Chesterfield Virginia High School Senior photos Archives

The senior drape photo… and school photo day.

I find that my high school upcoming seniors have a lot of anxiety over the photos done for the yearbook. They feel rushed at school and not at their best. The perfect senior drape photo should be natural and relaxed. It’s still a portrait and should be edited as a portrait would be.

Every school in my county has a different requirement for the drape photos and tux photos. The senior formal photo has to meet a certain crop proportion as well as many other rules. Each school has it’s own color of background, and there are even rules about how the student is posed. Both shoulders should be showing!

My personal beef with many photographers, is the over edited senior portrait. The faces of these young people are beautiful.. to take the skin and smear it to a doll-like consistency is just wrong. The portrait edit that I most like to use is Frequency Separation. It clears up minor blemishes without wiping out all character out of the face. A fresh face with a gorgeous smile is the perfect senior formal. I use real velvet fabric that I ” drape” around the shoulders. I like the texture and the feel of it. Most of my portraits are two light portraits with a reflector. Eyes should sparkle and hair should shine. I think Makenna’s school formal is perfect, but it would be hard to miss with this pretty young lady.

xxoo C

Here in Richmond Virginia, we have a beautiful preserved historic park called Maymont. How lucky are we? For a nominal fee a professional photographer can shoot anywhere on the grounds for a few hours. The park is beautiful. The scenery is divine. The story surrounding the grounds is amazing. It’s hard to imagine the family who lived on these lovely grounds. Maymont

is a treasure. Bella chose Maymont for her Senior photos. Isabella is a member of the class of 2017 at Matoaca High School here in Chesterfield County Virginia. She is smart, and kind. she loves animals. As you can see from her portraits she is also very beautiful. I have had the pleasure of photographing Bella and her entire family this spring.

I am looking forward to a busy Senior Photography Season here at Connie Grant Studios. I am already booking fall sessions. Such an exciting day is the day that senior photos are taken. The planning and consultative work that goes into the making of a photo, is probably one of my favorite things. Everyone is always a little nervous in the beginning of a session, it’s good to

get to know each other before. Bella in this blue dress is a stunning result of the planning and implementation of a perfect portrait. Thank you Maymont for your hospitality. This lovely young lady will never forget this day, and neither will I.