Lifestyle senior portraits in Kettering, Oakwood, Centerville, Beavercreek….and more

One thing about the internet is that you cannot tell exactly where your visitor traffic is coming from. I can see that people are interested in new ideas for their senior portrait sessions, but I cannot tell if those are students from California or New York. I can just hope that if those students are looking for senior portraits with their horse or how about a young lady who wants her senior portraits with her dad’s hotrod or senior portraits on the farm or with their best friend, then the students in my area are also interested in those things and are also visiting this web site.

So if you want a relaxed on-location senior portrait session and you live in Oakwood, Kettering, Centerville, Beavercreek, Washington Township, Springboro, Middletown, Fairborn, Miamisburg, Germantown, Huber Heights, Troy, Tipp City, or any of the many other towns and burgs surrounding the greater Dayton area, then I am hoping that you are stopping by my web site to see a different sort of senior portrait session.

My photography has an enduring quality and not too trendy. Trendy is fun, but it may not be you and trends tend to pass on by. If I can capture something special about you and your way of being and the things or people that are important to you, that can last a lifetime. I like my portraits to look nice hanging in the family homestead for many years not just while the trend is hot. I like my clients to invest in canvas wall portraits and professional quality photo books or various framed prints from their sessions.

That’s not to say that I would not be up for some urban/graffiti or other interesting stuff, but I want it to be about you, not because it is a trend. So give me a call and tell me about your ideas and lets work something out. Peter DeMott Photography at (937) 478-6222 in SW Ohio.

Exploring senior portraits around the country – What does senior portrait mean in your part of the country?

I’ve been using Google Alerts to find posts about “senior portraits”. As I follow the links that show up, it has been interesting to see what senior portrait means to different people and to different parts of the country.

Here in my part of the country a senior portrait is a portrait session for senior high school students that says something about them and that they can share with their friends and family in celebration of their graduation from high school. The seniors use their wallet sized prints to send out with their invitations to graduation parties for their friends and relatives. Parents also love to have images that they can put on display in their homes so that people who visit can see their son or daughter who may now be in college or in the military.

I followed one link for senior portraits in Texas and it was talking about “cap and gown portraits” of every senior in Texas. I don’t see very many cap and gown portraits in this part of the country, but perhaps it is important in Texas. I don’t know…. if you are from Texas, please tell me what you think senior portraits are.

A photographer that I follow in Canada, while doing a seminar in the states ran across some senior portraits that photographer were talking about. After several discussions about the senior portraits they were doing in the USA, he began to introduce the same concept in his community. Now senior portraits a so much more than a yearbook portrait or a cap and gown portrait in his community because he was inspired and took the concept where it had never been seen.

If you Google senior portraits images you will see thumbnails mostly of high school senior portraits, some relaxed and natural, others rather extreme, and still others that are studio head and shoulder portraits. But, then you will also see senior (as in older adults) images of another kind. These are the stock images of elderly individuals relating to one another for advertising retirement communities and such.

I see that people from all over the country visit my web site looking for creative senior portraits and pictures. I enjoy working with students in outdoor lifestyle sessions. I’ve enjoyed working with students that have a horse or dog that is important to them. I’ve also enjoyed just helping students just relax and be themselves in relaxed outdoor settings to capture natural, fun expressions that are who they are.

So, this post is a QUESTION? for you to answer with a comment. If you are a parent of a senior high school student and are considering what kind of portraits you want, tell me what you are looking for in a comment to this blog post. Even if you are not in the market for senior high school portraits, what would you want if you could be a teen ager again? What kind of senior portraits would you like to have. If you are a photographer, what kind of senior portraits do you enjoy creating sessions for for your clients?

Join this discussion, make a comment.

