When I started my photography business 10 years ago, I was terrified. I loved taking pictures, but dealing with people and telling them how to pose was scary to me. I would study poses before every session and then get scared and forget them while shooting so one pose ended up being repeated over and over. But being a great photographer is about so much  more than just setting your camera to take a good picture or fixing things in post process, it is a true art form, and I had so much to learn. A portrait session should capture and tell a story for your client(s). They should be able to look back on their images and remember the fun they had together while taking the pictures and how comfortable they felt in front of a camera (everyone’s biggest insecurity). From the start of my business, my goal has been to make my clients feel confident while having their pictures taken so I am constantly trying to improve on how I interact with people during a session.

At 19, I started photographing friends and family and eventually branched out to working with new clients when my confidence increased. Every year, I work to increase my knowledge about good light, locations, and how to pose people so they feel comfortable in front of the camera instead of stiff and unsure. This spring, I decided to offer a couple of free formal portrait sessions just for the fun of it. I walk around Port Huron almost every day and have several locations that I have been itching to shoot at, so this was the perfect opportunity. I purchased the dresses, did a model call, and had my first session this past Friday! <3

I had never met Danyelle or Jake before but enjoyed getting to know them throughout their session. We met at a place in town so that Danyelle could change and then we headed to St. Clair County Community College to start our session; slowly working our way around the campus talking and taking pictures. Although this spring has been full of rain, we ended up having a beautiful night! I loved learning about how they met and what they like to do in their free time. They have been dating for a year come June 25th and the love they share for one another was evident from the very beginning of their session. Danyelle and Jake met at church on the worship team; Danyelle sings and Jake plays drums. Danyelle was interested in Jake right away but they stayed friends for a little while before they started dating. Now they love spending their time rollerblading, walking Danyelle’s dog Luna, and spending nights sitting by a campfire. Throughout their session I had so much fun and felt so comfortable with them.

Gone is the girl from 10 years ago who was terrified to pose people and tell them what to do! Instead, I felt confident, and our almost three hour session seemed so short. Lucky for them the sun was almost set or I would have tried to take them to another location. lol I am so thankful that Danyelle and Jake trusted me and were willing to walk around Port Huron and even pose in front of a bunch of people. (If they were nervous I couldn’t tell.) My second session is this coming Friday and I am excited to try out a few more locations around town and to work with another new couple. It is so cool for me to see how far the timid 19 year old me has come from when I first started my business, not only in how I work with my clients but in how I edit as well.

(Keep on the lookout for a comparison blog or Instagram post to see the change in my work from where I started to where I am now. I want to continue improving but I can truly say that I am happy and confident in the work I can return to my clients.)

Enjoy!

This is one of my FAVORITES from their session!!