Hope: Senior Model Class of 2017

Meet Hope.

Hope applied to be one of my senior models and I was instantly intrigued by her application. She said she was really into fashion and that is exactly what I was hoping for when choosing my senior models! No matter what type of fashion they are into, just as long as they like it works for me! I got to her mini session and saw her walking towards me and was instantly in love with this look she had going on! I was so excited for these shots all throughout the session. I don’t think there was one photo that I didn’t like!

Hope is my senior model for Central Montcalm HS and she is an absolute natural in front of the camera. She is so easy to work with and just absolutely stunning at her mini session! We did her mini session downtown Ionia with all of the historic buildings and architecture, they turned out beautifully!

Hope can get you 15% off any senior portrait order! If you know Hope or go to school with her, don’t hesitate to ask her how to get that discount! She will have her senior model cards at the beginning of May!

Get 15% off your senior portrait package by talking to Hope!

Lexy: Senior Model Class of ’17

Meet Lexy!

Lexy is my senior model for Ionia HS for the class of 2017. I met Lexy last spring when her mother had contacted me about doing photos for prom! We hit it off and I immediately fell in love with working with them. When Lexy contacted me about being a senior model I couldn’t wait to accept her into the program!

We did Lexy’s mini session in the historic area of Downtown Ionia. Its an absolutely gorgeous part of the city and being that it’s my home town as well as her’s it has a lot of meaning to both of us. Some locations you Ionian’s might recognize would be the theater and the post office.

Being a senior model, Lexy can get her classmates 15% off any senior package they choose! Lexy will have her model cards come the first week of May! If you decide you want to inquire about senior portraits prior to Lexy having her cards feel free to email me and we can get that discount figured out for you!

 

 

Now booking senior portrait sessions for May-August. If you book before April 30th, you’ll get an extra $20 in print credits!

Katie: Senior Model 2017

Meet Katie.

Katie is one of my senior models for the class of 2017! She attends Lowell high school and she loves getting her picture taken! She was such a natural in front of the camera and so easy to photograph. I didn’t even have to direct her posing wise, she just instantly picked up new poses and showed them off!

I had a ton of fun spending the afternoon with Katie and her mother. They were a lot of fun to talk with and just spend time with! I cannot wait for Katie’s full session!! If you go to Lowell High School or are friends with Katie, check with her on how to get 15% off your total package! Katie will be carrying around referral cards starting in May, bring one of those in to get a discount on your session! If you want to book before Katie has her cards, just be sure to mention her name and have her mention your name to me!

We did Katie’s first mini session here in downtown Grand Rapids. They wanted some photos in the city and left the creativity up to me! I love when clients are so willing to let me take over and guide them around the city to some great locations!

Senior packages start at $260! All package information can be found here! Or head on over to the website!

 

Garrett: Featured Senior

Meet Garrett.

Garrett is a senior at St. Patricks high school. Garrett’s, family are really great friends with my aunt and uncle. Thats how they found out about me!

They were so great to work with. His entire family was involved in his session and they were all so full of awesome ideas. Garrett was so easy to work with and such a natural in front of the camera. I could tell he was comfortable being photographed by me and he always had a smile on his face! His mom, dad, and sister made appearances at his photo shoot and they took me to some awesome locations.

Garrett is involved in sports and he also likes to hunt, we went to some of their private hunting property for the second half of his session. That location was beyond amazing!

New Beginnings

My post today won’t be filled with tons of beautiful photos. It won’t be filled with fun little things about each session. It is going to be just me getting personal and talking about those things that I love.

I have been contemplating for the last couple weeks on switching my business over to shooting only weddings and seniors. Why? Because thats what I LOVE to do. I am beyond nervous as all creatives are when thinking about making such a switch but I think in the end it will be what is best for me.

Of course I’m nervous I’ll loose clients or even some friends. Of course there is a chance that I’ll cave and end up shooting children or families to those repeat clients that mean so much to me. But I think over all making this switch is definitely what my business needs to strive. I feel like I need to follow my heart and push myself to make this switch.

Why weddings?

Let me tell you, weddings are a TON of work. Trust me, I could go crazy with how many hours I sit at my desk editing weddings but I don’t. I don’t go crazy because I honestly love doing it. Being able to photograph two people on one of the most important days of their lives is magical. It’s like I get to finally see that Disney princess marry her prince and I get to capture it all so these lovely couples can remember those moments forever.

