A beautiful dress, a beach location and a senior who wanted to do something different with her senior photos is a great combination to a fabulous senior photo shoot. Christina of c. m. elle studios captured this senior and created a session that she will never forget!

Check out this gorgeous session below and read what Christina had to say about it. Thank you for sharing Christina!

Website: www.cmellestudios.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cmellestudios

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
Lauren wanted to do anything but ordinary…she said she wanted to get in the ocean with her dress. That was all I needed to hear.

Where did this photo shoot take place?
Dillon Beach, CA

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
Yes! Lauren provided the dresses and the idea to be more couture with hair and makeup. My makeup artist and I guided her the rest of the way.

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
Canon 5D Mark iii, 85mm 1.2Lii, Reflector for some shots I also brought along some different fabrics to play with.

What time of day were these taken?
Between 5-7pm in October

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I try to keep my images looking clean and realistic. For this beach session…only a few of the final in the water images received a pink haze for a little extra warmth and romance. And there are always those images that just scream at me, “I NEED TO BE BLACK AND WHITE!” 🙂 I did end up centering two images and photoshopping more landscape in to compensate for what I cropped in camera…I’m finding lately I actually like to center some of my images! 🙂

What is your favorite thing about this session?
One thing? That’s hard. This is one of my most favorite sessions to date because Lauren was daring and I adore this quality in my clients. She sort of lit the torch, so to speak, for other girls to run with their “crazy” ideas and really take their senior portraits from being just images, to being a true experience. A LOT of my clients now want to do something special with their photo sessions. It is incredibly fulfilling for me as an artist to be creative on a different level and to have an amazing time with my girls. <3

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
I would love for this session to show that senior portraits don’t have to be typical and dare I say, boring?! I like to have fun with my clients, laugh, tell jokes, build an honest relationship and be a comfort for them. I want my girls (and my few guys) to really shine in their sessions and not hold anything back, and to experience something they may never get to experience ever again in their lives. I provide portraits for the DARING senior…and I can’t wait to see what 2014 holds for my crazy kids! 🙂

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Have fun!!!! My kids consistently comment on how FUN I am to shoot with. Parents always tell me that I’ve “captured who [their daughter] really is” and it’s because I’m real with my kids, I’m a dork and I tell bad jokes (try to tell good ones) and I’m honest with them. I am not shy in the least. These kids, most of the time, are nervous for their sessions and it’s important to break them out of that box…you will NEVER get a good image with a self conscious nervous 17 year old female. EVER. 😉 The true images come from those clients, letting down their guard, taking a deep breath, and realizing that you are their friend and they are about to experience one of the greatest events in their lives.