Caleigh is only a couple of weeks away from graduation. We squeezed in her Senior Couture Photoshoot in late Spring, which still means snow for us photographers in Michigan.
We started the shoot out in the studio. Chic and modern, yet still natural. When I used to think of “studio” portraits I used to think of boring, overly posed, basic portraits, but not anymore. I love movement and emotion and that is highlighted beautifully in the studio with such a simplistic approach. Not that you guys care but I also just got the biggest, most glorious lighting set up for the studio so the light looks incredibly natural even when we shoot at night now! Yay!
After that we snuck outside to get a few shots tucked away in the pine trees. The snow was just starting to come down and it was perfect for these fun outdoor shots, and look how cute she is with that fur hood on!
Next we traveled to down town Port Huron where the backdrop was mute, foggy, and had such a somber feel to it. Right on the water, it would have been perfect for a pirate scene in a movie. The rain boots and that pop of red was perfect here! When the flakes REALLY started to come down Caleigh changed and we took shelter in an old train tunnel! This location has morphed over the years- I remember shooting here when it was full of graffiti and train tracks. Now it’s cleaned up but it still pairs awesome with her leather jacket for a edgy city girl look.
At this point in the shoot Caleigh was used to us making her dance, do hair flips, spin, laugh, and she was really starting to work the camera. I know it’s hard to drop that guard but once you do in front of my camera it’s beautiful! I won’t push you to that point, but we do our best to effortlessly and naturally pull it out of you!
This is honestly why our Couture Collection is so awesome- because of the diversity in outfits, locations, and because of the time together! It’s easy to see after the first 30 mins, and especially after an hour, the confidence that starts to come out and the personality that starts to show!
The last thing we did was celebrate our shoot with some Starbucks coffee, and that’s also where we shot the last outfit. With a little creativity and an artist's eye we were able to work around the people and the chaos to grab some really stunning images.
I absolutely love the portraits that we create with you, but honestly, the adventure of the shoot is just as important to us, because images will spark memories of the day, and we want you to look at these images years from now and relive the whole experience, relive how fun it was, how amazing you looked, and how free, confident and beautiful you felt!
The days of- we went to a studio, I got my pictures taken, here they are- are SO not what we’re here for.
I hope these images evoke laughter about how many times I asked Caleigh to flip her hair or spin for me! I hope recalling how HARD it was snowing and how cold it was will make them remember not only the time, the place, how it felt, how it smelled, how it looked, but also the moment and who she was at 17 years old, graduating high school, because they'll never get that time back, and it deserves to be preserved .
Check Out Our Full Senior Gallery
If You Like This Coffee Shop Look Check Out Nathalies Senior Shoot
For More Winter Photoshoot Inspiration Check Out Celines Winter Shoot