I get to be the one behind the scenes, seeing your wedding day from an outsiders point of view. I get to capture you crying to your mom with tears of happiness after you see yourself get into your dress. I get to see the groom worrying that his boutonnière isn’t put on right and how upset she will be if it isn’t. I get to see the parents scurrying around trying to make this day the best day of their child’s life. It is an amazing feeling being in that position. It is a scary position, but amazing none the less.

Plus, seeing such a strong bond between two people is just beautiful. Seeing how much they can really love each other and being able to see that shine through in their photos just gives me so much more joy and pride in this job

So why weddings? Because, why not?

 

Now I’m sure you’re wondering,

Why Seniors? 

Hmm seniors. They are something else. Working one on one with a senior is really my chance to let them shine. They get to be who they really want to be and more. Seniors are probably my all time favorite subject to shoot. I don’t know if its because most of them are just a few years younger than I am or what but I always just have to much fun!

A few great things about shooting seniors is all the hype we get before the session even starts. Planning outfits, figuring out those perfect locations, talking about hair and make up and the list goes on and on. Once the session actually starts, we are prepared to do what it takes to get that perfect shot.

I love that most of my seniors really care about the input that I have in their session. They trust my judgement and are willing to let me take control on certain poses and locations! We always have so much fun, and my seniors always get really into it! My goal for shooting seniors is giving them the best experience they have ever had and something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Watching a senior go through their images in awe after I have wrapped everything up and finished them all gives me some sort of giddy feeling. Some awesome feeling of accomplishment. The looks on their faces and of course their parents faces is one of the best feelings in the world. Knowing how happy they are about their images and figuring out their favorites of the group really makes me see why this job is so worth it. Why its so worth all the time and effort I put in to make it such a wonderful experience for them. I love hearing about how much they love their images even after their session is over!

So here I am to say it. I will be switching over permanently in the summer sometime this year. I’m sure some of you have noticed subtle changes to the website and other social media platforms but I want you not to worry. I will still be taking family sessions for the rest of this year! I will also be offering different mini sessions throughout the year 🙂 I’ve got a lot of fun things planned for the littles!
Right now I’ve got  Lemonade Stand Minis scheduled for June 5th. I have slots available so if you’d like to book for that you just let me know!

I will also be running a few other minis throughout the year such as
Free Fair Minis- Ionia Free fair
Back to School Minis/Fall Minis
Hot Chocolate stand Minis
Holiday PJ Minis
Christmas Minis
and who knows what other ideas I’ll have coming up over the year!

 

Thanks everyone for reading!

Senior Fashion Tips

Hey all of you 2017 seniors! Trying to figure out those perfect outfits to wear to your senior sessions? I’m going to share a few great outfits and tips that some of my seniors wore during their sessions that really made them pop!

1. Think about your surroundings! 

When choosing the perfect outfit, think of what outfit will match your surroundings the best. Are you shooting at the beach? In the woods? Maybe in an urban area? Choose colors and patterns that will flatter you in those locations!

Also keep in mind which season you are shooting in!

When choosing your outfits, try to stick with solid colors. Adding in a pattern is fine but make sure its not super busy or make sure you can add a solid with it! Remember, you can always search online for outfit ideas to help narrow down your choices. If you can’t narrow it down just bring them all and I will help you!

 

2. Shoes

Don’t be afraid to add in some fun shoes to your photos! For you ladies, heels always make you stand out. Especially if they are more of an accent color to your outfit!

For those summer days, some cute sandals or wedges are always nice or to me, your favorite pair of chucks! A nice heeled boot can be fun for those crisp autumn or winter days! Don’t be afraid to bring multiple pairs of shoes to go with different outfits.

 

3. Accessories! 

When it comes to accessories, there are so many ways you can add something fun and unique to your outfit. Whether it be a bracelet, necklace, or even a scarf, you can easily dress up any outfit! They also make nice accent pieces to break you up from the camera!

For the gentlemen, you can add in a cool necklace or even a watch to give a little flair to your photos!

 

4. Headbands, Hats, and more

Wearing a headband can give a certain look to your photos. Emily below, wore a flower crown to give a more bohemian look during her session. Tossing a hat or hair bow/flower on can glam up your session even more!

For the ladies a fun sun hat in the summer can give us another handful of poses that we wouldn’t normally be able to do.

For the gents, a cool fedora or even your favorite baseball cap will really give something unique to your photos!

 

5. Sports and Extra Curricular

Are you involved in sports? Are you interested in portraying that in your photos? You are definitely welcome to bring your uniform along or a piece of equipment to help show off what sports you are playing. We can even head over to the field or arena for an extra measure!

