La Crosse, WI Senior Pictures: Kickin’ it with Sam

When it comes to senior photos, we want to take it past the snapshot

I write on the homepage that everyone deserves to feel epic.  When I first started photography, I measured my day by how many photos I shot.  As I’ve gained experience, I now approach every click with getting the shots that make people go wow with our La Crosse, WI photography.

This is where creative lighting comes into play

Shooting Sam’s photos was one of our first senior shoots and we wanted to pull out all the stops.  First, we focused on the basketball story.  Our goal was to create ESPN-worthy photos that you would see in a magazine.  One challenge we faced was dealing with harsh sunlight, which usually results in white skies and hard shadows.  We used a powerful studio flash and a large light modifier to overpower the harshness of the sun and soften the light.

Second, we shifted to more of a GQ-inspired look on a different day.  Our intent was to go from sporty to classy yet powerful elegance.  We found some really industrial alleys and side streets in La Crosse but still needed something with architectural presence.  For this, we were very appreciative in getting permission from the Charmant Hotel to use their amazing property as a backdrop.  They have such a great aesthetic and it fit perfectly into our creative vision for the shoot.

Finally, we headed over to the Cass Street Bridge to capture amazing sunset images.  The bridge photos ended up with a special wow factor through the creative use of light.  In this case, we were able to use a green transparent film called a gel over the flash.  I found this concept confusing when first learning, but it’s all about complimentary colors.  By correcting the color to neutralize the green, the camera throws the sky into a stark magenta.  It’s one recipe for making every image pop off the screen