When we talked about a location for this high school senior’s portrait session, his love for the outdoors led to me suggesting one of my favorite parks in the Pittsburgh region. And you’ll find a lot from this park on my website, because it is good for just about any kind of session, just about all year round. McConnells Mill State Park is pretty awesome and so is this high school senior.
The last senior portrait session I wrote about made me chuckle because it was a high school guy who was obliging his parents. This session was later that same day and this high school senior guy actually requested me for his portraits! That felt awesome—but I should point out that I’ve known him since he was a little boy. His mom and I go way back and it was such a treat to photograph him and his family!
We started by the huge pine trees off of Pierce Mill Road. I just love that setting for a high school senior guy! It’s majestic and fitting for this high school senior as I’m certain he’s going to do great things!
This might be my favorite so I’m voting for this one as his yearbook photo! Isn’t it great that students are no longer limited to stuffy cookie-cutter portraits for their yearbook these days!?
There are lots of occasions where families want to combine sessions and I’m happy to do that within the designated time for the photoshoot. We were already at the park on this gorgeous day, so why not capture a couple of shots of the whole family?
We’re so blessed in Western Pennsylvania to have so many gorgeous settings for portraits. And what a treat to photograph this family there!
And because portraits of husbands and wives don’t happen often enough after the wedding day!
This high school senior is ready for take-off. I know him from church and I think it’s safe to say, our whole church family is proud of him. He’s a kind, gifted, and all-around likable guy, so it was fun to meet up for his senior portraits this past fall. We met at SteelGate Studio on the South Side.
I love this studio for it’s natural light (it’s also fully equipped with strobes and tons of gear for studio lighting) and ambiance.
This particular shot is in part of the building that is unfinished and it is a favorite location of mine, so I’m glad it was fitting for this senior session.
We also popped outside the studio for some shots around the Terminal Building—it’s got a great vibe with all of the industrial scenery and unexpected pops of color.
I really like this bright shirt he chose against the dark and rusty fire escape.
As a photographer, one of my chief aims is to capture clients looking their best, but something his mom said after seeing his photos really caught my attention. Her favorite shot of him is one where she said I really captured his personality, and not his smile-for-the-camera smile. Sweet! I’m not even sure I know which images she’s referring to, but I am affirmed in my goal to bring out genuine personality!
I always love the opportunity to photograph high school seniors. As a wedding photographer primarily, I like to be able to switch my mindset and focus on photographing people individually. So I was thrilled when I received an inquiry for two high school seniors who happen to be twins, Jack and Alora. They were so much fun to work with and each in their own way. We did two separate sessions on different days and came up with some great shots that I hope really reflect their personalities. Here are some favorites from the sessions.
For Alora, I wanted to photograph her in soft light and was really thrilled with how this one came together—I love her outfit complete with her cute boots and how she is so relaxed and natural.
For Jack, I wanted to go with a more industrial setting, so we moved to an unfinished section of the building with lots of windows which create a really nice rim light around his face. I love how the neutral surroundings and his blue shirt really set off his blue eyes.
I love close-ups and this one of Alora is one of my favorites. She just exudes sweetness.
And when it comes to the traditional yearbook photo, I will always shoot it vertically, but when I’m sure I’ve got what we need, it’s fun to switch it up to a horizontal shot. It just feels so much more free this way and allows some room for Jack to really shine.
Alora collects hats, so we had lots of fun photographing her on white seamless with all of her cute hats. I just love this one because it’s so playful and flirty.
And Jack brought along his guitar—one word describes this one well: heartthrob.
It was so much fun getting to know you, Jack and Alora! I wish each of you the very best in the years to come!
It’s just about that time to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate the Christmas season. But before I go, here’s a post from a senior portrait session in October. I met Sam through his brother, whose wedding I photographed in Pittsburgh this past summer. He’s a great guy and we had a fun time during his session with a little help from his friends. First we started with a traditional portrait for the yearbook photo.
This messy look with the hair was expertly achieved by his younger brother Raymond, who stood by making sure it was all in place.
I think this is one of my favorites of Sam. He looks so comfortable and casual leaning against the wall.
Ok, time for another look.
These images of him on the green chair are close contenders for my favorite shot. Love seeing his arms on the back of the chair. Watch out, ladies!
And here, he’s just too cool for school.
We stepped outside the studio to walk along the train tracks and trees that run along the Monongahela River.
What a great guy! Thanks, Sam, for a great session! Many blessings to you in all your future endeavors!
Senior portraits by Captivating Imagery can be done in the studio or on-location. The creative fee is $500 for a 2-hour session with a $350 credit toward prints and other photo products. Contact me at info@captivatingimagery.com if you’d like to talk more about scheduling a session.
