Some Day Sienna's Prince Will Come // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer
It has been so amazing getting to know Sienna’s family over the past year or so. Every time that Sienna has been in the studio with me, I’ve seen subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes as she grows up and becomes more and more of a pint-sized professional. With how hard she and her family all work and the incredibly supportive network they have in their corner courtesy of being such wonderful people, it should come as no surprise that she was the WINNER of this year’s annual #POSE4PICKET contest that I run in conjunction with The Picket Fence. She won a complimentary Editorial Session, three 8x10 prints, and a gorgeous Tea Collection outfit to wear during her session. (If you missed this year's contest - be sure to enter next year!)
It had honestly been too long since I had gotten to photograph an Editorial Session, so I was itching to really go all-out on this one. (An Editorial Session is a 2-hour long stylized session that I photograph as if it’s a themed magazine editorial spread. This could include multiple backdrops, fun props, unique set pieces, and so much more!) Sienna’s online moniker has always been “Princess Sienna,” so it seemed only fitting to create the ultimate princess-themed extravaganza. Being that she’s a pageant winner many times over, I knew that she’d have some incredible gowns and accessories for wardrobe - the bigger and sparklier, the better. For the rest of the session, I decided to incorporate some classic princess story elements in my own modern way, like Cinderella losing her shoe and a princess kissing a frog prince. And, what would a princess be without her crown? How about a GIANT CROWN? This incredible giant princess crown was made entirely of balloons courtesy of my friends at Airheads Balloon Art. (They never fail to amaze me. I just go to them and say, “I need an enormous XXX made of balloons,” and they make it happen beautifully.)
While I love creating imagery in general, my ultimate goal and thought process is always about creating stunning statement wall art pieces. I knew that a dark teal backdrop would make Sienna’s gorgeous, warm skin glow and that with some dramatic lighting, we could make some magic in the interplay, especially if these were printed as large metallic wall art. I chose wardrobe pieces with bright color pops of pink and purple for further contrast (including that luxe pink and mustard Tea Collection ensemble, courtesy of The picket Fence), and also pulled a breathtaking sequined gown from Itty Bitty Toes that looks insanely realistic and almost 3-dimensional on the metallic paper. From this session, I designed a glamorous metallic collage for Sienna’s bedroom wall, with the second image below as an arresting 20x30 focal point in the center. I’ll definitely share photos of the display when I can!