Senior portraits with horse and dog and even donkey

Friday night I had a great senior portrait session with Ceili (Kay-lee). She wanted some pictures with her horse and some pictures with her dog. As Ceili went to retrieve her horse, we discovered another rather entertaining pasture ornament. It was Cledus the mammoth jack donkey. I had my wife Patty as my assistant for the session. This is a picture of the mammoth jack donkey with my wife Patty. Ceili’s farm is sort of between Middletown Ohio and Oxford Ohio, but for equine portraits (including senior portraits with horses and other equestrian sport photography opportunities, I will travel up to several hours for a session including mid to northern Kentucky, mid to South East Indiana, and mid to South West Ohio)

Since I specialize in photographing horses, I have a little trick in my iphone. I have MP3 files of horses whinnying that I sometimes play to get horses’ ears up or to get their attention. When I played it for the donkey it got his attention, you could see the interest building, several big breaths of air and WOW that donkey can bray. We had to move away and cover our ears it was so loud. He was looking about trying to find where on earth those other horses were and he certainly knew how to make it known where he was.

Ceili was ready with Stormy Jazz and we found a good place where the corn and a barn provided some open shade and a good clean background. Ceili has a great smile.

We took various poses, but at one point I put my camera down to my side and Ceili took a breath and relaxed more. She also reached over and gave her horse a big hug. Fast reflexes and up the camera went and click, click, I got the shot. It seems that in almost every on-location session, there are several spontaneous moments. Keeping your eyes open and being ready for whatever comes your way can lead to some great portraits. Of course you have to know how to set up the poses too. When I do my portrait sessions, I am comfortable with my equipment, my assistant knows what I want from the lighting, so that allows me to focus on my subject (not just camera focus) and be looking for that natural smile and spontaneous moment.

Jean, Ceili’s mom also wanted some relaxed portraits without the horse.

Last we moved to the front yard and took some portraits of Ceili with Nemo. The family has several beautiful german shepherds.

Even though it was very hot, Ceili was able to make a couple changes of clothes and didn’t get too hot. Around here, it has been raining often even with the heat so everything has stayed green. If you want portraits with your horse, please don’t wait and call after everything dries up and turns brown. We may be lucky this summer and have green and pretty all season long. That will also make good for a very colorful fall. Please visit my web site if you want to have your portrait made with your horse at your farm or stable. http://www.photosbypdemott.com . You can also send me an email at peter@photosbypdemott.com or call me at 937-478-6222. For senior (highschool portraits) and for anyone else who loves their horse and wants some great images to remember them by, I come to your farm or stable and will travel some distance if needed (you’ll need to pay a bit more after 25 miles). Hope to hear from you soon.

Megan models for the Senior Portrait photography workshop

I had a great time at the senior portrait workshop sponsored by PPSO here in the Dayton area. There were about 30-35 photographers from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky here for a full day of learning. My son Evan and his friend Megan were two of the three models for the event.

Today, I thought I would just share a couple senior portraits of Megan. Although she was nervous at first, it was a really fun experience and she did a great job.

Many of the photographers talked about Megan’s beautiful eyes. Actually everything about here was lovely, but my gosh those eyes are something, wouldn’t you say. Creative pictures for girls involve softening whatever they do by bending in as many places as possible and shooting at an angle from the body rather than straight on.

Megan’s lovely smile was also a hit with all the photographers participating in the workshop.

This girls senior portrait has a secret garden sort of feel because of the leaves that I am peeking through to get the picture.

I got to meet several photographers that will be joining PPSO because of the great day they had with us learning to take better senior portraits. I enjoy friending other photographers as well as people who enjoy my style and are considering me for their senior portrait sessions. A phone consultation is the first step in scheduling your senior portrait photography session here in the Dayton and surrounding area. Peter DeMott 937-478-6222

This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post on twitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.

Creative senior picture ideas, all you have to do is ask

In my last post I listed several things that I would like to try with seniors in the area. I mentioned portraits with old tractors, old barns with old tools, and other farm scenes. I also asked for help expanding the list of creative senior portrait ideas.

