Capturing this senior’s modern yet vintage style was perfectly done by Abby Caldwell of Abby Caldwell Photography. Abby says that Judith brought her own ideas to the table and really helped come up with the concept behind this shoot. By incorporating Judith’s love of violins, vintage and having her sister, who was about to leave for college, in these shots, makes this photo session perfectly Judith.
Check out the session below and read what Abby had to say about how it all came together! Check out Abby’s other work here. Thanks for sharing Abby!
What was your inspiration for the photo shoot? Judith is a modern-vintage girl. She loves playing violin and wanted to express that particularly vintage passion in a modern way. At her prompting, I brought along a few Charming Necessities hair pieces to help with complete our theme, as well as an old family quilt, some vintage suitcases, and a few antique books.
Where did this photo shoot take place? We met at the overlook of Patapsco State Park for sunrise, then traveled to a historic downtown location called Elicott City, which boasts the oldest surviving railroad station in America. That train station is the original terminus of the first 13 miles of commercial railroad in the country.
Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot? I helped guide the overall vision of the shoot, but Judith’s clothing was chosen by her sister, who is one year ahead of Judith in school. Because these two sisters are so close, and because she was about to leave for college, Judith wanted to include her sister in some of the images.
What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? Canon 5d, 50mm 1.2 L, 70-200mm 2.8 L
What time of day were these taken? We started at sunrise and our session lasted about an hour and a half
Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? I do most of my steps in Photoshop by hand, then I finish with some actions to complete the look, usually Florabella or Red Leaf Boutique. I used some textures from Jessica Drossin on this shoot as well.
What is your favorite thing about this session? I loved that even though Judith is shy, her natural beauty and humble passion are really evident in the images. Her emotional vitality pulled you in more than any hair accessory or prop ever could.
What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style? I think this session shows Judith’s artistic side and her heart. I don’t want people to ever look at my photos and get a shallow idea. I am an artist. I want to tell a story: your story.
What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors? I think seniors have fabulous ideas. If you spend time getting to know them and talking to them about what makes them tick, you will have plenty of things to help guide your session. When the session is completely about the person in the photos, it will always be a pleasing result to them. Bring ideas to the table, but always be open to changing themes/locations if it doesn’t suit the client.
