More Studio Portraits with Ophelia

 

I had the good fortune to work with Ophelia again recently and created a wide variety of looks for her beginning with this cute outfit of daisy dukes and a gray tanktop. I used a three-light setup with two gridded softboxes on either side of the camera and the third light was a small gridded spotlight high to the right used as a hairlight. I have included my favorite shots of this first look below:

Studio Portraits with Ophelia K

Here is an introduction to a model I met recently, Ophelia K. We worked together to create a new series of images we can use in our portfolios. We shot a variety of images, changing wardrobe, lighting, and backdrops throughout the session.

Studio Portraits with Dame d'Voltaire

Here is an introduction to a new model, Dame d'Voltaire, who I had the pleasure of working with on a series of portfolio images. We collaborated in the studio, using a variety of wardrobe, props, poses, and lighting setups.

More Studio Portraits with Rachelred

More images of Rachelred from our second session together. We continued our portfolio building collaboration and have created a wide array of images we can both use to promote ourselves as artists.

Studio Portraits with Rachelred

Here is an introduction to Rachelred. We met through Model Mayhem and have worked together to build content for both our portfolios. She is a former fitness model with years of experience which made our sessions flow very smoothly and produced many beautiful images.

Outdoor Family Portraits

I love helping my friends capture their families in photos. I have been asked by friends, both old and new, to take their portraits and its always an honor to help them. For this session, Kerri wanted photos with her son outdoors showing off the fall colors. We decided on this park by the river and walked the nature trails stopping in various locations to take some amazing photos.

Senior Portraits for Will part 3

Senior portraits should show you many different personality traits that describe their individuality. Its important to change wardrobe and location so it doesn't feel shoe-horned into a tiny location. I like to finish a set with formal portraits so they don't feel too stiff or forced. After shooting all the fun poses running around the park and river trails the formal poses fall together much more naturally.

Senior Portraits for Will part 2

Continuing Will's session, we used the surrounding areas in the park to change the look of his session. From the basketball court to the river's edge, each location brought with it a new perspective for his senior pictures. I don't like to limit anyone to a set number of poses but instead I encourage them to bring as many wardrobe changes and props as they can think of. My sessions run up to two hours and shooting 300 or more images is commonplace.

Senior Portraits for Will part 1

Fall has arrived and with it comes cold mornings and beautiful colors in the trees. I love shooting outdoors during this time where I can use nature as my backdrop. Local parks offer dozens of options for angles and every direction offers a new look for the photos. This is Will's senior year in high school and we were able to shoot a few hundred shots one Sunday morning in October. These are some of my favorites from his session.

Lynn: Studio Sessions

Lynn has been a friend of mine for many years. When they came to me wanting a series of studio portraits, I was happy to help them out. The first session focused on dramatic light and shadow. This series includes a much brighter and softer look. Their expression, posture, wardrobe, and lighting all change the overall feel of the portraits.

Fall Color Portraits

Making use of the beautiful colors at a local park with mother and daughter

Homecoming at the Park

Getting pictures to document the homecoming dance don't have to cost a fortune or be cookie-cutter style with generic backdrops at the school. I met these kids at the park where we got a variety of poses from formal to goofy all in the space of half an hour.

Outdoor Wedding Day Part IV

Revisiting this beautiful outdoor wedding from July 7, 2017. The engagement, rehearsal, and ceremony photos were all captured on the same day and all within twelve hours. I divided the day into four posts to share with you all here.

Outdoor Wedding Day Part III

Revisiting this beautiful outdoor wedding from July 7, 2017. The engagement, rehearsal, and ceremony photos were all captured on the same day and all within twelve hours. I divided the day into four posts to share with you all here.

Outdoor Wedding Day Part I

Revisiting this beautiful outdoor wedding from July 7, 2017. The engagement, rehearsal, and ceremony photos were all captured on the same day and all within twelve hours. I divided the day into four posts to share with you all here.

Senior Portraits in the Studio with Michaela

Michaela's senior portraits started outdoors making use of the beautiful fall colors in a local park. Once those photos were completed we returned to my studio where we continued her session.

Fall Color Senior Photos with Michaela

Michaela needed her senior photos taken on short notice and I was happy to oblige. She brought several outfits including her cheer uniform. We met at a local park and made our way around the grounds making use of the evening glow and golden colors of the autumn leaves.

Dramatic Lighting with Savanna

I took some time with Savanna to experiment with my studio lights, and explore new possibilities with light and shadow. I wanted to create new images that I hadn't thought of before. Since my space is limited, I rented a room in a reception hall that allowed me more ceiling height, and enough space all around to have lights, backdrops, and distance to allow me to pull my lights and model further from the background to create the effects I desired.

Dining Room Studio Setup for Kristie and Her Girls

I have photographed Kristie and her girls before, and it is so much fun to photograph them as they grow up. Watching them change in photographs is a privilege and is a big part of why I enjoy taking portraits for others. This session was set up in her dining room complete with a low hanging light fixture which we tied up higher to the ceiling. I brought a white paper roll as well as a full length black fabric to use as backdrops during this session. I set up with four lights this time using a large soft-box on the main light and a white umbrella for the second. The third and fourth lights I initially set up facing the white paper in order to get a nice bright background. I also added a square white reflector below the main light to help fill in shadows. All the portraits using the white background were shot this way. I included a set-up shot below, but the space was so tight, I couldn't get all my lights in the wide-angle setup shot. That didn't stop me from getting some beautiful images though.

I changed things up a little bit with the black fabric by putting the two background lights into my DIY-made rim-light modifiers. The soft-box and umbrella were brought closer, and the white reflector remained in place to fill in shadows. In the final closeup portraits I brought the main soft-box to the center of the room with the white reflector tight up underneath it with a very small gap between the two, which is where I was shooting through. The two rim lights were aimed at their hair and the white umbrella I kept further back and to the right of the camera to add  more dimension to the reflections in their eyes.

Below are a few of my favorites from this session.

Living Room Studio ::: Family Portraits

After premature labor and delivery prevented us from holding a maternity photo session, we were finally able to schedule a family photo session when the baby was four months old. He was born two months early and stayed in the hospital for nearly as long. Two months after coming home he had his very first formal photo shoot. To keep things as simple as possible, I arranged to bring the studio to them in their own home. We moved the coffee table and a few chairs from the living room into the kitchen, and then I set up a fabric backdrop on one end of the room along with a few strobe lights to complete the location studio. 

I brought a few small props with me including the alphabet blocks which spelled out the names of the two boys, my small white step-ladder for sitting and climbing, and the soft white blanket used to photograph the baby. All this fits in the trunk of my car and is accessible for anyone who wants to schedule a session. I have more props, modifiers, and backgrounds which I can bring on a case-by-case basis, depending on the desired outcome of the photo shoot. If you are interested in scheduling a session with me, you can contact me by following the link below the photos.