Country Sunlit Session

Summer is one of the most gorgeous times to shoot, but the beloved ‘Golden Hour’ can present its own challenge: the sun flare! While sun flares can look amazing and give a shoot editorial beauty and style, they can also overtake a model, or ruin a landscape appearance. Part of using them to your advantage is having experience.  As a photographer, you need to use angles to help get the flare exactly where you want...I love how these came out, and how the shoot stretched me as an artist.

 I made the three and a half hour trek to Michigan to mentor with a fellow photographer. She put together this stylized shoot, and rented this incredible, rustic and vintage truck, I wanted the perfect sun flare look, and we did it! She found the best field to shoot in, added in a vintage blanket throw, and off we went. Her stunning senior rep model wore classic white with her summery pair of cut-offs, and with her hair loose and down in beachy waves, she was breathtaking.

I felt like this shoot reminded me of an advertisement for clothier American Eagle! AE always has very bohemian, sunlit advertisements that always make me long for long summer days. Check out this "cold shoulder" blouse from AE for only $18!! here

I love styled shoots because my creativity can shine through, and we always have such a fun time with our wonderful, easygoing, and helpful models. No matter what I dream up, they go along with it, adding their own personalities and style to complete the ‘story’ I am trying to tell. I’d love to tell YOUR story, so please contact me today to schedule your shoot!

Kaitlin | Class of 2016 | Senior Girls

There’s something really cool about adding live flowers to my shoots. They bring such a gorgeous color and life to the session that other props just can’t approach! This lovely senior shared that during her sophomore year, her family moved from Milwaukee. She said it was very hard to acclimate in the middle of high school, but she overcame the transition and become involved in cheerleading for the football team and playing basketball. In her spare time, she also loves to horseback ride at Hunter Oaks. After high school is complete, she hopes to attend Marquette University and major in Psychology. 

She says her style icon is Hanna From the TV show Pretty Little Liars, who has a stylish edge, and outfits that are always on the forefront of the fashion world. I saw a little of ‘Hanna’ emerge in her super chic ensembles, especially in her fun, tie-dye dress. Modeling has been one of her goals for years, and in representing Urban Willow, she finally got her chance. Her bubbly and outgoing personality made her a great fit, and I was thrilled to hand over these images from her amazing shoot. To book your own senior session, contact me today!

Caroline | Retro Inspired Session

This cheery spring session made me want to cartwheels in a meadow! Okay, maybe not that extreme, but it sure brightens my day whenever I look at this fun shot. Caroline is one of my senior reps (Seriously, how did I get so lucky?!) and was a dream to work with. She says her typical style is actually very retro and vintage, so when we came up with the idea to do a vintage themed shoot, she was so excited. She brought the cutest vintage bicycle with her, I added in the perfect floral, and off we went! 

Styled retro sessions are just really so fun, because they allow you to go back to a time when portraits were classic and timeless, and put a modern spin on it. If you are thinking of a vintage session, remember to wear items with clean lines, like Caroline’s white blouse, and era appropriate cuts (her high waisted, tailored pant). These will give you the crisp and fun look you are hoping for. Her polka dress is another adorable example, and we paired it with sunny yellow sneakers to carry through the retro look. With a little pouf in her hair, a jaunty ponytail, and her gently winged eyeliner, she looks like she just stepped right out of the fifties. If you have an idea for a fun styled shoot, I’d love to schedule your shoot today!