Within hours Jean called me and said, “wait till you see where we want to do our session?” Jean is Ceili’s mom and the senior portrait session was already scheduled for Friday starting at 6pm. First we were going to photograph Ceili (by the way, pronounced Kay-Lee) with her paint horse, then we were going to take some soccer related pictures of her best friend Kim, then we were going to a historic farm to do some portraits, and then to Kim’s relative’s farm for some farm equipment shots.

It sounded great, but I was concerned about fitting it all in. Two sessions (best friends) a horse, a farm, another farm and farm equipment, and dogs too. When I arrived, I was a bit concerned because the horse that we were going to photograph with Ceili was still in the pasture and covered from head to toe in mud. We’ve been having heavy thunder storms almost daily. Lots of rain and lots of mud. After Jean went to get the horse she came back in and we regrouped. The horse was clean yesterday, but after the rains last night he was going to take some work to get cleaned up for photographs. Instead, we will do the horse with Ceili on another day.

Now Kim arrived. Kim and Ceili are best friends and they are both country farm girls. I learned more as the evening progressed. But, while Ceili changed her clothes, we went over to the Edgewood Highschool in Trenton to take some portraits of Kim in her soccer uniform. Here is a link the Edgewood High School Sports: http://www.edgewoodhs.org/sports_activities/index.php?category_id=3613

Senior portraits at a Local Historic Farm Location:

Next we were off to an historic farm nearby. The landscaping was beautiful and there were several great places for pictures. The tree lined drive was first. Since these two are best friends,  I asked them if they would hold ands or hang on each other and walk toward me from the end of the drive. “Sure, we can do that.” I said, do whatever you might do as friends. I showed them my son and his best friend on my iPhone. I had done a “best friends” session with Evan and Kyle and I had some of the pictures on my iPhone and so I showed them. It worked out great. Since I am used to working with animals and motion, I set the camera to deal with their motion and sent them down the drive. Okay, now come back toward me and hang on each other.

Best friend Senior Portraits: I’m so pleased that I was able to capture expressions of their relationship

Helping Senior Portrait subjects to strike a pleasing pose

Now for some individual images around the historic farm. With Ceili’s white dress, I thought that the beautiful white fence would look nice. I have portraits from other sessions on my photo galleries on my iPhone and there are some instructions that can help young ladies look their best. For people a good rule of thumb is, “if it bends, bend it.”  I showed Ceili a picture of a girl by a fence and said, “can you do that?” I said, “put your weight on the back leg and do that sassy look like this.” I jut my hip to one side and we laugh (I look ridiculous) and then she strikes a lovely pose.

Shade is a good thing for portraits and cloudy days are also helpful. But, at the same time just shade is rather boring, so my son Evan was my assistant for this session and was holding a 52″ silver reflector and directing some light onto my subject. I asked him to feather the light rather than blast her with beam of blinding light directly from the sun. I think it worked out great here.

The reflector also adds a small catch-light in her eyes.

Getting Senior Portraits with natural and comfortable smiles

Both moms and I joked with the girls to get them to relax with more natural smiles. However, I usually have to mention to moms not to be saying things like, “not that smile” or “not like that” as it just makes people tense up. Here the beautiful stone wall and a farm windmill in the background made a lovely setting. With all this landscaping and everything in bloom I set up a standing portrait also.

Creative Senior Portraits for girls that are proud to be farm girls: Portraits about who they are

Now it was time to head to Kim’s relative’s farm for an old barn and some farm equipment and Kim’s dogs too. I thought that Ceili’s mom and Kim’s mom had really come up with some creative ideas since these two are farm girls. They both know how to drive tractors, bail hay, and help around the farm because they just do it to be with each other and have something fun to do. So we arrived at another location and went exploring. The old barn had a great back door and when we opened the big sliding doors, there was a tractor waiting there for us. Even with the heat and humidity, Kim wanted to wear her FFA (Future Farmers of America) jacket for some of the senior pictures.

Here is the tractor we found when we opened the doors of the old barn. Kim’s uncle, I believe, walked over and told me about the barn which was there when he was a child. I was surprised when he said he was in his 70s because he looked more like 50 or 60 to me. He showed me where some of the original siding boards had been replace and where new ones were added. I thought that this barn was perfect for some rustic farm portraits using the side door and the sliding door with the tractor.

