A few short weeks ago a question was posed on the I’m a Devilbliss Girl Facebook Group (if you don’t belong to it you should, it’s a terrific, supportive group of ladies, many of whom have shot with us) asking what themes members would like to see. One of the gals mentioned “camping”. It struck us as a terrific idea. An initial thought was to keep it very tent focused but something in me got nostalgic (again) and I just had to see more “camp” than just tent. My own family never went camping together. Sure I did as a teenager as a means to join my friends in underage drinking in the woods… I digress… My family did however vacation at a lot of iconic destinations in the 70’s (when I was really really young) and at that time there was still many many traces of those classic 50’s and 60’s sights you now only find on postcards. My memories of it all look like those postcards. A nostalgic slice of heaven is located very near my home. Roadside America, if you have not visited it, do so. It’s a treasure. Its walls are classically painted backdrops for the miniature village and have that feel I love. It’s not unlike the sort of treatment you’d find at a museum. Exactly the sort of look I began to imagine for this session. 
Here’s Claire Marie at the AACA museum in Hershey PA, this was a display and that backdrop did the exact same thing for me.
So I began searching for the perfect camping backdrop. Luck was not with me. A custom one was needed. I also couldn’t find the perfect photo of a camp scene to use and the thought of something photographic was actually not what I was seeing either… I wanted a bit of kitsch and “camp” (how perfect?) with it. SO… I decided to try my hand at it myself. Years ago i actually experimented with airbrushing photos. Not photoshop airbrushing… real honest to god airbrushing which gave that tool in photoshop its name. I picked up a Paasche air gun like my father used at his concrete ornament business (the other was a DeVilbiss, not a coincidence) and got to work. I started with a sketch:
I know, you’re thinking I could have just blown this up onto a banner and been done! But there needed to be a bit more… So Nicole and I unrolled and taped up about 22 feet worth of spent seamless paper to the wall of the big big space on the 3rd floor here and I began to get to work.
Nicole looked at this and gave me the sort of encouragement a parent would a child with grand visions but questionable track record. I kept at it.
and kept at it…
In time it got to be pretty decent:
Then the details started:
A few days ago we had the great opportunity to christen the set with the very lady who proposed it to us. The lovely Shelby Barnhart!
Here’s some samples from the session. As you can see a lot more detailing was added. Click the photos to see them larger. 
Isn’t she classic?
Shelby also snuck in with a terrific vintage rifle for her session. I will be getting another Red Ryder BB gun for the holiday Frageelay Sessions so it will be available for this set as well. You may also notice the perspective here. One of the things about this particular studio (we have 9 spaces in our 4000 sq foot 2 floor studio) is that the ceilings are 12 feet high. For this shot I was standing on a ladder very near the ceiling. This also lets you appreciate the sheer size of this set. The shot below was edited but nothing added to fill in the set. It’s that big!
As you can see above there’s a lot of flexibility for wardrobe with this set. Lookout! Shelby is a dead eye with that thing… Below Shelby gets ready to turn in for the night.
With the help of the campfire (fake) and working vintage flashlight, Shelby is able to relax under the starry skies and take in a bit of a pulp novel. The shots below were made with multiple lights and gels to simulate a nighttime look.
But wait!!!! There’s a strange sound in the woods… what could it be?
Turns out it was just a friendly bear who heard it was her birthday and brought her a fresh baked red velvet cake from Momma Millie’s just a block from our studio!
In reality it’s Nicole who was sporting enough to put on the fun bear costume we have at the studio. The cake was real and Shelby said she and her new hubby enjoyed it quite much. We had hosted 3 birthday girls in the studio and each was presented with a cake of their own baked earlier those very days!
We will have wardrobe in the studio for these sessions so you can arrive with nothing more than your street clothes. We do not however have any hiking boots among our 120+ shoe collection so that is something to keep in mind. You can personalize this with wardrobe and accessories of your own. Couples are most welcome though for any group sessions please contact us for additional fees.
We are offering this set on special the weekend of September 24th for $300 + tax. This includes full makeup and hair, every photos (several hundred) shot on an SD card the moment the session finishes. 6 Edits of your choice, or if you prefer, we will select them for you. You also have access to our wardrobe collection which includes several items perfect for this theme. Get a deposit in by August 13th and take another $25 off! Shot with us before? Then you get a $25 return client discount. Bring a friend who shoots and get a $25 referral credit, no limits! And if you get a $100 deposit placed by August 13th one of your edits can be transformed into a classic postcard graphic at no additional cost!
Can’t make it during the discount weekend? Just let us know, and we can find a date to accommodate you.
Here’s some vintage postcards to get you even more motivated to take part in this classic session.
