Archive for the 'Fashion' Category

Page 2 of 4

Getting Great Wedding Photos, Tip #11: Make Sure Your Hairstyle Looks Good From Any Angle

It turns out that looking great on camera is more sculptural than you’d think; or rather, if you want to look good on camera, think about it like making a good sculpture.  Sculptures look good from any angle.  And on your wedding day, the camera—and all your guests—will see you from lots of angles, not just the front or back.  It’s particularly important that your face not be obscured during the ceremony (unless you’re wearing a veil over your face, of course).  And I’m not saying you need to wear your hair up—I love when brides wear their hair down—just be mindful of multiple viewpoints when you do your hair test.

Below: one of my favorite hairdos ever …

hairstyle1 hairstyle2

photos: Gia Canali

hair: Angelique Stanford, 323-702-5767

Published on December 1, 2009 in Fashion, Photography and Trends. 4 Comments

Notes Toward Beauty

319-genberg6332-Edit

This past weekend, I stumbled upon an exhibition of Lillian Bassman photographs here in LA.  The photographs were stunning—and, as Emily Dickinson would say, I felt as if the top of my head were taken off.  I couldn’t believe I’d never seen Bassman’s work before.  Each woman she photographed was a classic beauty in the way people used to describe old-time movie stars and models.  Long necks and long evening gowns, gloves, hats, and silk and lace lingerie certainly added to the effect, but there was something else that made the women and their photographs so extraordinary.  I think I’d still be hard-pressed to articulate exactly what that is.  The word that comes to mind is grace, or maybe poise.  These women knew how to hold themselves.  And Bassman knew how to present them.  Gloriously.  As I left, I felt dazzled by the photographs, but also wondered where all our glamour had gone.  Like: were women only really beautiful in the 1940s and 50s? (We were puritans and pioneers before and hippies and porn stars afterward).  Or, what in the world had the sexual revolution done to beauty? Did we lose something we should have saved?

A bride on her wedding day is a rare exception, the only one I can think of easily.  A bride can be a classic beauty: feminine, graceful—in ways that seem ever otherwise out of place in our culture.  A woman’s wedding day is the one day in her life where it’s socially acceptable to do and be the things those classic beauties, in their heyday, did and were.  I just wish (sort of wistfully—it seems practically impossible) that we could feel more comfortable with a sort of everyday elegance than we really are nowadays, that we could somehow hold onto part of our once-in-a-lifetime bridal beauty knowledge in daily life.  I am implicating myself here, too.  I’ve worn makeup only about three times in my life (and not that makeup matters much in the point I am making, but I am embarrassed to say I don’t even know how to put it on).  I digress.  I am lucky I choose to photograph brides, for I get to photograph women on the day they are their most beautiful.  This is just to say: brides, all of you are so lovely, true beauties, each and every one.  Cheers to you!

*

A quick read on Lillian Bassman’s career will reveal that she destroyed much of her body of work in the 1960s, and for decades quit altogether making photographs for fashion magazines.  She was wholly frustrated by the new breed of models in the 60s; everything was different. Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever see that in my line of work and art.

photo: Gia Canali

Published on November 13, 2009 in Fashion and Inspiration. 2 Comments

Julia & Eli’s Marvelous Backyard Wedding

giacanali-023

Some weddings are so marvelously right.  Julia & Eli’s was one of them. The equation might have read: happy couple + beautiful yard + perfect day + perfect night + joyous guests + “fireflies” = magical. We’ve featured bits of their wedding all summer, partly because I think this blogging real weddings thing rushes me much too much—as I prefer to turn over my photographic fascinations slowly—but mostly because we loved their wedding.  Even the intangible things, like Eli saying his {vows}.  Above, one of several Polaroid 55s I took.

{click any image to enlarge}

shoes corsage

giacanali-005 peony & succulent bouquet giacanali-006

We loved the whimsical florals and decor by Krislyn.  The groom’s boutonniere was fashioned from a single (tiny) perfect echeveria ‘afterglow’.  I grow them in my garden, and in just the right light, the pinkish rims really do glow.  Below: celebrity stylists Nina and Clare Hallworth help Julia into her gown.   Sweetest up-do ever by Chris McMillan. Chris did Julia’s hair three or four times that morning before he came up with the final look, which made me realize how essential it is to allow all the vendors at a wedding time to give a top-notch performance.  (More on that later.)  I never would have guessed tulips would have been “just the thing,” but they were, and Chris’s hairdo inspired lots and lots of my photographs of Julia.

