Designing Indie
  • Photography
  • Illustration + Graphic Design
  • Workshops
  • Blog

A Halloween Anniversary Illustration

10/31/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Eli reached out to me about creating a custom illustration as an anniversary gift and since their anniversary happens to be on Halloween he wanted them to be in costume. Also, I had to find a way include their adorable pooch!

This custom illustration was created on Procreate on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. I used the dry ink brush to illustrate the lovebirds and the dog, and I used various paint brushes to create the background.

I loved doing this spooky, special family portrait illustration. Join me in wishing the couple a very happy anniversary and many more years of love together!
Picture
Reference Photo
Picture
Reference Photo
Custom illustrations make terrific gifts for all occasions! If you are interested in ordering a custom illustration, shoot me a message!
Book Today!
0 Comments

Shooting the Springfield Art Museum: Eye to I Exhibit

10/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've been the official photographer for all the Springfield Art Museum's exhibits and events for 2 years now. It was one of the first contracts I signed when I started my business in October of 2018 and I have loved every minute of it. It combines my love of art with my love of photography. Sometimes things are just meant to be like that.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Shooting the exhibits this year has been a little different experience, and I have missed all the usual events the art museum puts on, especially Art in Bloom and the 99x events. I hope they are able to do them again next year!

One of my favorite parts of shooting the exhibits at the museum is finding creative shots of patrons interacting with the art--that's of course been harder this year. Some exhibits this year I have shot while the museum wasn't even open to the public--but then, that's pretty cool in and of itself... having the whole museum basically to yourself. Unlike Night At The Museum, I'm sorry to report nothing came to life... or did it? I'll never tell!
Picture

This piece above was my absolute favorite. When I first starting shooting it, I thought I was getting a reflection of the art museum off the glass, but then I realized the "reflection" was part of the painting! So skillfully done. I just love everything about this piece, the colors, the details, the light...I could stare at it for hours. 
Picture
If you're in Springfield, MO I highly encourage you to check out the Springfield Art Museum's Eye to I exhibit. They also currently have the This & That: Cartoons by Bob Palmer exhibit up, as well as their permeant collection Creating an American Identity.  
Picture
This & That: Cartoons by Bob Palmer at the Springfield Art Museum
Picture
This & That: Cartoons by Bob Palmer at the Springfield Art Museum
0 Comments

An Extra Special Graduation Photoshoot

10/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
As a reminder, I offer free adoption day family portraits and provide other photo services for free for kids in foster care.

This was an extra special graduation photoshoot! Kaleigh is a young woman in foster care. It’s estimated that only 30-50% of youth in foster care graduate high school and the stats are even worse for going on to college. Kids in foster care have so many hurdles to overcome through no fault of their own. 

There are a lot of ways you can help by either donating resources to programs that help kids in care or becoming a CASA (I’m one if you have questions) or becoming a foster parent. There are a lot of kids who need a safe and loving home either as a permanent placement or for a time period while their parents work to get to a place where they can parent again. I encourage you to take a few minutes today to research what you can contribute to making this world a better place for kids in foster care.

​ Thanks!
0 Comments

An Intimate Fall Wedding With Social Distancing at Stockton Lake

10/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
This was my second wedding shoot during the pandemic. A third that I had scheduled for this month was postponed for next year, along with others. Both this wedding and my last during the pandemic were downsized to small, intimate outdoor gatherings where social distancing and masks were mandated. While I am grateful that people are following these guidelines, it does create a whole new set of challenges as the wedding photographer!

This wedding took place at the gorgeous Stockton State Park on Stockton Lake in Missouri. The temperature was perfect, the sun was harsh and setting. The bride and groom both wore glasses and masks, along with the rest of the guests. I think you see where I'm going with this... I was also wearing glasses and a mask, shooting into the sun half the time due to where we were positioned on the bluff. So my glasses are fogging up and half the time I'm shooting using muscle memory and faith that my auto focus is focusing where I am needing it to focus. Not ideal, but hey! That's the joy and challenge of wedding photography. It's a game of improvisation and how well you can live in the moment and make the best of whatever is thrown your way!
Picture
Picture
Picture


​I knew that if I just took a ton of photos, I would at least get a good handful that I could edit into something beautiful that would match the beauty of the moment... because this wedding was beautiful in it's paired-down autumn simplicity and full of character. You could feel the love of everyone in attendance and the care with which they took to keep everyone there safe. I was honored to be invited to capture this love story and grateful to have been given the chance to explore an area I had never been to before. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
My advice for photographers shooting weddings during this pandemic? Invest in a great wide-lens camera for socially distanced wedding party photos! The bigger the wedding party, the wider the lens needs to be!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The bluff overlooking the lake was gorgeous but unfortunately the sun was on the less-than-ideal side so when I shot them, Catie & Ryan were just dark silhouettes against the sparking blue water. I knew I would have to do some creative editing to make them work, but thankfully it worked out. I love how their style, the fall colors, and the turning leaves all worked together to create a look that feels both vintage and timeless.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
I shot about 1800 images during the four hour period I was there. I edited those down to about 600 which I edited in Lightroom, about half of which I also edited in Photoshop afterward to touch up things further. All photos were delivered within 5 days of the ceremony. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
The specialness of getting married in 2020 is the challenges you overcome to get down the aisle any way you can, and the photos taken that document this strange time in history for all future generations. I wish Catie & Ryan a lifetime of happiness and love, and I hope they look back on these photos fondly for many years to come.
Picture
0 Comments

