It’s always a special treat to photograph Senior Pictures for a family I’ve known forever. So I was really excited when my old friend Ellen booked me for her son Will’s Senior Portrait Session. She wasn’t sure where they wanted to take the pictures but said they loved textures and cool walls. After some discussion, we settled on Downtown Columbia, which is one of my favorites that few people ever pick.
While I was shooting, I didn’t realize that Ellen was taking a few photos of me. She shared them with me, so I thought it might be fun to show you a behind-the-scenes view of a portrait session by sharing her pics side by side with the ones I was taking when she captured me.
I discovered the backside of this strip of buildings the last time I shot in Columbia & wanted to shoot there again. The sky was pretty cool so I got some close-up shots and some wide-angle views. This is not an angle I would use for a grown person, but these young kids can handle it.
I love this big textured wall in Downtown Columbia but wish there weren’t parking spaces right in front of it. It’s a really cool spot to capture a lot of different angles.
I once took photos of a guitar player in front of Variety Record Shop. Since Will plays the Trumpet, I thought it would be fun to photograph him there too.
I just loved how the brown door, trim, and bricks worked with what Will was wearing, and his red hair. The colors were fantastic. Also, you’ll notice I did not include any black & white images in this blog preview. I just couldn’t do it. The colors were too perfect.
This photo, in particular, did a great job of showing how the beauty of a session location really is in the eye of the photographer. This was literally some back alley construction site with garbage all around. But the texture of the stack of bricks, the stone and brick walls, and the ivy growing in the background got my attention. And I thought the colors worked great.
I’m a little obsessed with chasing the sun.
Here we were joking about all the positions photographers find themselves in and how I’m often literally rolling around in the mud. Anything for the shot. It’s a lot more tiring with little kids I’m trying to chase and then diving to the ground. At least the teens follow directions.
I made Will play for me while taking these because authenticity is key. It felt like we were on Bourbon Street. I got a sneak peek of the theme for the Summit High School Marching Band show for this year. I’m not going to give it away, but I am STOKED. I can’t wait to see them perform.
And then here are a few more I don’t have behind-the-scenes shots of, because I am horrible at narrowing down my favorites from a session. Especially one I really enjoyed, like this one.
Thanks so much to Ellen for sharing these pictures with me so I could share a behind-the-scenes perspective of a photo session.
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
