A final blog post about my zombies-meet-high-fashion photo series “Zombies Are People Too”. Even though there was only one photo from each shoot, model, and location, I had many favorites. It made it difficult to narrow my selections down for the final series. Introducing… the Zombie B-Sides! In other words, a few extra photos that I couldn’t just tuck away without ever showing. Along with these extra releases, this post features some behind the scenes photos with my makeup artist, Jessica, making the magic happen!
See the full, final series in this blog post, and some photos from the show opening at Brass Bell Studios in OKC in this one.











My self-portrait zombie shoot was assisted by Catie Bartlett.

2012, abandonded, Alberto Roubert, anna lee, art show, artificial lighting, behind the scenes, Brass Bell Studios, Brock Lay, Caitlin Dodge Sloat, Caitlin Sloat, Chelsea Cope, Christa May, conceptual series, creative, creepy, dark, different, dramatic, Drop it Modern, drop it modern mermaid, Evan Crowley, fashion, ferris wheel, field, fresh, fun, hair and makeup artist, HMUA, Jessica Dodge Fulton, Junior's, Juniors Oklahoma City, Lindsey Robinson, location, Mad Men style, Model, New York City, night, OK State Fair photo shoot, okc, OKCMOA, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, on location lighting, original, outdoor, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, salon, silver sequin backdrop, Siren Beauty Lounge, styled shoot, undead, unique, Zombies Are People Too
My zombies-meet-high-fashion show debuted at Brass Bell Studios in Oklahoma City back in October of last year- finally posting some photos from the show! Thanks again SO much to everyone who came out, either to support me, or from sheer curiosity. I tried to put my camera down for most of it and just enjoy the culmination of so much work, and to that end I don’t have many photos. However, my camera got passed around to few different people, and the following photos are the result. See the full photo series that was debuted in this blog post. Here’s to the memory of a fun evening!
And yes, those are brain cookies.












2012, artist, Ashley Smith, b&w, black & white, black and white, brain cookies, Brass Bell Studio, Brass Bell Studios, bright colors, creative, creepy, crowd, dark, details, different, event, fashion, fresh, friends, fun, guests, Halloween, hipsters, idea, Model, natural, natural light, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, original, Photo, photo series, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, show opening, unique, zombies, Zombies Are People Too
This project was my baby for over an entire year. It’s no secret I’m completely drawn to the edgy and unusual. I had the inspiration back in a college photo class- many years before the project culminated in a successful show to debut the finalized series at Brass Bell Studios in Oklahoma City back in October. (No mistake that it shared the month with the best holiday- Halloween!) A huge thanks to everyone who came out to support me in one of the artistic accomplishments that I’m most proud of so far. But if you weren’t at the opening, I’m finally releasing the images online here on my blog, so I hope you enjoy!
“ZOMBIES ARE PEOPLE TOO” is a conceptual and artist portrait photography series. The photos force together the opposing aesthetic themes of high-end fashion and the dark style of a modified zombie. It has solidified into a group of styled photo shoots, employing traditional fashion models who are eerily made up to resemble the living dead. The scenes are set in locations across Oklahoma (and one in New York). Click the link below to view the trailer for the series, made by the very talented Andrew Sloat. It was filmed during Caitlin’s shoot in New York.
ZOMBIES ARE PEOPLE TOO – Art Show Trailer
You can also check out the Series mini site, created by Catie Bartlett, here.
I couldn’t have done any of this without the extremely talented Jessica Fulton, my HMUA for the entire project. She was able to execute my vision perfectly and stuck it out with me through the year and a half it took to complete the series. I’d also like to the thank the models who appeared in the photos- for humoring my crazy idea and being willing to go out in public with a pound of black makeup on their faces (especially the guys) and quite possibly scaring some children. Their names are listed with each photo.
Caitlin Sloat:

Evan Crowley:

Lindsey Robinson:

Chelsey Cope:

Brock Lay:

I even included a self-portrait, assisted by Catie Bartlett:

Caitlin Sloat:

Christa May:

Alberto Roubert:

