Ardent Photography: Senior Portraits 2013

 

 

My first portrait session with my new camera was for my brother who is graduating this year.  He needed his senior portrait taken and wanted to have them done on his track down in Shelton.  He is a track and cross country runner, so the track is an important element in who he is. 

Luckily we only had to push the session out once due to rain, a problem with shooting outdoors in Western Washington during Fall.  The day we were able to shoot was lovely and the sun was sitting low in the sky as we stepped onto the track. The wind had picked up, blowing in the next storm system, but we worked around that. The session wasn't long, normally single focused sessions aren't, and we got the photograph we needed.

Portrait sessions are an interesting thing.  You need to develop an instant relationship, even if you know your subject, because you are now the photographer, not the sister, friend, wife, daughter, etc.  You have to interpret the photograph he sees in his mind, and bring it into being.  Our first attempt at this photograph was unsuccessful.  My brother was content with not having the image he wanted, but I made him explain it to me again, and in the last few moments, I had him pose again, not smiling because he liked the stern face better, lowered the camera to my feet and shot up.  I took a few shots, for obvious reasons but also because it was windy which meant more blinking. 

The shot above is the shot.  No editing necessary.  I even liked and kept the bit of vignetting the old Vivitar lens put on the picture.  The other photographs we took that day do not matter.  Whether they turned out or didn't, is of no importance, because this was the shot.

Thank you for reading,
Sarah McTernen

www.anardentlife.com