The Secret of Taking Great High School Senior Pictures

by Walla Walla Photographer Dean Harman

“Hey picture dude!”

I hear it called out to me all the time, usually by one of my past clients as I am walking down the street.  I have even heard it yelled out loud in a crowd, in far off locations like Portland or Spokane and even Seattle.

Yes, at first it bothered me a bit but to know that there is really no privacy anywhere I go, but when I think about it for a second or two, I realize it is kind of cool to be recognized by one of my past clients.  Some go as far back as 1983 when I started photographing high school seniors in the Walla Walla area.

Past high school seniors know me not because I am such a fantastic photographer, but because I always have tried to treat them with due respect.  As a professional senior photographer, it is my task to find the very thing in a teenager’s life that brings a certain glow to their eyes.

Usually, it only takes a nice complement and a few simple questions to get a high school senior to open up about themselves.  Once they do that, it is only a matter of time before they clue me into what really makes them tick.

Then, we can go about photographing them in a way that tells their story.

High school seniors and their families have always been burdened by the immense task of searching for a competent portrait photographer that can create some outstanding senior portraits.

Finding a photographer that can take senior pictures isn’t usually the hard part.  Online search engines or a phone book can come up with dozens of photographers from Walla Walla, the surrounding area and Google will even pepper the results page with portrait and wedding photographers from far away locations.

Really, the difficult part of choosing a portrait photographer is filtering the list down to the photographer that today’s demanding teenager will, first of all get along with, and second, can consistently make each photograph look amazing.

Let’s face it, everyone knows someone that has a pretty good digital camera, or, at the very least, a darned good camera that came tucked inside their smart phone.

Many teens find it kind of cool to go to some far-out location with their buddies, snap off several hundred photographs and somewhere, somehow there should be at least a couple good ones in there.

That may be exciting for a couple of hours, but what lasting impression of ones youth does that experience provide?

I have discovered that as a professional portrait photographer, we are entrusted with the unique power to kindle quite a positive self image in a high school senior.

In reality, we should be able to create some powerful and awesome portraits that high school seniors can be proud to show family and friends.  Pictures that really represent what kind of things that particular teen is in to.

Alternatively, it is also our job as trusted professionals, to reach people on  a level that can’t be seen through the lens of a portrait camera.  Call it a psychological level that can leave people with a positive impression and give fuel to our seniors to take on the world for awhile longer.

When a high school senior realizes that they really can look great and their friends and family are complementing them on how wonderful their portraits look, that is what makes being a professional photographer all worth while.

That is the secret to photographing high school seniors.

That is why I will always love it when someone in the crowd excitedly yells, “Hey, it’s the picture dude!”

To see more examples of some unique high school seniors and the portraits we created at Harmanportraits.com, here is a quick little slide show from flickr.com.  Click here for senior pictures slide show.

Dean Harman

e-mail:    dean@harmanportraits.com

Website: http://harmanportraits.com

Phone:

541-938-7079 Office

541-215-2884 Cell

This is the latest 360 virtual tour that I just uploaded for Trisha Bush at Preferred Properties Land and Homes in Walla Walla Washington.  An ultra modern design where you will find modern appliances throughout the home.  The living space is very open providing complete access to the kitchen, dining area and even to the open loft upstairs.  I thought the loft could be a perfect office for the person that does their work from home.

Just click on the picture above to get to the virtual tour window or go to:  Virtual Tour of College Place Home.

Walla Walla is still a great little town to work and play in and is a thriving wine enthusiasts Mecca.  You will find this home in a newer development in the neighboring town of College Place Washington.  Traditionally, College Place was developed around the Seventh Day Adventists and still adheres to some of the Adventist traditions.  You will find it a friendly town to all residents and visitors.  Take advantage of small town living where you can easily become friends with your neighbors. The schools are still a reasonable size, where your child can receive a great education.  In fact, College Place is home to the famous Walla Walla University!

Trisha Bush of Preferred Properties Land and Homes can be reached at (509) 525-4040 if you would like to contact her regarding this newer home.  You may also visit her website for some great online search tools that will direct you to any number of properties in the Walla Walla area that Trisha lists.

