Today, I get to share the Beckman family with you. Though I hadn’t had a chance to meet them more than a couple times in passing over our almost decade here I can tell you that these folks (Chris in particular) are a huge part of our story and life/business trajectory. How/why?!? Well, Chris is the man who hired my husband right out of college. That job brought him (and my extension, myself and SJP) to Decatur and we are both so thankful for that. We’ve found so much here including a wonderful community, friends, success in both our careers and it’s amazing to think about how much that one little yes that Chris gave my husband (who was not the first or last person he’s hired over the years I’m sure) effected the story we’ve written so far. But, this post is NOT about us or our story (just had to give the appreciation we feel while we had the chance!), instead today’s post is really about them and their family and their journey here in Decatur and their next chapter as well.
I was honored when Donna called me to be a part of creating their last family portraits in their home. The home where they’ve raised their children, celebrated milestones and invited friends to share in them for years. This last milestone was both a graduation and a going away part and the place was packed with their friends and family here to celebrate them!
With our busy schedules it makes sense to combine occasions like these when everyone’s coming together already with a family portrait session to create images for everyone too. We not only did a session for the Beckman’s but also were there for their guests and extended family to get portraits too, plus to photograph candids of the guests enjoying themselves and it was an absolute blast.
Guys, I get to share with you a simply GORGEOUS wedding today! I hadn’t photographed at the beautiful Holy Family Church since Marie’s cousins wedding so it was a treat to be back. Every wedding I’ve done there has been so elegant.
Though Marie & Ernie selected a mostly digital collection, I decided the style of their wedding was perfect to showcase a brand new album style we’ve created that is a throwback to more classic albums. Fully customizable, of course, with beautiful cover materials these albums combine 2-3 images per page to tell the story of the most important moments of your wedding day.
For this sample album we selected a combo of a wood grain as a nod to the floral and natural vibe but in contrasting light/dark tones on the album/box to pull in the modern and elegant edge.
What are you wearing? Have you asked it… been asked? The big celebration and culmination of your 12 YEARS of schooling, 18 years of your life is coming up and we know you’re all excited about how good you’re going to look in the big flowy zip up gown and that studly fat cap… but the real question is how do you make that thing look GOOD?! Well, just like everything else – from the inside-out, of course.
We’ve seen a LOT of graduations over 15 years in business and have some tips for you guys to rock the grad look.
HAIR… I just learned a new phrase from my fav podcaster Dax Shepard recently that applies (in a round about way) here “curls for the girls.” (He’s talking about biceps but I’m talking about hair). To balance out that big brim of a hat, I suggest opting for a curl look to add a little volume down below. And to get all the curls to lay perfectly once the hat is on, think about marking where the cap will lay when on with a bobby pin and focusing on curling BELOW that line (this will prevent any bulky curls right at the transition). Can’t curl (ME EITHER), call my fav hair stylist Katie at Mint Salon and she’ll hook you up with her magic curls (call soon, she’s in high demand).
Don’t worry, if curls really aren’t your style straight works too but you’ll want to avoid that after graduation cap line in a straight look and can do so by swooping back a few pieces from your temple into a couple bobbi pins at the back, or if you’re #advanced try a braid to pin pack in the same style.
Lastly for the cap, don’t forget the bobbi pins. Pinning the cap in place in your hair will not only make you feel more secure so you won’t be worried about it falling off at the worst time but it will also mean you don’t have to wear it quite as low to have a firm fit which will avoid the super awkward hat line imprint straight across your forehead when you take it off (that’s not a fun look for anyone and nothing will make that thing fade so you’ll just have to wait it out).
CLOTHES… so what about under the gown? Well, first of all going ‘Patch Adams’ (you’re too young to know that reference but google it) is not recommended so here are the things to think about when choosing your graduation look:
No lumps… ladies avoid dresses or shirts with puffy sleeves or large beaded accents around the neck/shoulders. When the gown is on this is just going to make it lumpy. Also avoid full skirts on your dress if you don’t want to rock the Cinderella step sister big booty look.
Neck & Hem line… keep in mind most graduation gowns will fall to well below your knees so most if not all of your dress hem line will be hidden and that’s ok. Long dresses with hems that fall below the gown can had a bit too much to the look and you’ll want to keep it simple. But your neck line might show! Be aware of that and decide if you’d like to choose a high neckline to really show off the dress or keep it lower and hidden and accent the look with a nice necklace.
Color… Most schools have at least 2 school colors and they’re usually pretty BOLD. If so, stick to neutrals in your dress (white/black/grey/cream/etc) this will let your school colors shine and avoid any color clash. BUT if your school has a muted or neutral color for the robes (black/navy) you can get away with going bold underneath to add a little flavor and style to the look.
GUYS, your shirt collar will almost always show so be sure to think carefully about the pattern/color of the shirt you choose and consider a tie to class it up even further.
Lastly, we suggest considering a formal cap & gown portrait. This really is a big milestone in your lives and we’d love to help you celebrate. In May we have $15 cap/gown sessions at the studio with prints starting under $30 and digitals under $50. These are quick 5 minute session with immediate viewing and selection but times are limited.
***Warrensburg-Latham grads don’t forget I’ll be at graduation to take your cap/gown portraits! Free sessions for you guys that day, and images starting at only $15.
Today, I get to share Tucker’s senior session with you. He’s just weeks away from graduation!!! We hung out around the high school to create a variety of looks to celebrate the end of his high school career.
Checkout Morgan’s latest headshots! (And for fun, checkout her first headshot session with me HERE). I absolutely love the beauty and elegance and personality we try to create in these pageant headshot sessions. Portrait sessions are often just for you and your loved ones, to capture both the big milestones and everyday moments of your lives.
But branding, commercial and headshot sessions like this are about portraying a message (personality, style, products, etc) to an audience who doesn’t already love you (like your family does!) so the pressure is on! My hope with pageant images is always to create a portrait that makes these gals stand out. An image where the model, Morgan in this case, is the most important element in the image with lighting and background selection choices here to enhance the mood and message we want to tell. We’re hoping these images grab the attention of some judges in her upcoming pageants. Good luck Morgan, we’re rooting for you!!
