opal: May 2009

a look behind the scenes

My name is tammi swanson. I am a photographer, a children's clothing designer, and a stylist. I have also been a model, and a hair and makeup artist. My life, it seems, has always been surrounded by photo shoots and the fashion industry. My passion is children's editorial photography, and children's clothing. The stylist in me is always searching for the perfect items for photo shoots, so I have finally decided to turn my ideas into a children's collection. I see the end result, which is the photo shoot, in my head, and that is where I begin. I describe my designs to my pattern maker, we work out all of the details, and then I shoot the pieces the way I have them envisioned. It's all about creating a story, the mood, the beauty of childhood. I love the children in rennaisance paintings, pale sea and sand colors and tree-lined paths. I love formal gardens, small towns, farms and the countryside. Hopefully, some of you love these things too. This blog will tell the behind the scenes story of how it all comes together. Including what's really going on before, during, and after the photo shoots!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Inspiration

Sometimes you get inspiration from the most interesting things. We went to an art exhibit, put on by Authentique Gallery, at the beautiful new Town Hall in Santa Clara last week. I saw Marty Ricks and some of his new paintings. One in particular caught my eye of a tree lined drive. I thought it would make the greatest location for Opal. While we were looking at all of the beautiful paintings on display, Julie Rogers was painting a little girl. Her paint pallet was gorgeous, so I photographed it as well. The paint actually looks like a landscape itself. I also discovered a new artist that I loved, Steven Lee Adams. Anyway, here are some images and I'm so excited to have discovered the tree lined drive! I've also included some other paintings that have always inspired me for Opal.

Marty Ricks