Riley and her mom reached out after seeing Kadey’s (her BFF!) incredible senior portrait session, which we shot throughout Harford County, Maryland. She loved the Havre de Grace location we used for Kadey and couldn’t wait to book for her own senior pictures!
As with all of my sessions, we got together about 2 weeks before on a Zoom call to plan. Why Zoom? Well, Covid brought Zoom into our lives and honestly, while I am down for meeting in person to work through your wardrobe in person and to share the incredible products I offer, I also get that our lives are BUSY and sometimes, jumping on a Zoom call is just easier.
During our planning call, Riley shared that she’s really laid back and casual - and she wanted her session to have the same feel. Perfect! Because guess what, I’m laid back and casual too! In our pre-session planning Zoom call, we talked about wanted in her session, any must have shots, what she didn’t want and chose a wardrobe that complemented the session and her (gorgeous!) skin tone. When we got to planning for hair and makeup, we discussed Riley wearing her hair like she normally does, but with some added bounce to bring it up notch. Riley shared that she doesn’t wear a lot of makeup - and wanted her session to be true to herself. And truthfully - most of my clients share this! They are nervous when they first tell me this - like I am going to force them into a full face of makeup- and relieved when I give them options. The first thing I did was connect her with Jazmyne Yeager at Lluminaire Salon for a casual but polished hair style for the day (Fun Fact: Jazmyne was one of my first senior clients, back when she graduated from George Washington Carver High School!). When we talked through makeup, I assured her that I also wanted her to feel comfortable and look like herself - because if there is one thing I have learned in my 7 years as a senior photographer, is that if you don’t feel comfortable - it will show in your images! I told Riley and her mom that professional makeup was always an option if she wanted it, however, if she wanted to do her own and keep a minimalist look, I asked for 3 things: 1) mascara (it makes SUCH a difference in your eyes!!!), 2) bring some powder in case you get sweaty (my sessions can last up to 3 hours!), and 3) wear some Chapstick because editing dry lips is a beast. Riley was thrilled and so was I - you don’t need makeup to look gorgeous and being your authentic self is always more important!
The day of the session, we met by the Concord Point Lighthouse and spent the afternoon wandering the incredible boardwalk, playing on the piers and checking out the beach. We also found out her mom hung out with my husband in high school (what!) and her dad is the gym teacher where my youngest goes to school. Such a tiny world <3 The session was relaxed and fun (minus when I lost my phone and her mother graciously dug through the grass to find it). Overall, the session was incredible and captured Riley’s incredible spirit.
Thinking about a senior session??? I’ve got some spring dates left - drop me a line to start planning yours!
Location: Concord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace, Maryland
Gear: Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 100mmL, and a cell phone covered in grass
Hey Class of 2022!
Jane Mack is a high school senior photographer based in Baltimore, Maryland. Jane’s sessions are fun, relaxed and authentically you. Contact Jane to book your custom senior portrait experience, follow her on Facebook and Instagram, and check out more of her work on her website.