It was such a privilege to work with this years Senior models for CHAR PHOTOGRAPHY. As the Stylist I am so proud of how everything came together to be so beautiful. With much anticipation for the day it turned out to be a blast. Seriously one of the coolest days I have experienced. Great weather, new friends, hair, makeup, cameras, open fields, fashion, shoes, a lot of laughter, and so much more. I left feeling exhilarated. Our Senior girls were so fun to work with and our TEAM worked it!

Coming up with the concept was exciting for me. I thought a lot about who I wanted to be and what I wanted to portray when I was a senior in high school. I just wanted to be comfortable in my own skin and clothes (I am still working on doing that with ease). For this photo shoot that is what I was striving for. Something that came easy, not so much effort where you look like someone you are not. I wanted these girls to shine through their clothing, hair, and makeup. I wanted who they are to be the focus! They all brought who they are, we just added some style, and it was lovely.

The over all vision for the photo shoot was simple, classic, fresh, naturally YOU, playful with a fashion edge. As I was gathering ideas for the photo shoot I went with a lot of the spring and summer fashion trends for 2012. I was inspired to keep it simple with personality through pops of color. The clothing choices were relatable. Classic  pieces that we all own and have in our closets. madewell was my main source of inspiration for the simple outfits and posing. The setting was care free in big open fields with old barns. Hair and makeup was to enhance the girls natural beauty. Tousled hair, sun kissed cheeks, and bright eyes.

I am sure you are wondering how we dressed 8 girls! The first step was a pin board. I made a board on Pinterest to help the girls visually see what I had in mind for the clothing. Check it out SENIOR MODEL SHOOT INSPIRATION.Then the girls brought some of their own clothing to a meet and greet where we discussed the vision. I was so surprised to see all of the clothes they brought. It was so much fun! It was like we were looking through each others closets. From there I told them the things that I liked and didn’t like for the vision. These girls didn’t have to go shopping! They just brought what they already had and it worked. Char and myself also brought some clothing to add to the outfits. I assured them that I would be putting the outfits together on the day of the shoot. I wanted them to feel like models! No cares just come and look pretty.

Hair and makeup was a big part of the look. We worked with 2 makeup artist and 2 hair stylist which went so well. I told them the vision and they used their talent to execute what I was imagining. I wasn’t sure how it would go but they surpassed what I hoped for. With every look they took their time and they  really listened to what I invisioned. We really could not have done the day without them being apart of the team. Thank you to the makeup artist Hilary from Bella De Salon. Thank you to the hair stylist Charity and Janae from Lasting Impressions Salon.

I was in love with everyones hair. Messy waves, a ton of braids, and not too much product. From low buns to fishtail braids everyone rocked their looks. My goal with the hair was to keep it simple with some fun detail. Flirty yet soft. A little bohemian with class!

The makeup made the girls look so fresh and ready to conquer whatever was thrown at them. Natural beauty is my favorite and that is what all the girls are. We just added a bit of make up to enhance what they already have. Yes, these girls are all so gorgeous. I wanted bronzed dewy cheeks, nude and peach lips, and bright eyes. These girls could all be models!

Bringing all the outfits together on the day of the shoot was a blast. I met with each girl individually and we looked through all her clothes, shoes, and accessories. I came up with 2 different outfits. Knowing that the girls would be photographed together made things even more technical. I wanted the first look to be a bit more soft and flirty. The second was more bold and classic. The process for me was all about what colors go well together and all the different textures being cohesive.  I like it when things balance each other out. Having at least 2 colors that go really well together throughout the girls helped keep things balanced. Even with the accessories I pulled out some key colors to help bring everything together but not be too matchy matchy. Simplicity was key! When picking out outfits I always had the previous outfits in mind. Like a collection, I wanted everything to be different but also be cohesive.

When working with the girls it sometimes took a bit longer to find the perfect outfit. I had some of them change like 3 different times! Not because of them! Finding the perfect outfit takes time. Clothes look totally different on than when they are hanging on a hanger. We always found the right outfit that enhanced the girls figure and personality. It was really important that the girls felt really pretty in each look. Girls you looked so good! Everyone seemed to be comfortable and enjoyed being in their outfits.

The girls were such a joy to be around. Everyone brought such poise and beauty. I left appreciating my unique qualities from seeing how theirs made them who they are and  so lovely inside and out. Did I mention that the photo shoot was so FUN!

Paige, your eyes are captivating. You bring pure life! Lindsay, your realness is contagious. You light up everyones world. Megan, wish I had your hair! You brought such ease in front of the camera. Caroline, you are so good at being YOU! Your laughter made our day so much fun. Carissa, you are a fantastic team player. A beautiful smile you have! Tasha, your curls are lovely. You have great style. Kendyl, you are true. There isn’t anything not to love about you. Bri, your confidence shined through in your photos. So easy to be around. Everyone brought a unique aspect to the shoot. Thank you all for being YOU!