Creating an unforgettable experience for a group of junior (soon to be senior) girls is a joy and a challenge. We want everything to be flawless, but certainly nothing is ever perfect. The key is doing enough right that the experience will linger long in their memories as one that gave them a new vision of themselves. In our eyes, their senior model photo shoot should be one that makes them feel powerful, capable, strong, and of course, beautiful.
EQUIPMENT, EXPERIENCE, ENVIRONMENT
That vision has less to do with equipment and output and more to do with the time we spend preparing the environment and connecting during the time we spend with them. For us, we did this shoot on a Sunday afternoon when the teen girls could’ve been working, hanging out with friends, shopping at the mall or a myriad of other options. But they chose to spend the time with us.
Although we didn’t put an end time on the photo shoot, each girl said they set aside the entire day so we could go as long as we wanted. That’s an honor… giving us their time, their attention, their trust. They are believing that we’ll honor, respect and value what they say, who they are, and capture it all in images that reflect back the value we see hidden deep inside each one of them. And that’s exactly what we strive to do.
CONNECTING IN THE CHAOS
You wouldn’t know it from the morning after picture, but the set was not this clean during the photo shoot. Clothing, jewelry, hats, purses, vintage props, and magazines were coming out of every nook and cranny. Seriously. My filmmaker partner and husband captured it all on video, so I can’t wait to see what it looks like. Needless to say, the studio requires a bit of clean up the morning after.
One question you might ask is: Is it worth it?
If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time you’ll already know the answer: without question… YES.
THE REVOLUTION BEGINS
We’re starting a teen revolution and every teen girl that trusts us with her images is a treasure. Here’s to many more “mornings after” in the near and distant future.
YOUR PERSONAL REVOLUTION
What is something you do that may momentarily create work or chaos, but ultimately gives you great joy? If the answer is nothing… time to do some soul searching and find that thing that’ll stir your heart to action!
Manual: Page 23
Images: Better Photo Basics by Jim Miotke
