Joshua Tree & Salton Sea Feat. Peoples Project LA

I went to a photography meet-up a few weeks ago hosted by @rubyjamesphoto, @irenerudnykphoto, and @jessicakobeissi. I found out about it through another photographer friend @messinaphotos. The meet-up was at 6pm in Echo Park... so by that time it was already dark and surprisingly windy and cold. Sounds kinda sketchy to meet a bunch of random people you don't know in a public park when it's dark outside haha but it all worked out okay. I was talking in a big group and we all thought it would be a good idea to do a day trip to Joshua Tree and the Salton Sea and started a group message. Our group of 7 or 8 people turned into just 3 of us,  @koltinsullivan, and myself!

Koltin and I planned the meet-up for his place and started reaching out to models, photographers and other creatives! We ended up getting a group of 7 (@serenalisaa, @juliaamotta, @exit_the_minute, @photosby_laurence, @asantov, @koltinsullivan, and myself) leaving from Glendora and met another group of 4 (@brittneyborowski, @heysalem, @sarahwaseaton, & @justinomega) at Joshua Tree.

Big shout out to @peoplesprojectla for some of the goods I shot with in Joshua Tree! I love working with local brands and love even more when they are committed to philanthropy and the environment. Peoples Project LA is partnered with Heal The Bay,  which is a non-profit organization dedicated to making our coastal oceans safe, healthy, and clean. Ten percent of the proceeds from Peoples Project LA go to Heal The Bay - YAY! Their stuff is so cute too! I'm wearing a gray top, light blue floral dress, and denim jacket from them. 

After Joshua Tree, we went to this random Mexican restaurant  for lunch that was actually pretty good. There we met another one of Brittney's friends, @gregkantra. Lunch was pretty fun with all of us but then the group split up after and the original 7 of us continued to the Salton Sea!

The Salton Sea area was pretty much deserted but we surprisingly found 2 people living around there and lots of puppies haha. The sand was more just like crushed fish bones and your shoes would sink into this salty toxic mud.. honestly pretty gross and smelled kinda bad. We were there around sunset and the sea was so serene, it looked like glass and was almost an optical illusion because there was no movement in the water!

We shot until it was dark and then did the long drive back to Koltin's (about 2-3 hours) and everyone went their separate ways! This was probably one of my favorite shoots to date because I met so many awesome creative people, went on an fun day trip, and got a lot of good content! Can't wait to do a shoot something like this again!

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Saltwater Luxe Collaboration

This was probably one of my favorite shoots I've ever done! I had the pleasure of working with Saltwater Luxe, a casual luxury brand based in Long Beach, California. No joke, their office is two minutes from my apartment!! As you guys know, I'm a huge advocate of ethically sourced goods and Saltwater Luxe is Los Angeles made (yay no sweatshops!), and often sources vintage fabrics reducing their carbon footprint. Their style is beachy bohemian with a little adventure. Toria Webber (model) and I sought to capture the wanderlust #SWLBabe vibe and hit the road on a day trip to Angeles National Forest just east of Pasadena. Side Note: I highly recommend going on a weekday, there were barely any cars or people! We also ventured around some neighborhoods around Pasadena. It was so much fun and I can't wait to work with Toria and the gals over at Saltwater Luxe again in the future!

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

One of my oldest and best friends, Kelsey Hughes, and I decided to go on a day trip to Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, AZ about an hour or so out of town. I was amazed on how much there was to do out there! We just went on the main trail which passed through multiple greenhouses, a bridge, a creek, and a short scenic hike around the area.

I recommend going here during the winter because everything is outside, not much shade, and your going to be drenched in sweat, likely getting a sunburn in 90+ degree weather if you don't. Unlike most national parks, scenic areas, and nature spots, there is an actual address to pinpoint where you are going and there is a huge parking lot which makes life way easier. You likely won't have cell service all day either and there aren't any food or snacks to buy so make sure to pack your own food! This is definitely worth a trip and makes for an awesome get-out-of-town day trip with friends!

