer whoisnottobenamed just never made their way to my inbox. 🙁
I was extremely frustrated, and sending them back with nothing to show for the kindness of receiving them or not making something happen and have something for Elisabeth was not an option in my book! I KNEW that I could do these dresses justice and make something we could all be proud of. So I reached out to Elisabeth about my issues.
Elisabeth is in Nashville, TN,
and I am in Los Angeles, CA.
So I never, in a million years, expected what happened next.
She, being the brilliant art fairy that she is, said, ” You should shoot with my amazing friend Alex Lake. He’s also in LA!“
She put me in touch with this versatile and talented man, and one or two e-mails later, Alex was at my house, which also serves as my studio (click for photos), setting his gear and backdrops up, as I touched up my makeup and tried my best to not let my hair fall flat in my bathroom. 🙂
We had a blast shooting this stuff! I mean so much fun that I didn’t even mind the 39523592 degree weather, and Alex didn’t seem to mind trekking everywhere – we started in my house, then went up to the mountains, then found a quiet little spot by my pad where we captured most of the set you’ll find here, entitled “Over The Meadow And Through The Woods“.
We got to shoot BOTH the dresses, in different places, and it was great fun working with Alex, as well as totally amazing how everything came together in the end! I really, really had a great time making these photos. With the added versatility of the Gardens of Whimsy flower crown, I felt like a little wood nymph all day, and Alex was so sweet and kind about shooting everything! It was really, really nice to have met the way we did, why we did, through a mutual friend like Elisabeth!
(even Raelie was patient and happy about it – albeit a little jealous that my attention was elsewhere)
As an aside, all of Monarch Clothing’s pieces are customizable – so if you’re not super petite like myself, no worries! Elisabeth is very friendly, and very happy to accommodate! 🙂 This girl just loves making beautiful things!
Since WP condenses images, definitely be sure to click the Final Photos below for their hi-res versions!!!
Even though it’s called OVER, we definitely got Out of the Meadow AND Through the Woods on this project! 🙂
A big thanks to Elisabeth and Alex for helping me make this happen!
And to Gardens of Whimsy for the flower crown!
Part 2 / Dress 2 Coming Soon!
And a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me on Kickstarter after my last post!
We are going strong! 🙂
Love & Light
An Exclusive Look Into … THE WAKE UP EP!
CALLING ALL ORGANIC COMPANIES, FASHION BRANDS, STYLISTS, MUAS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, HANDMADE AND ECO FRIENDLY DESIGNERS:
I have teamed up with a great batch of Organic, Eco-friendly, Handmade and Vintage brands thus far, but there are still spots left! If you’d like to chance to be featured in Lookbooks that I am shooting for a series of magazines this year, we will be traveling worldwide to find the greatest inspiration, the best people, the best brands to represent and the most passionate artists to make beautiful things with!
You’re a click away! 🙂
Kindly Contact: TaraMackey@me.com for more information or a chance to be featured!
And keep a lookout on My Organic Life for more updates and opportunities!
Thank you so much for all the love and support this year, everyone!
Love & Health!
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Love & Light
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