This session was so much fun! I've known Kristina since she was around five years old so it was a really wonderful full-circle moment to have the opportunity to capture her senior portraits. Kristina was also one of my 2020 seniors reps so we were able to do quite a few sessions over the last year. For our senior rep sessions and when she models for me in other capacities, I often have a very specific idea of what I want. This session was special because Kristina chose everything from the location, styling, and wardrobe to make up her dream senior photo shoot.
Kristina wanted open fields with mountains in the backgrounds so I suggested one of my favorite locations in Snoqualmie. The views were breathtaking and I can't believe we live so close to such incredible scenery 😍 She's also worked with me enough to know that while early morning starts can be a little rough, the light and lack of other people make it so worth it.
That being said, Kristina arrived for her hair and makeup styling at around 3:45am 😱 She wanted loose, effortless curls so I used a 1" iron to make it happen, switching directions after each curl. For makeup, she wanted a pumped up natural look. I defined the eye with neutral shadows, defined the brows, evened out her nearly flawless skin, and added the slightest wash of color to her lips and cheeks. We also did a full, fluffy strip lash this time which helped to add a little drama without overwhelming. I used RCMA for complexion, Stila and Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadows, NYX brow definers, and lashes from Frends Beauty. Having your makeup and hair professionally styled makes such a huge difference and I'm so glad it's a service I'm able to provide my clients!
We arrived to our location just before the sunrise so we were able to capture the moment that the sun started to spill over the mountains. I know golden hour (the hour after sunrise) gets a lot of love, but blue hour (the 30ish minutes before the sunrise) has my heart too. I love the soft moody light and I love watching it develop into warm, morning sunshine. As you can see, there was a huge fog bank that made everything feel so magical ✨
This session was shot on a Canon 5d mkiii using my Canon 70-200mm f2.8 ISII, Canon 50mm f1.4, and Sigma Art 35mm f1.4. Natural light was used for the entirety of this session and reflectors/diffusers were used to modify as needed. Color correction was done in Lightroom and retouching was done in Photoshop.
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Seattle portrait & dance photographer and makeup artist Dakota Elizabeth is a visual storyteller committed to quality imagery that withstands the tests of time.