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Ella Gagiano

Ella Gagiano
In Family Portraits

When Life Changes the Picture

Mom and two daughters together during a fall family session at Shaker Village Kentucky

Sometimes life changes the picture you had in your head of what your family was supposed to look like.

You imagined raising your children with the person you chose. Family vacations, birthdays and holidays, all of the ordinary days in between. You imagined watching your children grow up together and, eventually, growing old beside the person you had built all of it with.

Those were the moments you thought you were working toward.

But somewhere along the way, things changed. Life became less about the future you had imagined and more about getting through the day in front of you. Keeping everything moving. Making sure the kids were okay. Trying to hold onto some version of normal even when you weren’t entirely sure what normal looked like anymore.

And then one day, everything changes again.

It’s new. It’s scary. There are probably parts of it you never would have chosen. But there can also be freedom in finally realizing that the life ahead of you is yours to build.

This session is for the moms who love their children fiercely. The ones who look at their kids and still think, I want to give them the life I imagined for them.

Maybe it doesn’t look exactly the way you once thought it would.

That doesn’t mean it can’t still be beautiful.

For this mom, that beautiful life was standing right beside her in the form of two daughters she absolutely adores. One growing into a young woman, the other still with so much of childhood ahead of her, and Mom getting to stand right there in the middle of both.

Mom with her two daughters surrounded by golden fall light at Shaker Village Kentucky

A Family Worth Celebrating

Her girls are in completely different stages of growing up, which also means they came into the session with their own personalities, their own relationships with Mom and their own ideas about what felt like them.

Especially when you’re photographing a teenager, that matters.

We love helping families coordinate what they’re going to wear without making everyone look like slightly different versions of the same person. Everything can work beautifully together while still leaving room for each person to feel like themselves.

For this session, we had the added beauty of fall at Shaker Village to work with. The colors, textures and surroundings gave us so much to build from when we were planning everything, and once we got the three of them there, it all started coming together.

Mom and teenage daughter together during a fall family photo session in Kentucky

Fall Family Photos at Shaker Village

Shaker Village is one of those places in Kentucky where we could have kept walking and finding somewhere else we wanted to photograph.

In the fall, there is so much warmth to it. The historic buildings, stone, fences, open fields and trees changing around them gave us completely different surroundings as we moved through the property, without anything feeling disconnected from the story we were creating.

But what we love most about photographing a family isn’t necessarily the part that feels effortless.

Being close in front of a camera can make you surprisingly aware of yourself. We don’t always stop in everyday life and really hold our children, look at them, or let ourselves be looked at by them. There is a vulnerability in slowing everything down enough to do that.

And then something shifts.

You stop thinking quite so much about what you’re supposed to be doing and start paying attention to the person in front of you. Mom gets to really look at the daughter who somehow isn’t so little anymore. Sisters who may drive each other crazy at home get pulled a little closer. The things you feel every day but don’t necessarily say out loud suddenly have somewhere to go.

Mom and younger daughter sharing a quiet moment during their fall family photos

That’s what was so beautiful about watching these three together. The photographs gave them permission to be a little more vulnerable with each other, and once that door opened, we got to see just how much love was already there.

Two sisters together surrounded by golden fall light during a Kentucky family photo session

When the Photographs Finally Come Home

Some of our favorite moments happen after the photoshoot is already over.

When Mom came back to the studio to see her photographs, she wasn’t looking at everything we had talked about in pieces anymore. She was seeing it.

Her girls. Their connection. Herself with them. The life she had been trying so hard to build and protect.

Those moments are a huge part of why we do what we do. They’re also why, before a session, we sometimes ask questions that can feel surprisingly personal for a photography studio.

We want to know what’s happening in your life. What you’re proud of. What has changed. What you’re worried about losing as your children grow. What you love about them that you wish you could somehow keep forever.

Sometimes those conversations wander into things you might think you’d only tell your therapist, and we know that can feel a little awkward at first. But we’re not asking because we need your entire life story. We ask because we want to see a little deeper than what is standing in front of our camera.

We want to understand what you see when you look at the people you love. What you’re proud of. What you never want them to question. What you hope they know about how deeply they are loved.

Because those are the things we want you to recognize when you see your photographs.

Mom and her two daughters lying together among the fall leaves at Shaker Village

For this mom, it wasn’t simply about having beautiful photographs with her daughters. It was seeing the life they had together and being able to say, this is my family, and I am so incredibly proud of it.

It was about being proud of what was here now. Loving these girls fiercely. Giving them a home filled with reminders that they are loved, that they are safe, and that their family is something worth celebrating.

Because sometimes reclaiming the picture of your family doesn’t mean trying to put the old one back together.

It means looking at the one in front of you and knowing everything is going to be alright.

If your own family has been through changes and you’ve been thinking about creating something that celebrates where you are now, you can learn more about our Kentucky family photography and the experience we create for our families.

Ella Gagiano
In Family Portraits

Fall Family Photos in Kentucky Years After We First Met

Fall family photos in Kentucky at Bernheim Forest

Fall family photos in Kentucky have a beauty all their own. For a few short weeks, the landscape completely transforms. Green gives way to gold, amber and deep orange. Fallen leaves cover the forest floor, and places that are beautiful throughout the year suddenly look entirely different.

For this family, that change of scenery made the experience even more exciting.

We first photographed them years ago when our studio was still in Las Vegas. Mom originally called us because she was graduating with her doctorate and wanted photographs to mark such an important time in their lives.

Back then, they were a family of three. Their daughter was still little, their careers were growing, and they were building the life they had spent years working toward. What began as a way to celebrate an accomplishment became a chance to preserve their family exactly as it was during that chapter.

A lot has changed since then.

Their family of three became four. Their oldest daughter has grown, they welcomed another little girl, and the life Mom and Dad were working so hard to build has continued growing right along with them.

Our lives had changed too. By the time they were ready for family photographs again, our studio was no longer in Las Vegas.

That didn’t change who Mom wanted to photograph them.

She had loved the photographs Ella created for their family the first time and loved the experience of working with her. Since we had moved to Kentucky and traveling was already going to be part of the plan, she was open to meeting us just about anywhere in the country. The destination could be figured out. What mattered most to her was having Ella photograph her family again.

There were so many beautiful places we could have considered. She had asked if we would be willing to travel too, and we’re always up for an adventure. As we talked about what she was envisioning, she wanted something completely different from the desert landscape of their first session. With fall approaching, she loved the idea of incredible autumn color somewhere like Vermont, the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Smoky Mountains.

And we just knew we had to show her Kentucky.

After living here and seeing for ourselves just how breathtaking fall becomes when the leaves begin to change, we sent her examples of the brilliant yellows, deep oranges and warm autumn colors that fill the landscape here.

She absolutely loved it.

From there, we chose Bernheim Forest near Louisville for their fall family photos. With so much wooded landscape and so many different areas to explore, we could move from deeper stretches of forest to brilliant pockets of fall color and create completely different photographs without ever leaving the property.

Family portrait beneath golden fall trees at Bernheim Forest

From the Las Vegas Desert to Fall in Kentucky

Their original photographs belonged to the desert. There was something about how open everything was, how there was nothing to distract from their family and everything they had accomplished together. At that moment in their lives, it felt right. They were the foundation of everything they were working so hard to build.