Denim Shirt (Kelsey) - American Apparel

Black Distressed Skinny Jeans (Kelsey) - Topshop

Cream Fringe Sweater (Allison) - Free People

Vegan Suede Brown Hat (Allison) - Gigi Pip

High-Waisted Blue Denim Skinny Jeans (Allison) - Free People

Brown Vegan Western Booties (Allison) - Coconuts by Matisse

Black Vegan Suede Hat - Free People

Army Green Denim Shirt (Allison) - American Apparel

Taupe Shirt (Kelsey) - Kastlfel 

High-Waisted Black Denim Skinny Jeans (Allison) - American Apparel

Maroon Fuzzy Sweater (Allison) - Kensie

Black Tri-Blend Racerback (Allison) - American Apparel

Vegan Waterproof Hiking Boots (Allison) - Jeffrey Campbell, purchased on Poshmark

 

 

Camelback Mountain

Went out for a shoot around Camelback Mountain to feature some of my new pieces I got for the holidays (aka my mom and I went to Nordstrom Rack together over Thanksgiving weekend, I found cute stuff, and she saved it for me to open for Christmas). One of these items being this flouncy pirate-looking top from Free People - at least my dad thought I looked like a pirate haha but it wasn't exactly the look I was going for. Second, being the vegan suede fringe vest! I always love finding synthetic suede and leather, it gives me hope about the future of ethical fashion! 

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White Top - Free People

Distressed Denim Jeans - Nasty Gal

Taupe Fringed Booties - Coconuts by Matisse, purchased from ShoeMall

Vegan Suede Fringe Vest - Bagatelle Collection, Nordstrom Rack

 

AZ Road Trip

I went on a road trip around Arizona with some of my girlfriends (Courtney, Blake, Alex, Tiffany, and Brooke) and it was such a blast!

Driving from Scottsdale, we went to Sedona on Day 1, hiked around Bell Rock, went to the downtown, saw Christmas carolers, and ate at a bomb Mexican place for lunch. We then spent the night at Alex's family's cabin in Munds Park, just a little north of Sedona. Alex's parents were SO nice and went up there earlier that day to set everything up for us. Her mom even left dinner in the fridge. So sweet.

On Day 2, we drove through Williams, had lunch and explored the area, then got to the Grand Canyon around 3pm. The Grand Canyon was FREEZING! We got some good photos (and laughs) there but we were not prepared for how cold it was. We were originally trying to spend the night in the Grand Canyon, but they have little lodging around the area and we didn't want to get hotel rooms. We ended up finding an amazing Air Bnb in Page about two hours north. It was way better than we were expecting!

On Day 3, we went to a crepe place for breakfast (I got vegan creme brûlée oatmeal with berries!) and then were on our way to Antelope Canyon. We decided to go to the lower part of Antelope Canyon from the reviews I saw online. It was cheaper (I think $28 or something), less crowded (supposedly), there was more climbing and stairs, and you didn't need to make a reservation. However, the tours did have a good amount of people and it was difficult to capture photos without strangers in the background. We left Antelope Canyon to travel to the instal-famous Horseshoe Bend on Lake Powell. The views were gorgeous and Courtney was giving us all heart attacks with how close she got to the edge (smh). We then began the drive back to Scottsdale (about 5 hours) and Alex dropped us off at our places. It was such a great trip with such great people. 

KEEP READING...  :)

I also partnered with a brand called Kastlfel for this trip and we got some really cool photos of their merchandise! Part of the reason I was so drawn to Kastlfel was their commitment to sustainability. As you guys know, I'm secretly suuuuper granola/hippie when it comes to the environment and ethically/sustainably sourced products. Their clothing is made from recycled plastic bottles and is actually so practical and soft! You could say I'm a HUGE fan. 

The Scottsdale Cotton Fields

I went out exploring with my friend, Ryen, for a photoshoot. I've seen these cotton field photos all over Instagram for years and have never been able to find them and when I did they were out of season.. until NOW! These cotton fields were so dreamy. 

Rust Sweater - Mom's Closet 

Brown Distressed Jeans - Free People

Tan Hat - Urban Outfitters, Ecoté

Brown Vegan Western Boots - Coconuts By Matisse, purchased from ShoeMall

Vegan Suede Olive Hat - Free People

Turtleneck Sleeveless Top - Free People

Brass Necklace - Buffalo Exchange