Cade || Cache Valley Senior Portrait Photographer
Senior guys!! We all know that getting pictures is NOT your favorite thing. But here's MY thing.... it doesn't have to suck. It actually can be fun if you're open to it.
We all had a great time shooting Cade's session. Often times senior guys end up going with the really mini session that's only 15 minutes long. Mamas just want to get a few pics of their son for graduation announcements, and that works great! It's a great variety and a short session so no-one's smiles get worn out. Cade's mom totally went for the full session for Cade, and Cade rocked it.
Cade brought a couple outfits for his session, and I really was diggin' the cool and casual vibe he has. For senior guys, I don't do a lot of "Full smile... now half smile.... now no teeth smile.....now serious...." prompts. I kind of just let them choose how they feel comfortable in front of the camera. I've found that too much direction for most guys who aren't super excited about getting pictures done tends to have the opposite of the desired reaction. Stress and over instructing can lead to uncomfortable smiles and stiff posing. But allowing their natural smile or serious face to come through also allows for the most relaxed pictures. And I personally like that look the best for senior guys. Forced smiles never look great on anyone!
For Cade's session, I focused on allowing him to do his more comfortable "serious face," but I was also definitely waiting for those natural smiling or laughing moments he had while having some fun banter back and forth with his mom. Having a person or two that the client is really comfortable with helps for these kinds of natural smiles for sure, and it was also sweet to see such a close and comfortable bond between a mom and teenage son. I actually CAN'T WAIT for my boys to be teenagers, and hope they will be as close to me as Cade is to his mom! Another thing I focus on with senior guys is a constant flow during the session. Downtown sessions like Cade's work great because there are naturally a lot of different places to shoot within a short walking distance of each other. If faces become too stiff, we move on to a new location or new outfit. That allows for reset and relaxation, and then we're ready for the next set of pics.
I really enjoyed doing this full senior session with Cade! We got to chat about working out (he's an olympic lifter and I do crossfit) as well as his plans for after graduation. He's a really cool kid, and I like to think we all had a fun evening!
