Danielle is a talented young woman with a passion for academics and fashion. She wanted some dramatic portraits near the water and also something with a lot of colors. The two spots I picked out for her were Nankin Mills and the Newburgh Lake Public Boat Launch. These two spots are on Hines Drive near Westland, Michigan. Having worked here with a previous wedding client, I knew already that the boat launch location was magic at sunset.
We started at Nankin Mills. There is a great white stairway that gets shots like the one below. Even though this was taken using a very wide aperture, I added a blurred vignette effect to enhance the overall aesthetic.
Here is another angle of the staircase. Danielle’s pink outfit and white staircase on this particular bright sunny day made the portrait very effective.
Danielle wearing another outfit. Choosing a red wall with some weathering made this portrait truly stand out. The way the colors worked all together was perfect!
Cap and gown on a wooden bridge in Nankin Mills. She wanted a very blurry background so I used my telephoto and stood back as far as I could to get this look, as her mom and dad helped me shine a light on their daughter’s soon-to-be graduation.
As we headed to the Newburgh Lake Public Boat Launch, walking a pathway that’s a little hard to fund unless you know where to look. We got there just as the sun was about to set. Danielle wanted something with color, and I knew this was a shot worth getting. It took a few different tries, but when I finally saw it come together I was thrilled.
Danielle’s cap and gown looked great against the white walls at Nankin Mills. This was taken on a bridge nearby. Danielle was very patient as I planned out this shot, and backed out as far as I could for the maximum blurry background effect.