 

6. Dresses and Skirts

Are you the type of girl who really loves getting dressed up? You like to wear skirts and dresses often? Add a couple into your wardrobe! Dresses and skirts really give us an option to change up some posing and add some dramatic effects to photos. Especially if they are paired with some awesome accessories!

 

7. Make Up

Make up allows us to hide some of those blemishes we might see. It also helps to soften your skin in your photographs prior to photoshop making it look more natural. If you get your make up done by a professional (I have one on staff) they will know how to compliment those cheek bones and where to exactly put that blush to show off those smile lines. Don’t forget the eyes, a natural eye with some mascara will really show off those gorgeous things! Don’t be afraid to add a little lip color either. We can always play around with different lip colors throughout the session! Some bright red lips are always a show steeler!

 

 

Well that about wraps it up for today! Keep in mind that the more accessories you have, the more we can play with and remove throughout the session. Bring different jackets or sweaters that you can add to any outfit to give multiple posing options that we wouldn’t normally have.

Don’t just bring a couple outfits, feel free to bring any that you really had your eyes set on. We can see what we will use throughout the session, and who knows sometimes the location can alter which outfit you really want to wear. You are more than welcome to send me outfit ideas leading up to your session or ask what I might think about a certain outfit. Make sure your clothes are neatly pressed and clean, wrinkles are not as flattering and it really will make a difference if they are hung up instead of packed away!

Hair and make up is available for booking through me! I have two wonderful ladies on my team that offer these. However, I can give some other recommendations for these types of things if needed!

For any other tips on wardrobe choices feel free to ask!

 

Thank you all for reading and remember, book your summer senior session before April 30th and get a $20 print credit towards any session!

Tustin: Class of ’17 Senior Model

Meet Tustin!

Tustin is my senior model for the class of 2017 at Chippewa Hills High School.

Tustin actually likes to get his picture taken, such a rare quality to find in a man especially at his age! We had a lot of fun yesterday during his mini session and I cannot wait for his full session this summer. He is a natural in front of the camera and he’s going to make his sessions a piece of cake for me!

Hes a very sweet young man and I think we are going to have a great time working together this year!

We started his session out on part of the River Trail in Greenville. 

I am still looking for senior reps in the Grand Rapids area. If you attend a Grand Rapids school, and are interested in the model program, head on over to my website and read the details on becoming a senior model!

http://www.kbphotographs.com/Senior-Model-Program

 

Zack: Featured Senior

Meet Zack.

Zack is an East Kentwood senior. He was my senior rep for the class of 2016. He was so much fun to work with! Such an outgoing young man with one heck of a smile!

We did Zacks photos at some of his family’s private property. We did one session in the winter and one in the fall. They turned out so great!

I was also able to get a few photos of Zack heading off to his junior prom! He and his girlfriend looked wonderful and I am so happy I was able to capture these moments for them.

I am still looking for a few Grand Rapids area senior models! If you’re interested head over to my website to check out the details.

If you book your senior session for May-August before April 30th, you’ll get a $20 print credit towards any session!

Julia: Featured Senior

This is my first post this week. I have been so busy this week that I can’t even believe its wednesday already! Enjoy these photos of miss Julia!

Meet Julia.

Julia’s mom asked me to take her senior portraits after I had taken her older sisters the year before. Julia wasn’t so sure about pictures at first but we had a lot of fun and got some really great shots!

We started her session at a local park in her home town.

After shooting at the park we decided to head to downtown Ionia. Downtown Ionia is a very historic place. The buildings are all original buildings and it is just a very cool place to shoot!

I had so much fun shooting with Julia and for her not being so sure about getting senior portraits done, she sure was a natural in front of the camera!

Now booking 2017 senior sessions! Book by April 30th and get a $20 print credit towards any package!

Lauren: Featured Senior

Meet Lauren.

I met Lauren a couple years ago when she first had her beautiful little girl. We did some pictures of the little miss and now Lauren contacted me to get pictures done of herself to remember her last year of high school!

We started her session out at a park in her hometown of LakeOdessa

After the park we moved on to the downtown center of LakeOdessa and got some great shots over there.

After downtown, Lauren’s family has a farm in the area so we decided to head that way and do a couple at her family farm

Lauren was such a sweet girl and so laid back! She was up for anything during her session. She sure could rock that smile and the serious look. So much fun to work with!

Book your senior session for the month of May-August by April 30th and get an extra $20 print credit with any session!