And now, all these years later, their family had grown. There were four of them standing in front of Ella’s camera instead of three, and somehow being surrounded by towering trees, fallen leaves and all of this incredible Kentucky color felt right too. Their lives had become so much fuller since we first met them. Another daughter to love, years of memories they hadn’t made yet in those first photographs, and so much of what they had once been working toward now becoming the life they actually got to live. Because really, this was what they had been working toward all along. A family with lives full of love and the time to actually enjoy it together.

This time, that was what we wanted the photographs to feel like. Full of everything they had built, but even more importantly, full of the people they had built it for.

Family together in the woods during fall in Kentucky

Bernheim gave us exactly the variety we had hoped for.

One part of the forest could be filled with deeper greens, rust and brown, while somewhere else a single enormous tree had turned completely golden. Even within the same session, we could create wide photographs that showed their family surrounded by the landscape and then move closer, letting those autumn colors frame them instead.

That’s part of what makes fall family photos so beautiful. The season gives us an incredible environment to work with, but the photographs don’t all have to feel the same.

And for a family whose first experience with us had been surrounded by the Las Vegas desert, getting to create something this different years later made the change between the two chapters even more visible.

Getting to See What Came Next

There is something incredibly special about photographing a family again years later. We get to see what came next.

The little girl Ella photographed all those years ago was older now, and this time she had a little sister beside her.

Two sisters together among fall leaves at Bernheim Forest

Mom and Dad had spent those years growing too. The goals they were working toward when we first met weren’t simply plans anymore. They had continued building successful careers and practices, creating something that could eventually give them more freedom over one of the things that mattered most to them: their time.

So much of what they had worked toward was about creating a life where success didn’t have to mean being consumed by work. They could build something strong enough to grow while giving themselves more freedom to actually be there for their girls, to take the trips, have the ordinary days together and be present for the childhoods that move much faster than anyone expects them to.

Father with his daughters during fall family photos

That made seeing them again feel particularly meaningful. Their first photographs remind them of a time when they were still building so much of what they wanted for their future.

These photographs get to show them living in some of it.

Sometimes the Reason for All the Work Is Standing Right in Front of You

When these portraits eventually live on the walls of their home, they won’t only remind them of how little the girls once were or how beautiful Kentucky looked that fall.

They’ll see their reason.

Their daughters happy, growing up together with parents who worked hard to give them a life they could actually be present for.

Close family portrait during fall in Kentucky

They’ll see the spark between Mom and Dad that never left, even through all the years of building careers, raising a family and creating this life together.

Mom and dad together during their family photo session

And they’ll see what all of that work made room for.

A life they actually get to enjoy with the people they love most.

Sisters beneath golden autumn trees at Bernheim Forest
Couple framed by fall leaves at Bernheim Forest

If you’ve been thinking about creating something meaningful for your own family, you can learn more about our Kentucky family photography or reach out to start planning your own session.

Why We Love Fall Family Photos in Kentucky

There is a reason fall is such a beautiful season for family photography in Kentucky.

At Bernheim Forest, we could photograph this family surrounded by darker woods and earthy autumn tones, then walk a little farther and find ourselves beneath a canopy of brilliant yellow leaves. There is so much variety, and every little part of the forest seemed to give us something different.

The only difficult thing about fall is just how quickly all of that beauty comes and goes.

Kentucky’s most vibrant fall color happens within a relatively small window, and every year is a little different. Once those leaves begin to turn, we only have so much time before they’re gone. It naturally means we can only take on a limited number of fall family sessions while the color is at its best.

But maybe that small window is part of what makes these sessions feel so spectacular.

For a few weeks, Kentucky gives us towering trees filled with gold and orange, leaves scattered across the ground and those incredible pockets of color that seem to glow when the light hits them. Then, almost as quickly as it arrived, it’s gone.

Every family we photograph brings a completely different story into that small window.

For this family, it happened to be a story we already knew the beginning of. Years ago, we photographed them in the openness of the Las Vegas desert while they were building so much of the life they wanted. This time, their story brought them here, surrounded by everything fall in Kentucky had to give us, with another little girl beside them and so much more life filling the frame.

That’s what we love about these sessions. Fall gives us such a limited amount of time to create them, and somehow that makes it even more special when a family’s story gets to exist within it.

For this one beautiful little window, this was theirs.

Ella Gagiano
In Equine, Senior photos, Strong Woman

Equestrian Portraits That Let Her See What Everyone Else Sees

Teen equestrian in a burgundy dress sitting in a field and looking up at her horse

There is something special about growing up around horses in Kentucky.

Here, horses are woven into so much of the landscape and the communities surrounding them. Spend enough time around barns, farms, shows or riding programs and you begin to see how many relationships form because of a shared love for these animals. People who may never have crossed paths otherwise become friends, mentors and an important part of one another’s lives.

That was part of what made this Kentucky equine photography session so meaningful.

The couple who planned the session had been mentoring a young girl in their community, and through that relationship they had seen firsthand just how much horses meant to her. There was a confidence in the way she carried herself when she rode and a joy that was easy to see whenever she was around them.

They wanted to give her the opportunity to see some of what they had been seeing all along, so they planned a photoshoot around something she genuinely loved.

Teen equestrian riding a horse beneath the trees on a Kentucky farm

When Horses Are Part of Who She Is

There is a connection between girls and horses that can be difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it.

Teen girl in a burgundy dress and flower crown standing closely beside her horse

For so many young riders, the barn becomes one of the places where they feel most at home. There is responsibility that comes with caring for an animal much larger than you, trust that develops over time, and the experience of learning that not everything will go perfectly every time you climb into the saddle.

All of that becomes part of growing up with horses.

It’s also why we hear from parents who tell us there is a particular side of their daughter they see at the barn. Maybe it’s how sure of herself she seems when she’s riding, or how much of her personality comes through when she starts talking about the horse she loves. Sometimes it’s simply the realization that this is one of the places where she seems completely comfortable being herself.

Teen girl and her mentor standing together with three horses on a Kentucky farm

Those are the things we want to preserve in equestrian portraits.

Teen equestrian in a burgundy gown and white flower crown sitting in a field

Of course we want her to have beautiful photographs. But years from now, we also want those photographs to hold something recognizable about the girl she was during this part of her life and the relationship with horses that meant so much to her.

Photographing the Everyday and the Magical

We created two very different looks for this session because there were two sides of her relationship with horses that we wanted to explore.

One was rooted much more in her everyday world. We wanted photographs in clothes that felt like her and moments with the horses that didn’t require her to become a dressed-up version of herself simply because there was a camera there.

There is something important about having those photographs.

Years from now, some of the details that feel completely ordinary today may be exactly what her family wants to remember. What she actually wore around the horses, the way she interacted with them and how naturally she belonged in that environment are all pieces of this age that won’t stay exactly the same.

At the same time, part of loving horses has always carried a little bit of magic with it.

For the second look, we could lean into that.

Teen girl in a flowing burgundy dress leaning across her horse in a field

A beautiful dress changed the feeling of the portraits and gave us room to create something more imaginative while still keeping the most important part of the photographs completely real: her connection with the horses.

Neither version needed to be more authentic than the other.

One showed a world she knew well. The other let us have a little fun dreaming inside of it.

Teen girl in a burgundy dress standing with her horse in a wide Kentucky pasture

Recreating a Photograph From When She Was Little

There was one more part of the session that made these photographs especially personal.

When she was little, her mom had photographs taken of her with horses. The couple who arranged this session knew about those photographs and wanted to recreate one of them now that she was older, with the finished image becoming a surprise for her mom.

