Elle Decor | Alyssa Rosenheck's Statement-Making Christmas Tree Decorations

I recently shared my secret weapon for an easy, elegant Christmas tree with Elle Decor: RIBBON. And while the beauty of a well-styled tree is undeniable, I am thrilled to share my Christmas tree styling tip for a few reasons. First, my tree represents love. Growing up Jewish, we never had a tree. This was the first time we brought a tree into our home, and to me it represents the warmth surrounding the season. Second, I love using ribbon because it is an easy, affordable way to elevate a tree without having years of ornament-collecting under my belt. I used vintage velvet ribbon for mine, which instantly adds a layer of softness to the space. To see my tip and 50-plus more ideas to make your season extra special, read the story here. 

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The Washington Post | Alyssa Rosenheck's Tips for Photographing Your Home

The Home: it’s our safe haven from the world, a place to dream, to grow , to love, to rest and certainly, create. My camera gives me admission into homes all over the country. I sense the homes filled with love, filled with time honored stories and a soulful patina. But most of all, I feel honor and gratitude to document the sacred spaces of others. I enjoyed sharing my tips with the Washington Post for Photographing your home. Whether you want to simply capture a space that is both the source and a byproduct of your inspiration OR you have more concrete goals in mind–listing your home, sharing your design work, finding a tenant–you have a foundation for success here.  Below are my favorites tips and to read my full conversation; head over to the The Washington Post. 

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ONE | Level Up - It is a quick rookie mistake when one thinks hand holding the camera is going to yield super star results. Invest in a simple tripod for your dslr or an attachment for your camera phone. Straight lines are the oxygen to an image, when capturing straight horizontal and vertical lines, the image, the composition, the components within the image will breathe and sing a chorus line to the viewer but when the lines are off, your eye immediately catches this and the crooked lines become a focal point and misses the mark. Hence, the need to level up and have a tripod.

TWO | Lens - First, set an intention through your own personal and emotional lens. Each room has an energy and story to tell. The four walls of our home and creative spaces are where we love, find inspiration and grow (hello #TheNewSouthern) and what a cool privilege it is to be the one holding the camera while communicating a story of these spaces that have supported you and many more to come. Second, invest in a good prime lens and wide angle lens. One of my favorite prime angle lenses is a 50 mm because this lens is most representative of what your natural eye sees. My goal as a photographer is to communicate a space inspiring stillness while also transporting you to what I am experiencing as I am in the space. Prime means having a  fixed focal length, and shooting with a fixed lens also motivates you to move around the space and really focus on achieving the perfect frame for the shot. Wide angle lenses are important in capturing the scale of a space. I encourage you to rent as many as you would like and play around with what feels most natural to you without distorting the image. If you are using a phone, there are really affordable wide angle lens accessories as well if you are on the go.

THREE | Let there be light - Natural light.  I find it necessary for an image to be the most accurate representation of a room as possible.. It is camera vs. eye, and all cameras are not created equal when it comes to the vast dynamic range of our eye. I am known for bright and crisp images so it always surprises my clients and observers when we are starting to photograph the house and I am methodically flipping off all the light switches. Is it counter intuitive? Yes. But it yields the most natural look of the color of the room and all the beautiful things within it. Natural light also forces you to adapt to what you are given while understanding all exposure options. The only way to know what works for you is to practice during different times of the day while studying the way light moves from room to room. For me, this is a form or prayer and poetry.

FOUR | Be a Straight Shooter - I am a back to basics kind of gal in every area of my life especially when it comes to angles behind the lens. Let’s keep things simple and shoot straight on. This will yield beautiful clean lines and communicate the simple geometry of the space. Over complicated angles and postions result in fussy images and confused focal points. 

Photo + Styling: ©Alyssa Rosenheck for Luxe Magazine Design: Amanda Barnes Interiors

FIVE | Layer - an image is technically flat but what makes it come to life with great dimension are its layers. The rooms you are shooting need to communicate a stillness or an emotion to the viewer. There needs to be an element of visual texture to the space for it to have dimension. Ways to do this are decorative tabletop accessories, layered sculptures/artwork leaning against a wall, layered rugs to draw the eye in, incorporating texture through throws and fabric selections, and fresh flowers picked from the garden. Leave the red roses at the store and stay within a neutral color palette such as whites, greens, and blushes. This color palette will keep an image fresh and attainable without it being season specific. 

