Gretchen B Photography - "the buzz" » High School Seniors

Charlotte North Carolina Senior Sessions

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:17:38 +0000

I moved from Charlotte to Birmingham in 1988 and left behind some wonderful friends and a beautiful city. The daughter of one of my very best friends is graduating from high school in 2012 so I just had to go photograph her. A couple of her friends thought they’d like to get in on it so we made a day of it. Check out the slideshow…we covered a lot of territory in one day! We were downtown, in Dilworth, and in Myers Park. Quite a day!

Helena Belles visit Studio

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:52:03 +0000

Mrs. Amy Bolt (amylbolt@gmail.com) is the founder of Helena’s newest service organization…The Helena Belles! Their were numerous applicants, and 30 young women were chosen to become involved in the Helena community during their high school years. The Helena Belles is derived from the traditional “belles” of the south; when you see young women helping at community functions wearing the beautiful dresses of the 1800’s, you’ll know you are looking at a young woman who has chosen to be a participant in the “doings” (yes, that is definitely southern!) of her community.

Yesterday, the 30 young women attended their orientation at Magnolia Manor. I have just become one of the Helena Belles’ sponsors and was delighted to meet all of them. I invited them to the studio to have facebook profile photos made, and they all came! What a delightful group of young women! I have created an album of their photos on my facebook page; please stop by to acknowledge their commitment to our city and surrounding area.

Amy Bolt is the founder of Helena Belles; please visit their facebook page for more information.

Hoover High School Homecoming

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:09:58 +0000

Saturday night was Hoover High School’s homecoming, and my daughter attended with several of her friends. I was delighted they wanted to come to the studio for photos…we also took the opportunity to create some fun images at Buck Creek’s spillway next to the studio. This is a very down and dirty slideshow–I did the quick editing and made the slideshow for Rachel to share with her friends. Watch for more images soon! Enjoy!

Hoover’s Spain Park Student, Lauren

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:46:32 +0000

Lauren is one of our high school representatives (want to be one? email me for an application!) who agreed to go play with us while we used a new off camera flash softbox. Using off camera flash correctly is the best way to create very natural looking portraits without harsh shadows. We shot Lauren late in the afternoon and were happy to have more than a few clouds. Lauren wore her dad’s cowboy hat and really had fun modeling it. The old wood on the log cabin, the barn, and the outhouse all provided cool textures and color for backgrounds. We laughed while Lauren pulled the petals off the daisy and ended with “he loves me not”–Jamie, I covered your back…I’m sure she pulled two petals off at once!

Here’s one of my favorite images from the day, although it was very difficult to choose so I’m also posting a slideshow of our afternoon. Enjoy!

Contemplation

Spain Park High School Lifestyle Photography

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:33:19 +0000

Although Lauren is a rising Junior, she is participating in my high school senior modeling program. Lauren is active in the American Heart Association Sweethearts which fits with the spring fashion show in the planning stages where the proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. I’m thrilled to have Lauren working with me! Watch for more images of her in the near future. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites from our first session together.

Shelby County High School Seniors!

admin — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:44:10 +0000

Being a high school senior is such a cool thing…you’ve waited a long time to become one! You deserve a year that is all about you and your accomplishments. When it comes to your senior lifestyle photographs, use a photographer who is dedicated to creating images that are all about you…Gretchen B Seniors. Our new website is under construction…I’ll announce its launch soon…check out our new facebook senior page and watch the video to see why you’ll want Gretchen B to tell your story in photos. Gretchen B…voted one of the top five photography studios in the Birmingham area–let us show you why.

Call us at 205.999.3531 to find out about our 2011-2012 model program (hint: you’ll get free sessions and even earn hard cash!).

You know, today with the digital age, a lot of people who own cameras believe they are photographers. That’s like saying that owning a drill makes you a dentist! Trust a professional like Gretchen B, and you’ll have the best photos ever taken of you…we guarantee it!

