Kierstyn and her mom, Mandy reached out to me early this year to schedule Kierstyn's senior portraits. They are from West Virginia but have family here in the Charleston area so they come to visit often and love historic downtown. Mandy told me that she didn't want Kierstyn's session to look like everyone else's, that where they live it's mostly waterfalls and fields. Meanwhile I'm over here jealous they have waterfalls- lol. So we decided on Historic Downtown because it doesn't get much more Charleston than that.
From the time they scheduled to the time they had come down if felt like the whole world had changed. We had all been cooped up inside for about 2-3 months from the Corona Virus and the Saturday before their Monday arrival there were riots and some damage left downtown. It was a super uncertain time, but I assured them that the spots we wanted to focus on were mostly left untouched.
One thing that is definitely important for my sessions with outfit changes are outfit coordination. I help all my families, maternity, and seniors choose their outfits based on the locations I shoot so it's really important to have a game plan going in. Kierstyn sent me all her outfits prior to their departure and I was able to curate what worked and what didn't for our locations. I also have a good idea of what photographs well.. so trust me there, too.
Efficiency is key, we lay out all the outfits and have them lined up in order of my locations. I bring along a pop-up changing tents so my clients can change on the spot in privacy. I try to use colors that either work well to pop and contrast the background, or outfits that tie in a similar color.
It's obvious Kierstyn is really comfortable in front of the camera, that certainly helps. But it's good to open up during your session and talk about yourself. I love hearing about senior's hobbies, goals, and what they are aiming to do with their talent and future.
Ready to book your senior portraits?
Get in touch with me here: https://www.erinrosephoto.com/form/contact-and-availability