Ask anyone I've worked with, fun and stylized portraits are my favorite to shoot. When my mom suggested a day trip to Shenandoah National park to hike our favorite family trail, I couldn't shake the idea of photographing a model at the top with those spectacular views as a backdrop.
As a photographer and an older sister, oftentimes my go-to/last-minute model is my younger sister, Jenni. She has long since accepted the arrangement, after realizing that in exchange for modeling, she inevitably ends up with some great new profile pictures. But when I first pitched this idea to her, I wasn't completely sure she was going to be so willing this time. Going hiking, changing into nice clothes at the top, doing a somewhat risky photoshoot, and then hiking back down admittedly doesn't sound incredibly appealing. But she surprised me, and accepted my offer/demand with almost no fuss. Ah, the influence of an older sister.
I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone with this shooting environment, and there were mishaps along the way (like leaving my extra camera battery and only charger in a city 3 hours away...) but in the end, I'm so happy with how these photos turned out, and can't wait for more amazing sessions similar to this one. Enjoy!
