themed shoots

harrisburg-nc-senior-portraits | matthew /  by Staci Noel

I know sometimes it’s hard to convince your senior guy that he needs photos too. Getting in front of the camera isn’t easy for anyone and for a lot of high school senior boys it can be the absolute last thing they want to do. I always promise them #1 - I won’t make it painful. We do our best to shoot efficiently and I don’t ask them to do anything that makes them feel ridiculous. And #2 - include things that are important to them. Music, sports, your car, WE CAN SHOOT THAT!

Matthew was like a lot of my senior guy clients - finally agreed to shoot because his parents really wanted it. We did a few shots in studio to get his tuba and his guitar based on some really artistic reference images dad sent and then headed out to a park nearby in Harrisburg. At the end of the day (like every other boy I’ve ever photographed:) he said, “That was actually fun” and he got some great shots to celebrate his senior year. Mom and dad were pretty happy too!

harrisburg-nc-senior-portraits | jay /  by Staci Noel

When this guy’s mom first reached out to me she mentioned that they really wanted to capture some great portraits and “oh maybe a few” to show the sports that he did. As we continued talking and planning for Jay’s session she casually discussed his busy schedule and I realized this wasn’t just going to call for a “few sports shots”. This guy is a three sport athlete who is going on to play one of those in college - so uhhhhhhhh yeah we’re going to create something amazing to celebrate that! I think at the end of the day not only did we get some fantastic portrait art but we got images that really showcase Jay’s personality and love of sports that put a few tears in momma’s eyes:)

charlotte-nc-senior-portraits | jay /  by Staci Noel

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Jay run at meets for a few years now and let me tell you he is a blast to watch on the track! I’ve photographed his whole family for his gorgeous mama a few times now and she always comes with a lot of style and flair and I knew Jay’s senior uptown session was going to be amazing! Last minute we had to rearrange our track location and I’ve never had such a happy accident - the new location not only had his primary school color but always showcased the awesome Charlotte skyline in the background. Good luck running for the UNCC 49ers next year and congrats on an amazing senior year!

harrisburg-nc-senior-portraits | payton /  by Staci Noel

What can I say about Payton? She was quite possibly one of the most natural people I have ever had in front of my camera. I tell everybody I work with that they don’t have to worry about posing; that’s my job! I don’t want anyone to think that I’m just going to throw you out into space and expect you to work like a supermodel. I come to each session with a whole flow of posing techniques and directions to get the very best out of each person. Usually after about 10 or 15 minutes everyone starts to relax and realize that they’re in good hands and we work through all of my posing together. Payton didn’t even take three minutes to warm up - this first image was the very first image I took! She has the most engaging and natural smile and seriously I was just in awe of how beautifully she moved and reacted to every direction.

And one of my favorite things she decided to include - she brought all of her favorite books along for our field shoot! I adored every single second of her sessions and all of the time I got to spend getting to know her and her equally adorable mom:)

harrisburg nc family photographer | m family | staci noel photography /  by Staci Noel

This gorgeous family came into the studio for a milestone session for their sweet baby girl and of course we always capture family portraits during our time together! They brought their A game in outfits and we spent our time together capturing amazing family image and then moved onto adorable birthday images for their sweet pea who couldn’t have been more fun! I’m so glad they chose their family images for a large collage in their living room and they had so many portraits to pick from! I loved capturing these memories for them!