Anthologie Blog
Telling the world's greatest story — yours
I would have to say Taylor has somewhat of a split personality. When we spoke on the phone about what part of her personality she really wanted to show off for her senior photo session, she was pretty keen about one thing: softball. She played varsity for the Farmington High School softball team, so when the time came for her pictures, I was a little shocked when she showed up with her mom dressed to the nines. I knew we were in for a lot of fun — and probably a lot of outfit changes.
There's so much more to creating the portrait of a high school senior than traditional senior pictures. Friends, jobs and activities play such an important role of shaping who students are at this age and who they will become in the future. I was fortunate enough this spring to document two lacrosse games for Alex, a senior at Farmington High School. The games were late in the season and illustrate how special (and fleeting) the moments are leading up to graduation. Within a few short weeks of making these photos commencement was underway and many of the boys were headed their separate ways. Being on hand to see some of the last huddles, introductions on the field and celebrations among friends was quite special.
The first game went into double overtime (with Farmington coming out victorious), and, as I think these pictures show, as much of the story is told off the field as in the heart of the action.
High School senior Mya blends modern style and traditional portraiture
One of my greatest compliments as a photographer comes when someone feels at first awkward in front of the camera and by the end of their session is totally having a blast playing model for the day. This was the case with Mya, a student at Wayzata Senior High School (at least from my perspective).
At the beginning it seemed like having senior pictures done was sort of an after thought for Mya, or something she had to do. I have to say I could empathize with that sentiment. I don't revel in being on the other side of the camera and as a high school senior I wasn't interested in showing off. Senior pictures to me were, let's get this done so we can move on. I always try to remember that feeling whenever I'm doing a senior portrait session. It comes in handy when you get students that aren't über comfortable posing for pictures.
After getting to know Mya briefly and learning what makes her tick we had plenty of inspiration for her senior photos. We were able to blend a bit of traditional portraiture and modern style for a for a finished look that was all her own. Faith is also a big part of Mya's life so I was thrilled we were able to use her Bible and showcase that part of her personality as well. And bonus points go for Mya showing me some great new locations on Lake Minnetonka, and being comfortable enough to have me photograph her at her grandfather's home.
By the end of the photo session Mya was excited about her experience and was looking forward to seeing her pictures — and I was, too! I'm more than happy with the results. What do you think? Commenting on or sharing this post is a great way to show your appreciation. Thanks so much for viewing!
High school senior Justin shows off his personality with his pictures
As I gear up for the 2014 high school senior portrait season (scary, I know) I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite photo sessions from last fall.
Justin's session sticks out in my mind for many reasons, but mainly because his pictures turned out so well. I won't be the first or the last to say that for young men entering their last year of high school the idea of posing in front of the camera isn't high on their priority list. Guys would rather be hanging with their friends as much as possible, so often being with a parent chaperone and trying different outfits pretty much ranks up there with getting your wisdom teeth removed.
And since our photo sessions tend to be a bit on the long side (most are 2 to 3 hours), I can always imagine the guys' eyes rolling into the back of their heads when we discuss locations for portraits in our email communications. That extra time, however, allows one to get comfortable and relax more in front of the camera. It also means having the time to try just about anything during the session. In Justin's case that meant finding a spot with a track, a basketball court and a more city-looking environment. We figured downtown Northfield, MN perfectly fit the bill.
Since Justin is infatuated with basketball (to put it lightly), we were able to arrange some time on the court during the session as well as on the track since he's runs varsity for the Proctor High School track and field team. And with the added time, we still had time for the more formal portraits sure to please Justin's mom.
It's hard to believe looking at the finished photos that Justin is only in high school, right? He seriously looks like he could be a model. What do you all think? Please comment or share using the links below.
Contact us today if you'd like to schedule your own high school senior portrait session with Anthologie.
It's always such an enjoyable experience to work with someone once we've had time to plan out their photo session in advance. For high school senior portraits this may sound like perhaps a bit of over thinking it. After all, the goal is to simply to create a great picture of the subject — to preserve how they looked at this important time in their life.
I believe the best pictures are made when the photographer and the subject have a great deal of trust for one another. So, simply meeting for a cup of coffee and getting to know one another can make both parties that much more relaxed when it comes time for the actual photography session.
This was definitely the case with Wayzata Senior High School student, Ruth. As a student volunteer at a church summer camp, her time to schedule senior pictures was very limited. We made a point to get together right after her junior year ended and talk about her personality and what she hoped to achieve with her senior portraits. Faith and reading are a big part of her life so we worked to incorporate some of those themes in while at the same time simply showing who Ruth is as a young woman. The best part about planning is that I was able to explore an area I often photograph in — Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins — but in a new light. I'm very pleased with the results. If you like what you see, please comment, like or share. Thanks for viewing!
We help our clients to exceed their marketing goals with custom, branded photography and engaging event photos. Let's tell your story today!
612-419-7009 | dan@theanthologie.com
