Three Nails Photography, Malibu, CA (2026)

10/30/2026

My Ralph Lauren-ish inspired Christmas tree for my own house this year!

Since y’all seemed to enjoy the videos of the ribbon tree I surprised my mom with and the Christmas trees I decorated for Live, I figured I’d show y’all what I did for my own house.

This is actually the exact same Norfolk pine tree I used at my mom’s house, except hers is 7.5 feet and mine is 9 feet tall.

I’ve really been drawn to decorating with ribbon instead of ornaments this year, so I stuck with that same concept but wanted mine to feel a little more masculine, vintage, and Ralph Lauren vibes.

I used a thick hunter green velvet ribbon throughout the inside of the tree, then made smaller bows out of a green and cream plaid ribbon. I also added some deep burgundy berry sprays to bring in a little color.

If y’all have seen the home tour my mom did of my house, you know how much I love antiques, vintage paintings, and old furniture. I wanted my Christmas tree to have that same old school feel.

I kept thinking about how much I love the look of vintage Christmas tinsel, but I wanted something that felt a little more elevated. So I went to Hobby Lobby looking for thin gold chain and ended up finding this beautiful gold rhinestone chain instead. I bought several rolls, cut them into pieces, and draped them throughout the tree like old-fashioned tinsel.

The video really doesn’t do it justice because in person, the little rhinestones catch the Christmas lights and glisten all over the tree. I absolutely love how it turned out!

I know several of y’all have asked for ribbon tutorials on my other Christmas tree videos, so if you’d like me to make a video showing how I tie my bows, how I place the ribbon, and some of my little decorating tips and tricks, let me know in the below!

10/26/2026

As y’all know, my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law are all in Talladega right now, which means I’ve been left at home to babysit all the kids lol.

Well, Bashy and I decided we were going to surprise Mom while she was gone!

Mom had mentioned wanting a Christmas tree in the background of her videos this year, so I decided to go ahead and put one up for her. And I genuinely think this might be the most beautiful Christmas tree I’ve ever seen in my life!

It’s a Norfolk pine with these gorgeous, drooping, almost weeping branches. The tree itself is so beautiful that I honestly hated the thought of covering it up with a bunch of ornaments.

So instead, I found some ribbon that matches Mom’s branding perfectly, made a bunch of little bows, and draped ribbon throughout the branches. No ornaments whatsoever! Just ribbon and lights, and I absolutely love how it turned out!

I feel like it fits her brand and the whole aesthetic of her kitchen perfectly!

So just know that when Mom gets back into town, it’ll still be the middle of October, and there will already be a Christmas tree in the background of her cooking videos. 🤣

And before anybody says it’s too early for Christmas decorations, just know that this one was all me! Mom had absolutely nothing to do with it! 😂

Cherie Hicks Leone

10/17/2026

I know y’all have been hearing for months about my mom and me starting a comedy podcast together, and it looks like we’re finally getting around to recording!

The premise is pretty simple: How can two people who are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum still get along so well and love each other so much?

I’m gay, she’s straight. I’m a man, she’s a woman. I’m a millennial, she’s a boomer. I’m progressive, she’s conservative. She’s religious, I’m not. The list goes on and on!

Despite our differences, we have a great relationship, and we thought it would be fun to sit down and share our completely different perspectives on life, relationships, generational differences, and everything in between!

But here’s where we need YOUR help!

We want this to be a listener-led podcast, meaning you get to help decide what we talk about!

We’re getting ready to record a couple of pilot episodes to see how y’all like it. If the response is good, we’re hoping to make it a weekly thing!

So, comment on this photo with topics, questions, or suggestions you’d like us to discuss! It can be something you want our opinions on, advice from two completely different perspectives, or even a funny story or memory you’d like us to share.

Keep in mind, this is a lighthearted comedy podcast, we’re not trying to solve the world’s problems. We just want to make people laugh and hopefully show that two people can disagree on practically everything and still love each other.

And here’s the fun part, we’re planning to print out your comments, throw them into a bucket, and randomly draw them throughout the episodes! We’ll read your name and your question or topic, then give you both of our perspectives.

