Category: Portraits

Summer Family Portraits in Downtown Cleveland

It’s not often I have a chance to do a nice family portrait session. And it’s even more rare to do a session for a friend. That’s why I was so excited to work with my friend, Sarah. She was looking to do some family photos with her wife Melissa and son Julian, and I jumped at the opportunity. By why be so excited about a simple family session?

To understand, we have to take a little step back to how I know Sarah in the first place. Being a wedding photographer, I have to work with many different people nearly every weekend. Typically, there is very little consistency and you meet new people all the time. Developing solid relationships with other people contributing to a wedding is important. And that’s one way I know Sarah. We’ve worked with each other on a few different weddings. I’m always happy to arrive and see Sarah working her hair styling magic. She’s just a dream to work with. And I think she feels the same way. She’s more than happy to refer work my way.

Speaking of which, there are other ways I know Sarah and Melissa as well. In December, I will see Melissa again at her sister’s wedding thanks to Sarah. Also, I have worked with Sarah’s cousin before. So all the more reason that giving back is important. If I have the chance to help a friend, I’ll take it. And Sarah feels the same, which is great for both of us. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing their family again, but for now, enjoy just a few favorites from their loving family portrait session in downtown Cleveland –

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

Julian was a real dream to work with. He was not camera shy at all, and filled with energy.

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

Summer family portraits in downtown Cleveland

I think the last one on the left might be my favorite. Their are many other portraits from this session, but we’ll save those just for the family. Again, and million thanks to Sarah and Melissa for making Sunday so much fun. Can’t wait to see you both again!

Elise- High School Senior Portraits Around Lakewood

I focus on weddings around the Cleveland area almost exclusively. However, I’ve spread out a little lately to take on some high school senior portraits for students around Lakewood and Rocky River. The sessions are a welcome change from weddings. Instead of working hard for one client over months and photographing large groups of people, senior portrait sessions offer a completely different approach. I love working with a single student for a few hours at a time. The concentration on just one person can have magical results. So I was happy to take on another senior portrait session when Elise and her mother, Mary, contacted me.

All three of us wanted some variety in the pictures, so we planned the afternoon session for multiple locations around the Lakewood and Cleveland areas. After a little time in my Lakewood studio, we headed out into the beautiful October weather. We shot a little in Cleveland’s west flats, as well as locations around Lakewood.

For each senior portrait session, I like to include something personal about the client. For Elise, she was absolutely in love with her mid-eighties Mercedes Benz. This opened us up to shooting at a location I had on my list for a long time – a simple car wash in Lakewood. I knew the light streaming through the wash bay in the evening would be truly magical. In the end, the shots at the car wash turned out to be my favorite, and we happily avoided the standard car wash cliches.

Here are just a few highlights and some personal favorites –

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

Shooting in a truck parking lot might not seem like a good idea a first. However, the light passing through the golden fall leaves creates a gorgeous color palette with Elise’s fair skin and blonde hair.

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

Elise brought an amazing variety of outfits to her senior session. This allowed us to mix and match the outfits and create something unique for each location. Not to mention, she just has great style!

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

I drive by this car wash nearly daily and I have always wanted to shoot here. The light can be really amazing. I just love how the light seems to flood everything and be constrained at the same time.

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

Right as the sun was setting, we were able to capture the last photo below. I love how the light moves through the water spray. Elise’s “straight” glance is also priceless.

High school senior portraits for Elise in Lakewood and Cleveland

So that’s all for Elise’s senior portrait session. We had a great time, and Elise and Mary were very happy with the results. I was just happy I could help. Looking forward, I will have a few more senior portrait sessions coming soon and I’m really looking forward to them. The sessions are definitely a welcome change of pace.  To see what we are working on this very moment, stop by Facebook for a quick peak.

Lender Family – A Sweet Summer Sunset Session

When Paul contacted me about photographing his family, I not only jumped at the opportunity, but I was also sincerely touched. Paul is a professional photographer as well, and quite accomplished. His trust in me to represent his family well means the world to me. It’s often said that good work earns the respect of your peers. Hopefully I can take Paul’s trust as a small sign that I’m headed on the right track.

After meeting Paul and his family at their home, I realized that working with a peer was only one benefit of the session. Paul’s family is absolutely wonderful. His kids are polite, but spontaneous. They are complete individuals and a dream to work with. Paul’s son mirrors his father and loves Harry Potter (hence the constant presence of a homemade wand). Paul’s daughter is a complete ham and loves the camera. No surprise – she is the daughter of a photographer. The best laugh I had all day is when the young girl said “but he’s using a Nikon, and Nikon is evil”. I guess Paul must shoot Canon, which is evil ;-).

The weather and location could not have been better. It was a cool summer evening with a never-ending sunset. Paul thankfully requested Holden Arboretum for the location, which is one of my all-time favorites. His family has been members for years, dating back to Paul’s father. They even have a dedicated bench at the arboretum.

I love family portrait sessions, and below is a visual example of why –

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

The first young girl I have met who actively searches for snails at the park.

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Above is a great example of the blue and golden hour. At dusk, most of the light comes from the blue sky, making for amazing portrait photographs. The setting sun then adds highlights of orange and peach.

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

What you can’t see is that his magic spell worked like a charm – his sister was turned into a toad (temporarily of course).

Lifestyle photography session for the Lender Family

Given how much the kids love Harry Potter, I guess bringing sparklers along was a good idea. Personally, I love alliteration, but I clearly use it too much. The next time I use an alliterative title, it’s time for an intervention.

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