Teen girl and two mentors walking with three horses along a Kentucky farm lane

We loved the idea because a recreated photograph doesn’t only show you what has changed.

Her mom already had an image of this little girl with horses from years ago. Now there would be another from a completely different point in her daughter’s life, when horses were still something she loved and had become an even bigger part of who she was.

Placed together, the photographs get to tell a story neither one could tell on its own.

Teen equestrian in a flowing burgundy gown standing beside her horse

Her mom can remember the little girl in the original while seeing the young woman standing in front of Ella’s camera now, with all of those years of growing up sitting quietly somewhere between the two.

Sometimes a Photograph Lets You See Yourself Differently

There is another part of photographing young women that matters to us, and it often happens after the camera has been put away.

The people who love us get to see us from a perspective we never really have ourselves. They notice the way we light up around something we care about, or the ease that comes over us when we’re somewhere we feel completely at home. They can recognize confidence in moments when we aren’t thinking about whether we look confident at all.

Teen girl in a burgundy gown sharing a quiet moment with her horse in a field

It can be difficult to see those same things when you’re the person standing in the middle of them.

Photography gives us an interesting opportunity to change the perspective for a moment.

For a girl who loves horses, we don’t have to invent a version of her that looks strong or confident for a portrait. We can start with the place where the people around her already see those qualities come through naturally. We can photograph her riding, let her interact with the horses she loves and create something beautiful around a part of herself that is already very real.

Teen equestrian in a burgundy dress standing beside her horse in a Kentucky field

Then she gets to see it.

That was such an important part of the reason behind this particular session. The confidence wasn’t something the photographs needed to create. The people who cared about her were already seeing it when she was around horses, and they wanted her to have the chance to recognize some of it for herself.

Kentucky Equine Photography With a Story Behind It

Not every equine portrait session needs to be attached to a traditional milestone.

Sometimes there is value in recognizing a chapter while you’re still living in it, especially when horses have become such a defining part of a young person’s world.

Silhouette of a teen equestrian and her horse against a dramatic sunset

The horse she rides may change. The clothes certainly will. Her relationship with riding will continue to grow as she does, and the girl her family sees at the barn today will eventually become an adult who gets to look back at all of this from a very different place.

That’s one of the reasons we love creating photographs like these.

They can be beautiful now while still leaving room for them to mean something entirely different twenty years from now.

And in this case, one of them already had a history waiting for it.

Teen girl in a burgundy gown standing beside her horse beneath a dramatic Kentucky sky
Ella Gagiano
In Branding, Equine

Photographing the Horseman Behind the Business

Horse trainer working with a white horse in a Kentucky field

What Horse Trainer Photography Can Say About the Way You Work

Horse trainer photography can show someone far more than what you look like standing beside a horse.

For trainer Caleb Harrier, the photographs needed to represent a career and philosophy built through years of horsemanship. Caleb began working with horses as a teenager, went on to apprentice under horseman Jud Carter, and eventually built Legacy Horsemanship around an approach that places just as much importance on understanding the horse as it does training one.

Caleb is a man who believes in confidence, communication, boundaries and understanding each horse as an individual. He believes in helping the person become better for the horse rather than simply producing a horse that behaves better for the person.

And when someone has built his work around beliefs like those, the photographs should show that they are more than words.

Horse trainer in a cowboy hat leaning against a large tree beside a white horse in Kentucky

One of the most impressive parts of photographing Caleb was getting to watch him work. There was no need to manufacture the connection we wanted to show or create a version of him that only existed for the camera. We could see his experience in the way he approached the horses, how they responded to him and the quiet communication happening between them.

That became an important part of what we created. Along with Caleb’s photographs, we incorporated video into his session, giving his horsemanship another way to come through visually. Seeing him move with the horses, work with them and communicate with them brought another dimension to the story we were telling.

Because if you make your living working with horses, people shouldn’t only have to read about what you can do.

They should be able to see it.

Silhouette of a horse trainer with a horse beneath a dramatic Kentucky sunset sky

Your Clients Want to See You With a Horse, Not Just Read About What You Can Do

A horse someone brings to you is rarely just a horse.

It may be the horse they have spent years showing. The young horse they have been waiting to start. The one their daughter rides. A prospect they have invested heavily in. Or simply the horse they love and want to do right by. For some, that horse is the reason they get up in the morning, the place they go when the rest of life gets heavy, or a relationship that has become far more important than they could ever explain to someone outside of it.

When that person begins looking for a trainer, qualifications matter. Experience matters. Results matter.

But eventually, they’re going to want to know something about you.

They want to see the person who will be handling their horse. They want some idea of how you carry yourself around one. They want to see you doing the thing you’re asking them to trust you to do.

Horse trainer working with horses in a Kentucky field

That is something a traditional headshot simply can’t give them.

Professional horse trainer photography allows someone to see you in the environment where your experience actually matters. They can see you working, see the horses around you and begin putting a person behind everything they’ve read about your training program.

For an equine business built so heavily on trust, those photographs become part of the introduction.

The Photography Has to Start With Who You Are

That is also why we don’t want to begin a horse trainer branding session with a predetermined list of photographs we create for everyone.

We want to get to know you first.

There are trainers whose businesses are built around starting young horses. Others specialize in performance horses, problem horses, specific disciplines or developing riders alongside their horses. Two people can technically offer the same service while believing very different things about how that work should be done.

Those differences are exactly what we want to find.

With Caleb, knowing what he believed about horsemanship changed what was important for us to photograph.

His approach centers on communication between horse and human. He talks about developing confidence without removing boundaries and understanding what an individual horse needs rather than approaching every horse exactly the same way.

That kind of connection and trust is what inspired us for Caleb’s session.

Horse trainer sharing a quiet moment with a horse at sunset in Kentucky

That is what we want your photographs to do too. To show what kind of horseman you already are.

Building an Image Library for an Equine Business

Of course, those photographs also need to work for the business.

A horse trainer needs imagery in far more places than an About page. Your website may need photographs that introduce you, show your training environment and give someone an understanding of the work you offer. Social media, clinics, training announcements, publications, press features and marketing can each call for something different.

One photograph can’t carry all of that.

Horse trainer in a cowboy hat standing beside a white horse in Kentucky

A horse trainer photography session gives us the opportunity to create a collection with range: portraits of you, photographs with the horses, images of you actually working, quieter interactions and details that help establish the world your business exists within.

And because we’ve already taken the time to understand what matters about your particular work, that variety doesn’t have to feel like a collection of generic marketing images.

It still looks like you.

Horse Trainer Photography Can Still Be Personal

There is another side of these sessions that is easy to overlook when the original reason for creating them is business.

You’re documenting yourself during a part of your life you’ve worked hard to build.

The horses beside you won’t always be the same horses. Your business may grow. Your property may change. Your career will continue moving forward, and the work that feels completely ordinary to you right now may look very different twenty years from now.

That makes some of these photographs valuable in a way that has nothing to do with a website.

Horse trainer in a cowboy hat standing closely beside a horse against a dark background

They show the horseman you were at this point in your life.

Just you, doing the work you know.

Silhouette of a horseman riding a horse against a dramatic Kentucky sunset

Horse Trainer and Equine Business Photography in Kentucky

Kentucky is home to an enormous equine industry, from independent trainers and professional riders to breeding operations, farms and businesses serving nearly every corner of the horse world.

Standing out within it doesn’t necessarily mean looking bigger.

It means giving people a clearer understanding of you.