So leave us some good questions and suggestions below! We’ll be using your comments to help create our very first episodes!

And trust me, with the two of us, there’s no telling where these conversations will go!

10/16/2026

“On the darkest days when I feel inadequate, unloved and unworthy, I remember whose daughter I am and I straighten my Crown.”

Several years ago, my friend Lauren asked me to photograph her daughter. It was a last-minute shoot, and I just happened to have an old vintage wedding gown, a crown, and some curled hair extensions left over from another shoot in the back of my car.

After taking a few traditional portraits, we headed down to a little riverbed in the FREEZING cold. I put her in this wedding gown that was entirely too big, clipped the extensions into her hair, and placed this crown on her head that was also way too big.

Since the crown wouldn't stay on, I told her to hold it with her hands, tilt her head back, and close her eyes. I snapped the photo, went home, edited it, and posted it online.

Before I knew it, the photo had gone VIRAL.

Over the years, it's been shared millions of times on Pinterest, used by churches across the country, recreated as paintings, and I've even randomly found it printed inside picture frames being sold at flea markets. It was even turned into a viral inspirational meme with the quote I quoted above.

It's just crazy that something we threw together on a freezing afternoon became one of the most recognizable photographs I've ever taken.

08/05/2026

So here's a crazy story from this wedding...

I flew all the way from Louisiana to Maryland to photograph this incredible day. The couple was amazing, the guests were so much fun, and the entire wedding was just an absolute vibe.

During the reception, a family came up to introduce themselves. A mom, dad, and their two daughters, both around my age.

The mom says, "I hear you're from Shreveport. We're actually from there too! We moved away about 20 years ago."

I smiled and asked, "Oh, that's awesome! What part of Shreveport?"

Now, keep in mind, Shreveport isn't a tiny town, it covers about 120 square miles.

She replied, "We lived in Broadmoor."

I laughed and said, "Really? I live in Broadmoor."

Then she said, "We lived on Greenway."

I just stared at her for a second before saying, "I LIVE ON GREENWAY."

After talking for another minute, we realized I wasn't just living on the same street...

I was living in the exact same house where they raised their daughters in the 1990s.

What are the odds? We traveled 1,200 miles from home, randomly met at a wedding in Maryland, and discovered we're connected by the very same house. 🤯

Sometimes the world feels a whole lot smaller than it really is.

07/27/2026

This will always be one of my favorite photo shoots I’ve ever created.

We photographed this campaign for designer Anna Campbell on El Matador Beach in California, and somewhere along the way I had the completely random idea to shoot the entire session through a sheet of plexiglass covered in petroleum jelly to create that soft, dreamy glow.

What I didn’t think about was the wind. Every few seconds, a gust would blow sand all over the plexiglass, and we’d have to stop and clean it before shooting again. 😂 It was absolute chaos behind the scenes, but somehow it was worth every second.

There’s something about the combination of the ocean, the light, and that hazy, ethereal effect that still feels almost otherworldly to me. It has this dreamy, mermaid-like quality that I’ve never been able to get out of my head, and years later, I’m still completely obsessed with these images.

Hair and makeup by Meka Bennett

07/22/2026

There are some photos that are beautiful because everything went according to plan, and then there are the ones that happen in the middle of complete chaos.

Right after the ceremony, family photos, and bridal party portraits, the three of us snuck away for just a few minutes before the storm rolled in. By this point it had already started sprinkling, and I was completely torn between my two jobs that day.

The photographer in me was absolutely obsessed with those dramatic skies, the wind, and the cinematic light. The makeup artist in me was internally panicking because I could see the rain starting to break up Emily's makeup, and I knew I was about to have to switch roles and run inside for touch-ups.

As we were wrapping up, a huge gust of wind caught her cathedral veil. Emily turned to look back at it, I hit the shutter, glanced down at the back of my camera, and immediately thought... that's the shot.

Seconds later I grabbed the back of her dress, and we all ran inside before the storm really hit.

It's funny how one of my favorite images from the entire day came from a moment that felt like pure crisis while it was happening.