I spoke with Nina and Clare for a few moments before the reception, and asked if they had any advice for my blog readers.   They said it was so important to take time (by which they meant quiet time) to get dressed.  The way they spoke of dressing, it seemed like dressing oneself and composing oneself were the same act.

Nina and Clare Hallworth veil veil with tulips

Some details from the ceremony.  The huppah was one of a kind, with peonies, branches, and a quilt the groom’s mother made by hand.  Yifat Oren & her gifted crew, led by Amy Cain, masterminded the design and production of the whole affair. Great job, Amy!

lanterns in tree pomegranate huppah huppah pomegranate huppahceremony vows ceremony huppah peonies peonies

♥

wedding ceremony

♥

bride veil accessory bride and groom

bride and groom

Nina and Clare reused Julia’s veil as a wrap during cocktails and dinner.  It was not only a very inventive instantly “upcycled” accessory, but offered Julia a second glorious look for the evening. Bride’s gown, Carolina Herrera.  Groom’s three-piece suit (♥!), Tom Ford.

giacanali-111 giacanali-109 escort cards giacanali-126 centerpiece peony dessert table

toasts toasts

first dance

first dance

hora hora hora

Above: a few images from Julia and Eli’s hora.  I love getting guests out on the dance floor (and before sundown if possible).  It’s one of the few chances we ever have in a wedding day for truly energetic and totally camera unaware photographs of everyone who came out to celebrate your tying-the-knot.

lamp dining glass globe lantern sunset tree

giacanali-138 fireflies

Because it was so sunny and because so much was going on in both the front yard and back yard all day, we couldn’t do any outdoor portraits.  So Julia and Eli agreed to sneak away for a quick walk after their first dances.  So worth it!

Julia felt differently about the sunshiny day.  She was thrilled to wake at six that morning and see the sun was out.  Those of you who live in Southern California will know “June Gloom,” and Julia & Eli’s wedding day was the first day after our (particularly long) June Gloom ended this year.  I laughed when she told me this: when I awoke on my own wedding day, I, too, jumped out of bed to see what the light was like, but was practically gleeful to discover a bright overcast morning!

Julia’s advice? She says to take a couple days to do relaxing things before the wedding.  On the day of the wedding, she had no stress for the first time in the planning process!

sunset kiss

♥

nighttime walk

♥

The End.

p.s. I left lots of stuff out. I want to have photographs to illustrate my “real” posts!

photographs: Gia Canali

Published on November 12, 2009 in Decor, Fashion, Florals, Inspiration, Photography and Real Weddings. 0 Comments

Things I Surprise Myself By Liking: Plastic Hangers. Seriously!

I have all these rules and tips and tidbits in my head (hence the blog, I guess), but it’s quite a thrill when breaking those rules (like, no plastic hangers!) results in something I love …

fancy dress on plastic hanger

Published on October 30, 2009 in Fashion, Inspiration and Real Weddings. 3 Comments

Getting Great Wedding Photos, Tip #7: Have Somebody Else {Really} Learn How To Bustle Your Gown

bustle

I always think the bustling of the gown is a great and funny occasion at weddings.  Actually, and although I never mind, I find myself bustling the gown more often than really makes sense.  (I am not a “pro”).  Many bustles are complicated to figure out, and I have a good feeling that it always seems much easier when your seamstress is showing you with her deft fingers how to do it.  So I suggest you bring to your fittings someone who the seamstress can really teach to bustle the gown.  And then maybe you two can practice again, when you are alone, and it is not your wedding day.  Because it always seems like it’s awfully hard, on the wedding day, for the bride to stand still and be bustled … Much less to do it several times if the bustling comes undone.

happy-bustle

photo: Gia Canali

Published on July 21, 2009 in Fashion and Planning. 2 Comments

The Flattering Wedding Dress

wedding-dress-polaroid{click any image to enlarge}

Nevermind the all-day real-life focus on the bride, let’s say (only) that the bride is in a decent portion of her own wedding photographs.  Perhaps 75% of them, even.  So if we consider the dress as a design element, it needs to be off-the-charts incredible.  But it also needs to be right for the bride—for her body and personality.  It should suit her.