Senior Portraits showing the farm crops create a great personal signature for these two students

What else do you find on a farm. Crops of course. This next portrait shows Ceili in the knee high corn with round bails in the background (maybe those are the ones she helped with).

The girls were great in 90 degree heat and humidity at close to 100%. Of course I was drenched with sweat by the end of our time together. Evan, my son was grateful to get into the car and get the air conditioning running again. One thing about location lifestyle photography sessions is that you have to deal with whatever wether brings. This year that has been lots of rain and the flowers and grass are growing and green. A huge storm had passed over just minutes before I was to arrive at the home to meet up with everyone. I’m glad we did not reschedule, because I think this portraits and senior pictures turned out just great.

Hope to hear from more folks with additional creative ideas for lifestyle senior portrait sessions here in South West Ohio. Peter DeMott Photography, 937-478-6222 or peter@photosbypdemott.com

For more senior portraits from this session click on this link: http://pdemott.smugmug.com

   

PPSO June all day workshop by Ken Kneringer PPA Master Photographer

JUNE 7th, 9am to 9pm at Cox Aboretum and Gardens in Dayton Ohio

This is for all my photographer friends in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. We have an all day workshop planned with Master Photographer Ken Kneringer at Cox Aboretum and Gardens meeting center here in Dayton, Ohio. The ALL DAY seminar is only $99 for non-PPSO members ($110 at the door) and I have heard not only that Ken is an outstanding Senior Portrait photographer, but that he is an outstanding teacher.

I am attaching the flyer here, but when this posts to facebook it may be too small to read or use. If you want me to email the pdf to your directly, just send me an email and I will send it right out to you ( peter@photosbypdemott.com ). I saw Ken a couple of years ago and his one hour presentation was packed with information. I cannot wait to see what I have in store to learn from an all day HANDS ON seminar including: the formula that has made him one of Indianapolis’s most sought after senior photographers, lighting and tools to create images that today’s seniors are after, and his photoshop post processing and retouching tips.

I’m sure you will come away with great senior picture ideas for girls and boys, ways to make senior portrait sessions fun and exciting for senior students, and many unique senior portrait ideas that sell.

Lunch AND Dinner are included in the price. You cannot beat that. Come and join me with many other professional photographers as we learn together how to grow our businesses with senior portraits and how to give our senior portrait clients the pictures and poses they want.

You will enjoy this Photography workshop in Dayton Ohio. Along with learning the business of senior portrait photography from one of the best, you will learn senior picture poses, senior portrait lighting, outdoor portrait poses and lighting, and you will have the chance to network with photographers from all over the region.

Hope to see your there. P.S Please click on the share buttons below to get this out to your photographer friends too.

Peter DeMott Photography • 937-478-6222 • peter@photosbypdemott.com • Member PPSO and PPO

Outdoor senior portrait with Fairmont student Tom Musselman

After two days of solid rain I was not sure what the weather would bring for my senior portrait session scheduled at Cox Arboritum. As it turned out the weather was fine. In fact, really I would have preferred a little more cloud cover to even out the light a little better.

As we talked, I found out that Tom had worked at a reptile wholesale breeder in the Xenia area in the summer. There were green pythons valued at about $4,000 and then there were thousands of more common reptiles that make popular pets. It sounded like an amazing opperation. My son Jordan has some kind of python or boa constrictor or something.

Tom’s mom wanted some nice portraits outdoors with Tom in a suit. Tom is a relaxed comfort kind of guy and part of the deal with his mom was that after he took some suit portraits he could add his baseball cap and then transition into the clothes he likes. I think it worked out great.

Tom is not sure where he is headed after graduation.

If you have a special interest and want your portraits at a unique location, that’s what I am all about. I do quite a few equine portraits with students because of my specialty in that area, but I also did a session with a young lady at her grandpa’s farm with her dads hotrod as the background.

