high school senior

Alex’s High School Senior Portraits

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

Warm weather is back again in Utah, and that means it’s time for high school senior portraits. Last year, even during the pandemic, I was photographing high school seniors. I think it’s especially important to capture these memories when schools are cancelling events, or cutting the year short. Lots of seniors didn’t get their prom dance, or graduation, or any of the other things they had looked forward to.

And though 2021 is looking much better than last year, hopefully fewer plans are cancelled. Nevertheless, it’s especially important to show high school seniors some extra love and attention. You’re only a senior once, and then life starts to change dramatically after kids graduate and go off to college or do other things in life. It’s important to capture this important time in life.

So last year I had a great time creating these images for Alex. When I photograph seniors, I like to create an over-the-top art piece to highlight who they are. I use my expertise in creating commercial ads for magazines to create something awesome for the senior.

It starts off with the question, “Who is your senior? And what does he/she love to do?” For Alex, he’s a daredevil and loves skydiving.

I created this piece for Alex by photographing him in the studio and then creating this composite for both a wall art piece and also his senior portrait album. I put him in one of my graduation robes, gave him some of my motorcycle goggles, and then posed him with a fan blowing his tassel and gown. The rest I created later as a digital composite. I really love how this turned out.

Of course with every senior portrait session, I create a variety of images that capture the senior’s personality in the studio, using a mix of backgrounds and changes of outfits. These are great for an album design and smaller prints.

These double-page spreads are just some of the layouts from Alex’s senior album. The facing pages are designed using images that work together and tell a story about the senior. I like mixing color and black & white, headshots with mid-lengths, casual clothes with dressy.

And Alex had a hat that he loves to wear, so we made sure we got it in a variety of his portraits.

Finishing up the session, we did some dressy images in a suit along with a graduation gown.

The various pieces Alex and his family ordered looked beautiful and it was great to create and deliver them to his family.

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 YOU! And let’s capture that in some beautiful portraits you’ll love for a lifetime.

And until next time, America.

Bella in San Jose, California

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Bella in San Jose, California. I was teaching an adaptive lighting class to photographers there, and she was my model.

We made the shoot extra hard by shooting outside at the worst time of day (noon), and also mixed in some indoor shooting using a small lighting kit. I wanted to show photographers that no matter the circumstances, we can always create great images because we should always control light. That means correctly sculpting people with that light, making them look amazing no matter what, and mixing our lighting with other lighting conditions like bright sunlight.

These images turned out wonderful. I wanted you all to see them.

Had we shot with no lighting at all and relied on haphazard results (what new photographers call “natural light”), she would have had dark eyes, muddy skin, and our background would be too bright and blown out. Instead, by teaching various techniques of light control, we got fantastic images where her skin glows, her eyes pop, and the background can be as bright or dark as we want.

I went for a darker background so that we’d have a blue sky and deep greens in the foliage behind the model. I want to control the viewer’s eye so that it immediately goes to the model.


Aside from shooting a variety of options outside, I also did some demos inside using just the lighting gear that I brought with me on the plane. And you’ll see that even indoors, we can continually get great results. Besides great expressions, you’ll notice the soft shadow on the cheek, soft skin, and eyes that pop.

Thank you to Bella for being our model, and thank you to all the photographers who both attended and also worked behind the scenes to make the workshop in San Jose, California possible.

If you’d like some great portraits, give me a call at 801-728-3317. Even though we’re under quarantine here in Utah, some photoshoots are still possible with the right precautions – particularly high school senior portraits. And others types of shoots can be booked out a bit further too.

And if you’re a photographer that would like some training, check out my training website, BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com

And until next time, America.

Ashleigh in Santa Ana, CA

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Ashleigh in Santa Ana, California. She was my model for a photography workshop I was teaching there. I taught adaptive lighting techniques for portraiture, both in studio and on location.

I taught this event for 2 days at the California Center for Digital Arts, where I used their studio for the indoor photographs. For our outdoor location shoot, we stepped outside onto the street to use the sidewalk, alleyway, and nearby buildings – continually mixing sunlight with studio flash.

I love how these turned out and wanted to share them with you.

Ashleigh’s friend Natalie was her hair and make up artist, and she looked so pretty that I thought it’d be great to include her in a photograph too. Here they are together.

