Restoring a lost habit

Life with my closest friend changed about a year ago. He and I would eat lunch together nearly every day of the week. His office was close to mine, and we could easily meet at one of the local restaurants. Then the pandemic changed our plans. He started working from home along with much of the rest of the country. Since his home is about a 30-minute drive from my office, meeting for lunch was not an everyday option anymore. It is funny how some of the most stressful aspects of this past year have been the little day-to-day habits we all had to change. Recently, I decided to take a drive out to his home and pay him a visit. He loves to boast about easy country living and I felt the need for some easy living. So, I packed up my camera and made the 30-minute drive to his home.

We exchanged our typical booth at Primos restaurant for a ride in a side by side in the country. Our time with each other at lunch was never about the food anyway. We just enjoyed discussing life and solving the world’s problems. We have all the answers by the way. This week things have started a slow return to normal. He is back at his office twice a week and the texts “What’s for lunch?” have started again. I figure we should have a solution to the current world problems soon. The only one we struggle with is how to eat fried chicken and strawberry cake without gaining weight. We are working on that one. However, it does get real quiet at our table when the fried chicken arrives. Oh well, you can’t expect us to have an answer for everything.

Best outfit choices for girls portraits

What type of outfits do you recommend for my senior portrait? This is a question I get asked all the time by senior girls and their mothers. Here are a few suggestions that I hope will help you decide what to wear for your senior portrait session or when being photographed at any age.

Black and white photography

I am a big fan of black and white film photography. It has a timeless look that will never go out of style. I would recommend having one outfit that is very dark or very light for your black and white photographs. In fact, as illustrated above, black dresses or white outfits with texture work exceptionally well. Any outfit that provides contrast and texture to a black and white image is a good choice.

Color photography

Pastel colors and bright colors are great choices for portraits. This is especially true for backlit images like the ones above. Many of the girls I photograph select a pastel top with white jeans as one of their outfits. Colors that highlight your personal features are also important. If your eyes are blue and wearing something blue draws attention to your eyes then by all means make that one of your options. Use a little caution when selecting a red outfit for your portrait. Sometimes red will reflect on to your skin and cause you to look a little red in your images.

Sweaters and coats

I like to encourage girls to bring a sweater or coat for some of their images. One of the most difficult things about having your picture taken is trying to decide what to do with your hands. Wearing a coat or sweater offers a a great solution to this problem. Some other options would be a scarf or necklace that you can hold onto in a relaxed manner.

Detail shots

The final piece of advice would be to consider parts of your wardrobe that would help tell your story. This would include anything that is unique to your personality and way of life. These types of images are often overlooked, but can greatly enhance a portfolio of images from your session. Most importantly, don’t stress out about having your picture taken by a photographer. Just be yourself and it will all work out fine.