Here are some general considerations to keep in mind when and however the shopping happens:

  1. Keep in mind that the dress will be an important part of setting the tone for the overall wedding design.  Choose a dress that will be appropriate to the venue and type of wedding your planning.  Or, if the dress comes first, then vice versa.
  2. Consider structure and shape.  The dress should be extremely flattering to your specific body.  It should accent your loveliest features and downplay anything you don’t like.  If your collarbone is fabulous, for instance, choose a dress with a neckline that highlights it, rather than a high-necked halter dress.  If your ankles are great, perhaps consider a shorter dress … If you hate your back fat, don’t go for a corset-style bodice.  If you’re wonderfully curvy, the mermaid shape can be a total knockout on you.  The list goes on and on.  If you are having your dress designed and made for you, it’s easy to make these considerations.  But if you’re looking in a shop for a vintage or new ready-made gown, bring someone else.  Someone whose honesty you can depend on.  I think this advice is often-repeated, but judging by the number of bride’s body – to – bodice mismatches, I’d say it’s possibly ignored more often than it should be.
  3. Be sure you can move in it.  Shimmy and shake, walk, dance, twirl, and definitely lean over.  Even if you feel a little silly at the dress shop, it’s totally worth it.  You want to be 100% sure your chest is both flattered and concealed during any movement you might make in front of people on your wedding day.
  4. Be sure the dress is properly and expertly altered.
  5. Wear the best undergarments you can afford, and the right ones for your dress.  I saw a fabulous feature in a gossip magazine recently (truly, and unfortunately I can’t remember which) on what the stars wore under their gowns for the Academy Awards.  I loved that the article seemed like it could have been written Bridget Jones under the headline “Knickers of the Stars” and that it also debunked the myth of effortless Hollywood glamor.  It reinforced something I think about a lot: good undies cover a multitude of wrongs.  In all my years of photographing weddings only one bride has gotten away with wearing absolutely nothing under her gown.   For the rest of us, an honest assessment of what might use a little cinching or perking up is priceless.  Spanx are a well-known option, but lots of other undergarments exist with lots of other self-improvement powers.  More on this in a future post …
  6. Consider craftsmanship.  Most people buy clothing for emotional reasons.  Or rather, it’s an emotional purchase.  I think wedding gowns are at the top of the list here.  But the wedding gown is a big investment for a big day.  So I suggest you take some time to look really, really closely at the gown.  Evaluate it.  Even if you’re not a clothing expert, you’ll be able to see how well made it is.  Look at the hem (if it’s finished), at the seams, the waist; look at the fabric content and at the fabric itself; evaluate the fit on your body.  Fit is an important aspect of craftsmanship (and your future happiness with dress!).  I should mention even if in a whisper … that as much as I love designer clothes and wedding gowns myself, I have seen a couture gown fall apart before the bride even put it on.  So don’t be less tough on a high-end well-known designer.

Happy shopping!  There are zillions of ways and places to get a gown these days … And no matter how many tips I offer, I still think the gown you choose will be the one you fall in love with.  But try to keep your wits about you … in love and in shopping!

{*My sister Reva studies fashion, so she helped me  compile the craftsmanship-evaluation tips.}

UPDATE:  As Jessie pointed out in the comments, lots of brides end up buying the first dress they try on—even if they try lots of other dresses on after it.  So maybe one last tidbit of advice is to choose that first dress to try on very carefully!

dress-shop-polaroid

polaroids by: Gia Canali … I took these dress shopping with my friend Katie on a hot June day in Chicago.

Published on July 8, 2009 in Fashion, Full Articles and Planning. 2 Comments

The Unposing Guide, Part I: Be Carefree in Your Dress

carefree-bride-and-groom carefree-bride-and-groom

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

I thought that here, in the thick of wedding season, is as good a time as any to begin a conversation on how to look naturally beautiful—or natural and beautiful—in front of the camera.  I’d call it a posing guide, but I mean for it to be an unposing guide, as I hope to help you improve your camera presence, even when you’re camera unaware.  And the best place to start is with how you move. This might seem strange because I make still photographs, and not moving ones … but how you look when you move will also be how you look on camera when you move.  In fact, let’s back up.  Your willingness to move around freely will greatly affect the mood and types of portraits and documentation your photographer will be able to get throughout the wedding.  Otherwise all you’ll end up with are static shots.  Most people, these days, anyway, want variety, and at least some pictures that reflect that sort of carefree exhilaration they share with their beloved.  In order to get that, it helps if you can walk together, dance together, move together.  You don’t even have to be adventurous (translation: no running, jumping, or rock climbing involved).  Snuggling is totally acceptable.

The biggest enemy of carefree movement? Anxiety over the dress.