For horse trainers especially, the person and the business are difficult to separate. Your knowledge, reputation, philosophy and the way you handle a horse are part of what people are hiring.

Your photography should be able to communicate some of that before you ever have the chance to explain it yourself.

That’s what made photographing Caleb so interesting for us. His work gave us so much more to build from than simply creating photographs of a trainer with his horses. We could create imagery around the experience, beliefs and horsemanship that make his business his own.

That is what strong equestrian branding photography can do. It gives the people looking for someone like you the chance to see what makes your work different before they ever pick up the phone.

Ella Gagiano
In Weddings

The Kentucky Castle Wedding: Creating Photographs Worthy of the Place You Chose

Couple photographed outside The Kentucky Castle for Kentucky Castle wedding photography

The Kentucky Castle Wedding: Creating Photographs Worthy of the Place You Chose

There is a reason you chose a castle.

Of all the places you could stand beside the person you love and promise your life to them, you chose somewhere extraordinary. Somewhere your guests will talk about before they ever arrive, somewhere that changes the feeling of the day before a single flower is placed or a glass of champagne is poured.

A wedding at The Kentucky Castle was never supposed to feel ordinary, and neither should the photographs.

When you put this much thought into where you will get married, what you will wear, who will be there and what the entire experience will feel like, your wedding photography shouldn’t simply prove that it happened. Years from now, the photographs are how you get to go back, not just to what the Castle looked like, but to what it felt like to be there.

A Wedding Venue That Deserves to Be Part of the Photographs

The Kentucky Castle gives you the grand entrance, the chandeliers, the sweeping architecture and those unmistakable towers against the Kentucky sky. On your wedding day, those things become more than the reasons you fell in love with the venue.

They become the setting for your memories.

It’s where your dad sees you in your dress. Your best friends are getting ready down the hall. You walk toward the person you’re about to marry here. Everyone you love is gathered together in one place, maybe for the only time in your lives.

Suddenly, the Castle isn’t simply beautiful anymore. It’s yours.

That is what we want your photographs to hold onto.

There is something about being a bride in a place like The Kentucky Castle that is hard to put into words until you’re the one standing there.

You spent so long imagining what this day might feel like. What it would be like to find the person you couldn’t imagine your life without. To find the dress that made you feel more beautiful than you ever had before. To have everyone you love there to watch you become his wife.

And now you’re here.

For one day, you get to live inside something that once only existed in your imagination. You get to be the woman in the beautiful dress, standing in the Castle, looking at the person she loves and realizing this is her life.

Bride inside The Kentucky Castle during a Kentucky Castle wedding photography session

And that feeling is exactly where we begin.

We understand what it is to be completely in love and to have imagined a day that somehow feels even bigger once you’re finally living it. To want to feel beautiful. To want the romance, the grandeur, the kind of wedding you once dreamed about and now get to call your own. Your photographs have the opportunity to make all of that real in a way you can actually hold onto. When you look at them, we want you to see the romance you felt, how beautiful you were, how deeply you loved each other and just how incredible it was that this was really your wedding.

That is why you want a photographer who understands why you chose The Kentucky Castle.

Someone who understands that it was never simply about having a beautiful place to get married. It was about how you wanted this day to feel. The romance, the grandeur, the feeling of putting on your wedding dress and realizing that, for one incredible day, you are living the kind of love story you once only dreamed about.

You want photographs that carry that same feeling.

So years from now, you aren’t simply looking back at where you got married.

You’re looking at the fairytale you actually got to live.

Your Wedding Deserves More Than Photographs That Live on a Screen

We believe that photos are meant to be appreciated, that they should live on your walls. There should be one that you see for the first time and immediately know where it belongs. The photograph you want enormous because everything about it deserves the space. The Castle, your dress, the two of you and, most importantly, the way you see yourself in it.

We want you to have photos that you are proud of.

This is one of the things we love most about photographing at The Kentucky Castle. It’s not just the grandeur of the Castle itself, it’s in all the details that follow you throughout the property. Beneath the chandeliers, down the hallways, against the stone and outside beneath those unmistakable towers, there is another piece of the fairytale waiting around every corner.

Bride in a flowing wedding gown at sunset outside The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky

It gives us so much to create with, and so many ways to give you photographs that feel like art. The kind you don’t want tucked away in a gallery, but printed large, framed and made part of your home.

Imagine walking past one of your wedding portraits every day and still loving it years later. Your children grow up with it hanging on the wall. They know that photograph not by the story you tell but how every time they look at it they knew where they came from and how in love their parents are.

That photograph gets to live with you for the rest of your life, because your wedding is a moment, but the love story is forever.

The Photographs You Don’t Know You’ll Need Yet

And while some photographs will mean everything to you from the moment you see them, others take time.

You know you want the two of you together. You want to see yourself in your dress. You want the photographs at The Kentucky Castle that made choosing this place feel so exciting in the first place. Then your wedding happens, and somewhere in your gallery are photographs you never thought to ask for. Your dad watching you from across the room. Your grandmother at the reception. Your mom while you’re getting ready. Your best friend laughing harder than anyone else. A photograph of your parents together when they weren’t paying attention to the camera. All the laughing, crying, fun and excitement that a wedding brings and, more than anything, the love that you felt.

Couple embracing beneath crystal chandeliers inside The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky

These are the photos that with time become the most important. They might not be up on the wall, but they will live in your wedding album. As time goes on, you’ll sit with the kids, your friends and your family and talk about those you love and the amazing memories you had, telling the kids and grandkids stories about your own parents. It’s the connection that lives on.

And knowing how much those photographs can mean years from now changes what we pay attention to on a wedding day.

While you’re living the day you’ve spent so long planning, we’re watching the rest of it unfold too. You shouldn’t have to spend your wedding wondering whether someone caught that moment or whether there is a photograph of a person you love.

You get to be there.

Bride and groom embracing in front of The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky

Over the years, we’ve had so many of our clients reach back out and tell us how much a single photograph from their wedding has come to mean to them. Sometimes it’s a photograph they may not have even known was being taken, but years later it has become one of their favorites because they get to see that person happy, surrounded by their family and exactly how they want to remember them.

Choosing Your Kentucky Castle Wedding Photographer

Choosing your Kentucky Castle wedding photographer is an incredibly personal decision.

You’re trusting someone with the way this day will exist after it’s over, so look beyond one beautiful photograph.

Look at their work across entire weddings. Look at the portraits they create when there is time to slow down and make something incredible, and then look at what they capture during the parts of a wedding that only happen once. The ceremony. Your family. The reception. All of the people and moments that make a wedding day so much bigger than the portraits alone.

After hundreds of weddings, we know those photographs require two very different things from us. There are moments we get to create with you, and there are moments we simply have to be ready for.

You deserve both.

Then pay attention to how the photographs make you feel.

Do you stop? Can you see yourself in them? Do they make you want to know what it would look like if the people in those photographs were you and the person you love?

Because you’re not choosing a photographer for the wedding you’re looking at.

You’re choosing the person you trust to photograph yours.

See What We Created at The Kentucky Castle

We could only share a small selection of our Kentucky Castle portraits throughout this article, so we’ve put the rest together for you to explore.

View Our Kentucky Castle Photography Gallery

And when you’re ready to talk about your own wedding, book a meeting with us.

This is where we get to know the two of you, hear what you’re planning and understand what matters most to you. We’ll show you complete wedding galleries, talk through how we approach an entire wedding day and give you the chance to get to know us too.

