Abby’s senior session in St. Joseph, MI was the perfect blend of urban and beach photos!
This beautiful young lady met me in downtown St. Joseph for her senior portrait session. This was my first session in St. Joe- and hopefully not my last! I usually scout all locations prior to shooting there, but since St. Joe is about an hour away, I did not have the chance to get out there! HOWEVER- I pride myself on assessing a location quickly and visualizing locations that will work for my style! I look for color, texture, lines, and of course- LIGHT! I’ve actually joked with clients before that I could photograph them in front of a dumpster and the photos could still look great… see dumpster photos below! LOL.
I would say that my favorite type of location is a rustic spot in nature. But, I do love working with clients to figure out THIER ideal photo location and then making it happen! One of my favorite things about shooting in an urban area like downtown St. Joseph, is all of the textures and steps that I can utilize to pose someone. For Abby, we used a fire escape, ledges, a flower pot and a door jam for her to sit in! As far as textures- the ivy, the brick, the florals and gravel/cement all photograph beautifully.
After taking the urban senior photos, we headed to Tiscornia Beach and, let me tell you- the Michigan Lakeshore never disappoints! These photos were taken during a cooler week and this night in particular was cloudy and windy! As you can see, the waves were insanely rough and beautiful, crashing over the pier. The sky was literally this dark and cloudy and I love the mood that it brings to her senior portraits! The seagulls… oh my goodness, they were not shy! I had to include some of the fun photos of Abby chasing the gulls and them swooping and diving all around us. We were cracking up!
Abby’s friend tagged along on her session, so I was sure to grab a few best friend senior portraits of the two of them! So fun! There was a lot of shrieking and laughing, trying to hold my soft box so that it wouldn’t blow away! As much as I dislike toting lights to the beach, I absolutely LOVE the dramatic outcome of using them in some of the shots!
Senior photo sessions started out a little slow this summer, after COVID shenanigans. But I am in full swing now! I’m challenging myself to blog my favorites from each session! Abby’s session was the first of the summer, and since hers I have several more to add… If you have not yet scheduled your senior session, let’s get it scheduled!!! September, October and November are all great months for senior portraits. Visit my senior page and fill in the contact form to have all the info sent to your inbox! I’m excited to announce that senior sessions are now ALL INCLUSIVE! What does this mean for you? All of your best images are edited and available for digital download through your gallery, and you will have print rights! Of course you can still order professional prints, art and albums, but I really wanted my seniors to have access to all of their best photos! My Simple Senior collection now starts at $425! I hope to fill my fall calendar with young faces!
