Nick is a freshman Wildlife Management major. He’s also an avid rock climber, a competition archer, and an all-around nature lover who is definitely at home in the outdoors. He can start a fire and setup a tent and, I think, knows something about hatchet throwing. Without a doubt the sort of guy you want along on your next camping trip. He’s also my brother, which is probably the only reason that he agreed to don his coonskin cap, grab his bow, and trek out into the woods for a portrait shoot.

Like most guys, Nick isn’t wild about having his picture taken. We’ve worked together a few times before, for his senior portraits and some sports/band shots. It’s one of the perks of having a photographer in the family; the photos experience was more fun for him, and mom got off cheap! But even so, there was always mom in the background. She’s the client because she’s (in theory at least) the one paying for the session, and therefore calling the shots.

This time was different. I wanted the photos for a personal project, but also for the sheer coolness factor of what I had in mind. Which was great, because it meant that there was no one to answer to; so long as Nick and I were both having fun, the shoot was a success, and he was free to just be himself. No traditional poses, no collar shirts – just him in the woods with his gear, looking badass.

So that’s exactly what we did. And it was a LOT of fun! We drove up to Lefferts Pond and hiked about twenty feet into the woods, with Nick on one side of a frozen creek and me and the lights on the other. And I made photos while Nick stalked imaginary game through the woods and shot arrows into the ice in, you know, my general direction. (NOT something I’d agree to with most models!) The we switched sides and let Nick climb up onto a rock, while I shot from below.

Totally badass stuff, and nobody was there telling him to smile, or look at the camera. I let him do his thing because he’s the wilderness guy, he knows how he should look. And the photos came out great because of it. I’ve got some awesome portfolio shots, Nick has some very cool portraits for Facebook, and mom has prints on order to frame and hang at home. Can’t beat that!

This was an image shot for my dear friend Paul Sevensky (who has just signed on as my first staff writer at my other site, The Roving Photographer). The gentleman in the portrait is Paul’s grandfather as a young man, and his resemblance to Paul has always been very strong. Which is something we wanted to celebrate.

A reflection portrait is unusual – from a photographer’s point of view, I’m normally battling reflections, trying to keep them out of my images. So the chance to create one intentionally, and emphasize it, was an interesting challenge. We shot this image in a studio setting, setup in Paul’s living room (Unexpected Photographer’s Skill #3: expertise in furniture relocation). It took a few test shots, a few reorganizations of my setup, but we finally got the photo we wanted.

I have strong family ties, so it makes me happy to take on projects like this one; I like to see family history and connections perpetuated across generations. And I like knowing that I’ve had a hand in it.

Lauren rocked each outfit she brought and I couldn’t imagine things getting any better, but then she finished the set in her black gown, which was nothing short of stunning. I always like ending on a strong note, and it doesn’t get any better than this!

Lauren has appeared here on the blog a lot this year, and several of her photos are in my portfolio. She has been an absolute joy to work with, always up for something different, with an energy and a presence that comes right through to the images. She’s confident in front of the lens – although her years of cheer-leading in front of packed stadiums no doubt helped. I’m going to miss working with her as she heads off to college, but I wish her all the best luck!

In addition to the country look, we rocked a few glamour style shots as well.  This was a bit of an experiment for both of us, but definitely shows potential.

Kristen is an artist and an equestrian, the quiet one in the family who every now and then cuts loose with a real zinger.  When she asked about senior portraits, I was psyched, and immediately thought of having her a field in her prom dress near sunset.  It’s the perfect look for her, and she rocked it for the camera.

Then she took it a step further and asked if we could include her horse, Si, in some of the shots.  I’d never worked with horses before, but it’s such an important part of her life, and such a cool idea, that my answer was: absolutely!

We’re shooting part two of her session on Saturday – different look, but just as cool.
More to come!

Lauren, who worked with me on some cheerleading photos on a very cold and windy day last spring, is back in front of the camera, this time for her senior portraits! This is part one of a two for Lauren, and we started by hitting up one of the nearby parks for some shots near the waterfalls, before moving up to the lakeside to finish.

We had a great shoot and were able to branch out and try a few different ideas, like the jumping shots. We’d tried something similar back in the spring; it hadn’t worked out then, but it definitely did this time. So well, in fact, that we got her older sister, Devon, into the shots as well.

As much as I’d like to claim full-credit for the car shots, the idea was really Lauren’s. She’s in love with her little Kia, and after she told me about it, we knew we had to find a way to work it in. Putting them both on the lakeside with some edgy lighting made for a pretty badass shot, especially with Lauren showing some attitude!

We’ll be shooting part two in another week or so, once the autumn colors pick up a little. Be sure to check back soon!