Best friend sessions can be so much fun to photograph and so much fun for the best friends because of course they want to do everything together. If you throw in a beautiful beach location, then you have got the makings of the perfect shoot! 🙂

Kristin of Kristin Railton Photography captured these two BFF’s bond and had a ton of fun doing so! I think the photos are beautiful and the location gorgeous! Check out what Kristin had to say about this BFF session and check out the photos below. Also, check out Kristin’s other work here. Thanks for sharing Kristin!!

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?

I wanted the girls to have fun and capture this amazing time in their lives. The friendships that you have in high school priceless and will forever be a part of you and your memories. I wanted to capture that. This beautiful time in their life with one of the most important people in their life.

What is different about a best friend shoot versus a single senior shoot?

I think a best friend shoot is different because it can be so much fun. You can take a completely different range of photos. It also really helps to put the seniors at ease. They feel they the support and encouragement of someone they know. It ends up being filled with laughter and fun. One of my favorite emotions to capture is laughter and you get a lot of that between two girls who are best friends! There are funny moments and it seems easier for them to loosen up and be themselves in front of the camera, which can be intimidating for some seniors.

What are some poses that work well with best friends?

I do some posing, but many times they just fall easily into their own poses with each other. Often they spend almost every waking minute together, so they are used to being close to each other. It always works to have them sitting together, leaning on each other, holding hands and then it seems to flow naturally from there.

How often do you do a best friend photo shoot for seniors?

This was my first best friends session, but I really want to shoot more. I loved shooting it and only wish we would have had more time to plan this shoot. We put it together last minute because I was traveling and photographing and ran out of slots for seniors. So, we decided to do two in one shoot and I loved it. It turned out great for so little planning the the girls looked gorgeous! I just hope to do a bit more styling and location scouting for my next one.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

This session took place in Michigan near an old abandon mill and on a beach at Lake Michigan.

Did you collaborate with the seniors to come up with clothing and/or concept for this shoot?

Since this shoot was put together with little time to plan, we collaborated that day with the items they brought with them to their hair and makeup session. The concept was just to capture the beauty of their friendship between them.

What camera, lens and equipment was used for this shoot?

I shot this session with the Canon 5D Mark II. The lenses I used were my 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8.

What time of day were these photos taken?

We began about an hour and a half before sunset, right up until sunset on the beach.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing these photos?

I tried to keep my colors vibrant and still add some haziness to the images. I love using Red Leaf’s Summer Solstice actions for my summer shoots. They add a bit of warm haze and sweetness of summer.

What is your favorite thing about this session?

My favorite thing is the moments shared between the two girls. They will have these memories forever and that makes me happy.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your photography style?

I want to this session to convey that your relationships in high school are special. They help mold us into who we are and will become. The relationships are treasures and should be remembered. I love being able to capture this for them and to also give them an experience where they feel special and beautiful. My style is to capture real moments, but also to give seniors moments to feel confident and stunning as they are.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding best friend senior photo shoots?

I would say plan the shoot concept and styling in advance, but make sure to capture the real moments when you’re shooting.