Danielle – Nankin Mills & Newburgh Lake Public Boat Launch

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 with a previous wedding client, I knew already that the boat launch location was magic at sunset.

Danielle M
Danielle M

We started at Nankin Mills. There is a great white stairway that gets shots like the one above. I added a vignette blur effect to enhance the overall aesthetic.

Danielle M
Danielle M

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 M
Danielle M

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.

Danielle M
Danielle M

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!

Danielle M
Danielle M

As we headed to the boat launch we walked a pathway (hard to fund unless you know where to look) that let the sunlight in just right. 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 lighting example with and without off-camera flash
Danielle lighting example with and without off-camera flash

Using an off-camera strobe, I was able to counteract the sunset for this dramatic effect.

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