The Cruel Summer Photoshoot
As we’re nearing the end of summer, before the air starts getting a little cooler and thoughts of sweaters start creeping into my brain, I wanted to pay tribute to the hot sunny days by sharing two distinctly summery editorial sessions that I had the pleasure of photographing.
The Beach Session
This dreamy sunrise beach session in Florida was so fun, and absolutely gorgeous. We got so lucky with the weather and lighting, just look at the colors! Swoon 😍
I don’t get to go to the ocean very often seeing as we’re lovely and landlocked here in Boulder, but when I do get to go I’m always blown away by the energy and beauty of it. If your heart is calling you to do an ocean/beach photoshoot, just ask, I’m happy to fly out somewhere! Just be prepared to wake up earrrrllyyy 🌅
If you’re thinking of doing a beach photoshoot here are some tips:
Arrive early or late, depending on which way the sun rises/sets where you are. We were lucky to be on a sunrise side of the world, so our light was pastel and dreamy with some sharper rays peaking through towards the end.
If you’re on the West coast, you might have better luck shooting at sunset but the colors will be more golden and less soft and pink at sunset, going more blue once the suns sets.
I’m not a fan of flash in general, and favor a reflector if I need it, but some photographers will shoot this with a flash to balance out the backlight, and that will have a very different look, so if you’re not booking with me it might be worth mentioning to your photographer.
I think keeping wardrobe soft and dreamy like this dress was a great choice, the crochet coverup is another nice option, and we kept the color palette consistent with the teal theme that compliments the water but doesn’t exactly match. Color is so important here, so choose your palette wisely! I think a lavender or pink theme would look nice here as well.
La Piscine (The Pool)
This is lucky enough to be a private saline pool we were able to shoot in, and that means you can generally open your eyes underwater without the sting of a chlorine pool, so you get to try some fun underwater shots like we have at the end here.
I love this session, we have the full range of light from very harsh and bright, to shadowy and shaded as we near sunset. This session really feels like summer to me, I can almost smell the sunscreen 🥥
If you are thinking of planning a pool photoshoot:
Keep your colors in mind. This rusty-red suit has a perfect classic vintage vibe and paired with the matching red brick lip really feels editorial and sexy.
We leaned into the pool theme with wet hair, not bothering to style curls or anything because that would mean not interacting with the water, so wet hair was perfect here.
Using waterproof makeup is a must if you’re going to be splashing around, so if you’re hiring a makeup artist make sure that’s what they (or you) use so you’re not fighting smudges all day.
If you’re going to attempt some underwater shots, you as the model MUST practice breath holding and air control. Both for safety and aesthetics, you’ll want to be able to sink, float, dive, and move gracefully underwater. I can’t stress how important it is to be comfortable underwater and able to control your movements. Photographing an underwater subject is very challenging, and you usually only get a couple of chances during one dive so being able to maximize that is very helpful.
We wanted a harsher sunlight look so we shot mid-late afternoon, but you might find a sunrise/sunset more workable depending on your location and desired outcome. I would highly recommend a location scout ahead of time at the hour your’e thinking of shooting to make sure the light is what you are going for.
Gear: This, along with every other session, was photographed on my trusty Cannon 5D Mark ii, and I used an underwater housing bag for the below surface work. This bag works great but it’s a pain in the butt to reach the buttons and use focus, and forget auto-focus underwater. It’s going to require some patience and practice, but it’s totally worth it.
We used a pool umbrella for some shade, as well as my handy reflector/diffusion when needed, and our beautiful Colorado sun as light in the sky.
I hope this inspires you to book your own summer boudoir session! I love shooting in water when it’s warm out. If you’re reading this and you want to find a lake, river, something mysterious and fantastical that would definitely be on my wish list to shoot so please reach out! Have fun out there and enjoy the last few summer weeks!
🩷 Petra