When Sophia, her mom, and I began planning her senior photos last year, we didn’t have the usual quandary of where to go or what to wear. Sophia had a vision for her senior style.
A lifelong resident of Nashville and graduate of MLK High School, Sophia was immediately drawn to the places where she enjoyed growing up. I learned that she loved to spend time outdoors, in places such as Edward Warner Park in west Nashville. With that settled, we had one of the biggest decisions out of the way. As it turned out, the day could not have been more beautiful for her photos.
Lighting is key
As always, a key consideration for outdoor photos is the quality and direction of light. Of course, as a professional, I can bring as much gear as needed to create great lighting. But when we are working on-location it’s always easier to have the freedom to move around without a lot of fanfare.
To set us up for success, I arrived in advance for a thorough scouting tour. While I could have scheduled this on another day, in my experience, the day of is more efficient. Each day differs with cloud cover, haze, temperature, and even background crowds. So while it’s a nice idea to get all your ducks in a row in advance, you’ll still have to do it all again on the day of the shoot.
I realized when I arrived that I hadn’t actually walked around this area of the park for many years. And the last time I was there was as a visitor, not a photographer. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many unassuming spots that would make perfect portrait backdrops. Within 30 minutes or so, I was ready and couldn’t wait for Sophia to arrive.
Warming up
Once Sophia and I were ready to shoot, I did my usual best to put her at ease. My role was to assure her that she was in the driver’s seat with how she wished to express herself. I think this is so important — to let subjects know that this is their shoot — not mine! Of course, I’ll coach and provide guidance all along the way. But as I’ve learned, the sooner I establish comfort and a good rapport, the better the outcome will be. It only took a few minutes for Sophia to warm up and feel comfortable sharing her personality with the camera. She knew how to rock her senior style! The result was a fun and authentic senior shoot that she and her family will treasure for years to come. Take a look at the highlights below. Don’t you agree?