For the outdoor portraits, I liked them in both color and black and white. But the black & white gives them a great vibe with the textures of the street. And they work great in b&w for this trio design.

Here they are up close though so you can see how beautiful they each are.

Ashleigh did a great job and I appreciate her being my model for this event. And thank you to all the photographers that came to this 2-day learning event.

If you’d like some great portraits, give me a call at 801-728-3317. Even though we’re under quarantine here in Utah, some photoshoots are still possible with the right precautions. And others can be planned out too.

And if you’re a photographer that would like some training, check out my training website, BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com

And until next time, America.

High School Senior Portraits of Shannon

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I love photographing high school seniors. I can really be creative and the seniors love the fun images we get.

And you have to see these high school senior portraits that I did for Shannon while I was training photographers in Texas. While teaching photographers around the country at an event in Texas, I did a quick lighting and posing demo with Shannon. She was my model and I created some gorgeous high school senior portraits of her.

I have lots of wonderful choices and all of the images look amazing. But here are some of my favorites. I love images that show flow and movement, especially as a series. These four images are great as a collage for the wall as a set of 4.

Even though for this shoot I’m working on location in another state, I still like creating studio portraits when possible. Studio images look sharp and professional, and they separate you from the photographers who can’t or don’t know how to create studio images. Plus mobile lighting and setting up studio gear is possible anywhere.

However, with seniors I prefer to do mix sessions of both studio and outdoor locations. Here at my Utah studio, I have easy options for both inside and out, right here. Plus we have lots of wonderful outdoor locations very close by for more variety too. But for Shannon, because I was doing a lighting demo, we did everything in one studio location.

I have a lot of wonderful images that are great as standalone images. When I photograph a a high school senior, I want a lot of variety quickly with one outfit before changing outfits and backgrounds. This series of Shannon on gray would be just one of the sets I’d do with a senior here at my studio. We’d start with one color and outfit, then keep moving to more outfits and backgrounds. That gives us a lot of variety for the album design to come later.

But as you can see, in just a short amount of time and with one outfit, we have lots of wonderful images of Shannon for her wall portraits and album pages.

Throughout the shoot I like to increase the motion and action of the photoshoot. Here I’m having Shannon spin around, having fun with her hair.

High school senior shoots are fun, and you can bring your friends and family to the shoot too. In fact, adding close friends to part of the shoot is always fun for a few images – though most should be of just you.

If you’re a high school senior and would like some wonderful new images, this is the perfect time of year to get you in. Give me a call and let’s talk more about your personality and what would make for some creative portraits. 801-728-3317

And until next time, America.

Abbie’s High School Senior Portraits

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

It’s high school senior portrait season, and I wanted to share Abbie’s gorgeous shoot. Seniors appreciate and love my extra creative shoots that show their personality, and that’s why I love taking their artwork even further by creating pieces like this multi-image collage.

I individually photographed Abbie, her scoreboard, even the “D” in the grass at the Davis High Field. I then created dust for the background and put this all together digitally, creating custom shadows and other effects to make it all come together perfectly. These custom art pieces are great on the wall.

Here’s a short video showing behind the scenes of the entire shoot. Notice how nothing is haphazard. The lighting, the angles, the details – they’re all measured and carefully controlled for the best possible photographs.

Here’s a shot video showing Abbie’s album and collage.

Abbie’s wall collage is stunning with this mix of wonderful images, all showing different parts of her personality.

These action shots on her field really add to her album design and collage. These deep blue skies, wonderful skin tones, are all created on the spot with custom lighting that also make her eyes pop.

The dramatic lighting and angles in these make them look straight out of a magazine or national ad campaign.

Adding a mix of studio images is not only a great look that adds variety to the album designs, but these images also allow for custom art pieces like this below.

 

And here at the studio location, we have a half acre of gardens specifically designed for outdoor shoots. These layers of green are unusual for Utah, and can’t be duplicated in images anywhere near here. It’s the perfect location for creative fashion shoots like high school senior sessions.

If you’re a high school senior, now is the best time to get in for a shoot for both weather and pricing options. Give me a call at 801-728-3317. I’d love to talk more about your dream portraits and to set up an appointment.

And until next time, America.

