Fulfilling a Bucket List Goal

Today I start the first of many posts about my recent blogging tour that I went on the week between the 9th to the 17th of September . I had a full schedule of things I wanted to do while visiting points of interest from Burbank to Santa Cruz Ca.,. One thing that I really wanted to make happen and something that had been on my bucket list since childhood was to have a professional photo shoot and lucky for me Dream Out Loud Photography and Make up Artistry by Donna, both from the Anaheim area...or at least the studio they work out of, were happy to make that happen for me. 

Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be like the models that I saw in the magazines or the movie stars that I saw in the movie stills from the old time movies that I always adored, of course being a petite girl, being anything but the super slender and tall girls that I saw in my magazines and not being classically beautiful or even cute ( in my eyes) , being shy, an introvert, with low self esteem and living in a small farming community, I pretty much figured that would never ever happen. I did have a chance of course to work with a professional photographer, for high school senior portraits, family portraits at Sears, or later as a gift for the hubby in sexy shots for Valentines day, but that was not modeling...and other than the V-day gift session it was not about being beautiful and model like. Flash forward many years to when I started this blog and got involved in social media, and I began to pose for photos to share, so I was "modeling" , but it was not in my mind, and I guess pretty safe to say, as my hubby was taking the photos with my camera and later phone, the same thing.  As I got deeper into the pin up culture, that really encompasses vintage loving/wearing , retro/retrophiles, rockabilly and true pinup ladies and seeing them all, every shape, size and height having photo shoots with professionals it really ignited in me that old desire to do one as well..to feel special, beautiful and experience what it would be like to be a model for a photographer other than my husband. Reality is most of these pinup models are young enough to be my daughter. Being a woman of 50, drooping eye lids, getting a bit of a double chin, and crepe like skin and laugh lines and having salt and pepper hair that has a shade of subtle pink and purple to it, I hardly look like most of the lovelies I see in the photos.... I thought who would really want to work with me when they can work with young beauties?! HOWEVER when I was planning the blogging tour I took a chance and approached Victor of DOLP and asked if he would work with me to realize a dream, and he and his partner Donna were very enthusiastic about the prospect. So we made plans. 

The beautiful Donna, both Victor's muse and make up artist on his shoots 

We made the 6 hour drive to Burbank on Friday the 9th , myself in 80 pin curls wrapped up in a scarf ( ready to do my hair the next day) and the next day bright and early, at 6 a.m.,  I got up and did my hair, as Donna was not familiar with working with short hair ( not a lot of pin ups have short hair) , and at 8 a.m. Victor and Donna arrived at our hotel, the famous Safari Inn there in Burbank,  to do my make up. It might surprise many, but I have only had my make up done professionally a couple of times, and that was at a make up counter many years ago. It was wonderful! It is physically painful and hard for me to do my own make up, and it is, let me tell you a real treat! Donna is very good at what she does, and is very quick at it as well... and she does not mind sharing tips and tricks. 

Once the make up was done they departed for the Wonderland Studios in Anaheim and I got dressed in my first outfit that I would be wearing and we followed behind. A little over and hour later I was standing in front of the camera, a big fan aimed on me, white back drop and bright lights shining, and the fun began. I was at first nervous, but being shot by Victor with Donna to help, and being friends with them online already and having already broken the ice during the make up application, I had no reason....all the fears and anxiety I had leading up to the day, all the butterflies flew right out the proverbial window!! Victor directed me on how to stand, where to look and had Donna help with wardrobe issues or examples and sometimes they just let me do my own thing, let me take the lead and shot those poses as well. Three outfits later we were all done and my hubby and myself were off to go explore Magnolia Blvd in Burbank and do some major shopping, but more on that in a later blog. I had such an amazing experience and it is one that now I want again and again.... and I plan on seeking out other photographers to work with..... to recapture that feeling. It is not a vanity thing, it is more of an empowering thing and now I understand why all the pinup ladies like doing them...and for me it was also as close to a bucket list fulfillment of being a professional model as I think I shall get. Of course with the appearance of so many older models in the media and fashion world, who knows?   

Below is a few photos from the session, I will be posting the final shots at a later date once I receive them, and also posting a quick little video with more shots of the process on my Ruby's Musings You Tube channel on Friday, the link of which is always on the left hand side bar or on my FB fan page. 

Dress is by Bernie Dexter,
hat from Polished Raven ( link in right hand side bar)

Dress is from Hearts and Roses , hat a vintage find

Dress is from Le Bomb, link in right hand side bar , hat a vintage find.

My photographer and posing coach Victor

My make up artist and posing assistant Donna

Find Dream Outloud Photography via the link on the side bar which will lead you to their FB page or by going on instagram to 

@dreamoutloudphotography23