My favorite sessions are the ones like Mila's: with creative outfits, beautiful weather in a pretty or interesting location, and a student who embraces the whole process and lets themselves be who they are!
First of all: authenticity! Mila is so much fun to hang out with and our time together for her senior portraits was definitely no exception! This girl is fearless and adventurous and funny! We started out in a little field off the beaten path at a popular park in Milton. To get to it you have to walk past a huge dumpster and on this particular day someone clearly had thrown a large animal carcass in there because it was quite smelly and there were about 50 turkey vultures hanging out around it. Mila ran at them to chase them off and it was just so funny I had to record it! Thank goodness the field was not in range of the smell so we were able to get some really cute pictures there in her red shirt and I grabbed a few pictures of her with her mom also.
Then she changed outfits and we took some pictures around this little wooden building structure and she definitely brought out her performing side! I love her smile and she's also really thoughtful and you can definitely see that in her pictures. And then there's the one of her in the doorframe which is all fun and when her mom and dad saw that picture they both said it was definitely "a very Mila kind of image".
Next up: creative outfits!
This is something that can easily be part of every session! It just takes a little creativity or asking for some help from me if this isn't something that comes naturally. For Mila, it came naturally! I did suggest bringing a favorite jacket to layer over an outfit but she got creative and brought several jackets to wear and even paired different shoes with different jackets and it completely changes how a cute floral dress can look! I love that we were able to get so much variety from just one outfit: dress alone, dress with jean jacket and Converse, and dress with black boots and leather jacket. The look goes from sweet to edgy so quick and it just really reflects all the sides of Mila's personality!
Lastly gorgeous light & weather! : We finished out the night in the outfit above and we took these last pictures about 45 minutes before the sun set when the light is just so so pretty on this field! Obviously I can't control the weather or how much sun is available for every session but when it's like this it's just like a little extra touch of magic. I'm just as much a fan of dramatic moody skies and big puffy clouds and overcast days because they all have a different feel and bring their own unique challenges and benefits to every session so I shoot in all kinds of weather. Weather like we had for Mila's pictures can be hard if the location isn't accommodating with options for shade or backlight but it all came together beautifully for her pictures and just adds to how happy they feel!
We did her senior pictures in October and I got to see her and her parents again along with her younger brother and sister for a mini-family session just a few weeks ago. Getting to see my seniors again, whether it's for cap n gown pictures or at graduation or at one of their games or performances, is one of the favorite perks of my job! I loved getting to see them all and how they interact with each other. There is no question that they have fun and love being together! I first met them 15 years ago and this was an absolute privilege to get to take both Mila's senior portraits and these family portraits for them!
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