I always encourage my high school clients to bring whatever props they want when we do their senior pictures so when Nick wanted to use his Ford truck and Mustang sports car, I was more than excited to do this because I had never tried senior pictures with cars!
Picking the Location
The challenge was finding the right location to accommodate his vehicles and where I could get great photos of him. After several attempts to find the best place, I finally found the perfect spot that was within a few miles from his house. I chose an open field located near the Black Hammock that had direct access to Lake Jessup. Not only was there plenty of room for Nick to pull his truck and sports car in, but the field had direct access to the shore of the lake and I knew that I could also do some shots of him by the water.
The first series of pictures I did was with his Ford FX2 truck. I had mentally prepared for several ways I was going to photograph him, but was pleasantly surprised to find wonderful reflections coming off the sides of his truck, thanks to all the great shining Nick did to get it ready for the shoot.
Another great thing about this open field was there was a spot that had tall dried grass stalks. I used that backdrop to create close-ups and more portrait-type shots without his truck. The gold color of the grass, the late afternoon sun, his sky blue dress shirt all just worked together and made these pictures really stand out.
Clothes Matter
We were ready for pictures with his red Mustang convertible once Nick changed his clothes. His black shirt and khaki shorts were the perfect compliments to the black trim and interior of his sports car.
Tips for Senior Pictures with Cars
- Cars need to be smudge-free and tires need to be thoroughly clean
- Place the sun behind the vehicles
- Use reflection for creative portraits, making sure you’re not in the reflection
- Take pictures from all angles including using the interior of the car
