High School Senior & Family Portrait Session in Summit, NJ
It was such a pleasure to work with this family in their gorgeous Summit, NJ, home. They hadn’t had family portraits done in six years and wanted some updated pieces to hang on the walls. Their children are now 10, 14, 18, and 21, so it was the perfect time to take both family and senior portraits before sending their secondborn off to college. I spent quite a bit of time speaking with mom to learn a bit about each child, what makes them unique, what she loves about them, and what stage of life they are in now. This allowed me to really personalize each family member’s portrait and document their unique personalities.
The father loved the idea of their home being the background of their portraits. They had moved into the home fairly recently, and it was absolutely beautiful. We conducted a planning appointment in their home so that I could see the various rooms available and tour the gardens in the backyard. We settled on more formal portraits inside the home using a beautiful leather couch. I was not able to utilize the couch in its normal position because where I would’ve wanted to stand was blocked by an immovable piano. Thinking quickly, I repositioned the couch, allowing for a better angle while still showcasing the beautiful living space. I used studio light for a more punchy look that I knew would convert beautifully to black and white.
We did a second set of formal portraits outside in a beautiful area of the gardens with tall grass, and then the gentlemen changed into more casual outfits for their individual images. I wanted these photos to focus on each child, the siblings’ relationships, and the loving relationship between the parents and children. During our planning appointment, I saw a lovely pebble path beside the house that I knew would make a beautiful backdrop for sibling portraits.
After the portraits were finished, we were all taken with a black-and-white edit of the kids looking so sweet and fun on the couch. I worked with mom to find the perfect spot in their immaculate home for this beautiful image. We decided on the large, inviting family room, where the family spends a lot of time together. I remember installing their beautiful portrait right before the family was to host the company holiday party. They were so excited to show off their new piece.
