I have to admit, coming from Canada where the senior photo shoot is not a tradition, I have come to love this one! It gives the high school senior an opportunity to have captured the essence of who they have become after their many formative years of learning, experiences, successes, failure, discovery, and development - all culminating in this this very important year of the high school senior. Photographs have a unique way of capturing all of this. This is why I always take time to talk with the high school senior and the parents to figure out how they want to capture and celebrate all of this though photographs. It takes some thought and planning to pull it all off and I love being part of the consultation process. Everyone has a unique story to tell and a self to portray.

Ben was no exception. After some thinking and discussion, he decided that his passion for aviation would be central to his story. While natural light photography is beautiful, sometimes certain ideas, contexts, weather and available light require a solid handle on using off-camera lighting to pull everything together. Ben’s idea was one of those times and I was thrilled to be able to deliver on that. When we arrived at the airport, it was quite windy. Thankfully, mom was there and was more than willing to help out with the lighting, keeping it from going airborne in the wind! It’s great when family or friends attend a photo shoot. They can serve a variety of very important purposes, from helping with lighting (as in this case), providing emotional support, smiles and laughter, and even being in some of the photos just for the fun of it!

So, don’t limit your ideas. Sports? Pets? Music? Adventure? Fantasy? Here’s to a great senior year and new adventures!

Here are a few highlights from Ben’s senior photo shoot.