So last week I had an absolutely amazing time taking pictures of my latest PUG order to use with my review, and I couldn't be happier with how the pictures turned out. My husband and I have been trying in-between work and the rest of life's responsibilities to learn as many tips and tricks to really taking amazing pictures, and even though we already knew this as every grown adult really should, everything we've learned has only made it more clear and reinforced the fact that a true professional photographer really does make all the difference in the world.



So I just thought that I'd take a minute to talk about one really great professional photographer that I have had the chance to work with, and a few others whom I'd love to down the road :)

Melanie Gillis

First off is Melanie Gillis, who really is an amazing artist above all else. Melanie works in almost every field of photography, from maternity, corporate and even boudoir, and she really is fantastic in every one. I've had the pleasure of working with Melanie three times now, and a fourth time is just around the corner next week. The shoots that I've had with her are always fun, and even when she's going out of her way to make sure that every little detail is just positioned, lit and framed right she always goes even further to make sure her models are having fun.

Doesn't that picture to the right say it all? :) I've known her for a few years now and the second I decided that I wanted to take a shot at pinup modelling there wasn't a doubt in my mind who to go to. Someone as detail oriented as she is is also the perfect fit for recreating classic and vintage pinup illustrations in pictures, which is something I really love doing a lot as you can see with my tribute to the Gil Elvgren illustration "Wishing You Were Near" from 2010.

She's based in Hamilton Ontario, which is a little under an hour outside of Toronto. Her doors are open every second Friday of each month for an Art Crawl that they hold on her street, and I promise you won't regret poking your head into her studio if you get the chance!

Cherry Blossom Photography

Now Cherry Blossom Photography is one of those studios that I haven't had the chance to work with, but they've managed to inspire me none the less. One day when I was browsing the web and found an amazing picture from a charity calendar shoot for soliders overseas, a recreation of Aloha Ooooo by Gil Elvgren by a very beautiful model named Sable Sin Cyr that Cherry Blossom had taken.

Until I saw that picture it honestly had never occurred to me that fans of Gil Elvgren could recreate his work in photography as a tribute to him, so I can thank Cherry Blossom and their amazing models for getting me the idea in the first place :)

Their speciality is in Pinup and Boudoir photography, and from their website's galleries it really looks like they have years of experience to show for it. If I'm ever in North Caronlia I'll definitely stop by their studio!

Sherbet Birdie Pinup Photography

The next studio that I wanted to mention is Sherbet Birdie, an Australian studio in Sydney that specializes in not only shoot pinup photography but from what I've gathered also LIVING the pinup lifestyle too. Again, I sadly haven't worked with this studio, but they're definitely on my photoshoot bucket list.

I'm not sure that there's a single Gil Elvgren illustration that they haven't recreated, heck they even have a section in their online gallery devoted entirely to him among the.... They really do go far and wide in finding sources for their inspiration. Just the other day on Instagram I found a saw a picture of theirs from a recent shoot which was a tribute to of all people the legendary French film pioneer Georges Méliès that they were inspired to do after seeing the movie Hugo. It might have been the most original pinup piece that I've ever seen.

So if I ever make it down under I'll definitely be setting aside the time to pay a visit to the ladies at Sherbet Birdie!

666 Photography

Now this studio, 666 Photography in Austin Texas really is one of a kind. I first came across the studio when I found a tribute to the Gil Elvgren illustration "Surprising Catch" with Sabina Kelley. They have an incredible book that I can't recommend enough that features the amazing work that they've done over the years, and it REALLY is amazing.

From what I've gathered by researching them online they have a studio that could rival most TV studios in terms of scales and production value. If you look at their blog you'll see what I mean. What I think they do a lot of the time is they prepare a theme for photoshoots, invest in set construction, makeup supplies and props and then open their doors up to anyone and everyone who wants to photograph with that theme.

Right now they're booking appointments for Zombie and Christmas pinups. Before that they actually built a giant birdcage for people to pose inside on a swing, before that they had a massive Victorian circus set built, and before that they brought in a giant (replica) WW2 era bomb for models to pose on in a riding pose like the models used in airplane nose art.

Like I said, 666 Photography really works on a scale bigger than any other studio I've seen. A good friend of mine are even considering booking a trip down to Austin just for a shoot with the studio... if only that lottery investment would pay off now ;)

Laura Byrnes

What can anyone say that hasn't been already said about the woman who not only took so many of the brilliant pictures that made us fall in love with Pinup Girl Clothing, but founded Pinup Girl Clothing on top of that.

Obviously and regrettably I've never worked with Laura, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and who knows what the future holds? ;)

So that's my list of one amazing pinup photographer that I've worked with and four that I'd love to at some point down the road. If anyone out there has the name of a photographer that they've worked with and want to share it too feel free to post it in the comment section. I really think that this site is a great place to share the great pinup photographers from all around the world users here have had the chance to work with.

Next thing I think I'll talk about Viva Las Vegas next March. Take care guys!