Zodiac Tee Product Photoshoot for Culture Flock

10/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
 I don't think I've ever felt such strong imposter syndrome before this week. It's just been one of those weeks where everything is happening so fast that it feels hard to conjure the special sauce of creation. I had four photo shoots for 12 shirts for Culture Flock and then a wedding, all in one week, plus regular work hours, et all. In short, I felt like a chicken with her head cut off running and shooting and hoping I got the shot, and then editing when not shooting and second guessing myself and re-editing and third guessing myself and re-editing and thinking of all the ideas I could have done but didn't think of in time and then hitting "send" with a prayer and baited breath, just hoping I didn't let everyone down. I don't know... is it at all comforting to know that all these years of doing photography and two years into this being my official business that I'm struggling with feeling "legit" or is it depressing to know that? It is what it is, I suppose. Just a part of the human condition. 
Picture
Picture
This was a great week for my business and I should be celebrating that, instead of beating myself up over all I could have done better... but then, that serves a purpose too, doesn't it? Things to do differently next time so I can create even better work than I have before. This is the process of progress--create, make some mistakes, learn, create better, make different mistakes, learn, create better and so on and so forth until the end. But enough about that! Let's get to the photoshoot itself and these awesome tees on these gorgeous gals!

Working with Culture Flock is always a dream come true--I love their products and I love their mission and I love the creative freedom they give me on these photoshoots. We decided to create four sets with four models modeling all the shirts for each element of the zodiac sign. So Charlotte modeled all the air signs (above)... which had "air swirls" and a yellow backdrop.
Picture
Picture
Michelle (above) modeled the fire signs and had a fire crown and candles for her set on a pink backdrop. I made the decision to light the candles in post since my studio is a wood paneled basement and the candles were set on wood crates on a paper backdrop... just seemed like that would be tempting fate.
Picture
Picture
Randa (above) modeled the earth signs (hi! Taurus here!) with plants on a gorgeous green backdrop.
Picture
Picture
And Kimber modeled the water signs with a blue backdrop, blue floral touches, and vases of water. 

These shirts are selling out fast, so be sure to grab yours while you still can at ​https://cultureflock.com/

And if you're feeling like an imposter at all this week, just know you're in good company and keep trucking along... the feeling will pass, and your talent and skill will continue to improve the more you do it. 

PS. Culture Flock's response to the photos was, "I just wanted to say these photos are fucking awesome! Thank you so much! You are SO talented and we love working with you!" So take that imposter syndrome! Take that right to the bank, ya dummy. 
0 Comments

Creating An Expedited Black & White Logo Design

10/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
When Andrea texted me at 6pm last Wednesday asking if I could create a professional logo for her new pop-up shop, The Local Bevy, I was in the middle of cooking dinner and trying to pay a utility bill online that wasn't going through. She had a lot of ideas for what she wanted, which is good--because it gives me clear boundaries to create within that I know my client already likes. Speaking of boundaries... since I no longer live alone and just work all the time (my partner Kimber is trying to patiently remind me to slow down and make time to relax sometimes too--what a concept!), I have been working to get better at putting boundaries like work hours and more realistic timelines for turnaround so I don't get burnt out so much. It is very much a work in progress for me and something I struggle with--I just want to say yes to every opportunity because I'm so grateful for each one that comes along and I want to get it done as good and fast as possible for my clients! Ho, boy--we got an overachiever on our hands here. Hi. It me. I aim to please. To a fault sometimes. BUT I'M WORKING ON IT. THANK YOU.
Picture
So, in this spirit, I told Andrea that I would touch base with her the next day when I had a little more time to devote to understanding what she was looking for. The next day, we picked up where she left off the night before. She sent me some mock-ups she had drawn and created on one of those "instant logo" creation sites. She told me what she liked and didn't like  and I went to work creating several options for her to choose from.
Picture
I always like to include a few designs that are a little outside of the specifics a client gives me, if I think it will look good, just to give them something else they may not have considered otherwise. In this case, options 1 and 2 were pretty different from what she was looking for, but I liked them enough to include them and give her another option to consider. Turns out, she ended up liking #2 and #6 best, but she wanted to see #6 with the #2 font. 
Picture
I made that revision and sent her the final two logo designs for her to choose from. See which one she choose below:
Picture
Be sure to check out The Local Bevy:
"A temporary holiday pop-up featuring a collection of local handmade art, crafts, and goods located in historic Pickwick Place. Open until December 31, 2020."
0 Comments

    Author

    I'm Andie Bottrell, a multidisciplinary creative based in Springfield, MO. This blog is designed to give you an inside peak into the process behind my projects and to share my work. 

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020

    Categories

    All
    About Me
    Behind The Adoption Day Photoshoot
    Behind The Album Cover Design
    Behind The Art Museum Shoot
    Behind The Illustration
    Behind The Logo Design
    Behind The Music Video
    Behind The Shoot
    Behind The Wedding
    Foster Care

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Photography
  • Illustration + Graphic Design
  • Workshops
  • Blog