Location:

Devi Pride Photography studio 

1060 River St. 

Studio #103

Tannery Arts Center

Brenda’s cell 831-247-3666

Devi’s studio is on Highway 9 (across Highway 1 from River Street) at the Tannery Arts Center. The second parking lot, the North end of the Tannery, is closest to her studio. 

Call me at (831) 247-3666 & I can guide you there from the parking lot.

Prep– much of this is general/negotiable. May not apply to you! Let’s talk!

Even if it’s a warm day, people get cold with wet paint and holding still a lot. (Please let us know if you're getting chilled--We’ll turn up the heat in the studio for you.)

Garments: Let’s discuss. You are welcome to bring several options. Simple solid colors are usually good. 

Top can be a sports bra or nude or a scarf wrapped into a bandeau or a tube top or not too detailed lacy bra or …  

Bottom can be a skirt or yoga pants or …  

It’s nice if I have a clue ahead of time about colors you’ll be wearing. 

Jewelry/accessories: Optionally, It can be nice to have a necklace, or maybe hair-flowers if you like, depending on the design-- we can talk.

Personal prep:

please have your fingernails and toenails reasonably clean and neat

reasonably clean hair (some people’s hair cooperates more the day after washing, do what you think is best)

Makeup if you like (& you can bring some for touchups if you like)

Shower, but don't excessively lotion– some is fine, just not right before we start painting

All the following are ideas only, no need to buy anything special!

• comb, brush for final styling just before shoot, and if you have any product for flyaways

• Robe or sweater, maybe a loose shirt (for walking down the hall outdoors to the bathroom; & for warmth)

• loose (warmer) clothing to wear after (without rubbing paint off if you care.)

• warm fuzzy socks for warmth

• Favorite music ideas/playlist

• toothbrush?

• makeup-- optionally, your favorite eyeliner/mascara/lip color can be nice to have on hand if you want that look

• Hair clips/ties if appropriate 

• Any snacks you want

Painting Day

• People sometimes get nervous the night before, or the morning of. If that’s you, know that it’ll be ok! It’s probably just fear of the unknown, and will get better shortly after we get together!

• ask for breaks when you need them -- I might forget you need to pee! 

• I usually have you change positions quite a bit, and don’t be shy about asking for a different one when you’re ready if I haven't. Especially for pregnancy! Don’t do anything that feels wrong for your body.

• Please don't feel offended if I stop listening to a conversation when I'm painting! I'm probably truly interested, but sometimes Art decisions take over my brain and I can't hear!

• If I look at you intensely/critically while I’m designing, know that it’s not you, I’m just thinking about my art!

• If there’s something you want different about the art, please mention it. I would like you to love the final piece! And sometimes I forget something I meant to put in.

• nibble snacks & hydrate throughout the day.

• Don't lock knees when standing (models can faint from doing this for long periods.) Don’t be stoic-- DO let me know if your vision or hearing start to change or you feel queasy: these are warning signs and heeding them can save a session. 

• Devi and I may leave for a private design huddle at some point. We’ve found that it helps our process. 

What music do you like? What’s your favorite high energy music (great for the shoot)? Is there music that conveys the mood that you hope for in this piece?  We have Spotify & a speaker. Your input is really useful!

You get to be the one to breathe life into the art! Be ready to pour in some extra energy at the end. This is where you get to shine. (And it’s really fun and exciting for all of us.) We can't wait for this magic, thanks for inspiring it!

Full length photo shoots take 1&½ - 2 hours. It may seem like a long time, but we want to be sure to get something you love, with the lighting just right and the ideas that pop up late in the game! 

We may want to get a little video of you moving slowly (don’t worry, we can coach you), so you get to see & show others how cool it is when your painting is in motion. (it is SO cool)

Paint Removal

Soapy water– It’s best to put soap on before plain water (via liquid soap or washcloth). Makeup remover doesn’t work very well.

Some colors leave a faint “stain” for a day or two. Putting oil (coconut or whatever) on them and letting it soak in for 20 minutes, then washing usually breaks it down. Some people prefer to rub oil all over the painted areas when they first get home, before showering. Exfoliating soaps also work.

On the other hand, if you are trying to keep the design as long as possible, saran wrap does Not work. Keeping it dry, sweat-free and not rubbed too much is what helps. (I’ve heard that it’s fun to make a print by laying a flat babywipe over the design and gently pushing to transfer—idk how it works, let me know if you try?)

And Then

In the days after the shoot, Devi & I will look at the pictures and take out some of them, then send you a link to a gallery of the ones we like best. These will be Unedited, so please do not post online. We will be interested in hearing which ones are your favorites, and if there are any you don’t like! 

Devi will send you a list of permission questions too, so we know what’s ok for us to show to the public. We respect your wishes.

After we have a small handful of favorites, we will take some time to edit them, and then will share the final images with you.

Optional: your words

IF you want to write or dictate something about your experience afterwards…

It’s awesome for us to have testimonials online, to help other people considering it get braver.
Google, Yelp, and Facebook reviews truly help people find us. (Google is my first choice atm). 

Or a quote sent directly to us to put on our websites, can be anonymous.

And if your project is not private, we sometimes do a blog post and/or social media about behind-the-scenes (with your consent) and where the design came from. People love to read quotes about what it was like from your perspective and/or what it meant to you!

Thank you for inspiring this art and being my creative partner and entrusting me with your story!!!

–Brenda