Photo + Styling: ©Alyssa Rosenheck for Mydomaine and Design: Allison Crawford

SIX | Composition - I find composition to be much more important than the camera you have in your hand. It enables the space’s story to be told through object arrangement and placement. I can communicate a particular point of interest through my focal point or can introduce a moment of relief by emphasizing negative space. There are numerous theories behind composition, but at a very basic level, your goal should always be to achieve straight lines,  balanced layers and let the rule of 3rds guide your lens. 

©Alyssa Rosenheck for Architectural Digest - Design: Alexis Bednyak + Searl Lamaster Howe

Naturalizer Fall 2019 "Today We Will" Campaign with Alyssa Rosenheck

Before we can speak our truth, we have to spend time with ourselves, our thoughts, our feelings and really navigate who we want to be in the world. The time we spend with ourselves is the most important investment we can make. When we are aware of who we are, we are connected and grounded to the richness of this earth and the people standing next to us. When we are aware of who we are, we start to invest and believe in the future visions we have for our life and not let our current environment limit us. When we are aware of who we are, we vibrate higher and attract the people who are meant to be by our side in our life. What are the whispers in your heart telling you right now? Write these down and spend some time with these thoughts. After having cancer, I followed my heart and this lead me to my truth. These little heart tugs reconnected me to my body, my light, my creativity and to my passion. I had spent so much of my 20’s and early 30’s using a cerebral approach, articulating a corporate path void of substance while being ashamed of feeling different. My voice now is connected to my heart and there is no turning back. I have seen extreme joy, tremendous hate, abuse, fear, sadness, steps of triumph, perseverance, anti-semitism, racism but above all else - love. I spend most of my days now observing and feeling through my environment - feeling through the people around me… and I can tell you this through a sensitive lens - I see you, I hear you and I value your story. Although our paths may be different, our cultures may not be the same how we experience the emotions of fear, heart ache, love, our shadows, and our light are all very similar and it connects us to one another and our collective truth. I will always put my power behind the things that bring us together. This is creativity for me… this art for us…. this is my upcoming book, The New Southern, and this is within each of you - your truth.

I am proud to partner with Naturalizer this fall (WATCH THE SPRING CAMPAIGN HERE). They are giving normal women like me a voice to help spread love, kindness and my truth. If you all take anything away from this, I hope it is this - the same light within me, exists within you and you my love are capable of magnificent things when you stand in your truth and we support one another.

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TRY ASKING YOURSELF THESE THREE QUESTIONS WHEN YOU WAKE UP:

1. HOW ARE YOU SHOWING UP FOR YOURSELF TODAY?

2. HOW ARE YOU SHOWING UP FOR THE WORLD AROUND YOU?

3. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO HELP TODAY?

A special thank you to Studio Yuda for such a beautiful backdrop

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Alyssa Rosenheck with PureWOW: The Worst Advice I Ever Received

I was recently asked to participate in a feature from PureWow on the worst advice I’d ever received — a few things immediately came to mind. I shared with them a snippet that I hear often that I know can be so dangerous to the spirit of creative entrepreneurs, not to mention a total deal-killer. Head over to their site to read the worst advice I’ve received, as well as that of so many other female business leaders and creative entrepreneurs. This is a really fun 5 minute read and takes you into the minds of some really inspiring women. I am humbled to be in incredible company with this round up. Xx

“Some of the worst advice I’ve received is to “just sit on it.” As a female creative entrepreneur, being decisive and trusting my instincts has been the most vital tool in my career. I find the longer you sit on something, the more diluted your instincts become. And in my opinion, time is one of the biggest deal-killers. So do your due diligence, gather research, trust your instincts, and be decisive. When making pivotal choices for your life and career, you instinctively know what you need to do. The most courageous thing you can do is trust yourself.
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— Alyssa Rosenheck | Founder of The New Southern