Each team is special to me in their own way. While, yes, having a team can be seen as a great "marketing tool", one of the main reasons I have mine is because it's seriously so incredibly FUN. For just a little while, I'm lucky enough to get to know and spend time with these guys before they literally become adults. Other junior & senior year activities usually involve a certain amount of stress and work. My Wildflower Team? It gets to be the fun thing. ;) This team was definitely different as they joined at the beginning of the pandemic. I had no idea when we could start shooting, where we'd be allowed to go, or how their senior year would even look. This was also the first team I'd had in awhile where a guy decided to join. Somehow we made it work and had a lot of great times. One of my favorite shoots we did was a spontaneous one at Camp North End. Not everyone could make this one, but that's how these spontaneous team shoots work. I gave them some general style suggestions, and omg they nailed it.
I really love seeing how each senior's personal style comes out when I give them general style themes. I don't like to get too detailed on the outfits with these unless I'm actually after something specific. I thought they did such a perfect job at it.
When it comes to planning your own senior pictures, I do have a few tips for choosing the perfect outfits for locations like Camp North End:
- Match the overall vibe of the location - don't show up to a location like Camp North End wearing something super preppy. I can make it work, but at the end of the day, I don't think you'd be happy with your choice. Think about the feel these images are going to have. Each of these seniors wore something a little different but with the same style advice. For a place like Camp North End, you definitely need to stick with something slightly edgy or more casual. You can even do a bit of a hippie look if you want. But this is definitely not the place for pleated khakis and a polo. Lol. To make a more dressed up look work, take a hint from Anna Hill's look. Still fits the mood of the location but she gave it a polished, sleek look.
- Layer it up! Matthew brought a denim jacket along, and it was honestly perfect just to help take that casual look up a notch. It also gave him something to do with his hands (a common concern).
- Avoid busy patterns - if you're thinking about using either this location or one like it for your senior pictures, one that has a bunch of murals and artwork, you need to keep your pattern choices extremely simple. The last thing you want is to clash with your favorite mural! I actually loved Cooper's top as it had some texture to keep it interesting but didn't take away from any of the artwork.
I love using these team shoots to just play. Because if something doesn't go quite as planned, it's okay. Pressure is off of me a bit. haha. Smoke bombs are one of those things I like to experiment with at my senior team shoots. They can be a bit unpredictable depending on all kinds of factors (like wind, especially... which is what happened below with Matthew lol). But if all the stars align, it's so fun! I purposely photographed the progression of our smoke bombs at this one so people can see how it actually seems to go. haha!
This was probably one of my favorite shoots we did last year. It was the perfect summer evening, and since only five of them could make it, I didn't feel rushed. Honestly the more relaxed I am, the easier it is for me to create fun photos for my senior team. These guys have actually all graduated and moved on to college this year. I miss them so much already, but I'm glad we had plenty of fun times for the short time I had them.
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