I’ll be following up with some behind the scenes photos and a post about the show opening at Brass Bell. I may also share some B-sides (photos that were not part of the final series, but great none the less). So stay tuned for those!
2012, Alberto Roubert, Andrew Sloat, anna lee, artificial light, black balloons, Brass Bell Studios, bright colors, Brock Lay, Caitlin Sloat, Chelsey Cope, Christa May, cigar, crazy, creative, dark, dark style fashion, Devon tower, different, dramatic, Drop it Modern, eerie, eery, El Reno, Evan Crowley, Fair, fashion, female, field, fresh, fun, funny, HMUA, inspired, interesting, Jessica Dodge Fulton, Junior's cigar lounge, lace blaser, lighting techniques, Lindsey Robinson, living dead, MadMen style shoot, male, mermaid backdrop, Model, MUA, Mustang, natural light, New York, New York City, night, OK, OK State Fairgrounds, okc, OKCMOA rooftop, Oklahoma, oklahoma artist, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, on location lighting, original, outdoor, parking garage, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, pin worthy, pinterest, Portraits, pose, repin, self portrait, silver sequin backdrop, Siren Beauty Lounge, skyline, smoke, speedlights, spike jewelry, sunlight, unique, video trailer, white lace dress, zombie fashion, zombie fashion shoot, zombies
If you have a boudoir shoot planned with me, or if you’re considering one, here’s a more extensive look at a full shoot! Boudoir shoots are most successful when it done is a space with plenty of natural light, such as a bedroom with generous windows. Ms. L’s room was perfect for this, but it’s also a great idea to book a nice hotel room or interesting venue.











2012, accessories, airbrushing, b&w, babydoll top, backlighting, beautiful, bed, black & white, black and white, boudoir, bra, casual, classy, coffee table book, comfortable, creative, curly hair, cute, details, editing, fashion, femenine, fresh, fun, funny, gift, girl next door, glow, hair flower clip, high-waisted, how to, ideas, implied, keepsake, lace, laugh, lingerie, love, mature, Model, Ms. L, natural, natural light, nude, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, original, panties, pearl necklace, Photo, photo album, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, pinterest, Portraits, pose, professional hair and makeup, relaxed, reliable, retouching, retro, romantic, safe, saucy, see-through, sensual, sexy, sheer, silhouette, silohuette, simple, smile, Sue Bryce style inspired, sultry, sweater, sweet, trust, trustworthy, underwear, vintage, vintage tone, what to wear, where to do boudoir pictures, white sheets, window light, woman
I realize that these images barely scratch the surface of the “steampunk” look, but I’ve always been drawn by this style and really wanted to do a steampunk-inspired shoot. I have to give props to Catie Bartlett for shooting these with me! We had so much fun with the dark and whimsical theme, in a perfect, woodsy location, on a nice day in December.








2012, Alice in Wonderland, anna lee, Anna Lee Media, b&w, black & white, black and white, black lace dress, Blair Witch Project, branches, catie bartlett, combat boots, concept shoot, creative, creepy, dark, dead leaves, dead trees, differnt, dramatic, edgy, fashion, feather necklace, film, flip hair back, Forever 21, fresh, grainy, hi lo, hi-low dress, inspired, intense, leather jacket, light leaks, lightroom presets, long brown hair, magical, makeup, Model, moss, mossy ground, natural, natural light, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, oklahoma model, old, original, outdoor, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, portratis, pose, rebelbelle, red lips, red lipstick, rough, scarey, scary, senior portraits, skirt, smokey eyes, spikes, steam punk, steampunk, studs, supermodel, Tim Burton, top hat, tough, unique, vintage, vintage tone, VSCO, whimsical, whimsy, wind blown hair, witch, witchy, woods, woodsy, woody
This classy lady is one of my best friends and a very talented photographer. She needed some new professional head shots as she updates her business brand this year. We made a day of it and hit a lot of cool spots in downtown Oklahoma City. She snapped a few of me as well which you can see below. Afterwards, in another location, she helped me with a concept shoot I’d had in mind all winter- stay tuned for the next blog post! For now, Mrs. Catie Bartlett:









