10 Facts about Me

10 things that you may or may not know about me.

1. I consider myself an introvert. I like talking to people, but it takes me a long time to recover from a social engagement.

2. I am a total tech nerd. I love gadgets and electronics. Sadly, my wallet doesn't like them quite as much.

3. I am a voracious reader. I love to read and always have. I read all the time whether through my photography courses or books, I am always reading something.

4. I am a para-educator who has been working with children for the last 6 years. I worked with kiddos on the spectrum and now work in a school environment.

5. I love most genres of music. Country and jazz are the only two that I will not listen to.

6. I love animals. Most of them. I will not kill a spider in my home if I can help it. I would rather re-locate them than squash them.

7. Camping and the outdoors are big passions of mine when I am not shooting. However, I shoot when we are out so there is rarely a time when I don't have my camera.

8 . I have a horrendous peppermint candy addiction. I love the crunch and the peppermint sensation in my mouth.

9. I love all things horror. Books, movies, etc. I do not like slasher, that is not scary, but give me something suspenseful and scary instead.

10. I love to travel and my bucket list destinations are Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Italy, and Greece.

There ya have it. Some completely random tidbits about me. Some of things you may connect to and others not so much, but that is the beauty of a person. Each is unique in his or her own way.

Bonus fact: I have a silly sense of humor. :) Enjoy the following:

Getting Ready for a Photoshoot

So many things to remember! How can I remember everything? Well, sit back and let me help you plan. First things first. Is this shoot just for you? For you and a partner? For you and your family?

Let's start with wardrobe.

Always choose neutral colored articles of clothing. You can also take a change of outfit or several if you are doing a glamour shoot with me. If you are shooting with a partner or family, everyone should wear the same tones, but avoid patterns for the most part. Bring a change of clothing for any little ones you have because as we all know, keeping toddlers clean is a never-ending battle. We will do a consultation before your shoot and we will go over these details again.

Props-If your kiddos need something to entertain themselves with, you can bring some bubbles (plus they make for cute props in the photoshoot), or another favorite toy or item. Much of the time we can get some super cute photos of your children playing with a favorite object. I tend to like the lifestyle (or candid if you prefer) photography sessions. Bring a blanket or sheet or something to sit on to minimize getting clothing dirty. If you have a senior who may not be diggin the whole photoshoot vibe, bring a ball or something for him/her to do with hands. We don't want this to be a painful process for anyone.

Hair/Makeup-As of now, I do not have a hair and makeup artist. If you are interested in a glamour shoot, I can give tips on makeup, but I cannot apply it for you. I can help with hair to a small degree, but why not book a shoot after your hair appointment? Then your hair looks amazing, is styled by a pro, and we can document it for all time.

Misc. Wipes for clean up, snacks so no one gets hangry, clean clothes for wardrobe changes, treats for pup should you want to shoot with your furbaby, props for your kids, and bring your shiny smile!!!

As always, we will go over all of this during your pre-shoot consultation so you don't have to remember it all now.

Erin Buxton

Erin Buxton Photography

Lynnwood Portrait Photographer

www.erinbuxtonphotography.com

Composite Photography

How many days have we been in lockdown now? Keeping track is getting to be difficult. However, in the interest of continuing to grow as an artist, I am learning as much as I can about other ways to shoot and edit. Countless ways exist to edit and photograph and me being me, I want to explore them all. With so much time on my hands, I have little else to do. I am not complaining though. I love to grow and practice new skills and strive to become and do more.

With all this free time, I have been studying an artist named #BrookeShaden. She is incredible and has a style to her work that I just love. She does composite work and let me tell you, a lot goes into what she does. She may downplay it some, but she goes through quite the process to put together an image. From planning, to wardrobe, to editing, one must be detail oriented to get just the right look.

Though I do not strive to be her, I really love her work and it has got me thinking about different things to do with some of my own work to spruce things up some. I have so many landscapes and photos that when I took them seemed so great, but now seem boring. Now I have a direction to begin to work toward. So, with that, here is an example of some of my own attempts to do composite work. For a first attempt, I feel as though it went well. The subject matter is somewhat nightmarish, but many of us have those dreams of either the seen, or unseen chasing us.

Because this photo makes me think of a Nancy Drew cover, I named it Nancy Drew and the Hospital Horror.

Now that I talked about my new direction, let me ask you all, what are you learning and doing during all this time at home?

Erin Buxton

#LynnwoodPhotographer

#erinbuxtonphotography

Makeup Trends for Spring 2020

 While we are stuck at home, why not try a new makeup look? If you are like me, you tend to stick to neutral colors. Of course they look amazing, but for spring, it's time to mix it up! Bright colors and stickers are on trend for spring. Stickers? Oh yeah!! You can put a little star sticker under each eye, or you can get craft pearls to place around your eye using eyelash glue. That way you can be decorated, look trendy, but not mess with your makeup much!!! Yay. That is music to my ears. I am no makeup guru so the less fuss, the happier I am with the look. A few of the websites that I researched also say white liquid liner is making a comeback! You can do a fancy cat eye, or simply line your top lashes. Just be sure the eye makeup doesn't cover it up as you want the white to be the focus.

Photo from Ipsy

For your lips, you can apply your pink shade to the middle of your lips. From there, use a blending brush to smudge the lipstick to the edges of your lips for a nice feathered spring look.

For your cheeks, we are layering. Start with a cream blush, then blend a powder over the top. The key is to look just kissed with color, not overdone.

One final tip for an all over look is to go monchromatic!! Yes, pink eyeshadow, pink cheeks, and pink lipstick. Perfect for spring!!!!

Have fun playing with your new look!!

Erin Buxton Photography

Portrait Photographer in Lynnwood, WA

Photographs for a Curvy Body

So often I hear, "I can't get my photo taken until I lose 20 pounds." My job as your photographer is to make you look stunning. I use posing and camera angles to make you look your best. Another consideration is your family. Your family loves you unconditionally and will love your photos!! Some day your family will be looking for printed photographs of you. Do not let anything stand in your way. You are beautiful the way you are and your family loves you unconditionally. I understand it can be daunting to have your photograph taken so with that, here are some photos of me, who is also 20 or more pounds heavier than I would like, but I wanted some portraits of me I could be proud of. I also want something for my daughter so when I am gone, she has something to hold on to. Please give yourself some grace and do not let anything keep you from getting portraits taken.

3 Simple Steps to Better Photographs

We all have a lot of time at home right now. This means you are probably pulling out your phone and snapping photos of pets, loved ones, selfies, or food. These steps are super easy and you can incorporate them right now so when you post on social media, your photos look a lot better.

When you frame up your cute kiddo or pet, be sure that the area around your subject is clean. So often people do not realize what else is in the photograph. Be mindful and look around, in your camera, before snapping that photo! We do not want to see a plant growing out of your sweet child's head. Move the camera if you have to, but try to eliminate those background objects.

I see people post photos that are so dark I can barely see what they are trying to show. If you are inside, try to position your subject near a window. If there is no window, turn on a light. The light will bring out more details of whatever you trying to capture We want to see your cute baby, or pet, or even your dinner, but if it's too dark, the details fade away.

Lastly, I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have seen a photo that is totally out of focus, yet people post them anyway. The easiest way to be sure your picture is in focus is to have enough light. Most cell phones are not designed to take photos in the dark. They are designed however to look good in any light source, unlike a camera, but that is a story for a different day.

So here you have it. Three steps that are super easy to start doing now and you will see a drastic difference in your photos. Whether you use a camera, or a cell phone, slow down and take a quick minute to be sure all of these elements are in place before you snap that photo.