 

Matthew’s Wakeboarding & Senior Portraits

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I love photographing high school seniors. I always try to make every photoshoot extra creative, but high school seniors appreciate the ultra creative shoots even more allowing me to push things even further. That means I can photograph seniors with a commercial fashion ad look, and Matthew was the perfect subject for this wakeboarding collage project.

Instead of just shooting seniors in a simple, minimalistic way, I in stead do big over-the-top shoots. We do high-end studio work at my Utah location, sometimes mix in outdoor portraits in the studio gardens, and can even go on location to relevant places that mean something to the senior. And I always try to design up a cool collage that tells a story about who the senior is at this point in life.

This video shows more about how this collage was created, as well as how it looks framed and ready to hang.

And here is the final wakeboarding collage.

Here are some of his other favorite images. We did a variety of clothing changes, along with a mix of lighting styles.

Matthew will be serving a religious mission for the LDS Church and so we also mixed in some cool pictures of him in his suit.

If you’re a senior, now is the time to get in. We’re finishing up with the class of 2017 and getting a head start with the class of 2018 who want to beat the rush. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Street Shoot in Carlisle Pennsylvania, Part 2

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

While teaching a photographic workshop in Carlisle, Pennsylvania we did a shoot on the beautiful street in front of our hotel. I had previously posted the high school senior that I’d photographed, but I shot a cute little girl who was the daughter of the photographer who organized the event. I wanted to share some of those images as well with again, no retouching. We have great expressions, great skin, eyes that pop, and our color is nailed throughout the shoot. I taught systems for doing all of this on a shoot and these images show how great it works throughout a portrait session.

This little gal had such a variety of expressions, that I thought a composite design was best to show them all off. I can imagine her older in a few years, looking back on this shoot, loving this design, and enjoying her young personality.

And this trio shows off another cute outfit of hers. I really liked her boots in this and wanted to show them off.

If you’re a photographer and want to learn more, check out my live workshops as well as online training at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com. And if you’re in need of some great photography, give me a call, 801-728-3317. Spring is here and I’d love to create something amazing for you.

And until next time, America.

Street Fashion Shoot in Carlisle Pennsylvania, Part 1

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I just got back from teaching a multi-day photography seminar to the Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania. For one of those days, we did a live shoot on the beautiful street of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, just outside the convention hotel. They had this very pretty high school senior model for me to photograph so that I could demonstrate various lighting techniques while shooting fashion images.

The big take-away I hoped photographers would get out of my program was that no matter the location or lighting style, images should be so good in the camera that they don’t need retouching. Eyes should pop, skin should glow, and people should look better and thinner because of your lighting techniques – not retouching.

And great images means a quicker work-flow, cleaner retouching techniques, and far more powerful photographs because they’re believable. As a followup to that shoot, I wanted to post some of my favorites – unretouched of course. I spent my computer time picking favorites, doing some quick color toning, and adding edges. Other than that, no retouching, no eye whitening, no skin softening, nothing. I hope people can see how great these images look. In fact they’re better than most people’s images after retouching.

During the workshop I showed how to create and design collages for clients. During that demo I shared my quick retouching techniques. So in this collage, two photographs are retouched. The rest are not. I doubt most people could tell which ones are which. If anything I hope people notice the variety of personality and expressions from such a short shoot.

And here is a fun trio design using photographs shot just inside the stoop of an old building.

This next image is actually a painting that I created in front of the crowd of photographers. So this was first retouched, then used as a reference to create this painting. I love paintings because they’re so unique and different. And they look stunning on the wall.

This blue tone to the background is not a computer effect. It was done in camera with just lighting. This street was fantastic to shoot on. Every building and doorway was quaint and engaging. We had a lot of wonderful meals on our downtime in this area, all within walking distance.

And to finish up the shoot back at the hotel, a few images in the hotel lobby using a couple strategically placed lights.

I also did a second shoot with an adorable little girl. I hope to post some of those later. But for now, if you’re a photographer and would like to train with me, check out my training website at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com. I do a few live events around the country each year. But I also offer full online courses on everything from lighting like a master, to getting great expressions, to the quickest workflow using Adobe products. Those courses are great for people who want to learn at home, or get a head start on a live training event with me, or for those who want even more training after a live event.

