Have you ever dreamed up an epic photo shoot? One that really pushes you creatively? A shoot that also stretches your technical skills? Photography for me is much more than a living; it’s a passion. My creative outlet. And these types of shoots are what I live for!

A few months ago I found myself craving such a shoot. I imagined the perfect location, complete with a gorgeous model, a long flowing dress, and lots and lots of creative possibilities! Then, it happened. The photo shoot I had been dreaming of was about to come to life when my sister-in-law, Holly (an up-and-coming author), came to me with a request… to help her with the cover to her novel, Under the Burning Moon. A novel she’d been writing for several years. The novel she was working to self-publish. The first in her series of books created for fans of urban fantasy, Gothic novels, and paranormal romance.

This was it! This was the shoot I’d been dreaming of. One that would push me technically AND creatively. I was ecstatic! I knew I was about to embark on an amazing journey. I was about to bring to life visually what Holly had been working on for years, pouring her heart and soul into. No pressure!

After reading the epilogue and getting some direction and ideas from Holly, it was time to daydream and conjure up this epic shoot. What would be the perfect location? A cliff, of course. But how was a girl who’s afraid of heights going to create this monumental photo shoot on the edge of a cliff?! Scratch that. Find large rocks or boulders instead. Yes, that’s a bit more safe. Now, lighting was going to be imperative to nail. Just as the title says, we needed to incorporate the moon somehow, and it had to be burning… figuratively. These ingredients were all going to be very important in the creation of this cover, but would have to be pieced together in Photoshop. So, I began collecting: storm clouds, the full moon, the model in a long flowing dress standing on a rugged stone, and of course, a texture!

Put it all together and what do you get?

I love getting out in the field and capturing photos through the lens of my camera, but what I love more is the editing. Let me loose in Photoshop and I’m like a kid in a candy store! I love taking pieces and parts of photos and compositing them together to create one cohesive work of art. I think of it like painting a picture. I start with a blank canvas, work in a subject, add some contrasting elements to balance things, and then throw on some color. I find it so much fun to play with different techniques, bringing to life what I envision in my mind.

I created a little 3 minute video (hyper speed–I really don’t edit that fast!) to show you my process, from shoot to edit. You might find that I do some things a little differently than the norm, but that’s just how I roll. I like to experiment with the various tools in Photoshop to see what comes close to my vision, and then I run with it.

The one element that I credit with the look and feel of this cover photo is the texture I incorporated into the mix. If you haven’t used textures before in your creative photography, I highly recommend that you do! The reason these storm clouds look as though they’re on fire is because of the color tone in the photo texture I used (Vercelli from our Olde World Collection). Plus, the texture itself adds a bit of richness to the overall photo, making it appear a bit fantasy-like.

If you’d like to find out more about this paranormal romance novel , check out Holly’s website and Facebook page. Under the Burning Moon is available now on Amazon.