Dean Harman

Presenting 360 Virtual Tours and Internet Marketing of Real Estate, Business and Hospitality Facilities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

wwtourguide@bmi.net

541-938-7079 Office

541-215-2884 Cell

 

We photographed Ryan and Darlene’s wedding engagement portraits Saturday morning on the Whitman College here in Walla Walla.  Our engagement portrait sessions are designed not only to get some great photography of newly engaged couples, but to get a chance to work closely with a couple to sort of give them a taste of what their wedding portraits will be like.

Obviously, if we all are getting along great and the couple is having fun, then it just makes everyone feel comfortable being photographed.

Getting in up close and personal helps create a fun atmosphere and really takes care of any “nerves” and unnatural expressions!

A kiss under a tree ends the perfect morning portrait session.

For more pictures of this great couple, visit our website:

www.harmanportraits.com and go to our “proofing” page!

Dean Harman

Harman Portrait Photography

541-938-7079

e-mail: dean@harmanportraits.com

Website: www.harmanportraits.com

Get huge traffic to your blog from www.alphainventions.com

This is a Virtual Tour we completed of a custom built home in Walla Walla back in January of this year. I wanted to give this client a little marketing boost for spring so a new Craigslist ad was created and sent on up to Seattle Washington.

Craigslist ad link: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/reo/1121433308.html (real estate – by owner)

Interactive Virtual Tour link: (click on picture below to view the tour!)

1840 Fern Ave. Walla Walla WA

It has been a long hard winter here on the Walla Walla River.  Snow, rain, sleet, wind, I thought it would never stop.  Then it got nice for awhile in January but all that bad weather came again.

But, this week I saw robins jumping around my lawn so that means only one thing.  Spring in wine country is finally here!

Naturally, when spring is here, that means people are starting to really take seriously and plan for their upcoming summer and fall weddings here in Walla Walla!

I just thought it would be nice to put a good word in for my personal wedding vendor friends out there and provide you with some links to their websites.

Sometimes it is really hard to find the right vendor for your wedding so I put together a “Dream Team” of vendors that I can personally vouch for.

These people all do a superb job and whether you are having a wedding at a Walla Walla winery or your backyard, they all take weddings seriously so you can defiantly trust each one.

I call it the “Dream Team” because if you were to hire all of these wedding vendors you would have a Dream Wedding with no worries!  Just let us do all the fussing about.

Of course, I would be happy to do your wedding photography and I hope you will give me a call, but for now, here is the “Wedding Dream Team” at your service!

Call this a little gift from HarmanPortraits.com.

Favorite Venue:

Basel Cellars Estate Winery (www.baselcellars.com)

Join their wine club so you can use their facility!  The most outrageous place to get married…and wine?!! You gotta be kidding.  A rockin summer party! Your guests will never forget your wedding.

Photos from Basel Cellars Estate Winery and Resort www.baselcellars.com

Favorite flower lady:

Flowers 4 Rent (www.flowersforrent.com)

Norita Dahlin has the eye for the perfect combinations of flowers.  And the best part?  You rent them!  They never fade in the hot sun and they won’t drip on your dress because, although you could never notice, her flowers are made from acrylic but they feel like the real thing.  She is such a gracious person, I bet if you asked her really nicely to send you a sample, she would!

Pictures of artificial flowers from www.flowersforrent.com

Favorite Food guy:

Graze Catering in Walla Walla (www.grazeevents.com)

OK, talk about a great spread!  You can smell the chicken cooking on the BBQ while you’re watching the wedding!  Your guests can’t wait to get in line at the reception, and isn’t that what makes a great reception?  ..The food?

I once overheard a guest at one of John Grazes catered weddings say “Man, beer and hot wings! What else could anyone want at a wedding?”  I think it was the guy in this photo wearing the snazzy blue vest who said it.  Go John and Tracy Graze!

Read about GrazeEvents catering services here.

Pictures from www.grazeevents.com

Favorite Party Supply:

Sandys U Rent (www.SandysUrent.com)

Toni Thorne over at Sandys U Rent in Walla Walla can provide your wedding with everything, and I mean everything, from candles to napkins to linens.  She can even set you up with canopies and tents.  I have seen one of her tents that you could host a whole circus inside!  Except that it is a very elegant tent, with lights and heaters and even drapes!  You wouldn’t want to set a bunch of elephants loose in there but you could set a bunch of wedding guests loose and they would be happy as a tribe of monkeys in a bananna boat!

Just a couple of tents that www.SandysUrent.com offers!