I really couldn’t have been more honored to be asked to photograph a wedding. I’ve known Chelsea and her family for years, which made the entire day even that more special. Not only was the ceremony going to take place in the same place Evan and I exchanged our vows some seven years ago, but the reception would be overlooking goregous Keuka Lake. Oh, did I mention the vintage boat we’d be taking to the reception? Yeah, a vintage wooden boat — with champagne! I was in heaven.

The entire day was absolutely perfect – top to bottom. Chelsea and Michael, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It was my absolute pleasure.

Cheers!
Morgan

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  • September 17, 2011 - 5:11 pm

    Chelsea - Morgan-thanks for making such a wonderful video slideshow! we love all of the photos-you did a BEAUTIFUL job!!! cant wait to see all of them 🙂 xoxo-chelsea and michaelReplyCancel

The shoot with Max can be used as a how-to for future sessions and future clients – he was prepared in every way! Start with the fashion; Max was well dressed in a wide range of outfits. I loved the colors he wore!

Then there were the locations and themes. Max is a soccer player and knew he wanted that to be part of the shoot. He also loves cars and had a few special ideas in mind. In fact, there’s a family connection to the car shots. Awesome!

Thanks, Max, for making it easy and fun!

Before the weekend, I wanted to be sure to post a peek from my recent shoot with the gorgeous Kalyn from Livonia. We were a little worried about rain that evening, but thanks to a location with a few covered areas, we were totally fine with the brief shower we had. You’d never know we had an umbrella just off to the side 🙂

Kalyn, I hope you enjoyed the day and these sneak peek photos. You were an absolute joy to work with!

Here in New York, we’re smack in the middle of our high school senior portrait season (my favorite!). While we’ve featured wardrobe advice for the ladies before, it’s been some time since we’ve focused solely on senior guys. Why leave them out?

Whenever I meet with clients to discuss their senior shoot, we spend some time talking about what they plan to wear. What I often find with guys is that their wardrobe is still stuck in a more youthful stage: oversized t-shirts, well-worn and faded jeans, sports or college hoodies, etc. I want them to see themselves as young adults, just a year away from heading to college. The coming year will likely bring formal events, college or work interviews, campus tours, etc.

You know what they say about first impressions…

No one needs to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. Not for a second. I never want anyone to buy something for a shoot that they won’t wear again. This is about looking good and making sure that your outfits say something about who you are. Think about what you’re wearing right now – do you love it? Are you happy when you put it on? Do you feel good when wearing it?

Let’s be honest. Your senior photo shoot will probably be the last time you’re really photographed until you get married someday. That’s just how it usually is. Be sure to wear something that you’ll look at 1, 5, 10, 20 years down the road and feel good about.

  • You can’t go wrong with one relatively formal look. Pick out a pair of dress or dark pants that you’ll get a lot of use out of – something that would look good with either a dress shirt, polo or graphic t-shirt. Try to find a shirt color that is complimentary to your eyes and skin tone. You can start with it buttoned up and with the sleeves down, then roll the cuffs and loosen a button for a more casual look. An undershirt usually isn’t necessary, but if you’ll feel more comfortable wearing one, just be sure the color is appropriate (black with dark shirts – white with white or lighter shirts). A v-neck is a nice option since you probably won’t even see it.
  • I’ll say it all day long – a dark pair of jeans is a MUST. You can wear ANYTHING with them.
  • If you want a more preppy look, polos with khaki pants or shorts totally works. Boat shoes or sandals can work, too.
  • Layers help you get more longevity out of your session outfits. In the second look, you can take some pics with the red plaid top, then throw on the sweater for a totally different look.
  • Are you more sporty and athletic? Go ahead and bring your favorite team hoodie or shirt. Often times you can find unique or more vintage inspired team apparel. If it isn’t something you see every day (standard jersey with a giant mascot or number on the back), it will have a more subtle and timeless look.
  • No matter what you wear, please be sure it fits you well. A lot of guys tend to buy larger sizes – maybe thinking it makes them look bigger? – but the opposite happens — you always look smaller and younger. If you can belt a pant or short and have extra fabric folding up, you definitely need to go down a size. If you need to, look for “athletic” or “slim/fitted” shirts.
  • As always, accessorize. Chunky watches, hats, cufflinks, sunglasses, etc – they all work and can add something to your look.
  • Don’t be afraid of some color. An all black/brown/grey wardrobe can get pretty boring.

