She wanted nature and pretty sunlight. That’s what Bridget told me when we had our phone consultation for her Senior Session. I could tell immediately that she had thought about her portraits and would be putting her own stamp on these images. My kind of girl. Bridget had several outfits already in mind so that in combination with her thoughts about nature and light helped us narrow down the location for her session. The grounds at Epic Creative Co-Op were a perfect spot for us to explore and have Bridget change outfits as we moved around chasing the light.
We had a good mix of feminine dresses, sweaters, t shirts and jeans. Yes, I did include sweaters in that list. When I know that a Senior Client wants to wear fall/winter outfits, we really try to schedule their session during a temperate time so they won’t swelter during the shoot. But if the session wardrobe is a mix of different seasonal clothing, well, then I really have to hope for just the right day of weather so they don’t sweat in the fall gear or freeze in the summer options. It’s hard to show off your fantastic best self if you’re hot and sticky or covered in goosebumps.
After one reschedule due to grey rainy skies, we found ourselves enjoying a perfect, gorgeous spring afternoon. Not too hot, not too cold, and no need for bug spray!! I met Bridget and her mom on a Friday after a long school/work week. We had the grounds to ourselves and the peaceful surroundings helped us all relax. Bridget was totally organized with her clothing, jewelry and shoes ready to go for each outfit, so after a preliminary wander of the grounds, we were easily able to make a plan for our time together. We paired the outfits with the backgrounds and worked from the cooler dresses to the warmer sweaters to keep Bridget comfortable as we went.
As we set out to start, Mom told me the most important image she really wanted to capture. The family plans to create a gallery in their home of each of their kiddos in “typical teen mode”. They want a close up head shot of each of their kids in full eye rolling splendor. Hysterical and perfect, and as a mom myself, I loved it. Add it to the shot list! As if on cue, Bridget rolled her eyes at us:)
She was a rockstar from the first shutter click and settled into each location, finding a way to connect with the environment that seemed effortless and natural. This was a young lady who is comfortable in her own skin and needed very little direction for posing. We shared stories and jokes and plans for the future in between outfit changes. In these moments with soon-to-be graduates and their parents, you can see everyone trying to navigate these huge life changes looming on the horizon. It’s exciting and sad and scary all tied together. I always hope the group images we take at the end help bring them back to the feeling of this day and this time in their lives. Here are a few of Bridget’s favorite images from her gallery.