* Studio and on location sessions
* Changes of outfits encouraged
* Slideshows, Albums, Wrapped Canvases
* FREE pre-session consultation
* And much more!

Connect with us on facebook and you’ll get $25 off your session fee OR book before July 15, and we’ll double that to $50 off!

Birmingham High School Senior Photography

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:29:54 +0000

Madeline is a senior at Hoover High School, and she is dating Parker who graduated from Hoover last year. They came into the studio last week, and we had a blast playing with my continuous lights. They are so much fun and have a very close relationship. Parker and Madeline are so playful and at ease with one another. I thoroughly enjoyed being their photographer and hope you enjoy the slideshow of some of my very favorite images. Check them out!

Birmingham Senior Photography

admin — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:18:36 +0000

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and the postcards from the school’s photographer will be arriving in the mail telling you the day and time of your senior photography. Did you know that the school contract is for the photo that will appear in the yearbook and not for the “lifestyle” photographs that are taken after the formal picture? Why settle for photographs that look like everyone else’s (stand by that tree and tilt your head to the right)? There is no better time than now to get pictures that tell a lot more about you than you can follow directions on head tilt!

At our studio, teens bring the things with them that they love–drums, guitars, baseball bats, golf clubs, shoes, purses, ballet costumes, prom dresses…you name it! Bring what matters to you. Want pictures with your car? No problem. Want pictures for facebook and twitter? No problem. Want pictures with your best friends? Bring them! Want to have a blast and get pictures that are all about you. (By the way, we also do pictures that your parents and grandparents will love!)

We have a few spots available for our high school model program…check out the photos in the slideshow, and let me know if you are interested in getting more information. I’d love to meet with you!

Emily from Tuscaloosa

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Emily is interested in modeling for print media or fashion shows. We met when I photographed her for the Anne Barge trunk show at The White Room. She is absolutely beautiful as you can see, and she is very comfortable in front of the camera. Emily is active with her church and a Christian group she joined while in college. She is a very impressive young lady, and I thoroughly love working with her. Here’s Emily in our studio…

Emily

Reflections

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:57:24 +0000

Recently someone asked me why I do what I do. The pronoun “I” is not one I use a lot. I prefer to stay in the background highlighting my clients/friends and the other vendors I work with. But, after a couple of days of that question bouncing around in my head, I would like to take the time to answer; after all, it is my blog, and I can be selfish with it once in a while!

For Gretchen B Photography, I work every day. I work at night and on weekends. I study new lighting techniques. I stay current on the trends of the industry. I purchase top quality equipment. After thinking about it for a while, I am able to put into words why I do what I do: Capturing time for the future. Capturing memories to be shared. Capturing relationships. Life is short. Time is fleeting. We are what makes life worth living. Photography allows us to hold the people we care about frozen in time; stirs our memories; share our history with our children. As you might can tell, my passion is photographing people. There is something so special about creating an image that brings tears to the eyes of the viewer because she knows that she is looking at the essence of her child…even when that child is a 20-something year old bride or groom. I’m a softie and a romantic. I believe in the power of the image. I believe in good photography.

I am taken aback that my children are almost grown. My son left home this past year and has his own life. For the first time since he was born, I didn’t send out a Christmas card with at least the children’s photo on it. Getting grown kids back home for a family picture is, apparently, impossible. (My advice is do the family portraits while you can! Don’t wait until the end of the year when everyone is crazy busy. Do a family photo every time you are all together!) The simple fact of not having a family photograph from 2010 has made me very sad. I’m sure that many of you can relate. On the bright side (’cause I always look for a bright side), I did send out New Year’s cards with a beautiful snowy landscape photograph that I made in Helena. The images from our last two holiday cards (and by the way, it’s not an easy task to set up a camera for a timed exposure!):

Have a wonderful day. And print that photograph that’s in your camera or on your computer. Enjoy the experience of holding a picture of someone you care about, and share a story about that person with someone else. It’ll make your day.