As soon as Elise and her mom walked into my office, I could hardly contain my excitement. Not only did she sound insanely cool with the way her mom described her, but they drove all the way from Hickory, NC to Huntersville, NC just to hire me for Elise's senior photos. What a compliment! They loved my work and my style, and Elise didn't want to have the same kind of photos that all the kids at her school were getting.
I hope by this point it's obvious that I don't ever want to get stuck photographing a certain specific type of senior. I want a range of personalities, styles, backgrounds, etc... it's what keeps me inspired and motivated! Elise walked in with her leather jacket, Jordans, and stunning features. We went over her style, location ideas, etc but I already knew what I had in mind for her. ;) Because of her style and personality, I knew we needed a location to match. She needed to have more of an urban feel for her senior photos and Charlotte, NC has the perfect place.
I started taking seniors to Camp North End back in 2019 before it got insanely popular. ;) But even with its gaining popularity with artists and photographers, it's still one of my favorite places to go. And honestly, every time a place like NoDa or CNE begins to get popular with other photographers, it pushes me to get more creative. I don't ever want my seniors to feel like they've seen their images before somewhere. Your senior photos should 100% be unique to YOU.
If you're a photographer, particularly one starting out, it can be tempting to see places like this and think "Oh that's where she went, so I have to go there too!" Yeah, check popular places out for sure! But don't be afraid to also choose lesser known areas. Find those secret spots. Pick a random corner that nobody would ever look at. Make it yours! I tend to go for the less obvious on purpose. ;)
Keeping things real and unique wasn't too hard to do for Elise's senior photos. This girl wasn't playing. She's a fantastic example of bringing style to your Senior Experience without it feeling fake. If you want basic or cheesy senior photos, then I am not your photographer. If you never wear dresses, this is not the time to break out the church clothes. Lol. Bring me what you would normally wear but take it up a couple notches. In Elise's case, she leaned in on that urban look and nailed it. She was comfortable, happy, and exuded confidence, because these images reflect HER.
Elise did have one request after seeing my portfolio and that was to get some shots in front of our beautiful Charlotte skyline. She also brought a more dressy outfit to incorporate, and it was soooo gorgeous!
0 Comments