To get new ideas you are welcome to visit my web site and sign up for a subscription by email to my posts (see sign up box at the top right of my home page here http://www.photosbypdemott.com ) I also have buttons there for facebook and twitter. My phone number is (937) 478-6222 and I provide location lifestyle photography in and around the Dayton area.

Prom night Pictures for Evan and Friends

Evan had prom at Miamisburg High School. As a professional photographer, he has a bit of advantage in that I provide my services to him on prom night at no charge. Great deal eh?

Cox Arboretum was soon teaming with groups of kids with various people taking their pictures before going off to prom. As I watched there were people with small point and shoot cameras, Kodak one time use film cameras, and some others. Seems to me though, that there are so many once in a lifetime events as kids mature and finish High School and move on to bigger and different things in their lives. Since Evan is my last one in High School, that means that I would be available for the next prom night (or other important event) in the life of some other high school students. Just give me a call to discuss your thoughts: 937-478-6222.

Next week I have a senior portrait session scheduled for Cox Arboretum for a young man that is thinking of headed into the military for some time before heading for college. He is doing the session for his mom who wants portraits outdoors. They already took care of the “yearbook” portrait with the contracted photographer, but mom wanted something a little more natural and relaxed for making up some nice desk and wall portraits. What a nice thing for this young man to do for him mom as he perhaps heads into what could be a very dangerous profession.

Back to pre-prom portraits and group photograhs. Here are some portraits and fun that we had photographing Evan and his friends.

Kristen’s senior portrait session Animoto Video

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I just remembered that this embedded video will not show up when this goes over to facebook. Here is the LINK to the YouTube video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA2__fOMahQ

In addition, this is a LOW RESOLUTION Animoto video slide show. I have decided that anything that I provide as a commercial for sale item will require me to purchase their HIGH RESOLUTION version of this programing system which gives HD quality imaging.

This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post on twitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.

Senior Portraits in Snow, Horse and Rider Portraits in Snow & Family and Kids in Snow

Gray and dreary outdoors here in the Dayton area. I cannot wait for Spring and the blossoms and new green foliage.

Right now in the Dayton area, there is not much snow. However the first weeks of February can be unpredictable and we could have what West Virginia is digging out of any time in the next several weeks (first three weeks of February, that is). As it is now, we have nothing but gray and it does not make for beautiful outdoor portraits.

BUT, if the snow flies again consider professional on-location outdoor portraits

If we do get a big dose of snow in the coming weeks, I just want you to know that I am available to take Senior Portraits in Snow. I’ve recently posted some snow portraits with horses along with some tips on how to get great snow pictures and portraits. Lots of white snow is NOT a time when you can just trust you camera to make the right decisions. If you want to take your own pictures in the snow, review my previous posts to get some good ideas, but it you want professional on-location snow portraits of your high school senior or your children (special family time portraits of mom and dad with the kids), don’t hesitate to give me a call when the weather man starts talking heavy snow. If you have a wooly horse that you want portraits with in the snow, I can do those too. If it works out, you will have extra special portraits, completely unique and fun to share. Call me at 937-478-6222 (Peter DeMott). IF the snow comes and IF someone takes me up on this offer, I will share some extra special and completely unique family portraits, senior portraits, or horse and rider portraits here on my blog.

If you missed my earlier posts with tips on getting good snow pictures and portraits with your digital camera, here they are:

http://www.photosbypdemott.com/2010/01/snow-snow-snow-taking-better-pictures-in-snow/

http://www.photosbypdemott.com/2010/01/taking-better-winter-snow-portraits-follow-up/

This post is on my web site and blog here: http://www.photosbypdemott.com . It will also appear on my personal facebook page where you are welcome to friend me: Peter DeMott . It will be on my Twitter account: pdemottphoto . And last it will show up on my facebook fan page: Peter DeMott Photography . You are welcome to share these posts and links with your friends in snowy areas, become a fan or friend or follow my web site by subscribing on the top right of my home page. Thanks, Peter DeMott

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