A Sweet 16 Styled Shoot
My longtime family friend Renee’s daughter was approaching her sixteenth birthday, unlike how I grew up in Long Island with a big themed party in a catering hall with a DJ… This particular teen wanted a moment to feel like an absolute rock star and beautiful professional photos to last a lifetime. Renee and I began to brainstorm on how to create a special shoot for the gorgeous Alivia. I knew that my talented friends, Kate and Jason of JK Photography would be perfect for bringing Alivia’s vision to life with cohesive backdrops, pose coaching, fun environment and capturing stunning images.
The Glam Plan
For Alivia’s first look, we discussed keeping the makeup application somewhat natural but with bold black liner to add a little edge. I kept eye shadows and blush colors soft, used my trusty Temptu airbrush machine to even out the skin and winged her eyeliner out and inward through the crease because that’s apparently what all the cool kids are doing on TikTok… It was Alivia’s first time wearing false lashes so I chose a more natural volume and length that I felt was age appropriate yet fun and exciting for photos. I curled her long blonde hair, and completed the look with my favorite natural lipstick Clinique’s Blushing Nude.
Meet me at Studio 54
Kate and Jason transitioned into the next phase of this styled look to accommodate Alivia’s request for a disco theme. These photographers have an eye and skill for fun lighting to get the most unique and eye catching photos! I threw her hair up into a messy high ponytail, we handed her a large disco ball and began to skillfully point flashlights and lasers at our birthday girl.
Made of Plastic! It’s Fantastic!
For the second look we transformed Alivia into the iconic Barbie! While discussing her shoot, she opened up about her obsession with the 80’s so I added sky blue pigment to her eyelids, bright pink to her cheeks and lips and teased out her long blonde locks. After a quick costume change, Work Out Barbie came to life and she was ready for more shooting with Kate & Jason.
It was an honor to be involved with this project. The photos were absolutely stunning and our birthday girl was very pleased. I hope you enjoyed JK Photography’s beautiful work and will consider us for your next shoot.
Makeup & Hair: Gillian’s Makeup Artistry
Photography: JK Photography
Backdrop: Savage Universal
Custom Wreathe: True Surprises
