Awesome Pair: Sibling Portrait Session

It's cool when I have a chance to work with teens (or near teens) because I love that age! After teaching junior high for 4 years, I appreciate the not-quite-a-kid but not-quite-a-grown-up mentality. It's a tough position to be in! The trick is to treat them as adults; let them know what's going on and why, and let them make decisions where they can. I was impressed by their ability to follow directions and follow my lead (especially when tromping through muddy paths up to the Roswell Mill Dam).

There's so much I love about these set of photos: their individual portraits--so gorgeous and contemplative, the back-lighting on the shots together, the lens flare on the bottom frame, and the sister's surprised smile on the brother-over-the-shoulder shot. Thanks, guys. You were awesome!

A little update:

My client sent a wonderful note about this shoot shortly after choosing photos from their online gallery: "Wow, the photos are fantastic! . . . The ringing endorsement is that [my daughter] loved the shots of her – unheard of from a 13 year old."

That made me smile big!

On Location: Family Photo Session

I had such a great time with this family in part because the location is such an adventure. There are hills to climb, sticks to drag in the dirt, rocks to throw in the creek and lots of interesting spots to shoot in. Dad was especially glad they weren't stuck in a little studio. Mom had some great ideas for poses and backgrounds, and I have to give the kids' uncle a huge thank you. He was great jumping in and out of family shots and wielding a puppet to coax smiles out of the children. Good job!

I'm especially excited to see what photos will make it into mom's blogging, 3 Cute Kids or Deep South Moms. Her writing is funny and honest and totally disarming. I've been a fan since I shot for their extended family last year, so I wanted to make sure to get a gorgeous head shot of her for a bio or profile photo. After you're done enjoying the photos, head over to 3 Cute Kids and read one of my favorite posts: You Can Choose. It's a lot of laughs!

Location Scouting: Old Mill Area

I love, love, love location scouting especially when I find a gorgeous new spot for future shoots. Early Saturday evening I drove down to the Old Mill area of Roswell and shot these photos of the Vickery Creek dam, covered bridge, crumbling walls, and milling equipment remnants in the area. I felt a bit like my mom, an adverturess when it comes to hiking and exploring, while I trekked around the place. Some of the spots were a little tricky to get to, namely that breathtaking view of the dam, but they were worth it. Several shots are for the love of the texture of the place: a forgotten wall crumbling under the ivy, rusting metal wheels, a piece brick wall looking like a rock washed up on the shore. Then, there are the "insert your family/adorable child/senior here" shots where I worked to find the best backgrounds and angles for future shoots. I'm planning on doing quite a bit more location scouting in the near future . . . so stay tuned!