Sense of Wonder: Playful Parking Lot

This was our first shoot at the Sense of Wonder workshop in Tampa this past weekend.  The students divided up, and those that wanted to discuss their cameras stayed inside with Steven Gustafson and Pete Collins, and those of us who were ready to shoot went outside with Brooke Logue Photography and Tonya Poitevint Photography for a photo session. 

The models are sisters, Ava (big) and Iyla (little), and Brooke and Tonya gave us great tips for scouting out spots for them to play, and for encouraging the girls to engage in play and forget about the cameras for a moment, because that is where the magic happens. Many of the families I photograph are conditioned to “cheese” for the camera.  Since these two have participated in the Sense of Wonder workshop before, and they’re professional models, they knew what to expect. See this post from my way home from the workshop where I practiced my new skills with my niece, who is conditioned to “cheese”, so yes, the techniques seem to be repeatable!

Since I had not participated in previous workshops, I did not know what to expect.  Working with so many photographers at once was a bit shocking for me.  Most of them used a long lens, making it easy to stay out of each others’ way.  I’ve included a behind the scenes photo from Kathy Porupski to give a sense for the scene.  I also have to give credit to my fellow photographers, who may have been giving the models direction.  I was shooting with Brooke, Tonya, Kathy, Angie, Stacy, and Monika.

I just love that this session took place in the parking lot behind the hotel.  We found a cool bus, some woods, a railroad track (I was shooting the bus while some of the group went to the track), a pretty path with some greenery, and some more industrial spots that worked.  I will never look at a parking lot the same way again!

The setup ((I am in the Gators sweatshirt) shot by Kathy Porupski).



The shot!


Styled by | Leslie Schor
Wardrobe | The MerryLoveJoy Company
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