Because choosing the person who will be beside you for some of the biggest moments of your wedding shouldn’t happen from a website alone.

Call us directly: (859) 494-5841

If you’re still considering The Kentucky Castle for your wedding, you can explore the venue, wedding spaces and current information directly through The Kentucky Castle wedding website.

Ella Gagiano
In Branding, Fitness, Men's Portraits, Studio

Men’s Portrait Photography: A Reason to Get in Front of the Camera

Smiling man during a professional men's portrait photography session

Men’s Portrait Photography: A Reason to Get in Front of the Camera

There are plenty of reasons to have professional portraits taken. You may need an updated headshot or professional photo, but men’s portrait photography can also be about something much more personal: documenting the work you’ve put into yourself.

This is a session for men who have reached a point where they want to see that work differently. You’ve been consistent. You’ve put in the hours, gotten in the reps and watched the numbers change. You know you’ve made progress, but when you look at yourself every day, it can be surprisingly difficult to actually see how far you’ve come.

That was a big part of the reason behind this client’s session. He had been dedicating himself to the gym and building a version of himself he was proud of. After all that work, he wanted photographs that actually showed it.

And that takes more than pointing a camera at someone who is in great shape.

ramatic men's fitness portrait using studio lighting to highlight muscle definition

Men’s Portrait Photography That Shows the Work

If you have spent months or years building your body, you know the details matter. Shoulder development. Chest and back definition. Arms. Core. The proportions and lines you’ve worked specifically to build.

Photographing those details requires understanding how lighting, posing and camera angles change the way the body appears. The wrong light can flatten definition that took years to develop. The right light can reveal the shape, separation and structure that’s actually there.

Ella has photographed professional athletes, bodybuilders and elite competitors, including Olympic athletes and Georges St-Pierre. That experience matters when you’re trusting someone to photograph the results of your own training. We know how to use light and positioning to emphasize physique, create definition and show the work you’ve put in.

For this client, we wanted him to look at these photographs and actually see what he had accomplished. To notice the definition, strength and changes that can be hard to recognize when you’re looking at yourself every day.

But we also wanted to create photographs he’d want to show off.

Not something that feels like you’re trying too hard to prove how good you look. Confident. Casual. Masculine. The kind of portrait you can put on your social media, use on a dating profile, hang in your home or simply keep because, damn, you look good.

You did the work. There’s nothing wrong with having the photographs to prove it.

Men's fitness portrait highlighting abdominal and upper body definition

More Than Fitness Photos

The same session moved from physique-focused portraits into a completely different side of who he is. We photographed him in a suit, created clean professional portraits and moved into more relaxed looks, giving him a collection with far more range than one type of photograph.

Because putting work into yourself doesn’t exist only inside the gym.

There is a point when that work becomes part of how you carry yourself. You stand a little taller because you know what you are capable of. A suit fits differently when the man wearing it feels good in it. And, if we’re being honest, a man in a great suit can be every bit as sexy…

That is what a men’s portrait session has the opportunity to capture.

It’s not about creating one great photograph and calling it done. It’s about creating a collection that shows the different sides of the man you are now. The professional, the casual, the confident, and yes, the sexy. There are parts of who you are that the people around you see every day, but that rarely exist in photographs.

And there is something powerful about having that documented.

We take photographs constantly, but very few of them actually show us as we are at a particular point in our lives. Years from now, you shouldn’t have to rely on a bathroom mirror selfie or a cropped photo someone happened to take of you to remember what you looked like when you were in the best shape of your life, when things were going well, or when you simply felt damn good about yourself.

This is who you are right now.

You worked to get here. You live in that work every day, in your body, your confidence and the way you carry yourself. A portrait gives you the opportunity to actually see it.

And that’s worth having photographs of.

Men's portrait photography in Lexington KY featuring a man in a navy suit
Men's portrait photography in Lexington KY featuring a man in a white shirt and navy suit

Ready for Your Own Portrait Session?

If you read this and found yourself thinking about where you are in your own life right now, there’s probably something there worth photographing.

Men’s portrait photography doesn’t need a milestone or a perfectly planned idea behind it. Sometimes, you simply know you want the photographs.

Give us a call. Tell us a little about yourself, what you’ve been working toward and what you want to see when you look at the final images. We’ll build the session from there.

You’ve already done the hard part. Let us photograph it.

Call us: (859) 494-5841

Men's portrait photography using dramatic lighting to highlight an athletic physique
Ella Gagiano
In BOUDOIR

Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year for your Boudoir Session

wedding anniversary gifts by year boudoir session

Our first thought was to google what is the perfect wedding anniversary gift and we are guessing you did the exact same thing. You maybe even saw what else others googled and saw the wedding anniversary gifts by year suggestion. If you are more traditional and love to follow those traditions we have solutions for every year and we are here to help create them! And if you aren’t so much into it but needing some inspo on what do you for your anniversary we got you! These are sure fire ways to create something timeless.

 

Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year & How to Incorporate Them into Boudoir Photography

Creating the perfect wedding anniversary gift for the person you love is something we all get worked up about (and if you don’t please tell us your secret!) If you are like us you are trying to find the perfect gift, between birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day you are all out of ideas. How do you find the gift that says “I Love You” and a gift that says being with you means everything. An anniversary is more than just another day – it’s the day you said “I Do” and chose to stand by each others sides through the hard times and the good.  Whether this is your first anniversary or your 20th, boudoir is the perfect gift to say you are all mine and I am all yours. That this love will last a lifetime.

15 Traditional Wedding Anniversary Themes

When celebrating a wedding anniversary, traditional gifts symbolize the journey and evolution of love. They’ve been around since the middle ages and constantly have evolved with the times, we feel that traditions are a beautiful jumping point to inspire you to make it your own – blending timelessness with elegance and a hint of creativity. If you’re looking the perfect gift and something unique to honor your anniversary, a boudoir photoshoot is a powerful and intimate experience that aligns perfectly when you are looking to give a gift that no other man has (hint, it’s yourself and the love and passion you carry only for your man). We found 15 different wedding anniversary years that have a special theme associated with them and we are excited to share with you how to create the perfect wedding anniversary gift!

1st Anniversary: Paper

Paper represents the blank page of your new life together, the story that is only just beginning. Paper is the absolutely easiest of all the anniversaries to turn your boudoir session into the perfect first year anniversary present. Creating a boudoir album with all your favorite photos from your session is our favorite recommendation, and to take it a step further think about including personal notes or love letters into your boudoir album.  If you are a true romantic you can even bring handwritten notes to scatter around you during your session or even incorporating book pages into the set. A sensual photoshoot featuring these elements adds a personal and poetic touch.

Boudoir Session with books, women surrounded by books

2nd Anniversary: Cotton

Cotton symbolizes the growing strength of your bond. Cotton brings to mind touch, we think of being wrapped in cotton sheets laughing as the sun kisses your skin.  It’s a beautiful reminder of the joy and love you feel creating a romantic natural feel. For those of our more bold and adventurous clients you can still do dark and moody looks and select an album that is made from cotton paper to create a physical connection. If you are daring, wear a cotton tee and create that perfect wet t-shirt look.

boudoir wet t-shirt look

3rd Anniversary: Leather

Leather represents durability and strength and can easily create the sexiest boudoir session you are looking for to show the passion you have for one another. We all think leather corsets, or risque lingerie as the obvious way to incorporate leather into an anniversary boudoir session. But for those ladies who want to step out of the norm think leather jacket. We have so many clients whose men are bikers and they make that personal touch by bringing their husband leather jacket for their boudoir session. Regardless of the what you bring we can make it, bold, sexy, edgy, or even glam! At the end of the day our favorite way to celebrate the 3rd year wedding anniversary present is with our handmade Leather Italian album.

