Distinguished historical leaders have sparked Ty’s curiosity and occupied his intellect since he was a young boy. And it was this fascination with people and events of the past that set the scene for his senior photo session.

Ty arrived at his pre-session consultation armed with specific pieces of inspiration. He handed me hard copies of notated pictures which indicated the different aspects of each that he liked. He pointed out preferences for clothing, props, colors, and even some posing elements. As he finished, his dad searched for a word that summarized the feel of Ty’s thoughts and inspiration. “Distinguished” was the adjective that came to mind, and it was perfect.

Ty’s examples included noble historical figures. But his planning also involved great men less known to most of the world. Recognizing that it is not only the icons of our bigger, collective history that shape us, Ty specifically wanted to pay homage to two of his great grandfathers. Men distinguished in their own right, Ty included them, in the form of framed portraits, in his photo shoot.

Ty’s senior session, a weaving of the past into the present, gives it a timeless sensibility. These images both live in the current moment and will outlive fads. Though he is probably not thinking about it in this way, he now has a bit of his own legacy to pass on to future generations. And only time will tell what stories will be remembered and recounted when his descendants look back at them.

Some clients prefer traditional photos to styled sessions, whether for professional head shots or to mark a particular moment in their lives. Every now and then I have a client who truly wants only one or two high-end photographs worthy of framing. They are not looking for a large variety of looks or choices, but still desire something more creative and personal than a stereotypical head shot session.

These short photo shoots feature the look the client wants while still showing different aspects of his or her personality and stage of life. Though simple, they allow for creativity in many ways, with the goal of highlighting any feature or mood important to the subject. Every client comes with a story to tell. Every one of them comes with a purpose, a “why” for having photographs created.

In this instance, Gabriel was finishing his senior year of high school. These images mark the end of his K-12 school career, during which time he was an outstanding student and accomplished athlete. He is a clean-cut, service-oriented teenager with many typical adolescent interests and aspirations. He possesses a quiet strength and a solid understanding of the direction his life is headed. His session was a fitting blend of straightforward optimism and emerging adulthood.

Creative play days are opportunities for me to collaborate with other professionals, learn new techniques, and expand my portfolio. Things I tested this time around: Gelling a white background, using a printed background, creating depth in the studio, experimenting with an optical spot, and making partial silhouettes. Controlling the light for these looks challenged me, but the creativity and problem solving required was as much play as it was work.

I take the lessons learned from creative days into regular sessions with clients, using new techniques when they serve to elevate the shoot. Shout-out to wardrobe stylist, Kathy Friend, who also works with me on my client sessions. All of those little style details, even beyond the clothing–the jewelry, shoes, and sometimes hair accessories and miscellaneous props–can be credited to her imagination and fashion sense. Thanks also to Ally at Lips and Lashes by Crazy Aimee, who is responsible for the variety of hair and makeup looks in this shoot.

And finally, we have our talent, Kate. I asked her to model because, obviously, she is absolutely gorgeous. But I also needed a dedicated ballet dancer. Her expressive eyes, freckles, and dramatic dark hair were icing on the cake. Most importantly, she was game for anything I asked and helped make the session that much more fun.

Simple gets confused sometimes with plain. But the two words convey different meanings. Plain implies boring. Simple connotes fresh, clean, and authentic–without extraneous elements or need for explanation. For Annie, simplicity reflects the purity of her beautiful face and her sweet, friendly disposition. She’s a gorgeous girl with a smile for miles and freckles that add to her charm. Though she is a blossoming sophisticated young woman, her natural expressions convey her youthful way of being.

Annie needed professional head shots for a school application. And head shots speak for the person whose photographs must give a meaningful impression to those who view them. Planning for a head shot session begins with knowing what the client wants her photos to say. Annie wanted to show her look, her character, and some range of mood and emotion. In order to achieve a polished feel without being either too basic or, on the other hand, overstated, everything in this shoot was kept simple. Wardrobe, makeup, jewelry, lighting, and background worked to keep the focus on Annie, the applicant. She needed to stand out, but not appear to be showy.

Annie’s head shots were meant to be an introduction to her personality. They promote her upbeat and easygoing temperament as well as her academic potential and attention to details. And while a lot of thought was put into them ahead of time, they’re really pretty simple.