Peter DeMott Photography » Senior Portrait Ideas

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

Peter — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:19:12 +0000

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.

Senior portraits with horse and dog and even donkey

Peter — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:59:16 +0000

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

Peter — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:02:04 +0000

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

Peter — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:09:17 +0000

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

Creative senior portrait session ideas I would like to try

Peter — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:54:34 +0000

Inspiration from my friend Selley Paulson

I just got delivery of a blog post by my friend Shelley Paulson of Shelley Paulson Photography. In the post she explained that she loves doing portrait sessions around old abandoned houses. Dilapidated and overgrown, they provide such opportunity to have creative and different portraits. Here is Shelley’s post about an abandoned Frank Lloyd Wright style home which had been abandoned for many years. The roof was caved in and it was overgrown.

http://blog.shelleypaulson.com/?p=3530

This session was with two sisters, but it got me thinking about some options that I would like to try for senior portraits here in the Dayton area. If you would like to try one of these options for your senior portrait session, I am offering a $50 discount off the creative/session fee to the first one who calls with a cool idea. Oh, and you have to have the location in mind. It has to be a place you know. How fun is that?

Here is my list:

• Dilapidated, abandoned barn

• Abandoned farm equipment

• New farm equipment of the HUGE variety

• Abandoned rusty OLD car

• Abandoned warehouse or factory of some kind

• A barn with lots of antique farm tools hanging around

Help me grow this list

If you have an idea you would like to pursue just call me to discuss it. Call Peter at 937-478-6222. If you have ideas to add to my list that’s fun too, feel free to add a comment here. You can also email me at peter@photosbypdemott.com After you look at these beautiful portraits done by my friend Shelley, get your creative juices going and join with me to make the list longer or to call me for your totally unique senior portrait session here in the Dayton area.

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A message for graduating seniors in the class of 2010

Peter — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:59:35 +0000

I saw this in a friend’s email newsletter and I thought it had a great message for all the students that I work with when I do senior pictures here in the Dayton area. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6XyZRfKAN0

I’m looking for a senior who would like to have their portraits taken at a grafiti wall and at various downtown Dayton locations. For the first one I do, there will be no extra charge for the time and travel for the session. If you are interested, please call me to discuss your thoughts (937) 478-6222. Thanks Peter.

I’d also love to hear your comments about this video.

PPSO June all day workshop by Ken Kneringer PPA Master Photographer

Peter — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:11:47 +0000

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

Peter — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:21:13 +0000

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.

Kristen’s senior portrait session Animoto Video

Peter — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:59:54 +0000

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.

Peter DeMott Photography in Dayton, Ohio specializing in on-location environmental portraits

The meaning of 1/1000th of one second and capturing a moment in time

Peter — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:20:42 +0000

Ears up and alert:

As I was listening to some other photographers being interviewed in podcast interview, I was considering a common thing that happens with my equine portrait (horse portrait) clients. During an equine portrait session at a farm or boarding stable I usually have an extra person with me that is in charge of getting the attention of the horse. Now I have to explain to the person in the portrait that they need to pay attention to me and my instructions and not worry about how the horse looks as that is my responsibility.

Ears are the RADAR animals use to protect themselves

Horses like other animals have ears that can be turned every which way like radar to find out what is happening around them. It is something that God gave them to help them to more effectively deal with predators and dangers. When you are around horses, you will see their ears twitching this way or that continuously. The movements are very quick and effortless.

Client Seeming disappointment

Now as I am taking the portraits involving horses and humans, the person in the portrait hears the shutter firing, then they look up at their horse and they see the horse with their ears in various places, but seldom do they see ears pricked forward and looking interested. Every fraction of a second that horse moves its ears this way and that as it explores its environment and surroundings. It takes a moment or two (lets say two full seconds) for the human subject to look up at the horse. So the impression they have is that I am capturing portraits of their horse when he looks like a mule (not to insult mules), he looks disinterested or distracted.

Trying to help someone get a better portrait / timing is everything – or at least it is VERY important

I have also noticed this when I’m around a mom or a dad with a camera or a grandma with a camera it’s in my nature to try to help them get good portraits of their daughter or son or gand-kid with their horse. In one case, I even stood behind the person with a camera explaining that I would help them with “ears up” so they could get a better portrait. Every time when the ears were pricked forward, I would say,”now!” and in every case about 3 full seconds later they would depress the shutter button (or in some cases if they had a point and shoot, there was a shutter delay of several seconds). By then the horse’s ears had gone several different ways, but were no longer pricked forward and at attention. From a professional point of view, these would be failed portraits or perhaps what we might call it just a “snapshot”, not a portrait.

It’s the same with other animals. Each kind of animal or breed has a list of things that have to look just so for the image to be outstanding.

The meaning of 1/1000th of one second

Now for the meaning of 1/1000th of one second. When my subject opens their web page at the proofs page from their equine photo session it is not uncommon for me to get an email something like this, “Wow, how did you do that? These are great….oh my gosh.” You recall from above every time I clicked the shutter they would look up at their horse and they saw their horse with its ears back or cockeyed (looking mulish, not to insult mules), but what they did not realize was that I had captured 1/1000th of one second and that was 50 1/1000ths of a second ago. EVERYTHING had changed by the time they turned their eyes up toward their horse.

Choosing One 1/1000th of one second from 7 million 200 thousand others

There are ONE THOUSAND 1/1000ths of a second IN EACH SECOND and I picked JUST ONE to create an enduring moment that could be cherished by the horse owner for years to come. Think of it just a little more. In a two hour farm call session there are 120 minutes. Each minutes has 60 seconds in it for a total of 7,200 seconds and each second has one thousand 1/1000ths of a second shutter click opportunities for a whopping total of 7 million 200 thousand shutter click opportunities in a two hour session. Not that we need to go there, but my camera has a 1/5000th of one second shutter speed option…Whew!

After about an hour with Kristen, she was exhausted from pulling her horse’s head up out of the green grass an exceptionally green early fall. Every time she looked up her horse was distracted and each ear was going a different direction. Her dad who watched from afar was skeptical that there would be much of anything to look at from the session. Both Kristen and her mom said, “Oh well, we tried (or something of that nature).” I said, “I think you are both going to be pleasantly surprised.”

As you look through her senior portrait session with her horse, consider all the moments that are not recorded. As photographers we have many, many choices as to the exact moment we choose to record. And this is just one aspect of what is important for good animal and animal with human portraits.

To see Kristen’s session with her and her horse and her puppy just click on this link.

One of my favorite senior portraits of the season. Senior portrait with horse.

As an equine photographer and senior portrait photographer her in SW Ohio (Greater Dayton area including Miamisburg, Springboro, Centerville, Kettering, Oakwood, Beavercreek, Xenia, Fairborn, Troy, Tipp City, Englewoood and Vandalia) I really enjoy combining the two. Other senior portrait photographers, even if they are willing to come to your location, seldom know much about horses. Nothing can ruin a senior portrait with a beautiful young lady more than a beautiful horse that looks like a mule (again, no insult intended for mules).

Also, for those in Tennessee visit my friend JULIE POOLE’s web site. She photographs horses, but along with humans she is well known for portraits of dogs and cats and their humans. Look at how alert they look and consider how many different moments she has to choose from when taking these portraits.

Portrait by Julie Poole Photography

Portrait by Julie Poole Photography in TN

This post is on my web site: http:www.photosbypdemott.com . It will also be on my facebook fan page and on my personal facebook page. It will be linked on my twitter account. You are welcome to follow or friend me in any or all of these locations.

Peter DeMott Photography in Dayton, Ohio specializing in on-location environmental portraits