Winterhymn

I have been using the down time I have before wedding season kicks in to get out of the house and have a little fun!  As you can tell from my previous posts, this fun involves taking pictures of really cool people. :)   I was introduced to this band, Winterhymn, by Jill, the  beautiful ice goddess from this shoot.  Her sister, Kate plays violin in the band.  As soon as she told me they were folk metal, I was dying to see what it was all about.  They are competing in the The Greater Cincinnati Band Challenge at the Mad Hatter so I went to the show last Sunday.  They are too much fun and full of energy.  I was super stoked when they did a Dio tribute at the end of their set.  They made it to the final round which is March 5th at the Mad Hatter, be sure to check it out! 

I am going to Mexico!!

Today I am feeling like one of the luckiest girls in the world!  I am hopping on a plane tomorrow morning to photograph my first destination wedding in beautiful Mexico!  Shanean the bride is one of the super hot girls in the Boudoir gallery on my website.  I also photographed her engagement pictures downtown with her handsome fiance, Ryan.  They are such a great couple.  I am grateful for this amazing opportunity,  I cant wait to stick my toes in the sand....Ahhhh!!!

Congrats to Shanean and Ryan!!!

Artists and their space

“When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I’d like to know them.”Annie Leibovitz

brighton, bmw, canadian cigarettes, cat, amazing eyes, support, film, art shows, green, nail chair, watches, heterochromia, painting, smoke, dryer heat, gallery, natural light, yellow, signed print, wicked hair,  bricks through windows, blackberry, bikers, sculptures, sunglasses, 1980's, darkroom, weddings, Mark Gergen, reflective, genuine, closet full of jackets, altered camera, chains, Pollock, polaroid, dreams, new wave, auto log, tap water, mirror, red, courtyard, Rhonda Gushee, blue, windows, mixed media, Synthetica

Mason Paul, owner of Synthetica m Gallery

Experimenting in the snow

Before this, I had never really done a shoot in the snow.

I wanted to create something dramatic and dreamy.

Jill was beyond amazing to work with.

These are a few I shot with my Polaroid camera using The Impossible Project's Color Shade film for the first time.  I love how creepy cool they turned out.

iPhone Thursday

This week iPhone Thursday is nothing but a tease.  This is Jill, The Nordic Ice Queen from my earlier post.  I shot this session with my digital camera, my film camera, my polaroid camera, and my iPhone.  I should have a full post next week.  

Wedding Wire Award

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. My past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

This means Nikita Gross Photography stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

Kinda cool, huh?  Thank you to all of my clients and their awesome reviews for helping me achieve this. :)

So much fun!

I am using the down time I have from weddings to work on a few personal projects that have been stirring around in my head.  As an artist I feel it is very important to find a nice balance between the work I get commissioned to do and work I do for myself.  I love when I get the chance to push myself creatively and to experiment, this past weekend that is exactly what I did.  I literally have a photography high right now.  I will have full posts soon.

Dave called her a Nordic Ice Queen.  I think that is the perfect name for these images.  My first real snow shoot. Mason is a very cool artist/gallery owner. I had the pleasure of spending a fantastic afternoon with him yesterday at his home/gallery.  It was wicked cool!

Jen Pritchard and I have been working like mad to get the details together for love+bash.  We officially booked the venue Friday.  We are very excited to share all of the details at love+bash.com later this week!

Museum Bound

Happy iPhone Thursday!

Today I am taking a trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see Wedded Perfection:  Two centuries of wedding gowns featuring my former photography instructor,  Stephanie Carson.  I am sure it will be very crowded since it is the last week it will be shown here in Cincinnati.  I refuse to miss this exhibit, I am dying to see all of the gorgeous vintage gowns and Stephanie's stellar work. :)

**Update**

I just got back from the exhibit and I am still trying to catch my breathe.  The dresses were unbelievable, it was wonderful to learn about their origin and the history of the women who wore them.  Stephanie's work was the perfect dose of humor in a very prestigious show.  Wow!  If you have not gone to see this exhibit there are a few more days left,  hurry up, go now!  You will not be disappointed.

Eve Disconsolate by Hirum Powers taken at my last museum visit this past summer.

Mason Jars as Decor

They can be used as rustic vases, eclectic candle holders, unique glassware for your signature drink or as a great vessel for a DIY wedding favor.   I saw them at my local grocery store for less than $10 a case and they are always at the local thrift stores for next to nothing.   If you want to use antique mason jars Traders World Flea Market has an entire booth dedicated to them.  They add the perfect vintage touch to any wedding or event.

Look at all of these great ideas I found over at  Oh Lovely Day. Check out this awesome idea for Bloody Mary's.  I found this over at The Sweetest Occasion. See how to make these silhouettes here.