This entry is from my fantastic intern, Emily.
I love how well she expresses her wishes for her senior portraits.
See the end results below, I think we hit it out of the park!
When it comes to senior portraits, typically a few things come to mind…stiff smiles and uncomfortable poses to name a few. Every subject will put on their snazziest outfit and go with the flow of the photographer. But the experience that I am looking for is not one of typicality. No. The senior portrait experience that I seek would be one that truly portrays me in my most true self, one that embodies me in my last few months of childhood before I fly the nest, and one that I can stand by and be confident/comfortable with…truly comfortable. In order to find those qualities, here are a few necessities that I, a high school senior, believe every senior portrait shoot should contain.
Every aspect of the subject– not just using their good side, the subject should have a wide range of poses in mind or be open enough with themselves to try some “out there” poses. You never know what will turn out beautiful from a pose that may seem odd on the surface. The photographer should also be creative with any suggestions that come to mind and assist in guiding the subject to embody their most true self. Don’t be afraid to get a little weird, seniors.
Aesthetic– Aesthetic is a trendy word these days. Thousands of Instagram accounts are dedicated to posting with a certain theme in mind that, when viewed, a cohesive mood is established from the mush of the pictures. Likewise, a certain theme should be obvious throughout the pictures. If the subject wore their favorite ripped, dark jeans and a maroon sweater, then the setting should match the dark mood of the outfit. There should also be a coherent color theme throughout that is pleasing to the eye.
Bond- Throughout the session, the photographer and the subject should establish some sort of trust so that they are comfortable with one another. The more comfortable that the subject feels with the photographer, the more true to themselves they can be while posing and reflect their personality in a very personal way at a pivotal time in their life. The more comfortable and familiar that the photographer is with the subject, the deeper the understanding of what the subject has in mind and the more ideas the photographer can have in displaying the senior in a way that shows their individuality.
Original- These pictures should turn out in such a way that, when your mom posts them on Facebook, hundreds of people (some that you have absolutely no idea who they are) comment things such as “That’s my Emily, all grown up” and “So cute!” The goal is to be as true to yourself as possible. Bring a couple outfits, your guitar, your favorite jewelry, a sweater that no one finds cute except you, and don’t be afraid to whip out some bright lipstick. You do you and Amy Boyle Photography will do the rest.
-Emily
Class of 2018
#seniorportraits #art #seniors #blogging #Photography #Chicago #reflections #Portraitphotography #amyboylephotography #classof2018