Today may be Black Friday but tomorrow is Small Business Saturday! In lieu of our favorite studio project, Focus on Wallingford, we wanted to remind you of some of our favorite local businesses. On behalf of ourselves and these places, we want to thank you for your business and loyalty! Shopping local not only benefits your town but families and people who are just like you and doing something they love for work. Although it may cost a little more at times, you can't put a price tag on the added customer service and knowledge of these business owners. Enjoy these few weeks of the holiday season and the new year! Don't forget to shop local tomorrow and all year long.

I've been dying to share these images from another styled shoot with our friends from Salon Le Rae and The Dressing Room! I have loved each of our collaborations in the past but the edginess and overall idea for this shoot was so different from anything else we had done, I couldn't wait to put it into action! 

We decided to switch things up a bit and went from fancy prom dresses to the complete opposite edgy look with leather, black, dramatic makeup and hair. Our model, Marissa, is not only beautiful but also an amazing athlete and all around great girl. She’s the only girl on her high school's weightlifting team, an amazing softball player, crossfitter AND an Impressions Studio employee! You can find Marissa assisting me on on-location shoots in the summer and fall, carrying lights and reflectors. (Good thing she’s strong!)

I showed Jessica from Salon Le Rae some high fashion hair looks I loved and she pulled the vision together with the braided fo-hawk. Jessica also did Marissa's makeup. We started off doing something edgy but not over the top...we decided to take it to the full potential. This isn't something you get to do everyday, so why not! It was so fun to see Maris dressed in such a different style than usual! 

Now, let's talk location! Once we got the concept for styling hair and makeup down we needed a space. I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a loft type space with big windows, high ceilings and exposed brick. In talking to Chris from the Dressing Room, she said she knew the perfect space…and it was right in the center of town! She showed me a photo of The Confetti Room and I was sold! It was exactly what I had envisioned. When I walked in, it somehow was even better than I imagined, I was in LOVE! The light and overall feeling of this place was a photographers' dream.

Jess from The Confetti Bar was so warm and welcoming and has done such cool things with the space. We can't thank her enough for allowing us to play in Confetti Land for the day! Side note: Jess and I plan on working together more in the future. We will be offering a Confetti Session add on for our Class of 2016 Seniors that is going to be a BLAST! Stay tuned for the date and details on that.

I LOVE these black and white pictures. I really can't pick a favorite from the whole shoot but something about Marissa's expression and the painted radiator against the brick and showing the space makes my heart smile! Love it!!

Below are a few more of our favorites from this session. Keep an eye out for next weeks blog post...a FOW featuring who else but Jess of The Confetti Bar!

Hair and Makeup: Jessica Finn of Salon Le Rae

Oufit Styling: Chris of The Dressing Room

Outfit: Dress; Nicole Miller. Leather jacket; Blue Pearl by Allen B. Schwartz. Pants; Articles of Society. Top; Nicole Miller

Last February I worked with Rachel, the owner of Salon Le Rae for the first time and ever since we jump at any opportunity. These last few months I have been collaborating with the Salon and a local boutique for some styled shoots (last week I blogged our Audrey Hepburn shoot). Rachel is so talented in her craft, smart and driven. I am honored every chance I get to work with her. Below is a small piece of what Rachel wants our readers to know about herself and her awesome salon!

"I have always had a passion for the beauty industry since I was a young girl, I always knew I would be apart of the industry someday. After graduating from high school at Lyman Hall I went straight  to cosmetology school. I then worked at a salon in Wallingford but after a couple years I decided I wanted to learn more about my industry so I then ventured to a salon in Westport, CT where I went through intense training learning more coloring and hair cutting techniques. After being there for a couple years I began working at a salon in West Hartford, CT where I specialized in weddings. This is where I found my passion, I love nothing more than making a bride feel and look beautiful on her wedding day! In January of 2011 I bought an existing salon in Wallingford. It was so nice to have my own place where I could finally bring everything I had learned throughout my career into my own business. I have always had a special love and connection to Wallingford since I moved here from the Midwest when I was 16 years old. I knew there was no better place to open my salon. There are so many small businesses in Wallingford that are all striving to be successful but the difference with our town is our sense of community we have here. We all want our fellow businesses to succeed, even if we are in the same business! You do not always find that, and that's what makes our town so special. Since opening I have hired five more stylists and we continue to grow every day. We offer all hair services including hair extensions, makeup, spray tanning, eye lash extensions, waxing and specializing in hair and makeup for brides. I love nothing more than having my own business while fulfilling my passion of the beauty industry. I would not have wanted to do it anywhere else but here in Wallingford, CT where I have the love and support from all our local businesses!"

Thank you for your time Rachel! I look forward to our next collaboration and hope our readers enjoyed this weeks Focus on Wallingford excerpt.

This winter at Impressions, I've had the pleasure of partnering up with The Dressing Room and Salon Le Rae for a multitude of styled shoots. I have collaborated with both vendors before for a variety of things and getting to do these shoots together has been so much fun! 

We started our series with an Audrey Hepburn inspired shoot to showcase some prom dresses from The Dressing Room. When we came up with the idea I knew just who to ask to model! I did Maggie's senior pictures this summer and she's such a sweet girl! To top it off, not only is she beautiful to the eye but on the inside as well - I couldn't wait to work with her again. 

Rachel and Jess from Salon Le Rae nailed the hair and makeup.  I was so happy with how much it looked like the Breakfast at Tiffany's Audrey hair - 100% the look we were going for. The Dressing Room offers dresses from top designers. Maggie rocked these dresses by LM by Mignon 

I feel like this shoot really complimented my "classic style of photography". I enjoy the simplicity of an image and working with high contrast black and white was fun. Being able to photograph and showcase each business in a different "light" has been one of the best parts. I enjoy playing with angles and focal lengths to capture the beauty of the makeup done by the Salon as well as the details of the garments. Playing with the images in post production to give them a slight vintage feel with a modern twist was great because I don't often get the chance to do that. 

I really love these images and I hope you do too! 

We decided to jump in on the shoot with our lovely model.  From left to right, Rachel of Salon Le Rae, Maggie, Christine Rinere of The Dressing Room and myself!