Plum Perfect Garden Portraits
Spring finally arrived in Bellingham after our February freeze left us all hankering for warm sun, flowers, and green foliage. That means I’m taking my camera outside for portraits again.
Last week I welcomed Kayla Bryson, this year’s Miss Whatcom County, to the studio for her official portraits. I’ve been photographing the young women who participate in the Miss Whatcom County pageant for several years, but this is the first time we’ve gone out in our portrait garden for part of the session.
One of Kayla’s outfits was a soft pink dress with lots of layers. When I saw it I quickly decided the right place for her portrait was under our purple-leaf plum, which is just beginning to bloom. The pink plum blossoms perfectly complemented Kayla’s dress, and the sun streaming through the branches highlighted her hair.
Whenever I’m going to be creating an outdoor portrait I do my best to find a location that complements and flatters the people I’m photographing. This comes from years of experience as both a portrait and a landscape photographer. In our portrait garden, which is constantly changing through the seasons, the specific locations will vary but there’s almost always an area that looks good.
Remember those cold and snowy days in February? I had a family call and ask whether they could have their portrait made in the snow. They came to the studio and we created several outdoor portraits in the snow, including framed by the same plum tree that’s now showing signs of spring.
We’d love to have you at the studio in the next week or so for a “plum perfect” outdoor portrait while our plum tree is in full bloom. Give us a call at 360-671-6851 to get on the calendar. Since the days are getting longer, after work sessions are available in the evening.