A blend of in studio + outdoor portraits

Lisa and her mom contacted me in the spring to book a grad photoshoot for her in the summer.  Lisa lives in Prince George, but in their search for a photographer that matched their vision led them to me, which is super amazing! 

Lisa wanted a shoot that included both in studio photos with her gorgeous black grad dress and outdoor photos in more casual clothing.  They were holidaying in the Okanagan in the summer, and decided to make a grad photo shoot in Kamloops a part of their trip!

THE PLANNING SESSION

Planning a photo shoot is actually a pretty important part of the process.  The planning consultation is where we start brainstorming what the session will look like, including planning the wardrobe and locations, and also to think about the vibe of the session.  By the end of the consult we have a game plan and a vision and we’re all getting pretty dang excited about it!

Lisa wanted a session that felt like we were shooting for a magazine cover, or vogue style, as I like to call them.  After our initial consultation and planning session via Zoom we had a pretty good idea of what Lisa was going to wear and had a plan for the locations.   In planning their holiday they fell in love with the sagebrush and rolling hills that surround Kamloops, and I’d just discovered a new location I was wanting to shoot in that exactly fit what they wanted…. yessss!!  I love it when everything aligns so effortlessly!!

What do I wear for Grad Photos?

What to wear is always the hardest part of planning a session for my clients, and it can be totally stressful!  I talk about wardrobe with them in depth beforehand so they’re as prepared as possible, and often they’ll send me photos of all the outfit options they have in their closet and I’ll help with wardrobe remotely.  I’m going to do a full post on that soon, but here’s a couple tips to help you you out for now:

1. Your formal grad outfit.  Grad happens only once, and most grads spend a lot on their formal grad clothing.  The actual day of grad ceremonies is often rushed with only a small window for photos in the park, and there isn’t often time to do a whole shoot. When you book a grad portrait session, you get to wear it again (yesssss!), get all done up again, and and spend time feeling like a movie star on the red carpet for an afternoon!!
2. Casual outfits that you love. Choose an outfit or two you love, something that is true to your style. It’s important that you wear clothing that’s comfortable and that matches your personality and your own personal style. If you’re stuck between a few options, bring them all and we’ll sort it out in the studio!!
3. Choose something from my studio closet! I have been building a wardrobe of dresses for my portrait sessions, and if something in there speaks to you we’ll incorporate that too!  Lisa’s sparkly dress above is one of the pieces in my closet! 

Lisa’s grad gown was elegant and simple, and it looked amazing on her!!! It perfecty suited the magazine fashion styled shoot we wanted to do, and it was so much fun bringing it to life.  Watching Lisa embrace being in front of a camera and really own the space was incredible, like speed watching a flower open up in the sunshine. Nothing fills my heart up quite the same as this.

A sparkling gatsby style dress in the wardrobe caught her eye so we photographed her in that as well!!!  What a stunner she is!

We did a total style change for the outdoor portraits, keeping them casual, but still keeping with the feel of a fashion shoot.  The weather was perfect and it was the perfect end to the session to wander the bluffs above Kamloops.

What the client had to say

Lisa’s mom wrote the sweetest review after the session was over.  Here are her words:

“We are so delighted to have chosen Lisa for my daughter’s grad photos. Every part of the experience was exceptional. Lisa was constantly making sure that the the finer details such as: dresses, hair, fans, and lighting, were perfect. The final product was well beyond our expectations and it was difficult to choose from so many great photos. I HIGHLY recommend the folio boxes. The folio box is a unique way to showcase this beautiful memory. We feel very fortunate to have this moment in time captured so beautifully and to be able to treasure this unforgettable experience. Lisa has a special gift in bringing out the beauty in each person and she went above and beyond to do so.”