Sometimes I am asked why I choose to focus a lot of my business around high school senior portraits and high school sports, and not shoot weddings like so many other photographers. Simply put, I never set out to be like most other photographers and always wanted to differentiate myself and try to be the best at what I do.
Where I Started
It was never by design, but years ago when taking my life long passion and building it into a business I ended up photographing a lot of fashion work with models, using the experience to really get my shooting and editing game to a very high point. When eventually deciding what areas I wanted to focus my work on, I knew that I didn’t want to be a wedding photographer. Yes, the income can be very good but there is a lot of stress and work involved both before and after your client’s big day.
During my journey, one thing that really stood out to me was that I had worked with a lot of high school aged models and I was receiving a lot of very positive feedback about how I connected with the clients during the shoot. Comments about how relaxed and comfortable they were with me, how much fun they had shooting with me, and since I am conversational during sessions also how they feel like they knew me for weeks and not just met me earlier in the day.
The comments that hit the most though were about how the girls felt after seeing their pictures and how they were full of self-confidence and high self-esteem. These are models with fashion runway and studio experience that can turn it on like a boss lady and own it in front of a lens, but it reminded me that like other teens they are at an age where they have a lot of uncertainty about themselves, too. Look at this testimonial from Evenly and how she felt about working with me…..
“Bob’s work is unbelievable, I couldn’t have asked for more. A great photographer, I loved working with him and he really meet all expectations. He made sure I got what I wanted and was happy with the results, and I was more then happy believe me! I most definitely would recommend him to anyone that is in need of any types of pictures!!!! AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!I learned a lot and my self esteem is off the charts. I can’t wait to work with him again in the future.”
Evenly V.
Where I Am Today
Senior year is a very special time in a young person’s life that only happens once. I love the fact that I am able to help capture this moment in ways that fit the uniqueness of the senior and helps to tell his or her personal story in pictures. It is truly a collaborative process as I work with the senior and the parent on understanding their vision and helping to select the clothing styles and location to bring their vision to life. By the time our session date comes around, we’ve had multiple conversations and there is no awkwardness of breaking the ice at the shoot. We all feel very comfortable with one another and have a shared understanding of the vision.
It’s not just about gorgeous pictures, I believe that the entire process should be an experience from start ti finish that not only tell his or her story, but helps make the client feel proud and amazing about themselves.
I am truly blessed to be doing what I am passionate about doing and have no doubt that this is my true calling.