Leather Boudoir Album

4th Anniversary: Flowers

We aren’t quite sure the reason behind this years theme, but it is the most romantic to get behind. We think of floral lingerie, a bed covered in petals, or even artistic nudes covered by your favorite flowers. These are the little details that make your session so special and unique. Think of the first set of flowers he ever bought you, or the one’s he has gotten you ever valentine’s day. What is it that says “this is us”?

Boudoir with roses

5th Anniversary: Wood

Wood represents deep-rooted strength, this is something that is a little tricker to add while still being tasteful. Our first thought is wooden backdrops, rustic furniture, or even nature-inspired settings to bring this element into your boudoir shoot when doing indoors, but if you are up for adventure we do offer outdoor boudoir photoshoots for the subtle wooden theme. For the not so subtle our other recommendation for those who want to go all out for their wedding anniversary gift and have it reflect the 5th anniversary wedding theme is customizing your album to our fine art luxury album where the box looks like a wooden keepsake of his favorite photos, a secret little reminder of whats most important to him.

baseball themed boudoir session

6th Anniversary: Iron or Candy

Iron symbolizes a solid foundation, while candy represents sweetness. Think metallic accessories, bold, structured outfits. If you lean into the candy theme, playful props like lollipops or chocolate-covered strawberries can add a fun, flirty touch. If you are a little like us maybe you want to let yourself be the sweetness you are gifting this year ;p

Boudoir Session Lexington ky

7th Anniversary: Wool or Copper

Wool represents warmth, and copper symbolizes durability.  Soft wool blankets, fuzzy socks in a loose sweater, or warm-toned lighting create a cozy and intimate vibe. Copper-toned makeup or jewelry can add an elegant and artistic touch to your shoot. We prefer the subtle nature in all our work so why not add both to give it that special touch?

Boudoir Session

10th Anniversary: Tin or Aluminum

These metals symbolize resilience, a statement to be proud of. Your 10th wedding anniversary is something to celebrate, to go big and bold and remind your man that a decade later your love still shines. Try a more glam look with  silver-toned lingerie, bold makeup, and let us create that reflective look that silver gives. If you love a futuristic, metallic theme, this is your chance to embrace it.

Boudoir Photoshoot with reflection

12th Anniversary: Silk or Linen (Or Pearls)

Silk and linen embody comfort and elegance. A reminder of the comforts and resilience of your relationship. This is a moment to embrace the sensuality that comes with feeling safe and free in a relationship. Knowing you are loved and loved back.  Don’t hesitate to embrace this side of yourself with silk sheets, artistic nudes draped in pearls, be bold, be sexy, this is just for your husband after all.

boudoir session lying in red silk

16th Anniversary: Wax

Wax represents the flexibility and adaptability of a marriage. Make a statement with candle obras to add a dramatic and romantic atmosphere to your boudoir session. Whether using candlelight for moody, intimate shots romantic or dark and moody this theme creates a powerful visual story. If you want to keep it simple we suggest setting the mood with candles and wine when you gift your album to your man.

dark and moody boudoir photoshoot

20th Anniversary: China

China represents the beauty and delicacy of a relationship that has withstood the test of time. For our ladies who are hopeless romantics setting the scene with elegant, fine china tea sets or delicate porcelain props for a refined, sophisticated boudoir session. For the ladies who are just wanting to make a statement let your photos do the work, let your beauty represent these 20 years. The vulnerability and strength of being a woman, a wife, and everything he has loved all these years.

wedding anniversary gifts by year boudoir sessions

25th Anniversary: Silver

Silver symbolizes radiance and endurance. Wearing silver-toned lingerie, accessorizing with silver jewelry, or using shimmering fabrics can enhance the elegance of your boudoir shoot. A classic, timeless approach works beautifully for this milestone.

boudoir photoshoot, elegant boudoir photographer

30th Anniversary: Pearl

Pearls represent wisdom and beauty cultivated over time. Consider pearl accessories, soft oceanic themes, or white satin fabrics to capture the essence of this anniversary. One of our favorite photos we have done with pearls is stunning artistic nudes with our client draped in pearls, an absolute classic and favorite (one we cannot share with others, but it is worth it to try it! After all you are the pearl of this story.) Regardless of pearls, or satin sheets, we recommend keeping this year for luxurious, classy, and sensual feels to showcase how lucky your husband is and how loved you feel.

wedding anniversary gifts by year boudoir session

40th Anniversary: Ruby

Rubies symbolize passion and deep love. Create a jaw dropping gift that will take you back to when you first met, the passion, the flames, the excitement. Wear red lingerie and we will create the dramatic lighting, we might even suggest a bold, confident pose that can bring the fiery essence of this anniversary to life. Ruby-red roses or a scarlet satin backdrop can add to the intensity of the shoot.

dramatic boudoir session, wedding anniversary gift

50th Anniversary: Gold

Gold represents prosperity, strength, and a love that has endured half a century. A golden-themed boudoir shoot with metallic fabrics, golden jewelry, or even a glamorous, vintage Hollywood aesthetic can create a stunning tribute to this milestone. Whatever it is your 50th anniversary is a gift that not many people get to have let this moment be something to remember.

boudoir session in fur coat

 

A boudoir photoshoot is a unique and unforgettable way to celebrate each milestone in your marriage. Whether you go for soft and romantic, bold and daring, or playful and fun, these anniversary themes offer endless inspiration for a session that truly reflects your journey together. Ready to book your anniversary boudoir experience? Let’s create something beautiful that celebrates your love!

Schedule Your Consultation!

And don’t forget to join our private facebook group for more inspiration! Women Empowering Women

Ella Gagiano
In Fitness, Studio

The Ultimate MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre, 3 time UFC Champion

MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre, men's photography

When you have the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts, three time UFC champion, and actor in so many cool action movies, you want to create fitness photoshoot that shows off all of that hard work and dedication that Georges St-Pierre put not only into his career but his life.

Understanding who Georges St-Pierre is

 

Like any person who is focused on their goals and committed to succeeding in what they set out to do GSP is a man of focus. Working with him we learned of his motivation to get into fighting and was able to see him train one on one. We met his personal trainer whose energy left us impressed.

Both GSP and his trainer Erik Owings were humble chill dudes who talked with us through sets. Creating an impression of how intense it is when they switch to fighting mode. Their understanding of techniques and explanation actually left us feeling as if we could jump into the ring ourselves.

While working with them on filming their launch of Rush Fit 2 we became so excited to personally attempt the workout routines ourselves! (We might need to stick with being expert photographers as his workouts are no joke. )

That is why we wanted to create statement photos that stood out and exemplified the power, strength, and attitude Georges St-Pierre carries with him everyday.

For the launch of Rush Fit 2 GSP sat down with Muscle and Health Magazine to talk about what motivates him and his formula for success; his motto is “Do a little a lot, not a lot a little!’ It’s all about consistency,”

In true GSP fashion he followed through with his consistency and brought out the intensity and energy we all expect from him during his MMA Photoshoot with us.

Creating the perfect Fitness Photoshoot

Working with other fitness experts we know how important it is to stand out and feel powerful. Fitness is about control. Hard work. Perseverance.

