Midland, Michigan Senior Portrait Photographer | Eve Tuft Photography

Tag: Back-light

Welcome, Class of ’23

Welcome, class of ’23! I can’t believe that I am already starting this year’s seniors. It seems like I just had my last senior of ’22 only a couple months ago. And here we are. And what an awesome start it is. 🙂

Alex, my first senior for the class of ’23, is a complete joy. She’s down-to-earth, super sweet and kind, and completely laid back. In other words, a dream to work with and photograph. Alex chose Dow Gardens as her first location, and I was able to welcome in my first senior of the year at this beautiful location. Does she remind anyone else a tiny bit of a younger Catherine Zeta Jones? Just me? I love the pictures we got here, and I found some new locations for pictures that were perfect for Alex.

We then headed to the Chippewa Nature Center, and we took volleyball pictures. I love how they turned out. Sports pictures are always fun for me to take. We also found this gorgeous pocket of light in the forest for the next set of pictures, and I love this set so much! Isn’t that light so beautiful? I could have stayed here another hour, but I don’t know that Alex would want her session to be that long. 😉

Our last set was taken in a beautiful field with adorable flowers and gorgeous light. The CNC never fails to deliver on beautiful light and landscapes. What an amazing welcome we had for the class of 2023! I’m so excited for this year and this group of seniors. Now onto the next!

July 15, 2022
Sunshine and Fields Senior Session

Sunshine makes such a lovely element in senior pictures. While I do love an overcast senior session, sunshine adds its own special touch and has a place in my heart. Last time, I blogged about Ellyana’s first half of her session in Downtown Bay City. And what a location! We had overcast light there, which made some locations there easier to photograph. I was really hoping for sunshine when we made it out to the nature center. And Mother Nature delivered.

These first two are when the sun was still deciding on whether or not it wanted to make an appearance.

I just love this dress on Ellyana. One of my favorite parts of planning out each session is seeing what my seniors choose to wear. Their wardrobe plays a big role in how their pictures come together, and even on how I choose to pose them.

Ellyana knew she wanted this next dress for being in the fields with the gorgeous wildflowers all around. And adding on a jean jacket added variety to her outfit. Hello, sunshine! We’re so happy you decided to show your lovely face for this senior session.

Ellyana’s smile is incredible, and she is so easy to pose. Look how natural she makes everything appear!

These final two are some of the favorites from the entire evening.

Here’s what Ellyana said about her session: “I absolutely loved working with Eve for my senior pictures!! She was really good at talking me through poses and making me feel comfortable in front of the camera, which helped make smiling and posing feel natural 🙂 She was also really helpful when deciding on outfits and locations for my session, and I loved every product we purchased. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking to have their senior pictures done!”

Thank you so much, Ellyana! I wish you the absolute best for your senior year and beyond. <3

July 29, 2021
Golden Hour at the Chippewa Nature Center

Golden hour. It really is the best time of day for a senior photo shoot. As I posted a couple weeks ago, we had to reschedule this senior session three different times. When we finally did get together, Mother Nature was so good to us. It was worth the wait, and the sunlight at the end of Grace’s session was amazing. Amazing!

Grace had chosen the Chippewa Nature Center for her session and wanted to stay there the whole time. It was a relaxing shoot as we did not have to make it to another location before the sun set. We took our time, looked for different new spots, and overall had a fantastic evening. I left off at the midway point for the first part of her session. We found the perfect light by this fence, and Grace wore her absolute favorite sweater ever. Yes, girl! Bring it! We also got a few shots on these stairs.

The light was just starting to be perfect and was nearing golden hour. Grace really wanted to take some pictures in the tall grass and with flowers, so we made our way over there. Just as we were leaving the stairs, I turned to look at her, and she was standing in the most beautiful light. MAGIC, PEOPLE. Just look at her.

We also happened upon these beautiful fields of wildflowers. Which do you like better, the white flowers or the purple ones? I love them both so much. You guys, The Chippewa Nature Center never fails to disappoint.

These last few were taken just as the sun was setting. That light!

I’m not going to lie, this is one of my favorites ever.

After the sun set, we took a few more with her. This was seriously an amazing senior session with an amazing senior and her wonderful mother. Even though we had to reschedule a number of times, it was worth it for these.

Reviews

Here’s what Grace had to say about her photo shoot: “I had such a wonderful experience! She is so professional, always on time and provided water. She understands her clients and captures the sunlight in such a beautiful way!”

And here’s what her wonderful mother said: “We had so much fun during my daughter’s session with Eve Tuft. Eve took the most amazing pictures, always making sure my daughter was relaxed and comfortable. I highly recommend Eve Tuft—her pictures are stunning!”

Thank you two for a delightful experience! Best of luck during your senior year, Grace!

November 20, 2019
Best Friends Session

Best friends are, well, the best! Jada and Chloe have been best friends since third grade, and I don’t think their friendship is going to change anytime soon. They are like two (super cute) peas in a pod. Jada recently won a giveaway over on Instagram. With that, she was able to bring her best friend, Chloe with her. We had a blast together, and we were out shooting for over two hours. Their gorgeous makeup is done by Cathy of Beauty by Cathy. I love her work!

Jada chose Dow Gardens for the shoot to take place. Man, I love that beautiful place. We also tromped all over Whiting Forest. If you ever want an epic session, that’s such a good place for one. I never went there before the canopy walk was put in (yes, I was living under a hole), but I’ve gone dozens of times since. My kids LOVE the playground there. I love the hammocks. 😀

For the past two blog posts, I’ve shown you both Jada’s pictures and Chloe’s. For this one, I’ll show you my favorites of the ones I got with them together. Because, cutest ever.

Gah! I love this one so much.

These girls killed the serious look.

Who knew the children’s garden at Dow Gardens could be so much for for teens?

Whiting Forest, thank you for a stunning backdrop to these pictures.

And last, but not least:

I had an amazing time working with you two! Thanks for the good times.

August 7, 2019
The Difference a Reflector Makes

Before last year I had never used a reflector. I didn’t own one, and to be honest, they kind of intimidated me. Well, I finally bit the bullet and got one. And you know what? I hated it at first! Go figure, right? I found it cumbersome, hard to manage, and even harder to hold. I also couldn’t figure out how the heck to bounce light back where I wanted it. I’d bring it to sessions only to get it out once and put it back away. It was awful.

However, then I took a class online all about seniors. It was awesome, and I feel like it really took my game to the next level. We focused on reflectors for a week, and I took it out of its case to experiment with it. The result? I will never leave it in its case again. It’s a total game changer.

Here’s a picture WITHOUT a reflector. I didn’t have anyone there to hold it for me. I love this picture (and Abby and Emily!), and I don’t see much wrong with it as is.

With a Reflector

Not bad, right? Now, let’s put Abby in by herself and use Emily as an awesome reflector holder and see what happens:

Ta-da! Can you see the difference? There is now added light on her face and in her eyes. There are no more shadows on her face. It is evenly lit. I love the difference using a reflector makes.

Here’s a close-up version of Olivia. You can see the sun is hitting her from behind. She is facing away from the light source, so the opposite side of her face should be darker. But, with a reflector it is nicely lit! Isn’t she beautiful?

My last picture is of Anna. She was facing a part of Dow Gardens that was almost completely dark just behind me. But with the reflector, I was able to shine that light back on her face and get that lovely rim lighting on her hair at the same time.

I’m so glad I have a reflector and that I’ve discovered what it can do for my pictures. And I’m super excited to take it out for some more spins just next month with my first seniors of the season. Welcome, spring! Thinking of booking with me for your senior (or your own session)? Contact me to get things started!

April 17, 2019