Archie ~ Oak Hill Park
Lighting in this shoot was such a challenge, but we ended up with some spectacular photos of Archie! Photographers love overcast days because the lighting is so easy to work with. No harsh shadows, no squinting. Photos also have a uniform look because no matter where you point the camera the even, soft lighting does not vary to a great degree. Archie's session had about the brightest, strongest early evening light I have ever worked with. So at first we sought out shade and I actually shot in areas I've never photographed before--a grassy trail off the asphalt path and we also ducked into the woods where a tree had fallen. Even in the shady areas, the determined sun found its way through! I ended up playing with that light and it was amazing how the direction of the camera and whether I shot up or down at Archie changed the whole look of a scene. I captured effects that just would not be possible on a cloudy day. It was a lot of fun and stretched me in the art of senior photography for sure! I went from worried to thrilled with the way the shoot turned out! Another benefit to the strong sun was that golden hour was truly GOLDEN towards the end of the session! A cloudy day can damper that warm glow the last hour before sunset. So all seemed to work out perfectly in the end!
Archie actually met me right after football practice--still in his workout clothes and he went from old shorts and a t-shirt to GQ worthy and dashing within minutes. Loved his blue dress shirt with khakis and also the navy blue and green sweater with jeans. He nailed the combo of dressy and casual looks. Though it all, Archie was an absolute pro. I had to experiment a lot with with his placement and posing due to the light and he just went with the flow, was incredibly patient, and delivered no matter what! When I suggested going a short way off trail and into the woods to where the large tree had fallen he was totally game. Those ended up some of my favorites pics from the session and they are unlike anything I've ever shot before.
I was so impressed by Archie and my camera was impressed, too. Maybe he should look into modeling part time when he goes off to college! I truly enjoyed chatting with him as we criss crossed Oak Hill Park and I snapped away. A handsome, polite and pleasant subject in my viewfinder. What treat it was to photograph Archie!
On a personal note, Archie is quite the athlete. He plays football and lacrosse and is on the swim team, too! He is also a National Honor Society member. I hope he enjoys the rest of his senior year and I know he is headed for much success when he heads off to college! Thank you so much for allowing me to capture your senior photos, Archie! You were a dream to work with and I hope you and your family will look back fondly on these pics in the years to come!