Getting to know our clients one on one throughout the years we’ve seen what motivates them and pushes them to be the best. Each story is different but one thing remains work out is not a passive hobby but a lifestyle.

It defines you, it motivates you, it pushes you further than you ever dreamed of.

It is something to celebrate.

It is all about YOU.

That is why we focus on creating photos that focus on our clients. That say “I am” powerful, determined, focused.

There is no need for background noise when you are in the zone.

Georges St-Pierre MMA PHOTOSHOOT

MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre

MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre

MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre

MMA Photoshoot with Georges St-PierreMMA Photoshoot with Georges St-PierreMMA Photoshoot with Georges St-PierreMMA Photoshoot with Georges St-Pierre and Erik Owings

 

Are You Ready?

Feel as fantastic as GSP with your own Fitness Photoshoot

Ella Gagiano
In Strong Woman

A Celebration of Sisterhood: Photoshoot with your Best Friends

Photoshoot with Best friends

There is nothing more powerful in this world than love and that includes the love you have for your best friends. Everyday we celebrate and empower women, so when we are asked if we will do a photoshoot with your best friends our answer is an absolute yes! Especially when you call your best friends your sisterhood.

Photoshoot with Best friends

The real question though is WHY do you want to do a photoshoot with your best friend? You might think it is silly of us to ask that question, after all you might just be looking for a photographer for you best friends photoshoot and unsure why it makes a difference of the why you want to do it. Who cares about why you love your friend or how they’ve been there for you and what the mean to you if you have photos, right?

Wrong.

Having a photoshoot with your best friend is meant to celebrate and honor your friendship, showcase how important you are to one another and what it really means when you choose someone to be family.

To honor something so beautiful and complex it’s important to know that your photographer is willing to take the time to truly see your friendship and what you love about one another, but more than that how you see one another.

 

Photoshoot with Your Best Friends

You have shared so many late nights, long conversations, glasses of wine and ice cream. Been through so many big moments and small moments that when things are hard you know they are only a call away and they will be there for you. Your best friend is the person that you chose to be family, that these are the people who will always have you back no matter how much time passes or how far the distance is. And sometimes that distance feels far and the space between the late night laughters and going out for fun is time that’s been measured in how old your kids are.

As we get older we have so many things on our plate that we have learned that quantity time becomes quality time. So how do you take a moment and turn it into something that you will cherish for years to come?

Hiring a photographer to take beautiful photos of you and your best friend.

You are here which means this is something that has already sparked your interest and now you are trying to figure out the best way to do it. That is where we come in, we are more than just photographers we are story tellers, who care deeply about your story.

Think of your best friend, who are they to you? 

Best Friend Photoshoot

How important are they to you?

Best Friend Photoshoot

When do you need them the most?

Best Friend Photoshoot

You and your friendship will be so unique that we cannot tell you exactly what that looks like through a blog post, but what we can tell you is we will be here to understand your needs and create an amazing experience. We are here to guide you through the entire process from planning the perfect location for your session, to wardrobe guidance, hair and makeup and so much more, if you still need more details keep reading but if you are as excited as we are and ready to get your session booked give us a call today!

 

Photoshoot with your Best Friend, Best Friend Photoshoot ideas

Creating the best Best Friend Photoshoot

If you are still feeling uncertain of what it really means to have a beautiful empowering photoshoot with your best friend let us walk you through what to expect for your photoshoot.

1. Schedule a consultation with our studio

If you have yet to check out our portfolio (on our website or instagram) we highly recommend taking a moment to do so. As women we understand the difficulties and pressure of feeling good in front of the camera. We consistently hear from our clients when they first call they don’t feel photogenic or never like their photos even when they’ve done photoshoots in the past they still have those nerves and worries.

Empowering Strong Woman Photoshoot

We are here to tell you it’s ok to feel that way but we are also going to tell you about 90% of the women you see in our portfolio said the same thing you did, but when they left our studio they realized none of that stress and fear should exist.

Our consultations are so important to our process in getting to know our clients, the real you, your beauty and soul. By understanding what you love about your best friend, how you spend your time together, what you’ve been through together, and what you miss about one another we are able to create a custom session just for the two of you so you can see each other through the eyes of a loved one.

 

2. What’s included in your session

It won’t be an amazing experience unless you get the royal treatment. Okay, yes royal treatment sounds a little cheesy, but we have no other way to describe it. You have enough on your plate, you do not need to go searching online for poses, locations, makeup artist, etc. We are here to help you!

Empowering Strong Women Photoshoot in Nature

At Ella Gagiano Studios we know are women are strong and live full lives and they deserve to have a day where they are taken care of. During our initial call and any calls leading up to your session will be about making your experience, fun, easy, and relaxing.

3. Leading up to your Photoshoot

We will get to know you so we can recommend the perfect location from outdoor to in studio we do it all. We will discuss outfit ideas and what will help create the beautiful look and combination for you and your best friend based on your personalities. We have hair and makeup included in our sessions and our team will customize your look to make you feel the best – if you want more natural keep it simple, if you want full glam we got you.

Empowering Strong Women Photoshoot on a lake

Our studio is a full service studio as well, meaning we not only take the photos for your best friend photoshoot, but we are here to help create the perfect keepsake from your session. All our product is handmade in Italy from handmade albums, custom wallart, portrait boxes, to fine art prints. All product is customized to our clients tastes and styles to create a beautiful keepsake as memorable as your friendship.

4. During your Photoshoot

During your session Ella will guide you through the perfect poses that not only make you feel and look amazing, but celebrate your friendship as well. Your photoshoot with your best friend is more than standing in front of a camera but your bond and love for one another. That is why day of session you will arrive at our studio for hair and makeup where we will have music playing and glasses of champagne available. This should be a fun day full of laughter and joy.

Empowering Strong Women Photoshoot on Beach

Once you are ready we will either go upstairs to our studio or go on location for beautiful photos at sunset. In either case we will have everything set up in a way that will tell your story. We offer the ability to do up to 4 looks in studio or 2 looks on location. If you are in love with the long flowy dresses seen throughout our portfolio those are also available, so just let us know!

5. After your Photoshoot

This is where the magic beginnings. Through this entire process you have been having fun and creating wonderful memories, but there was still a part of you still nervous and excited to see the final results. This is our favorite part of your journey with our studio; when you get to see your photos.

Photoshoot with your best friends

Everything we discussed has been leading up to this point, the moment you see yourself as beautiful and radiant as your friend sees you. It’s the moment when you see the love and joy you have for one another captured not only beautifully but profoundly. It’s the moment that you get to cry, laugh, and feel prideful for. The one where you cannot wait to share the photos with everyone.

It’s the moment we cannot wait for you to have.

Strong Women Photoshoot on BeachMakeup: Makeup by Susana

Location: Flagler Beach, Florida

Ella Gagiano
In Strong Woman

A magical Women Empowerment Photoshoot – Rock Springs Florida

The ultimate goal to a perfect women empowerment photoshoot is seeing the freedom our strong women feel in being completely and totally themselves.

Women Empowerment Photoshoot at Rock Springs Florida in Red Flowy Dress

This was no different for our stunning client Breanna.

Being the joyful, creative, and talented person she is we knew we wanted to help create something absolutely spectacular and breathtaking with her. A magical photoshoot that would stand out from the day to day and show the world the beauty of her soul.

 

 

A woman empowerment photoshoot is the best way to describe her experience, but ultimately it was photoshoot filled with adventure, laughter, and a few surprises.