2012, awkward pose, b&w, black & white, black and white, black and white striped shirt, button-up blouse shirt with bow neck tie, catie bartlett, CBM, classy, Colcord Hotel, colcord hotel outdoor lounge, colcord hotel stairs, composition, creative, cute, cute creative poses, December, Devon Tower lobby, editorial, fancy, fashion, framing, fresh, funny, hipster, hotel lobby, ironic, laugh, Model, modern couch, muted colors, natural, natural light, new, nice hotels in oklahoma city, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, original, outdoor, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, red lips, red lipstick, retro, sexy, short hair sock bun, skirt with tights, smile, style, taste, unique, vintage tone, wind-blown skirt, window light, winter, woodgrain wall
2012, 405, American Apparel printed shirts, anna lee, Bike Oklahoma, braid, bright colors, buffalo t-shirt, cardigan, cassie neahring, Chelsea Cope, Christa May, creative, crochet, curls, custom design, cute, designer, details, downtown, dramatic, Etsy, fashion, feather earings, floral dress, Foliage Accessories, fresh, fun, funny, girl model, guy model, hair stylist, hairdo, handmade, handmade bag, handmade hi-low dresses skirts, headband, jewelry, jumpsuit, laugh, leather earings, lightnight bolt necklace, local artists, local crafts, local model, local models, local shops, local stores, locally made, makeup, Massive Downtown, Massive Graphics Screenprinting, Meghan Fossey, Model, Nathan Winfrey, native american graphic design style, natural, natural light, necklace, Nëka Schultz, Norman, okc, Okie, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, oklahoma t-shirt, old, original, Out On A Limb Clothing, outdoor, owl t-shirt, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, Presley Poe, pretty, red girl mohawk, retail, scarf, screen print, screenprinted dress, senior portraits, setup, smile, styling, stylized, succulent potted plant, sunflare, sunlight, suspenders guy outfit, sweatshirts, t-shirt scarf, tee shirt, Thunder gear, Thunder headband, Thunder t-shirt, Thunder tank top, tshirt, unique, urban catalog shoot, velvet turban, vintage, Westbrook tank top
I’m excited to launch a new blog category in 2013- vendor features! In order to make by blog more of a resource for my wedding fans, I’ll be profiling local vendors and showcasing some of their work! It’s a huge task to research all the businesses needed for a wedding, and even harder to get to know them all before making a decision. In these profiles, you’ll get answers strait from the pros to some frequently asked questions, and get to see some of their REAL work! Please let me know in the comments what types of vendors you’re interested in seeing profiles of!
I’m excited to bring you the profile of Adrianne of Pink Poppy Event Designs for my first vendor feature. This beautiful lady is a doll with whom I worked on Becca & Jake’s wedding in last year. If you’re still looking for a planner, check out her interview and photos of her work below! (Some of the photos feature work from Sooner Calligraphy.)
Meet Adrianne:

What made you decide to start planning weddings?
There is just something so magical about a bride and groom’s wedding day. When I got married I remember wishing I had more help navigating what felt like an overwhelming list of ideas and vendors. After helping several friends with their weddings I decided that perhaps this is what I wanted to when I grew up. Planning a wedding is so much fun, but it can be stressful. I hope to help brides and grooms plan their big day so their special day is truly unique and are all that the couple could dream of regardless of budget.

How would you explain the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator? Do you do both?
I think the primary difference is that a wedding planner will assist with a lot of the preliminary details such as vendor selection and overall event details. Wedding coordinators are often hired to coordinate wedding vendors and last minute details. The roles of both a planner and coordinator overlap, but just know a coordinator (Especially day or month of) is often just going to manage the vendors and choices you have already made. I do both, but I really prefer to take on the full wedding planning role because I like to make sure my brides us excellent vendors that I have worked with and trust.

