Because of my ever-busy schedule (and the fact that I’m hired to blog for several other companies) this blog unfortunately gets neglected. In an attempt to bridge the long gaps between posts, I’ve created another blog on tumblr that is a lot more minimal and easier to keep up with. I’m about to travel throughout Argentina & Brazil over the next 3 weeks (celebrating my 28th birthday) so if you’d like to follow along add me to your reader here: jenniferemerling.tumblr.com

Of course, I’ll still be posting on instagram too.

I’m crazy excited for this next adventure and can’t wait to share photos from the southernmost city in the world & more.

the road is life.

Last fall, my friend Smiles Davis needed some portraits taken that she could use as artwork for her DJ mixes and promotion over the next year. I met Smiles through The Flashdance, where we often work together at weddings. We bonded early on during a road trip to Vegas, so naturally we were both drawn to a desert backdrop when brainstorming ideas for this shoot. The entire afternoon was filled with dancing, random waterslides, bond-girl poses, and exploring desolate roads just outside of Palm Springs. Do yourself a favor and listen to this girl spin some records sometime — she’ll blow your mind.

This is a very meaningful post to me — not only because I took the engagement portraits of one of my best friends and the love of her life, but also because we took these in Big Sur. Five years ago the three of us took a nature photography class while we all were in college and Big Sur was the destination of our class camping trip. It was during this trip when I first saw a spark between L&A (though it wouldn’t be until several months later that they finally started dating) and one of the first times we all bonded together as friends. During one particularly chilly night on top of a mountain, I remember thinking to myself that they would be would be PERFECT together, and after all these years I can honestly say that they are.

It doesn’t take much to get me gushing over how much I love and respect LeAnne and Aaron. Post-college we’ve stayed good friends and they’ve done very well for themselves — they’ve made a life in San Jose where Aaron is the head of video production for Specialized Bicycles and LeAnne is the creative director and founder of BeScene Studio Booths: an interactive photography business.

On a personal note, they’ve been a much needed constant in my life. In between my big moves to the east coast, Alaska, Colorado, Alaska again, and then back to California, LeAnne and Aaron have always offered me a place to stay; during the times when my money was tight, LeAnne would be the first person to call and offer me some work; when I felt lost and directionless, LeAnne would let me work out my ideas with her until I found clarity. In short, I don’t know how I would have gotten to where I am today if it wasn’t for LeAnne — her friendship, enthusiasm, entrepreneurship, sense of humor, creativity, endless positivity and ongoing support has directly influenced the person I am today, which I am forever grateful for.

It’s really hard to find people you click with, let alone maintain that for several years, but I really hit the jackpot with LeAnne. Thankfully Aaron finds the humor in our friendship, allowing us to be each others’ “office wives” and bring out the most ridiculous/colorful sides of each other. For that reason and more, she really couldn’t have found a better person to spend her life with. I can’t wait for their wedding.

love to you both xo

I’ve been on the road/up in the air a lot lately for work. It feels good to always be moving, though sometimes that means not getting a day off in over a month! I can’t really complain though — this is pretty much how I always saw my life coming together. Thankfully I have my iPhone and VSCOcam on hand to take snapshots during these quick trips.

This is a Memorial Day party for the books. No doubt, the party of the year. Jonathan and Louise hosted a five year anniversary party this past Memorial Day weekened at their Iowa farmhouse and it was just oozing Americana goodness — BBQ, pie baking contest, dancing, croquet, fireworks, sparklers, a random bonfire, and my favorite part of the day: a hayride. It was seriously about as authentic as it gets. We even were asked to wear all white or pastels, which — not gonna lie — was a challenge for me (I am usually dressed in hot pink from head to toe). Everyone fulfilled the dress code and looked sharp as hell! I was impressed.

Sharing these memories with my friends and colleagues filled my heart with so much happiness. We all came from different corners of the country — Michael of The Flashdance flew in from LA to spin some records for us, Whitney traveled from the east coast to bring a Smilebooth, and Seattle-based Brian of Shark Pig brought his super 8 camera. Of course, with families and loved ones in tow.

I feel incredibly honored to have kicked off the summer in such good company. Thank you, Jonathan and Louise for putting together such a great party. And be sure to read more in the feature on 100 Layer Cake!

I can’t get this trip to Iowa out of my head.

The short version is that going to Fairfield was designed as a way to bring together our “work family” — nearly everyone from the creative collective The Flashdance flew in from dual coasts and spent several days in a town that shares a common history for many of my creative colleagues. We were all invited to a memorial day party to celebrate Shark Pig co-founder Jonathan Lynch’s five year anniversary with Louise (which was amazing and I’ll share pictures in the next post). But it was so much more than that.

It’s hard to explain, but rural Iowa really left an impression on me. This day in particular, when we all went swimming in a quarry, after which I spent hours exploring country roads chasing the most beautiful golden hour light I had seen in a long time — was blissful. My eyes felt fresh, my creativity awakened, and I really connected to the American heartland like never before.

Below are some personal photos that I love — one lens, one instant film camera, one day.

These are just a few of my favorites images from the shoot. To see the series in its entirety and learn more about Aurora’s inspiration behind each look, visit her blog for Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.

CREDITS

Styled by: Aurora Lady // Hair: Tanya Ramirez // Make Up: Danie Cansino // Model: Alexandra Stayer

The lady killer himself: Cousin Dan, flown in all the way from Atlanta just to to blow our minds.

how fucking RAD is this video Landshark and Son of Sharkpig made?

I still haven’t recovered from the awesomeness.