When your little one is represented by an agency, they'll need to have their comp card/portfolio updated about every 6 months. Kids grow and change SO quickly (too quickly, I know)! Tori, now 7 years old, was due for a refresh, and I was super excited to have her in the studio again.

All children are different. With some, I'll carefully choose their poses and carefully tweak each little finger until it's in the right spot, and that makes them feel more comfortable and confident. Some kiddos are more free-spirited and I just let them do their own thing and am along for the ride, snapping away. And then there are some, like Tori, where it's a true collaboration: half of the time spent doing "Miss Lexi's poses" and the other half spent letting the kiddo make their own magic with them somehow nailing the most genius, adorable, I-never-would-have-thought-of-that poses. So, I won't say that I love photographing Tori (though, I most certainly do). I will say that I love COLLABORATING with Tori.

Now that she's a bit older, I knew that we could do some more dramatic, controlled lighting and aim for a more "fashion-y," mature vibe. Since we were creating a new comp card, I wanted to ensure that we had a good variety in wardrobe and mood. (Some casual, some dressy, some fierce, some pretty, etc.) When styling the session, Mom wanted to incorporate the gorgeous red dress that Tori had worn to a father-daughter dance earlier in the year and I was living for it. I also have to give Mom huge props for always trusting the zany wheels that turn in my head, even when I'm saying things like, "This coat, but backwards!" and "Yes, the oversized, fuzzy blue onesie!"

This is one of my favorite sessions that I've photographed to date. While I really do love photographing sessions that are light and fun, I have to admit that I'm more and more drawn to this moody aesthetic and hope to create more of it moving forward. There is just something so beautiful in the juxtaposition of the angelic innocence of children and a more mature, editorial perspective/style.

Hair and makeup by Tori Bivins.

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This is how Tori's finished comp cards look. Again, we aimed to strike that important balance: a warm, smiley head shot, a moody image, a softer, pretty image, a casual streetwear image, and a luxe, elegant gown.

Mom ended up having some wall art created from the session, as well, and the prints were super gorgeous. We did these ones as two 12x24" triptychs on luster paper. Tori claimed pretty much every print for her bedroom, so maybe with some negotiation, Mom can hang one of these elsewhere in her home. Haha. Looking forward to seeing them framed!