Is It Spring Yet?

With the ice and snow we had last week, it's hard to imagine that Spring is right around the corner. Allergies aside, it's may favorite time of year to shoot. The outdoor scenery always makes for a nice backdrop. More importantly, from my experience, is the mood of the subject I happen to be shooting. The warmer and more comfortable weather is always a welcome sign and seems to act as a mood enhancer. The results are images that reflect the upbeat mood of the subject, and THATS what I strive to capture.

Spring is also time for Senior portraits, and it's always good to start planning early. With so many photographers in the area it can start to get confusing when trying to find the right photographer;  the best deals, the right look, etc. Do your research. Look at several photographers and most importantly, look at their work. Most pro photogs have a web site (they ALL should) so look at the work they've been doing. Have your senior look at it too. Be sure you like the style of any photographer before you hire them.

Limit Distractions

One key element to getting a good portrait is limiting the amount of distractions. This is for the subjects piece of mind as well as the photographer's. It won’t help at all if your Grandmother is behind the photographer taking pictures while the photographer is trying to put you at ease and get you to “be yourself.” This happened to a photog friend of mine during a recent senior shoot. She didn’t get the look she wanted because the senior was much too uncomfortable with Granny taking pictures and a young child running around playing, not to mention Dad barking orders to wipe off her “fake smile.” 

Posing for the camera doesn’t come naturally for everyone and there can be a certain degree of discomfort associated with someone getting you “at your best.” Add a bunch of distractions to that equation and it very well could be a recipe for photos you won’t be happy with. 

Personally, I don’t mind having a parent nearby and I certainly don’t mind the occasional input they may offer, but I’m focusing on putting the subject at ease to get a good shot. If I’m limited in what I can capture, the results won’t be as good as they could have been. 

The picture above is from a recent senior shoot. Her mom was there, offered suggestions when she thought they were appropriate, but didn’t allow any distractions to get in the way. The result was plenty of great images.

Graffiti + NO

My favorite wall of graffiti in downtown McKinney is permanent since it appears to have been scratched in pretty deep rather than drawn or painted. Good to know it's available whenever I need it for a shoot.

BUT in the above picture most of the wall is out of focus, making it difficult to know there was any graffiti at all....except for what looks like the  word "NO" behind Sarah's shoulder. 

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Bricks With Character

In downtown McKinney it's easy to find a good place to get a good portrait. You don't need a big space, just enough to fill the background. I would usually label brick walls as slightly cliche, but in downtown McKinney it's easy to find "aged" brick walls. "Bricks with character" is what I refer to them as. Just a small section is all it really takes.  

A pretty model helps too.

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McKinney, TX Senior Pictures

These are some of my favorites from the Class of 2010.

More senior photos 

Info & pricing

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Natural light

Natural lighting is the best, but only at certain times and in certain places. Most photographers do their outdoor shoots early evening, maybe an hour or so before sunset because the sun is low enough that it won't be too harsh on your subject or look too bright.  Cloudy days can sometimes work because the sunlight is diffused, but I prefer the light to be more directional. If you shoot late enough (or early enough) in the day, that's what you'll get.

Another thing to watch for is catchlight in the eyes. Try to face your subject toward a fairly bright area. The result is a reflection in the eyes that will make the eyes stand out more than if there were no catchlight at all.

If you absolutely must shoot when the sun is high in the sky, try to find an area with some shade.

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Don't Move

Directly across from the graffiti wall mentioned in the last post. Sarah's best expressions came when she wasn't posing. The only thing I changed was having her hold the flowers instead of Cris's t-shirt. Otherwise she hadn't moved at all.

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Cold Tone

This is a Lightroom filter I've been playing with recently. These were both taken on the square in downtown McKinney. The last of my senior shoots (maybe).

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More Senior Pictures at Adriatica

  

 

More examples of McKinney, TX Senior Photography

Info & Pricing

Still extremely busy doing senior sessions. With less than 2 weeks before most local high schools are having graduation, many folks have realised that they need to get something done fairly quick! The above pic is from a recent session at Adiatica. 

Rumors that Adriatica is going to start charging photographers for doing sessions on their property have proved to be untrue. I spoke with Linda Visser, Chief Financial Officer for the Blackard Group, and she verified that there is not a fee for photographers "as long as you stay out of the buildings," meaning that if you wanted to use the interior of a building or an unoccupied space, there would be a fee. No fee for photographing on the grounds. This is good news, since so many properties these days realize that some  photographers actually make money from the use of a picturesque background...so why not grab a piece of it if you can? I tend to steer clear of such places, but if it's what a client really wants, they'll have to pick up that fee.

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Rain Delays

Seniors have been keeping me busy, and so has the constant rescheduling due to weather. We haven't been getting an unusual amount of rain, but as of today I've had six sessions canceled due to rain. All of them rescheduled, but during senior season and in May, time is of the essence. 

I caught this expression from Sarah earlier this week. Once again, the unposed expressions are always the best ones. The best expressions I was able to get from Sarah came was when she wasn't expecting to be photographed. I was photographing her boyfriend when I noticed her sitting on the steps looking back at him. I shot this through through some railings where the steps were. Taken in downtown McKinney near the square.

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