Okay, but have you SEEN those dramatic sports portraits with the fog, crazy lighting, and all the athlete energy?! Because I've been DYING to create something like this for the longest time.
As a Wichita KS senior photographer, I'm always dreaming up new ways to make senior pictures feel unique, creative, and completely personalized. And dramatic sports portraits? They've been on my photography bucket list for a WHILE. So when I started thinking about finally making this vision happen, I knew exactly who I needed to call.
From Senior Rep to Volleyball Model: Bringing the Vision to Life
Meet Mac! One of my Garden Girls from this year's senior rep team, and a volleyball player at Circle High School in Towanda, Kansas! I knew I wanted to create some seriously epic volleyball senior portraits, and who better to ask than someone already on my senior team?! I reached out to see if Mac and some of her teammates would be interested in helping me bring this idea to life.
And you guys... A few days later, Sam (Mac's mom) had SEVEN girls lined up and ready to go!!! SEVEN. I was SO excited. And honestly, so honored that these girls were willing to trust me with a vision I had never actually attempted before. Now all I had to do was figure out how to make it happen. Easy, right?!
Fog Machines, Flashes, and a Whole Lot of Equipment
First things first: I needed a fog machine. And fog liquid. And apparently a whole lot more knowledge about how fog actually works than I originally anticipated. HA! Turns out, there's a LOT that goes into creating that perfect dramatic, smoky atmosphere you see in professional sports photography. But somehow, between ordering equipment, figuring out the fog, coordinating schedules, and preparing my lighting setup, we managed to pull this entire shoot together in THREE DAYS. THREE!!!
When it was finally time to load up my car, I swear it felt like I was packing for a wedding. Flashes? Check. Light stands? Check. Fog machine? Check.
My trusty photography kit filled with literally anything you could possibly need during a portrait session? OBVIOUSLY. Seriously, I bring that kit to EVERY session. You just never know what you're going to need!
My car was packed, my excitement was through the roof, and I was headed to Circle High School in Towanda, KS, to create some of the coolest sports portraits I've ever attempted. Creating Dramatic Sports Portraits at Circle High School. Once I arrived at the gym, it was GO TIME.
I set up my two flashes, got my fog machine situated on a table, and made sure all my camera equipment was ready. As the girls started filtering in, I'll admit, I could feel those nerves creeping in. Not because I didn't know what I was doing, but because I knew we had limited time to make this happen. I couldn't exactly turn this into a two-hour production! Seven athletes. A brand-new fog setup. Dramatic lighting. And a whole lot of creative ideas running through my head. But here's the thing about photography: sometimes you just have to trust what you know.
So that's exactly what I did. I trusted my knowledge of off-camera flash, my camera settings, and the vision I had been dreaming about for so long.
And OH. MY. GOODNESS. THE PHOTOS. You guys, they were STUNNINGGGG.
STRAIGHT OUT OF CAMERA.
The dramatic lighting, the fog surrounding the girls, the volleyballs, the poses, the energy... EVERYTHING was coming together exactly how I had imagined. Actually, scratch that. It was even BETTER.
Senior Sports Pictures That Are Anything but Ordinary
One of my favorite things about being a senior photographer in Wichita, Kansas, is getting to create portraits that show off who my seniors really are. Senior pictures don't have to be just pretty dresses in a field or smiling at the camera. (Although you KNOW I love those, too!) They can be bold.
They can be dramatic. They can celebrate the sport you've spent years practicing, the teammates you've grown up with, and the memories you've made along the way. Whether you're a volleyball player, basketball player, softball player, football player, or any other kind of athlete, your senior sports portraits deserve to be just as epic as the work you've put into your sport. And this Circle High School volleyball session was the PERFECT reminder of that. Once we got rolling, those initial nerves disappeared, and the girls and I ended up having an absolute BLAST. The best part? Watching this crazy little idea turn into something real.
What's Next for Sports Senior Portraits in Wichita, KS?
After this session, I can confidently say one thing... I NEED TO DO MORE OF THESE.
Like, immediately. I'm already dreaming up more creative sports photography sessions for seniors around Wichita, Andover, Towanda, Augusta, and the surrounding Kansas communities. And now that we've conquered fog... What's next?! Maybe dramatic sports portraits with FIRE?!
Oh, wait. That's actually already coming up. ;)
STAY TUNED!!!
And if you're a Class of 2027 senior looking for unique senior pictures in Wichita, KS, especially if you want to incorporate your favorite sport, I would LOVE to dream up something amazing with you.
Because your senior portraits should be anything but boring.
Let's create something EPIC.
