2020-2021, School Portrait Roundup in Richmond, VA

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I have been a portrait photographer for many years. Portraiture is, in fact, how I got started in photography. I love the connection with the subject and the process of finding something authentic and unique in every session.

In 2020, when COVID-19 upended life, I wondered when I would be able to go back to the photography studio. My friend, Wolgang Jasper, offered me to take over his school photography business in the fall of 2020. I was honored but hesitant. I had not worked in the school photography business, and my portrait process is anything but the assembly-line style that characterizes school portraits - dull light, forced and awkward smiles, and stiff kids.

Yet, given all the COVID craziness around, I thought if there was a time to venture into a new field in photography, this was it. At first, all shoots were outdoors with minimal gear, which made creating consistent lighting challenging. By the spring, I had come up with creative ways to create an outdoor studio. When the school year ended in June, I perfected a new side to my business: high-end school portraits.

I didn't realize how impactful the work was until I was flooded with calls and emails from delighted parents saying how memorable the images of their children were. I cant' wait to continue developing this exciting new side of my business in the coming 2021-2022 school year.

Here is a roundup of some of my favorite images from 2020-2021.