It’s getting time for high school senior portraits, so I wanted to share the images I did for Davis. I like incorporating the personality and interests of seniors in their portraits. Every senior shoot, I create a custom art piece, just like I’d do for a commercial magazine design. For Davis however, I created two of these pieces. These two collage designs show off who he is and what he loves to do.
Davis loves golf and track. He’s a top golfer and javelin thrower, so I created two different pieces for him. These final designs went in his senior portrait album.
Notice how they incorporate different portraits, his awards, and even his name in the background. To create this effect, various layering techniques are used as well as shadows have to be painted in. The result is a 3D feel that keeps your eye moving throughout the piece.
From there we also did a series of images both color and black & white, as well as inside the studio and outside. First we started with his iconic black t-shirt.
Then moving out into my studio gardens, I still use studio lighting so skin tones and values look amazing. When newer photographers say they use “natural light,” it really means they don’t do any lighting at all. That sub-par approach creates dull skin tones and washed out backgrounds. A more expensive look requires a knowledge of custom lighting so that even outside, the portrait has punch, and people look amazing without excuse.
In this image we have a deep background with rich colors. Davis is brighter than the background, so the attention goes to him. Plus the lighting makes his eyes pop and adds a defined shadow on his cheek for dimension. Finally, his skin tones are perfect, so the image will print perfectly.
We also did some portraits of Davis in his Layton Lakers team golf shirt, inside the studio and outside with his clubs.
These are just a sample of some of my favorite images, but these and many more were compiled into his final senior album. I love creating finished art pieces like albums. Time is spent to make sure every page prints perfectly, then the pages are coated and mounted so that the final product can be enjoyed and passed down to future generations. They are amazing to hold and look through.
If you’re a senior, now is the time to get your portrait session booked. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s talk more about what makes you unique, and how we could create some beautiful art pieces that capture that. Let’s make you and your family some portraits you’ll love for a lifetime.
And until next time, America.