In the era of Facebook, YouTube and Attention Deficit Syndrome, adding variety to your high school senior photos is essential. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply move around more. The following portraits were taken all within one block of each other and four blocks from our studio. We have of great locations just behind our studio, but they all have the same basic tonal range. Hiking the extra three or four blocks really pays off in the long run, here, you’ll see why.
For this particular shot, I really wanted to find a background that matched this particular Senior’s outfit. To me, the jean jacket and flowered skirt had a down home, even country feel to it. We are smack in the middle of downtown Portland, Oregon, so everywhere you turn, you have an urban feel. I knew this old wooden dock was here, though, and I thought the wood would bring out the earthy feel of the jacket and skirt.
This outfit had a bit more edgy feel than the skirt and jacket. The ripped jeans, were a bit more playful and the striped smock communicated a fun city feel to me. This background is the dirty wall right next to the dumpster of this factory. The deep grays and oranges really bring out the subject’s great skin tones and the jeans, which she loved.
I just loved the walls around this building and wanted to get one more shot that would really make this young woman’s outfit shine. You can actually see the same window in both shots. The first shot, you see the window on the left side and in this shot, you can see the same window straight on. Because of the angle the light was hitting the wall, the colors became more vivid and gave a different feel to the image.
For this final image, I walked 50 feet straight behind me to this fantastic blue wall. I had the subject just change her jacket. Her tank top and her jeans are exactly the same, but simply by changing her jacket and moving to a completely different background, the entire look of the photo is different. The blue compliments both her jeans and her totally cool leather jacket.
The moral of the story? Look for locations that have a variety of different background and find backgrounds that compliment both your subject and their outfits.
Have a great senior season – Fundy
Fundy is the creator of the Fundy Album Builder and Mobile Fotographer studio management software. Both have 2-week free trials.
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2 Comments at "Take a Hike for Your Seniors"
Love that third shot Andrew – always a fan of the ‘off to the distance’ look, but not when it is overdone. So many locations and different looks within a short distance – I really have to start looking around a heap more.
Thank you for sharing, appreciate it.
tony
Lovely as usual! Absolutely adored Portland while I was out there, wish we had such great textures in South Florida. (True, we have other benefits.. not complaining!)
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