Children grow up, don’t they? A high school senior is nearly an adult, and senior portraits seem to provide a glimpse into the subject’s adulthood. Dani was a great subject, in part because of all the ideas she brought to our shoot. I’d take her ideas and try to make them happen. This shot was my favorite of the day. I knew it would be my favorite as soon as the viewfinder met my eye. Wow! I can remember when Dani was born, and here she is a woman. Where does time go?
But a high school senior is still a child, too. And, she’ll hopefully keep that spirit for a very long time. Adulthood isn’t always easy or fun. We need to jump with joy when the moment is right. Everyday life doesn’t need to be constantly serious.
When I pick up my camera, I think I feel a bit like this. I forget everything else, any problems and worries, and just try to make a good photograph. I think this is a value of art that we don’t often consider. It’s a meditation of sorts – it clears the mind, it frees us from the world beyond ourselves and our subjects.
Controlling the light is so important in a shoot like this. Even with the sun fairly high in the sky, we can use shade, reflectors, and speedlites to bend the light to meet our need. Post-production tools help, too, but can only polish the light the camera saw.
I had a few of my own ideas going into this shoot. Knowing we had a Ferrari available, I saw this shot in my head when I was scoping out the Plummer House. Danielle was game for it and gave me the attitude I thought appropriate for this shot. I was thinking this was a woman ready for a night on the town – a mansion, a super car, a gown, yeah – let’s go.
And some shots just show us a girl in transition to a woman. Older girl? Younger woman? Here you can see both people in one photo. And I’m happy to play a small role in capturing this time in this young woman’s life.
