Mentorships are important when you are learning your craft, especially if it's on top of a mountain.
Last July, I had the opportunity to drive to the Shenandoah Mountains for two dream sessions. The first session was with a family of five, and they were amazingly styled, beautifully posed, and ready to climb! The session was filled with adventure as we took a little hike up the mountain and they posed and laughed and cuddled with the mountain scenery behind them. Meanwhile we were doing this in between two giant rain clouds on both sides us. By the end of the session the huge rain cloud caught up with us and we began running down the mountain as it opened up wet droplets that poured down. Luckily, the tree cover sheltered us quite a bit from the downpour. If we wanted an adventure...we got it!
The second session was a dream, and it definitely felt like a dream, as we met our next couple at 5 am. If you've ever woken up early to do something you love, you know that it doesn't take long to get going. As we climbed to the top of the mountain in the dark the sun began to shine through creating a pink fog on top of the mountain that really did feel like a dream. The couple easily modeled as they came close to each other in the morning light. The wind blew, the sun shone, and we took pictures at the very peak of the Shenandoah Mountains. It was such a high for all of us as we hiked back down the mountain in the sunlight this time.
These were moments that I not only will not forget but they shaped my photography, both my business and my art. These were a product of a mentorship that had taken time in the making, and was so worth it for gaining more understanding for the skill of photography.
The memory will stick with me, but so will my biggest takeaways. These are all elements of my experience as a photographer that I hope to incorporate into each client experience.
- Prepare beforehand.
- Be ready for an adventure.
- Prompting and Light Poses make beautiful images.
Prepare beforehand. This may seem obvious, but the greater the preparation on both the photographer's side and the client's side, the great the experience will be. My mentor (Sarah Drewry Photography--check her out ya'll!) had spent a lot of time driving to this area of the mountains to find the perfect location for both of the sessions. She found the best views, the best lighting, and hikes that were accessible for families or for hiking in the dark. She also planned the outfits at least two months ahead. She chose the color palette, the textures, what she would provide, and what the models already had at home. She had started the session way before our actual session day. After communicating with the family and couple exactly when and where and what to wear, the models came to the session prepared, and ready for their adventure. The preparation made the session, and the preparation made the photos.
Be ready for an adventure. When you've planned a great session, the anticipation is real. Not all sessions will be on a mountaintop, but all sessions should put an excitement in your belly. I'm based in Texas, so we definitely don't have mountaintops to hike up. But, a photography session can always be an exciting experience, an adventure to be had. So, my second takeaway for both the photographer and the client is to be ready for adventure! As you know, there was a downpour at the end of our session! We ran down that mountain to get to the safety of our cars! We embraced it! It made it fun. It made it memorable. Sometimes in outdoor photos you will have to step in tall grass, hike down by the creek, climb on the log, have a piggy back in the bluebonnets, or go exploring on the rocks with your kids. When we are flexible and willing and ready to take on what the morning or evening brings, the excitement and adventure is captured in the photo which creates a visual for the great memory you've had together. Adventure and flexibility are key for a beautiful storytelling session for couples and families alike.
Light poses and prompting make beautiful images. Capturing authentic connection makes for valuable photos. It's about getting that smile between you and your son as your eyes connect or snapping a photo of the two siblings giggling with each other. Prompting and posing lightly in a photography session can facilitate the opportunity to capture an emotive and appealing photo. On the mountain I experienced specific prompting and light poses that spurred on the authentic interactions that we love in photos. Impromptu moments were there too, but this gave the family and couple something to do as we captured their connection with each other. It can help people not to feel as awkward with a camera waiting for their next move. For example, after setting the children with their mom on a rock, they were told to close their eyes and smile. When looking for giggly smiles, they were told to smell each other to see who smelled the most like cotton candy. Capturing the giggle straight after was just as important as capturing the kiss at a wedding. As the photographer, you've got to be ready and you've got to be looking for it! The prompts and light poses are not rigid, and it shouldn't be a cause of frustration if they aren't happening just so. The purpose is to get the family flowing and connecting with each other, so that the photographer can capture the most authentic interactions between them.
These takeaways were worth every second of my time in the mountains, and if I can give any more advice it would be to have your own mountain session. Do it, it's amazing.