And for kicks, here is an iPhone pic of me in action shot by one of the photographers. Aside from my entertaining “stance” (which is the correct way to bring your camera-line lower), I like this photo because it shows my camera meter. I believe strongly in constantly measuring the light from all directions. And it also shows the how the street scene and the model look normally with “natural light” (which is how the iPhone sees things) versus in my photographs which have specific lighting techniques added.

If you’re in the market for some new photographs, either as a senior looking for a fashion shoot, or perhaps you need something for your family, now is the time. Give me a call as spring is booking up, 801-728-3317. I’d love to create some fantastic photographs of you.

And until next time, America.

Blake’s Senior Portrait Sneak Preview

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

Because school is starting this week, I’m showing a sneak peek of Blake’s senior portraits. We did a Senior Mix Session with an additional location, and here’s what we got! Blake is a drummer, so to showcase that talent, we set up his drums along with a portable studio setup of lights and equipment out in one of my favorite desert locations. The jumping ones were my favorites and I really liked the storm clouds we had that day. It made for some great drama in the sky.

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We also did a full session in the studio with a number of different setups. Here is one of my favorites from his black and white series using a very unique lighting setup. The resulting look is hip, edgy, and modern.Cox_BJohnson-sr-114b-edge

This next image at the pool wasn’t shot at a pool at all, but actually created completely in the studio! Senior portraits should show who you are and what you like to do. Doing this image at the studio gives me the creativity to create the best image possible with the most custom lighting.

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And of course, senior portraits are always fun with a cap and gown.

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In 20 years looking back to today, what are you going to want to remember about your senior year? Let’s create a portrait for you that shows in a unique and professional way who you are right now.

If you are a high school senior and especially if you are a friend of Blake’s, I can create some amazing portraits of YOU, and right now is the BEST time to get in for some senior portraits! I have some awesome promotions going on, plus the weather is great for outdoor sessions.

Here’s what to do:

(1) Call me at the studio to set up a time, ask any questions you have, and let’s talk about some fun ideas for your shoot, 801-728-3317.

(2) Start thinking of fun outfits you may want to bring, maybe go shopping for a new outfit or two, and most importantly, don’t forget some props that say something about you, like wake boards, a basketball, musical instrument, skis, motorcycle helmet, dance shoes, …anything!

(3) Bring your mom or a friend to the shoot so they can be a part of the whole experience.

(4) And don’t forget your iPod so that you have your favorite music playing during the shoot.

I will post more images from Blake’s shoot soon! Keep tuned in!!

Whitney’s Senior Portrait Sneak Preview

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

This week Whitney is starting school as a high school senior and I had the pleasure of photographing her and creating some beautiful senior pictures. Here’s a sneak peek of her session.

She has such a great and captivating smile, she was a blast to work with. We did a full Senior Mix Session, meaning we shot multiple outfits, created both in color and black and white, used multiple backgrounds including inside the studio and outside in the studio gardens, and used a mix of lighting styles from fashion to beauty to classic.

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This wall trio above is one of my favorites. Her eyes pop and her personality really comes through. I love telling a story in three images.

And her close ups, like the one below are superb. I really like her smile in this, and how her outfit works so well and is set off by the funky brown background.

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Senior photo shoots should always include images that say who you are and what you like to do. Whitney plays the piano, and here at the studio, I have a baby grand just for photographs. Here are some of those images. Whitney is also a dancer, and those images are coming along with many others.

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I have many more images to show from this shoot, but for now I’ll leave you with this beautiful outdoor portrait in the wind, taken in the studio gardens.

Cox_WBigler-sr-165If you are a high school senior and especially if you are a friend of Whitney’s, I can create some amazing portraits of YOU, and right now is the BEST time to get in for some senior portraits! I have some awesome promotions going on, plus the weather is great for outdoor sessions.

Here’s what to do:

(1) Call me at the studio to set up a time, ask any questions you have, and to talk about some fun ideas for your shoot,  801-728-3317.

(2) Start thinking of fun outfits you may want to bring, maybe go shopping for a new outfit or two, and most importantly, don’t forget some props that say something about you, like wake boards, a basketball, musical instrument, skis, motorcycle helmet, dance shoes, …anything!

