Photographing just for you is a way to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, learn new techniques and refresh your love of what you do.  Sysommay of Skai Photography did just that with this beautiful session!

I stumbled upon this session through pinterest and fell in love with the lightness of the shoot!  Everything about it seems warm and light, almost airy and I love that!  I asked Sysommay to share this session to demonstrate that putting together a session just for you is essential to growing in your photography.  And as she states below, it doesn’t have to cost a ton.  Sysommay styled it herself and the girls applied their own makeup!  I say they all did a beautiful job!!  Thanks for sharing Sysommay!!

What was your inspiration for the “For the Love of Spring” Photo shoot?

This session was taken a year ago and was inspired by my love for spring. After months of such a long, lifeless and colorless season, I was ready to celebrate the budding grass, blooming flowers and sweet scents that the coming of spring brings. I wanted these images to scream SPRING and excite my audience with images that radiated color, brightness and youth.

Was this a photo shoot for you or a client shoot?
Just for me!

If this was a shoot for you, what did you hope to accomplish with this shoot?
I wanted to work on improving certain aspects of my artistry as an artist/photographer. That meant manipulating and communicating my visions and thoughts into materializing into my images. To this day, I make an effort to go out and “shoot for me” utilizing anything that inspires me—whether it is my children, the season, the way I’m feeling, or a certain prop or even an image on Pinterest—whatever it was that inspired me at the time was used as a medium to translate my vision.

Tell me a little about how you selected the models for this shoot?
The models were my daughter’s friends that attended the same Ballet Academy.

Did you consult with a stylist and/or makeup artist for this shoot?
I styled the shoot, and the models applied their own make-up.

What was the location of this shoot?
It was a nature trail at the park.

How did you incorporate the props for this shoot and what were they?
The props were used to give the shoot a touch of whimsy.

This shoot is so full of beautiful light! Do you have any tips for photographers when it comes to finding the light?
I usually shoot within a couple hours before sunset.  During this time, there is this soft subtle glow that wraps around the subject in the most enchanting way.

What time of day was this shot?
This was shot a couple hours before sunset.

What equipment was used on this shoot?
My D700 and 85 1.4G lens.

What do you hope this session conveys about your photographic style?
I hope this and every session I have the honor of shooting to reflect a bit of who I am and how I see the world around me. I’m a genuinely happy person that has an eye for beautiful things and a penchant for seeing beauty in everything, and the beauty in everyone–my images should reflect that!

What was your favorite thing about this photo shoot?
Aside from the excitement before the shoot, and how much fun we had during the shoot, my favorite thing would have to be the end results. After going through the images, this was the first photo shoot I felt a sense of satisfaction as an artist/photographer.

Tell me a little about you….where you live, married, kids, how you got into photography, etc.
I’m a wife to my first and only love–we married young, I was 19, he was 24. When you know, you just know!  We have two beautiful children.  Our daughter is 14, and son is 4. They truly are the sweetest darlings with the biggest hearts.

I have always had an eye for beautiful things and love expressing myself artistically. I am the type that wants to see beauty in everything. From drawing, painting, sewing to dancing; for me, photography seems to fit right in that territory. It was something I have always dreamed of trying.

My journey started two and a half years ago, when my husband surprised me with my very first DSLR for Christmas. I quickly realized that it was going to take much more than an expensive camera to produce the images I aspired to create. During the first few months, I spent many sleepless nights and learned everything I possibly could through the “school of Google,” googling everything I needed to know. I then proceeded to force myself to shoot manually from the start—and practiced, practiced, practiced! And then, I practiced some more and constantly sought out the opinions of others so as to gain an impartial and clear view of what those images actually looked like and what needed improvement.

My point in all this is, keep trying even if you run into so many dead-ends, backtrack and find another road. It is easier to be given all the answers, but to find the answers on your own sometimes teaches you things you would have never been taught, and even more!