I realize I’m probably preaching to the choir, but let’s get some perspective.  In the fashion industry there’s a thing (I think) called cost-per-wear.  You spend so much on a garment of clothing, you wear it so many times, you divide it out per wear.  Jeans are probably virtually free at the end of their life.  A wedding gown is off the charts.  It costs a lot.  Wear it once.  So, in order to get your money’s worth from the dress (and the day!), let’s say you need to a) enjoy yourself thoroughly, and b) end up with some lovely photographs to prove how beautiful and fun it all was.  So wear the dress.  Don’t be afraid to wear the dress.  Walk in it, dance in it, move in it.  Even if you get a bit of dirt on the train, or someone steps on it, or both of the aforementioned happen before the ceremony, it’s not going to show in the photographs.  Really.  No one (else) will even notice.

photos: {Gia Canali}

Published on July 2, 2009 in Fashion, Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 1 Comment

Rosalinda & Aris’s Los Angeles Wedding

4x5 wedding portrait

Rosalinda and Aris did a wonderful job conceiving their wedding. It involved lots of peculiarly-LA logistical challenges—a ceremony at the church the groom’s family attends in Downey, a reception on a chilly early-spring evening at a private home in Agoura Hills, getting guests to drive the hour-and-ten-minutes between locations—to name a few. But it came together beautifully under the direction of Heidi Mayne from Red25 (whose new site will launch very soon, so be sure to check back).

This wedding initiated me to {Krislyn} whose delicious designs have me swooning … Krislyn made Rosalinda’s balsa wood and Swarovski bouquet (below and previously featured), the wishing tree, and the A + R vase (also below) that sat beside the tree at the reception. Lucky for me, Krislyn did florals at another wedding I photographed recently so I get to indulge (and share!) my newfound obsession.

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

bride and groom terrace bride and groom kiss on terrace

krislyn balsa wood bouquet krislyn bouquet detail the groom orthodox wedding ceremony orthodox ceremony overview orthodox wedding ceremony

orchid bouquet krislyn initials vase

I have to confess, though, my aesthetic obsessions at Rosalinda and Aris’s wedding were varied. Many are indicative of current and coming trends:

  1. Krislyn (cannot be overemphasized). The design is extraordinary. And I am pro-keepsake. Aren’t we all? It’s not only “green” to double duty pieces from your wedding as home decor, it’s wonderful to have more to hang onto.
  2. The groom’s modern slim fit three piece suit from YSL. May all my grooms be so well-dressed. I love that a vest gives the groom not only a perfectly tailored look, but an “alternate” look. He won’t wear the jacket all night anyway.
  3. The bride’s all-over lace gown by Elizabeth Fillmore. It perfectly accented Rosalinda’s lovely figure. The asymmetrical train was pretty fabulous, too.
  4. Bare wooden dining tables, dressed with manzanita or beechwood branches and orchids.
  5. Greek revival fashion, e.g., the bridesmaid dress.
  6. How the bridesmaid’s bouquet accented the color of her dress. This rarely happens so nicely, and was, apparently, an accident. Katie’s Flowers in Downey had set out to make a “neutral” bouquet because they didn’t know what color the bridesmaid would be wearing.
  7. All the nooks and crannies—and the Moroccan flavor—of their friend’s house, where the reception was held. I am always happy for architectural/environmental portrait opportunities. This house offered myriad.
  8. Little wooden wedding sign.
  9. Stone seating “cards” and table numbers.

A sweet little ceremony getaway in the groom’s brother-in-law’s Rolls Royce.

wedding getaway wedding getaway just hitched sign

Some of the sweet reception details … I loved the variety (as I always love variety) in the centerpieces.  Manzanita or beechwood branches strewn with orchids, or wooden boxes full of them decorated each table.  Presenting old family photographs as they did, in a frame, with strings and clothespins, was quite charming.

wedding chair happy wedding sign reception table wooden wedding sign wedding couple wooden sign giacanali-wedding20 cocktails room family photos reception orchids

The light changed quickly as day turned to night, so we snuck portraits here and there, as we could, amongst dancing and toasting.

first dance escort card table stones toy camera wedding portrait

♥
bride by wooden door
♥

wedding couple bride on terrace kiss by the car

A little nighttime love … As I mentioned earlier, Rosalinda & Aris spent most of the night close together. If you want wonderful photographs of you and your beloved late into the night, do this!

moroccan lantern nighttime decor nighttime portrait

dancing dancing giacanali-wedding36

Rosalinda & Aris did an amazing job of designing a gorgeous wedding without it feeling like they were over-producing it. (I think that’s a weird diagnosis of some weddings, but probably true, now that I think about it.) They prioritized having a great party … and it paid off. They danced with each other and their guests into the wee hours of the night. For my own part, I was very happy that they made time, even as the sun set, for me to get out the clunky old 4×5 camera (see top image). I’m looking forward to seeing how these images become themselves, later on …

photo credit: Gia Canali floral centerpieces: Malibu Market & Design lighting: Images By Lighting

Published on June 23, 2009 in Decor, Fashion, Finds, Florals, Photography and Real Weddings. 0 Comments