(3) Bring your mom or a friend to the shoot so they can be a part of the whole experience.

(4) And don’t forget your iPod so that you have your favorite music playing during the shoot.

I will post more images from Whitney’s shoot soon! Keep tuned in!!

Underwater Photography & Music Videos

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I recently created a few short music videos with a new camera capable of going underwater.  I’ve had other underwater cameras in the past, but this one is my new favorite!  I can shoot in true and high-def HD and can shoot in true slow-motion too, giving a terrific and smooth slow motion, rather than a jittery slow-mo that is created from just slowing down clip shot at normal speed.

Check out this demo video I created while testing this camera last weekend on my friend’s boat.  I love the abstractness of the bubbles and water.  I shot for that quite a bit.

During this underwater shoot, I securely mounted the camera to my wrist, my chest, and even to a pole.  I tested it in sunlight, underwater, with movement, and everything else I could think of.  I’m excited because I didn’t have to edit any of the clips.  All of what you see is exactly what I created in camera — no adjustments.

About a week before I also tested it for time lapse ability and also wanted to test the mount I got for it to secure it to the outside of a vehicle.  I wanted to see how it would hold up to the wind at freeway speeds.  Here’s what I created while driving from my house to 7600 South in Salt Lake.

I am very impressed and have a bunch of new ideas for using this camera now.  I really hope to use it on high school seniors.  Years ago I created music videos from weddings and seniors, but the time involved to produce the pieces was so time consuming, that the packages became very expensive.  Now though, with this camera and with the newest editing software that I’ve also been testing, I hope to be able to create these kinds of things again for seniors and wedding couple, but in a more cost-effective way, and with even greater production value.

If you’re a high school senior and want a hip music video that you can post on your facebook page, then give me a call!  NO ONE creates images like me!  My shoots are super artistic, fun, and I know just how to make you look great!  You will LOVE your images!

Give me a call to schedule your appointment.  801-728-3317.  And feel free to browse my main website, BryCox.com and my blog at BryCox.com/blog.

 

Dallin’s High School Senior Portraits

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

Senior shoots are so fun.  I get to do all the fun fashion stuff that I love to do, and seniors love it!  Dallin came in for senior portraits and here’s some of my favorites from the shoot.  This first one is on my magazine background, and uses one of my custom pealed edges.  It has a cool retro feel.

Dallin did the Senior Mix Session, which includes both Color and B&W, both indoor and outdoor portraits using a number of sets, and multiple clothing changes.  We mixed looks and created images that show his interests and hobbies.

I love this one below of Dallin playing the guitar.  I toned it with as a multi-tone b&w, and then added some light-leaks on the corners.  Originally when I was shooting the image, I wanted it to look like a band poster.  Now I can totally imagine text on it, advertising his next show.

We also did some cool black and whites in the studio, using some high-contrast fashion style lighting.  This first in a casual shirt, and the second in his letterman’s jacket.

Then some dressy images in the studio and out.  One of my favorites was this outdoor image, taken in my studio gardens.

And then finishing up with some cool images that use his various school jackets.  This first was with his officer’s jacket and his guitar.  I used a set that consisted all of browns, to match his clothing.

And this second with his leather letterman’s jacket and riding a motorcycle.

If YOU are a high school senior and would like a Senior Mix Session like Dallin that shows off you and your personality, give me a call to schedule your appointment.  801-728-3317. 

You know that you are only a senior once, so don’t settle for photographers who try and copy my style and look.  If you want real magazine-style images, remember that my images are used by Capitol Records, national and international magazines like Billboard Magazine and American Girl Magazine.  I have photographed a lot of famous people like Lee-Ann Rimes, Olivia Newton-John, Mitt Romney, and the last four Utah Governors (to name a few).

I WILL do an AMAZING job for YOU, and YOU WILL LOVE YOUR SENIOR PORTRAITS!!

CURRENT SENIOR SALE!

If a Senior Mix Session doesn’t fit what you need, I have other options including a sale right now for only $199 which includes the session fee, 1 outfit, 2-5x7s, 8-wallets of your favorite pose, and a digital copy for facebook and your iPhone.  Give me a call now to set up your time or call me to ask any questions you may have.  801-728-3317.

 

And visit the senior web page to be entered for prizes and to get more info.