what to wear for a senior photo shoot guys
Shopping Guide:

Everything was purchased from two stores – Express and Abercrombie & Fitch. While you can find examples of these types of pieces in so many places, I wanted to show that a trip to the mall doesn’t have to mean being dragged to every store in the place. You can get plenty of looks by just picking one or two places!

 

Look #1:

A&F Bushnell Falls Polo – $42 (comes in 10 colors)

A&F Classic Preppy Belt – $28

A&F Woodsfall Trail Shorts – $22

A&F Rugged Vintage Treads – $48

 

Look #2:

A&F Seymour Mountain Plaid Shirt – $88

A&F Adams Mountain Sweater – $68

A&F Slim Straight Chino – $39

Express Double Zip Boots– $158.00

 

Look #3:

Express 1MX Modern Fit Stretch Cotton Shirt – $59.00 (buy 1, get 1 50% off – comes in 23 colors)

Express Stretch Cotton Producer Pant – $69.00 (buy 1, get 1 for $39.90 – comes in 7 colors and machine washable)

Express 2-in-1 Reversible Leather Belt – $39.00

Express Dress Loafers – $108.00

 

Look #4:

Express Colorblock Hoodie – $59.90

Express Slim Fit Boot Cut Stretch Rocco Jean – $79.00 (buy 1, get 1 for $29.00)

Express Casual Suede Sneaker – $88.00

 

Some of you may recognize Kristen from my Penn Yan Rep shoot earlier this summer. My Rep Erica invited Kristen to be a part of her mini session, who was immediately so easy to work with. Needless to say, I was thrilled when she booked her full senior session with me.

We met at one of the most gorgeous locations on all of Keuka Lake – Garret Chapel – and immediately worked on our game plan. Kristen literally drove there with a trunk full of clothing and accessories. Her entire summer closet was basically at my disposal – I was in heaven!

After shooting at the chapel, we decided to drive down to her lake cottage for some water shots. Kristen loves to wakeboard, so we definitely wanted to incorporate that. The water was perfectly calm – an absolutely gorgeous setting.

With just a few minutes left of sunlight, we made a mad dash to find an open field or vineyard to finish the session. Since we’re in the Finger Lakes, a vineyard wasn’t exactly hard to find.

Kristen – I hope you enjoy this sneak peek! There are SO many more photos I can’t wait to share. 🙂

How do you get the most out of a mini senior session?

1. Pick a location that gives you a number of different looks. Oh, and shade!

2. Switch up an outfit simply by changing one piece.

I hit the jackpot with this location – SO many backgrounds and places to shoot. If we had more time, we could have been there for hours. Since the mini shoot includes two outfits, Nicole was wise enough to bring two different cardigans to throw over her dress. I simply tied them to my camera bag so we didn’t need to head back to the car in order to switch things up. I was hesitant about the blue at first, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out in camera. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t be afraid to try something a little different.

I’ll admit that I kinda fell in love with this shoot, so decided to run down the road to one more location — a little bonus if you will. You see, I came across this fantastic chair literally as I was driving to the shoot. What luck! To say I was excited to use it would be an understatement. With a field at sunset and a gorgeous blond, can you blame me?

Nicole, I hope you enjoy these. You’ve made it VERY difficult to narrow down my favorites!

Cheers 🙂

 

After rescheduling the shoot about a half dozen times due to wind, extreme heat, illness, bee stings and more, I think we settled on a perfect night. Cody and his mom were fantastic to work with. They helped scout multiple locations, even sending me dozens of photos so I could see for myself. While I love the open field and barn, I enjoyed the totally off-road drive through the woods to get to our second shooting spot. My little Prius wouldn’t have made it a foot where we were going. 🙂

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