Hello Everyone,
I have been remiss with my blog, but I am starting up again and hope you will join in with my words and insights in the photography world!
Today I’m discussing this beautiful college student , Michelle, that I photographed last week.
To begin planning a photo shoot, it’s important to create and build on an idea you have in mind. I search all sorts of magazines and sites to spurn new ideas. Michelle reminded me of a renaissance painting, a sort of goddess from greek mythology, and I began to plan accordingly.
I wanted a garden with a grand vista and we took off for Old Cutler Road and landed at Thalatta Estate. We walked down to the water just before sunset, which is a wonderful time to photograph people, as the light is low and will illuminate the eyes and highlight the face with just the right amount of shadow.
Here you can see that Michelle looks gorgeous with a simple summery dress which I added a swirl of gardenias plucked from my gardenia bushes in my front garden to set the stage for a goddess. Any flower will serve it’s purpose, but these smell divine and I wove them together with a thin piece of beaded wire I purchased from JoAnn Fabric. 
This late in the day overcast sun softens the skin and brings out the beautiful blue in Michelle’s eyes. She naturally has smooth, creamy skin, which is emphasized with a soft glow of the late afternoon sun.
I asked Michelle to do a few twirls and we caught this wonderful feeling with the magnificence of the Thalatta gardens. Then for some close ups I had her lean over the railing with the sun bouncing back up into her eyes. You can see from this 30 minute photo shoot, that we captured the grandeur of the garden in the largest photographs, and the magnificence of Michelle’s facial features by moving in very close to show off her eyes, mouth, and glorious hair.
We returned to my studio for one last close up, I didn’t want to waste such great hair and makeup, and she changed to a lace dress which is mostly covered with long curls, for one last beautiful shot with a dark blue backdrop. You can see that a little shadow on one side of the face creates depth and makes the picture more interesting.
Until we meet again- have a wonderful, happy day!
Kathleen