Whit ~ Oak Hill Park
I met Whit's mother, Marcy, years ago when he was little. My other career path is writing middle grade children's books and I was doing a book signing at his elementary school. If memory serves me right, she was on the book fair organizing committee, so we chatted for a bit. When I met her, I had no idea she was an aspiring author or how our paths would cross a few years later! She went from aspiring author to a very successful author with many beloved children's books under her belt! We became friends and now meet for coffee from time to time to discuss publishing and writing. It is so good to have that connection since I am an author as well! But enough about that--this post is about Whit! The little boy at the book fair is now all grown up and ready for his senior pics!
I joined Whit and his mom on a brilliantly bright sunny evening for his session at Oak Hill Park. Whit didn't want to mess with any outfit changes, but his navy quarter-zip pullover and gray pants hit the perfect note--a sharp dressy, but casual look! Outfit changes can be nice, for sure, but they are not necessary to have a nice selection of photos as you will soon see!
Because the park is so open and the sun was so strong, we went looking for shade at first--vegetation that softened the harsh light and wooded areas as well. At one point we ventured off the beaten path to a large fallen tree as a backdrop, which Whit was totally game for! Finally, when the sun's rays gave way to golden hour, we went to the open areas. Though taking pics on cloudy, overcast days makes things simple when it comes to portrait photography (point the camera anywhere and you get the same light--no squinting and no shadows) sunny days can be a real challenge, but there is a pay-off to that challenge. You get such a great variety of looks in the pics that just can't be replicated on a cloudy day! We truly took advantage of golden hour with this session--the dreamy, hazy look of backlighting from the lowering sun and also the warm sun washed vibe when facing those same rays. Oak Hill Park can't be beat when it comes to golden hour! And, of course, it helps to have someone like Whit in my viewfinder! He has model-ish looks for sure that the camera adored. He handled the session like a pro and accommodated all my crazy requests and prompts with ease. He was a pleasure to work with the entire shoot. And I consider myself a lucky photographer to have had the chance to capture these forever senior moments for him and his wonderful family.
Besides looking good in pictures (ha), Whit is a talented baseball player for his high school team. In his free time he enjoys cooking with friends and playing D&D. He is planning to continue playing baseball at the college level next year and would like to study Environmental Engineering. I have no doubt this young man is headed for success! And I look forward to hearing his future accomplishments when I meet his mom for our occasional cup of coffee in the years to come!
