Windnsea Senior Session | Sienna

This Windnsea senior session was so much fun! I had shot Sienna’s Quinceanera a couple of years ago and had a wonderful time! Her friends and her family were truly lovely. So, getting a call from her mom to shoot her high school senior portraits was such an honor! I really enjoy spending time with Sienna’s mom, Veronica. She is an educator like I am and has a great sense of humor. It was very helpful that she had a specific plan for the shoot and she knew exactly what types of images she wanted.

Sienna is a cheerleader at Eastlake High School, so we featured this! It was a lot of fun to highlight her letterman’s jacket, pom poms, and megphone. I always encourage seniors to bring items to their sessions so they can showcase what makes them…THEM. Seniors have brought books, sporting equipment, pets, college pendants, tee-shirts and sweatshirts, among other things.

How to shoot a Windnsea Senior Session

I had never shot at Windnsea Beach before and have to admit that I was a little nervous. Shooting on the beach in full sun can be a bit tricky. Zack and I arrived an hour early so we could scout the area. We always do this in new locaitons. This helped us know exactly where we would have the best lighting, rock formations, and angles. I was so pleased how it all turned out! We used the sandy beach, the cliffs, and the waves breaking on the rocky shore to provide a variety of images.

The best way to tackle shooting at the beach is to make sure to turn clients’ backs to the sun. This way, photographers can achieve a ring light around their heads and they are not squinting. However, this can be tricky when the angle you want to shoot, like shooting down the beach, forces subjects to turn into the sun a little. The way I take care of this issue is to bring an assistant. Usually that person is my wonderful husband! He holds up a reflector to block the sun from the clients’ faces.

At the end of the shoot, as the sun was setting, I decided to use a flash. I loved the effect! If you don’t use a flash you either have to adjust your settings for the subject or for the light. With a flash, you can capture the beautiful sunset and have a great exposure on the client’s faces as well. The combination is stunning. It is just important not to overexpose the front of the subject. If you would like to see other beach sessions, I am attaching a couple of links. Here are links to sessions in Coronado and La Jolla!