e. gilbert photography » e. gilbert photography >> orlando, florida portraits & events

as you might be able to tell, my blog is totally redone and i feel awesome about it. i’m still getting a few tiny kinks worked out, but i love it so much already that it felt silly to keep it a secret until those little problems were ironed out.

i have a lot of awesome stuff coming up this year, and one thing i really want to do is blog more often, and not always with just sessions. i want to be able to talk about other things that interest me, and hopefully these posts will not only relate to photography in some way, but will also be fun for me and my readers. these posts will be tagged/titled “emily rambles,” because i have a tendency to do just that. it’s a working title…we’ll see if it sticks.

i’m going to start off with a post about movies as a source of inspiration, wether it be in decorating, for a photoshoot or event, or just in general (or as something pretty to stare open-mouthed at, i’m not picky). i asked people what movies they enjoyed for purely aesthetic reasons on my facebook page, and got a few really great responses. i started the discussion off with my own personal answer, and i’m going to start with some images from that movie – mark palansky’s “penelope.”

if you haven’t seen penelope, i like to say that its like an upbeat, brightly colored tim burton movie, at least stylistically. all of the sets are stunning, especially penelope’s bedroom, and her outfits always look like the best combination of anthropologie and modcloth. totally unfair, but hey, we can’t all have a stylist with an unlimited budget.

seriously, look at all of those colors! gorgeous. if i were going to plan a shoot around the inspiration of penelope, there would be a few requirements. lots of jewel tones (clearly), a swing (penelope has one in her bedroom, and there’s another one featured elsewhere in the movie), lots of books (a library, maybe?), and at least one terrarium or vintage suitcase. for more ideas, check out my penelope-inspired pinterest board.

over on facebook, a friend mentioned marie antoinette, a movie known for being gorgeous. also, jason schwartzman.

honestly, though, i can see how trying to use this movie as inspiration for a shoot or event could be overwhelming. there’s just so much to look at, and it could turn into an over-the-top, budget-blowing situation pretty quickly. i think it could be manageable, though, if you picked only a few elements to use as your inspiration. pastel clothes, rosy makeup, maybe a boat ride or a field of flowers. if you used the simpler, more “down to earth” parts of the movie as inspiration, you could have a lot of fun. oh, and don’t forget the delicious pastries (there are more ideas on my marie antoinette pinterest board, too).

to keep this post from going on for weeks, i decided to limit myself to three “inspiration” movies. the third was a suggestion from my grandfather (on faecbook! isn’t the awesome?) and is a classic that i’m sure has inspired many a photoshoot or wedding.

there are so many ways to use the wizard of oz as inspiration. i think subtle touches of the color scheme and icons of the movie – a blue sash on a short, fluffy dress, emerald green reception decor, and of course a touch of ruby red, whether shoes or nails – still show a clear inspiration from the movie without the event necessarily becoming themed. check out my wizard of oz pinterest board for more ideas.

so, did you enjoy the first of my rambling posts? do you have ideas, comments, suggestions? do you need an invitation to pinterest so you can join the madness? let me know – “like” the facebook page, tweet at me, or comment here, or all three!