1970s-Inspired Senior Pictures in Winter Park, Florida

Sometimes a photoshoot starts with a senior coming to me with an idea, and sometimes it starts because I have something in my head that I really want to create.

That’s exactly how these 70s-inspired senior pictures in Winter Park came together.

I knew I wanted to do a carefree 1970s-inspired shoot, so I put out a model call looking for someone who could help me bring the idea to life. Keeleigh answered the call, was chosen for the shoot, and this ended up being the very first time we ever worked together.

And she absolutely understood the assignment.

She showed up in bell bottoms and sunglasses, did her own hair and makeup, and completely embraced the whole 70s feel. Keeleigh has a background in theater, and you could definitely see that come through in front of the camera. She wasn’t just wearing the outfit. She really stepped into the character, which made the whole session even more fun to photograph.

Creating a Carefree 70s Feel in Downtown Winter Park

For this shoot, I wasn’t trying to recreate one particular 1970s photograph or make everything feel like a costume. I wanted it to feel carefree, playful and vintage, while still giving Keeleigh room to be herself.

We photographed at a couple of spots around Downtown Winter Park, including the Ivy building, and then headed down the street for some photos against a brick wall. The different backgrounds gave us variety without taking away from the overall concept, and both worked really well with her outfit.

It was also an extremely hot Florida day.

And Keeleigh was such a trooper.

You would never know from looking at the photographs how hot we actually were because she stayed completely in character and kept giving me expression after expression.

For our first time working together, we had such a good time. We got to know each other a little, played around with the idea, and created photographs that I was honestly so happy with.

Keeleigh eventually became one of my senior reps, but at this point none of that had happened yet. This was simply a creative shoot I wanted to do for fun, and she ended up being the perfect person to help bring it to life.

The Little Details That Completed the 70s Look

You really don’t need a huge collection of props to make a themed senior shoot work. In Keeleigh’s case, the outfit did so much of the storytelling for us.

The bell bottoms immediately gave us that 1970s feel, and the sunglasses finished it off perfectly. She also did her own hair and makeup, so everything worked together in a way that felt fun and recognizable without feeling overdone.

Sometimes one great outfit and a few strong details are enough to completely change the direction of a shoot.

Why These Photos Look Different From My Usual Editing

If you’ve looked through a lot of my work, you may notice that the editing on this session looks a little different from what I normally do.

That was completely on purpose.

My regular editing tends to stay more true-to-life, but for this shoot I wanted the finished photographs to carry some of that vintage 1970s feeling too. I adjusted the editing to support the era and the mood we were creating while still making sure Keeleigh looked like herself.

For me, that was another part of telling the story. If I’m photographing a themed session with such a specific feel, I want the finished images to support that idea too.

How Shoots Like This Helped Lead to My Creative Team

When we photographed this session, there was no Creative Team yet. There wasn’t even a senior rep team in place at the time.

I simply had an idea I wanted to create, put out a model call and found someone who was excited to help me make it happen.

Looking back now, shoots like this are a big part of why I’ve continued to love creative sessions so much.

I love regular senior sessions and everything that goes into getting to know each senior, helping with locations and outfits, and creating photographs that really represent them during senior year. But I also love having room to play with an idea that feels completely different.

Sometimes that means choosing an era. Sometimes it might mean building a shoot around music, a hobby, a favorite place, an outfit or an idea one of us has had saved on Pinterest forever.

That creative side of senior photography is something I’ve always loved, and it’s a big part of what eventually led me to create my Creative Team.

What Is the Creative Team?

My Creative Team gives seniors who have already booked their senior session with me opportunities to participate in additional creative shoots throughout their senior year.

There isn’t a separate rep team application you have to fill out or another program you need to join.

Some of the ideas will come from me, and some may come from my seniors. They might be themed, editorial, seasonal, inspired by a certain decade, built around a location or based on something completely different that sounds too fun not to try.

And I don’t want every idea to come from me.

If you have something in your head that you think would make an amazing shoot, I want to hear it.

If being part of shoots like this sounds like something you would love, there’s also a pretty good reason to book your senior session earlier rather than later. The earlier you’re booked, the more time you have during your senior year to hear about upcoming Creative Team opportunities.

And if your best friend is planning senior pictures too, tell them to book early with you. Some creative ideas could be even more fun with friends involved.

Creative Senior Pictures Don’t Have to Look Like Everyone Else’s

A 1970s shoot might not be your thing at all.

That’s kind of the point.

Maybe your idea has something to do with books, music, a hobby, a favorite outfit or a location you love. Maybe you want something dreamy and whimsical. Or maybe you have an idea that sounds a little ridiculous when you say it out loud but would make an amazing photoshoot.

Tell me anyway.

You can see another completely different approach in my book-lover senior session in Winter Park, or take a look at this whimsical senior session in Winter Park to see just how different one creative concept can be from another.

Your senior pictures should still feel like you. Creative sessions just give us another way to explore what that might look like.

1970s and Creative Senior Pictures: Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to do a themed senior session?

Not at all. Your regular senior session can look completely different from this one. Creative concepts are simply another option for seniors who get excited about doing something outside the usual senior-session ideas.

What is the Creative Team?

My Creative Team gives booked senior clients opportunities to participate in additional creative photoshoots throughout their senior year. There isn’t a separate senior rep application required.

Can I bring you my own Creative Team idea?

Please do! I love coming up with concepts, but I also love when seniors bring ideas to me. Some of my favorite shoots have started because someone came to me with something they wanted to try.

Can my best friend and I do a creative shoot together?

There may absolutely be Creative Team concepts that would be fun to photograph with friends. If you and your best friend are both planning to book senior sessions with me, booking earlier gives us more time for opportunities like that to come up during your senior year.

Will every creative shoot have different editing?

Not necessarily. For this particular 1970s shoot, I chose a more vintage-inspired edit because it supported the concept. The editing for each creative session will depend on what we’re creating and what works best for that shoot.

Why should I book my senior session early?

Booking earlier gives you more choice when it comes to your regular senior-session date, and it also gives you more of the year to hear about upcoming Creative Team opportunities.

Ready to Create Something That Feels Like You?

You don’t need to come to me with your entire senior session already figured out. You don’t have to know exactly where you want to go, what every outfit will look like or what kind of photos you want from beginning to end.

That’s what planning together is for.

But if you already have an idea in your head that feels a little different, I definitely want to hear it.

Once you’re booked, we may also get the chance to create even more together through the Creative Team. If that sounds like something you’d be excited about, booking earlier gives you more time to be part of those opportunities throughout your senior year.

If you’re ready to start planning your senior pictures, get in touch with me here and tell me a little about yourself, what you love and anything you’re already envisioning.

I can’t wait to see what we come up with.