Why should someone hire a planner?
I think the biggest reason a bride should hire a wedding planner is because planners have experience planning weddings. We have faced challenges and have experience with how best to handle problems as they come up. Planners will help with vendor selection, event styling and can greatly reduce the amount of stress along the way. I tell my brides my job is to help make this really fun, but at times stressful process a lot easier. I also tell them when you hire a wedding planner that means you and your family get to enjoy the big day, rather than “work” that day. Managing all the pieces that will make that dream wedding come together becomes my job and the wedding party can kick back and enjoy the big day.

What basic process do you go through with the bride (and groom) to nail down a style direction for their event?
I typically ask brides and grooms to tell me what they think about when they imagine their big day. Do they want to be barefoot on the beach? Do they want a formal black tie occasion? I have also pinned a lot of unique wedding looks on my Pinterest Boards so we look through those together to map out a style direction. I find inspiration all over from cooking books, to design magazines etc and I will create a custom Board for each of my brides if they are interested in that.

Some couples have a pretty specific idea of what they want, while others may have no idea. Is it better one way or the other for you as a planner?
I think it is fine either way. I remember when I planned my wedding years ago I just felt overwhelmed with narrowing down just one specific look. I liked so many. I have worked with many brides that struggled with the exact look too and we just kept pulling together ideas until we found the one that was just right.

Check out her website for more. Pink Poppy Event Design’s ad can be found in the next issue of Oklahoma City Perfect Wedding Guide.
2012, 2013, Adrianne Selvidge, antique, Becca & Jake, best, box, bright colors, calligraphy, ceremony, charger, chest, country, creative, cute, decoration, details, fabric strips, fancy, fashion, floral, flowers, fresh, fun, garden, get noticed, get to know, grass, information, interview, Kim McAllister, local oklahoma city, love letter, menu, natural, natural light, okc, okc wedding planner, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, old, organized, original, outdoor, Perfect Wedding Guide, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, pink, Pink Poppy Event Design, Pinterest board, plate, Portraits, pose, pretty, props, PWG, q & a, Q&A, question and answer, reception, responsible, reviews, sets, silver, smile, Sooner Calligraphy, sophisticated, streamers, styled shoot, stylized shoot, succulent, sunlight, sweet, table setting, teacup, top wedding planner, trunk, typewritter, unique, vases, vendor feature, vendor profile, vintage, vintage tone, website, wedding, wedding coodinator, wedding planner, wedding planning help, wedding planning resource blog, whimsical, white table, white vase, Wilkins, woods, yard, yeard
2012, autumn, b&w, black & white, black and white, bright colors, country, couple, creative, cute, daughter, dead trees, fall, fresh, fun, husband & wife, kiss, laugh, leaves, location, love, Martin Nature Park, natural, natural light, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, original, outdoor, park, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, Robby Doland, romantic, Savanah Doland, smile, sunlight, sweet, throw leaves, unique, vintage, vintage tone, Violet Doland, winter, woods, woodsy
This year for the big 16, my little sister Rachel and I hosted a Fashion Photo Shoot Birthday Party! It was fun watching the girls natural talent come out, and had a blast getting to be models for an evening- backdrops, flashing lights, fans, music- the works!
A Fashion Photo Shoot Party is the perfect idea for teenage girls who want to do something unique and memorable with their friends! Contact me at anna@annaleemedia.com to talk about your (or your daughter’s) party!
Here are just a few favorites from Rachel’s party:







16th birthday, 2012, America's Next Top Model, Angel, ANTM, at home, beauty, bright colors, Catalina, creative, cute, dramatic, dress up, Drop it Modern, editorial, fashion, flourish, fresh, fun, grey, grey yellow backdrop, grey yellow background, group photo shoot, have a blast, imagine, laugh, Lesa Lee daughter, local, Lucy, Magazine shoot, Mary, Model, models, Mustard Seed, mustard yellow damask, natural, natural light, okc, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, original, Photo, photo shoot, Photographer, Photography, Portraits, pose, pretend, professional, Rachel Lee, senior portraits, slumber party, smile, sweet, sweet 16, swirl, teen girl bday party ideas, teenage girls birthday party idea, unique