The Blog

What a beautiful day for senior portraits!  We’ve been so fortunate with the weather this spring.  And we are big fans of the Mercer Arboretum, as there are so many different options for scenery.  We went in with a plan – 4 different locations, 1 outfit change, and 1 hour for the shoot.  And while it’s good to have a plan, it’s just as important to be flexible.  When we saw the flowers in full bloom and the colors of the outfits our senior had brought with her – we made some minor tweaks  to the agenda, and we are so happy with the end results!

Let’s take a second to talk colors.  These first shots are all the more striking because of the complimentary color combo we’ve got going on here.  The burgundy dress with the green background – the contrast is fantastic.

You’ll see that for senior portraits we like to do a lot of close-ups, but it’s important to be able to provide some longer shots as well, so the clients have a variety.

Speaking of variety, when taking pictures, it’s always a good idea to encourage the subject to shift their focal point from time to time.  We all tend to freeze up and develop a fake smile if we are constantly looking directly into the lens… did someone say “cheese”?  So why not mix it up a bit?  A look to the left, a demure glance downward… while it’s not always easy or natural for the subject, you can usually expect at least one or two nice shots, something different from the norm.  And, as an added bonus, you often get a genuine laugh from the client as they break from their wistful sideways glances.

And then, wow, the power of an outfit change!  What better way to be sure to have a variety of options than to change looks mid-way through?  If you have the facilities and the time, go for it!  And the result?  Well, we have a whole different feel here, a softer feel, with the lilac blouse and the purple and white flowers.  Totally different than the ones above.  Here the contrast comes from her dark hair and dark eyes.  Just beautiful!

We’ll leave you with a few more shots from this great senior portrait session.  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to remember Bouchet Images for your next special occasion!