 

 

While we arrived early, our maps kept taking us down dead end roads one after another, and usually we know how frustrating a situation like that can be, but it only made the trip more fun! Being able to laugh in the bad moments and trust that everything will work out is a life lesson for the bigger picture. Once we finally arrived it was amazing to see how busy the park was. It had been our first time at Rock Springs Florida (also known as Kelly Park) and we had no clue what to expect. 

This was one of those moments where the true strength and confidence comes in of not only our team but our clients. We all marched into the springs, with our camera gear and hair and makeup done with a long flowy dress ready to start our photoshoot. We can definitely say we turned a few heads that day, and if you are one to be a bit shy about these things, trust us when we say you would of left your session feeling over the moon. At a certain point we had to eventually ignore all the amazing compliments and kind words thrown Breanna’s way, otherwise we would’ve had to be there for hours as each person wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked!

 

For Breanna’s women empowerment session we focused on two different looks. Her first outfit was a long red flowy dress that had a beautiful contract to the greenery surrounding her. Her second outfit was a white summers dresses that was perfect for being in the water.

We loved Breanna’s adventurous and creative spirit. As she was absolutely down to walk up stream to get beautiful once in a life time shots. Moments like these are not always guaranteed but made between ourselves and our clients. We ultimately want to create a beautiful unique session for each of our strong women and when our clients are down to have fun and creativity you get beautiful stunning strong woman portraits that will stand out and remind you of how amazing you truly are.

What is a Women Empowerment photoshoot?

For us we call Women Empowerment Photoshoots, Strong Woman sessions.

And they are more than just a photoshoot. 

This will be a weird request, but we want you to take a moment to think about it yourself, but we want you to take out the word photoshoot. 

Ask yourself what is a strong woman?

When you define what a strong woman is to you, you are already on the first steps of this journey of what we call a Strong Woman Photoshoot.

We have a feeling if you are reading this now you are in fact a strong woman. 

Did that throw you off? If so that is absolutely okay, because the reality is being a strong woman isn’t always as easy as being what we think it is.

You are a strong woman, you might not know it yet, and you might be listing all the reasons that you could prove us wrong in that statement, but we are here to tell you you are.

You are a strong woman even though you are going through hard times. You may cry, you may scream, you may even pray to God for someone else to take care of you for 5 seconds but that doesn’t make you weak. In fact what we’ve learned about strong woman is they are usually the ones everyone has come to rely on.

We are here to say let us take care of you. You deserve a day to be shown how wonderful you truly are and be seen for all that you are.

Why do a Strong Woman photoshoot?

Remember that part about us taking care of you? Well we mean it, we have learned that sometimes you need to get out of your day to day routine and have some fun! 

Let’s be honest, when was the last time you let yourself truly be you?

Where you’ve been able to put down all the expectations of what you should be; the perfect mom, the perfect daughter, the perfect whatever you want to call it. When is the last time you were free to be yourself and remember how awesome and amazing you truly are?

If you are saying “it’s been awhile” or “I can’t even remember” then maybe you should skip past everything we are about to say and just call us now, cause you really need to have fun and find yourself again.

If you want to keep reading though, then we are here to take you on an informative journey.

As female based studio filled will strong women, we’ve talked it over many times what it means and why this is important.

Ultimately, everyday as strong woman we rise to the occasion to lift others up and want to be our best. We are passionate, we are adventurous, we are wild. We can be loud, we can be bold, we tend to be “too much” and we’ve heard it too many times, we have to lower ourselves down so others will feel good enough.

But you don’t have to. You really don’t have to, you can be everything you are and shine as brightly as possible and still be loved. Those who love you will rise up and be proud of you. They will want nothing more than for you to see how truly amazing you are and how loved you are for yourself.

Can a strong woman session really be this empowering?

Yes. Yes, and a thousand times more yeses.

Everyday when you look at yourself what do you see? What words do you tell yourself? How often do you get to step out and see the best version of yourself?

A strong woman session is about bringing life back into your day to day. It’s about creating a reminder of all that you love about yourself. Showing you who you are and how others view you. 

We once had a client years ago that we still think about so often, her husband said he loved the wild and free woman she was when they first married, that she had this light and life about her, through the years though he hasn’t seen it in awhile. Between the hard times and the day to day stress and responsibilities part of her was lost. All he wanted to do was see her again and have her be that happy again. 

From the first call, to the photoshoot, and to the final reveal her photos he said he saw that woman again. The light in her eyes was back, the joy, the energy. But more than that a few months after her session she called us up to let us know that because of her photoshoot she applied for a job that she never would have felt confident enough doing and they hired her and that the job paid three times higher than her previous job. That her entire families lives had changed because of her photoshoot.

When your cup is empty you cannot pour into another cup. Let us help you refill yours.

Meet the women behind our Strong Woman Sessions

We typically try not to make a fuss about who we are, because our goal is to focus on you, but we also know how important it is to have the right people for something so special. 

Our studio is an all female studio, with it primarily being two people; Ella and Sammi.

We are strong women who are passionate, a little stubborn, and a bit wild at times.

While Ella loves to create elegant and dramatic photos, she is nothing like our clients anticipate when they see her work, she is much more down to earth. She is originally from South Africa and grew her business in Las Vegas before moving to Florida. A lover of nature and being outdoors she has found herself living on a farm with her 11 mini donkeys and 2 dogs. She is a water baby at heart and will take any chance she gets at being outside in the water. She is talented with knowing how to light and pose for any client and in any environment. My favorite part that I hear from our clients is how fun and relaxed a session feels with her.

I am Sammi, the romantic heart of the two. I find that life should be lived to its fullest. That passion and love are things to be found even if it’s just for oneself. I’ve worked with Ella for 10 years now and truly never loved anything more, outside of work not only are we best friends but our dogs as well. Ella says everyone has a special gift, hers is being able to see people for who they are and she says mine is being able to understand people in a deep way.

Between the two of us we’ve created Strong Woman sessions to show woman like us that it is more than okay to be strong, bold, loud, wild, passionate, and loved. You deserve to see your worth.

How do you prep for a Strong Woman Photoshoot?

Having us understand your needs and desires is going to be the ultimate part of creating an amazing strong woman photoshoot. 

Think about all that we’ve asked so far.

How do you define being a strong woman? When is the last time you truly let yourself be you? What does it look like when you see the best version of yourself, and we aren’t talking about looks, but what does it feel like?

Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact answer. If you give us a call we will guide you through finding out all the things that important to you and you want to see and celebrate.

Once we get a good idea of who you are and what makes you feel the best we will start planning your session.

Where, when, and what should I do to create the best women empowerment session?

The where, when, and what are all icing on the cake when you have finalized your call with our team. By understanding your needs we can help guide you through the best places and options for you.

We do offer in studio and out of studio sessions year round to give all our clients all a chance to create a life changing experience.

For our in studio women empowerment sessions we have an accessible amount of studio props from furniture pieces, to the outfits, we have dramatic robes, angel wings, and so many dresses. We also have many different backdrops to create diverse looks during your session.

Out of studio Ella is a skilled off camera flash photographer which allows us to create stunning looks in any location. Her style is known for sunsets, but we also make available sunrises for specific locations.

Since there are so many variables our best recommendation is to schedule a consultation, we take bookings a year out and help finalize all the details. Not only for place and time, but what outfits will look the best, we also offer the ability to use or rent certain dresses available in our studio. Most of our iconic photos are used with our studio dresses so if there is one you love in particular please don’t hesitate to ask about it!