I seriously can't wait to share the rest of this wedding with you all.

Cherie Hicks Leone Emily-Anne Leone Boulay

07/21/2026

I know so many of you have been waiting to see my sister's wedding, and I'm so excited to finally share it with you this week!

We just had to submit everything to a few publications before posting the full gallery publicly, so we've been patiently waiting. In the meantime, I wanted to give you another little sneak peek.

The first photo is my sister standing at the altar with the makeup I did for her wedding day, and the second is probably my favorite photo of my mom and dad walking down the aisle after the ceremony. I just love the way my mom is looking at my dad in that moment, I also love how the second they said "I do" my country dad ripped his bow tie off haha.

The entire day turned out even more beautiful than I imagined, and I honestly can't wait for you all to see the rest. We're narrowing down our favorite images now (which is much harder than I expected!), and the full gallery will be shared here later this week.

I can't wait to show you everything!

Cherie Hicks Leone Hunter Leone

07/20/2026

Back in 2019, I decided to launch my hand-painted canvas backdrop company, Hunter Leone Backdrops. I'd actually been painting my own backdrops since 2012, and over the years they became such a huge part of my style that people constantly asked where they could get them.

Between 2019 and 2021, I hand-painted well over 150 custom backdrops for photographers all over the country in just about every color, size, and style you can imagine. Then in 2022, when I moved to Dallas, I no longer had the space to keep painting them, so I quietly stopped offering them.

Over the past year, though, I've had so many people asking if I'd ever bring them back... so I've decided it's finally time.

I'm officially accepting custom backdrop orders again!

Every backdrop is hand-painted by me on high-quality canvas. I offer custom colors, multiple sizes (from individual portraits to large group backdrops), smooth or textured finishes, spotlight gradients, top-to-bottom gradients, and even matching twin sets (one backdrop for the floor and one for behind your subject, for a completely seamless look.)

Because each one is painted by hand, I'm only accepting a limited number of orders this round. The last time I opened orders, they came in much faster than I expected, and I don't want to overbook myself again.

As a thank-you for everyone who's been asking me to bring these back, I'm offering a special launch promotion for the next **3 days only**:

Order any **2 custom backdrops and receive a 3rd backdrop FREE.**

If you've been thinking about upgrading your studio, now's the perfect time. Just fill out the contact form on my website (linked in the comments), and we'll start designing your custom backdrop.

I'm so excited to be painting again. I can't wait to see these backdrops back in studios all over the country.

Here are some examples of some drops I’ve painted in the past! More examples in the comments

07/16/2026

“The Fall of Man”

I've always loved the storytelling and symbolism found in old Renaissance paintings, especially the ones centered around angels, heaven, and the fall of man. So I wanted to create my own modern interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve while paying homage to some of those iconic works of art.

For this shoot, I built and made almost everything you see. I hand-painted all of the canvas backdrops, sculpted the concrete wedding cake, and even made both sets of angel wings. I wanted the overall aesthetic to feel timeless, but with modern elements woven throughout.

Eve is dressed entirely in black with black wings, while her "bridesmaid" appears in white with white wings as a visual representation of good versus evil. Adam begins the story dressed in light colors, but after taking the bite of the apple, he's transformed into black clothing with black wings, symbolizing the loss of innocence and the moment everything changes.

Several of these images are direct tributes to famous Renaissance masterpieces. You may recognize references to The Last Supper, The Creation of Adam, The Fallen Angel, and other classical works that have inspired artists for centuries. I loved the challenge of taking compositions that are hundreds of years old and reimagining them with contemporary fashion, handmade props, and a darker, more editorial approach.

I've always believed photography can be more than just a pretty picture. Sometimes it's an opportunity to tell a story that people already know, but through a completely different lens. This was my interpretation of The Fall of Man, and without a doubt, one of my favorite concepts I've ever had the chance to bring to life.

Hair and Makeup by Meka Bennett

Three Nails Photography

10/30/2026

10/26/2026

10/17/2026

10/16/2026

08/05/2026

07/27/2026

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07/20/2026

07/16/2026

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