Sunday we decided it would be a good day to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park for round 2 of taking Megan’s Senior Pictures for her last year at Lakewood High School. I don’t know RMNP that well, but my mother in law did and had some good recommendations of places to go. We stayed on the east side of the park, in the Bear Lake and Sprague Lake areas. Bear Lake was packed. Luckily we found some rock star parking up front and were able to get in and out of there pretty quick. There were some good areas to take pictures at, but the background was so dramatic that it kind of overwhelmed the pictures. This was also in her first outfit of the day. I shot probably 30 or so pictures here.
We headed out of there and went down to Sprague Lake. Once again we were able to find great parking (looming thunderstorm might of had something to do with it) and immediately went to work. Megan made a quick clothing change and we got some shots in her cheerleading uniform. Probably 25 or so. Since this was the only other location we had considered, she went back to the Suburban for one more clothing change.
As you first leave the parking lot and walk towards Sprague Lake, you cross a bridge over some beaver ponds. I didn’t think about it much, instead concentrating on the opportunities that might exist around the lake. We were wrapping up being near the lake and heading back when I realized that first bridge I saw was perfect, I just needed a bigger lens (I was only using the 14-42 up to this point). I ran back to the car and got my Sigma 55-200 while Megan walked back to the bridge. The photo above is “the keeper” from that set, at least in my eyes. I think this particular outfit was the most flattering of the day, and to me, it seemed more like the Megan I know. This pic is completely unretouched, meaning it is exactly as I snapped it. I might work on the brightness or lighting a little bit, but I really like how the picture came out.
All told, I think I shot somewhere around 120 pictures in the park Sunday. Some wildlife, some Natalie, but mostly Megan. We got another good one that I’ll write about tomorrow. I think she said something last night about only liking maybe 2 of the pictures we have taken so far. Oh well. It’s a learning experience for me, and it’s free camera time for her. I am getting a book about posing, so that should help me to direct her more. We’ll be doing one more session I think, and she might bring a friend along for that one.
Big Man
It’s been interesting to see this guy grow up. When I first met Garrett he was 9 years old, sitting in his mother’s garage, trying to put a bike back together. He is 15 now, and will be 16 this spring. He is as tall as me now (6′2″), and a very charismatic person. People enjoy being around him. He is also a naturally gifted athlete that could do well at anything he set his mind too. Currently that is skateboarding. He is a big person, both in height and presence. I think shooting from this perspective (down on the ground) really captured that about him.
What is the point of all this? When you are taking a portrait of someone, you are trying to get the essence of who they are. Garrett, just like other teens these days, spends a lot of time in front of the computer. But his passion has always been outside. Riding a bike, shooting baskets, riding rollerblades and now skateboards. This is who he is. It’s easier for me to interpret this about him, since he is my son (well, step-son). But as a budding portrait photographer (thanks to his sister’s need for senior pictures this year), I want to know these things about my clients so that I can capture who they are. They won’t be the same person in 5 years as they are right now. That’s why I think it is so important to achieve this. And that is probably why I have been moving into the senior picture business so slowly. But I am ready, and have a couple of kids who I will be doing pictures for in the coming months. And of course, I have the big guy lined up for next year (Garrett is currently a sophomore at Lakewood High School here in Colorado).