Sara was another model who answered a modeling call I advertised over the summer. When Sara showed me her dress, I immediately knew the location I wanted to photographer her in! I even scouted twice for other places to shoot her, but always came back to this one. I was incapable of envisioning her dress anywhere else but next to this rusty truck.

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In just a few short days, Sara will begin her final year at Pleasanton High School. She will walk through the halls, eat lunch in the cafeteria, host sleepovers, and score goals for the soccer team during these final upcoming nine months. She will write final term papers, apply for scholarships and university acceptance, and slowly transition her life as into young adulthood. She will say temporary good-byes to lifelong friendships and cautiously depart from her parents’ safety to that of independence, freedom and wonderment.

Sara doesn’t know this yet, but as anxious as she is to get on with her new life… she can’t wait to come back home.

Sara’s Rustic Modeling Session

This modeling session was completed so that I could try to secure some images for the annual WPPI 16×20 Print, Album & Filmmaking Competition. Do you see any images in here that you feel are worthy of entering into the image competition? Please keep in mind that it costs me almost $300 per image to enter into the contest.

I pay to consult with Rocco Ancora, an Australian Grand Master photographer and Master printer. We look through the images that I believe are competition worthy. Sometimes, it’s very hard to remove emotional attachment and present images solely based on technical worthiness. Together, we decide which images will be entered. Then, we discuss how the images will be post-processed. Rocco looks at my RAW image and an image that I have already post-processed. He then works his magic and post-processes the image for me and then prints and mattes the image.

Once this is completed, the image is shipped off to Las Vegas where it is judged live in front of a five-judge panel (plus a moderator). The panel scores the image by casting a secret score, but then discusses the merits and shortcomings of the image in front of the entire room of spectators. Sometimes, if there is enough difference in the range of scores and based on the rules, the score can be challenged. This is the fun part! The highest scoring judge argues why the image should score higher and pleads with each of the other judges to raise their scores. Then, each of the other judges has a moment or two to counter-comment on the image. Sometimes, the score improves and sometimes it doesn’t. These challenges can go on for 10-15 minutes.

The entire part of the image competition is very enlightening. I have said since my very first year attending the WPPI print competition that this was the best way to learn about taking a solid photograph. This is, by far, my favorite part of attending WPPI. 

If you’d like to see all the images from this portrait session, please enjoy this video. For the best quality, be sure to change the video player settings to 1080 HD.

The post, Sara’s Rustic Portrait Session, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.