Yesterday evening I met a friend from high school and her niece to take some senior portraits. I'll admit it felt a little odd to be taking senior photos of this young lady with a girl I just graduated with myself... didn't we graduate like two years ago?! No... more like 13... oh, ok.
At the risk of sounding horribly cliche, I can confirm that time does, in fact, fly by.
I picked a spot in town that was a little more private and tucked away. Most people feel a little more comfortable having portraits taken without an audience of people walking by or rubber necking as they drive past. An empty warehouse on a back street worked beautifully.
The weather was pretty much perfect. We did have a slight sprinkling shower, but nothing that gave reason to pause the shoot. The overcast sky made for a great natural soft box and offered some beautiful, even lighting. I couldn't have been happier with the weather, the Jesus was very accommodating... haha (I want to always give credit where it's due).
Since we're being advised to maintain a safe social distance from one another, I shot with my newest lens, a 70-200mm 2.8. Some people will recommend this lens for portraits under normal circumstances; but now, on top of the lenses known strengths, it also offers the added benefit of "built in/forced social distancing" since it does require you to stand farther back from your subject. I think this added an extra level of comfort to the session, since we didn't have to worry about being in each others "bubbles".
During the shoot we watched several dachshunds pass by with their owner, who admitted to having a total of four at home. The mini parade of little wiener dogs added just enough comedic relief to get Lily laughing, giving me a chance to capture some natural smiles and giggles, which always make for my favorite photos.
Over all, I am so happy with how Lily's portraits turned out, and we really did have a great time. We talked and laughed and goofed off for about an hour and captured, what I think, are some really beautiful photos of a really beautiful young woman.
Lily, you're a light. I want to congratulate you on your high school graduation and wish you the very best. Whatever direction you decide to go, whatever you decide to pursue, my hope for you is that you keep this same bright smile and are completely and utterly happy wherever you are.
Curious about how the whole session turned out? You can see Lily's album here.