model seeks out unique portfolio- creativity flies at night

   You see Brooke's modeling portfolio and you see this glamorous beauty. Someone with confidence, someone with way more years to her soul than her flawless face shows. Or at least that's the impression I got the day she contacted me. 
   She found me on facebook and sent a few of her portfolio images to me. She then said she was looking to expand that and sent me a few basic ideas she was interested in. Her main goal- it had to be unique, it had to be different, it had to be artistic. And I knew I HAD to do this project with her!
   The rest of the guidelines? She gave us none. She totally trusted me, and I totally trusted her that no matter what we designed, she would be able to own it. I was right. 
   Then you meet Brooke in person. She's still beautiful, but she's just the sweetest. Where this fierceness in her photos comes from, I'm not sure. It just goes to show you she's a professional at what she does and can transform herself in to these characters. Her smile is so genuine, and her positive personality is truly up-lifting. Again... I can't imagine her NOT smiling when I look at her, but... when she gets in front of that camera, she drops the smile, works it, and owns that area she's in for the time being. 
   We first shot at dusk.  We wanted something dramatic, something with a dark, ethereal feel to it so we shot in the back 20 acres of the studio, loaded up the ORV with lights, chairs, fog machine, clothes, and headed back. Dusk quickly transitioned in to night. We eventually shot outdoors with nothing but the flashlight from an iphone and the headlights. Being outside of your element pushes you to see things differently, so it was perfect for all of us!
   When we went inside Brooke dropped the edginess she had just embraced so well and transitioned in to this delicate, free flowing model, who just so happened to be covered in flour. The way she moved was soft and light. Taylor, my assistant, suggested we shoot through tule we had, which just added to the dreaminess of the whole set. 
   Projects like this make me feel so alive. You're taking your world and expanding it in to this dream like state, which I always have my head stuck in. 
   Watch the beauty unfold below.

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Check Out Our Full Beauty Gallery!

This whole session was shot indoors and outdoors at the AJBC studio in the Fall!
See how different the SAME area can look in the Summer during Daycee's Fairy tale Rapunzel shoot and
in the Winter for Aubrey's Senior Shoot!

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cozy christmas- christmas minis

Another December upon us. Another Christmas Mini Shoot! 
Every year I'm completely lucky and have the cutest families and kids come visit me for the holidays. We gather up everything sparkly and pretty and design a Christmas set for them. 
This year we drug the studio bed outside and decorated the trees with bulbs. It turned out so magical. The little ones looked like little peanuts on the bed! And the families crammed in together for a really cozy Christmas portrait. 
For it being December in Michigan, we TOTALLY lucked out that each day the weather was 45 degrees or better. 
Take a look at the little friends that came to visit, some of them even all the way from London, Ontario, Canada!
 

natural beauty that's magazine worthy

   A few years ago I had done a portrait session of myself for my website. You can see what I'm talking about in my my bio, here. 
   My husband shot the photos and I remember saying to him, I just wish my clients would trust me. I wish I could find someone who when I say I want to go to a muddy field they get it, and go. 
That day finally came, and it was with a beautiful girl named Jessika from Algonac High School. 
   We met before hand, like I always do with my girls, and talked about how we wanted to embrace the natural look, sit in a field of wild flowers, splash in the water. When it came to the day of shooting I told them, there's a corner about 2 mins down the road filled with amazing wild flowers right now. If you don't mind being next to the side of the road and a ditch, we can go. And so we went. And the results are simple, and breathtaking, all at once. 

It started to sprinkle and that little bit of grey was exactly what we needed to take her images from every day, to something that looks totally ethereal. Not to mention the way Jessika holds herself in front of the camera, it's stunning all the way around. 

   When we got done and were running back to our cars I looked over and saw a field newly plowed and just loved the texture. Remember when I said I just wanted to find someone who would love a barren, muddy old field, just like me? This is why. Jessika hopped right in, posed, and ended up looking like she should be in an urban outfitters magazine. 

   The next set was taken right at the AJBC Photography Home Studio.

   After that we headed downtown to mix up our looks. And man, does she rock this edgier downtown look too. 

   Finally, as the sun was about to set, we got to play in the water! I was just in aw as she sat there, perched on top of the log, dress floating in the water, her hand delicately leaving ripples in the surface, at how gorgeous she was, especially in that moment. 

AJBC Photography- Port Huron Senior Photographer

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Check out our full Senior Gallery!

If you like this free spirit water look, check out Andrea's Senior Photoshoot!

For more fall beauty check out Jessica's Senior Session!

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urban exploring- a port huron senior session

Every great session forms from a story. It's how your session is built.
Except this one. This one starts out with a quick phone call and the rest is history.
Meet John, the typical guy who is forced in to this Senior Picture business by his mom. Never mind the fact John looks like he’s about to walk off and start his Calvin Klein career any day now, he just wasn’t interested.

So mom calls me and says no need to meet to chat, I trust you, he’ll probably let us do 2 outfits, that’s it, let’s do this as soon as possible, I'll wait to hear from you on location.
So I have no story to go off of, and my creativity sprouts from stories, until I hear- ok, thanks, see you soon, oh, and by the way, my son and his friends like to explore abandoned buildings.
And THAT is where this session finally starts.

NONE of us want to go and do something we’re not in to, so it’s my top priority to make sure this session it’s laid back, it’s fun, it’s cool, and it speaks to him. 

So abandoned buildings speaks to him… hmm… ok. Well, I’ve also spent some time in some pretty sketchy places, so I felt like I could understand that language.

I decided to take them here- an over grown railroad track that curves between 2 abandoned buildings on the back side of downtown that comes complete with weird doors that lead to god only knows where and even weirder noises that make you question why you’re there, and still not leaving.
We had a blast. I don't know if mom ever stopped smiling as she watched her son take his first steps in to adulthood, and me and my assistant couldn't get enough of their laid back personalities while we took a session with hardly no planning and watched it grow in to such an awesome collection. Every turn brought something new, a new color, a new backdrop, new light, and new reasons for us to still not understand why this guy looking like a model didn’t want to do this in the first place! 

See his final story as a high school senior here :

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Check out our Full Senior Gallery!

If you like this edgy urban look check out Nik's Senior Session!

For more senior guy fashion check out Troy's Senior Shoot!

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