In my world right now, it’s all about portraits. At my school, my Digital 1 class is just in the beginning phases of taking self-portraits. They’re learning the ins and outs of the tripods, changing timer settings and powering through the difficulties of getting proper focus.

In Digital 2, the class just finished making grayscale drawings in Adobe Illustrator of portraits they created. They are discovering how light and shadow make a difference in the shape and contours of the face.

My Digital 3 class is using the studio lighting setups to make stylized portraits of each other that follow a theme.

Even my phone photography club is learning about group portraits. They are discovering the self-timers on their phones and in other apps so they can actually be in their pictures without their arm sticking out.

Outside of school, portraits are still at the forefront of my mind. I just finished a portrait session with a beautiful family and I have another one scheduled for tomorrow.

Last weekend our family was blessed to be photographed by a friend and local photographer. It’s been years since we’ve had someone (besides me) do our portraits and let me tell you, it was such a relief and such a gift. It was a relief because I didn’t have to run back and forth from the camera checking to see if we got the perfect shot. It was a relief because I didn’t have to worry about the kids looking at the camera, or if the remote was showing in the picture, or if my tripod was going to blow over in the wind. (All those things have happened.) But the reason it was such a gift is because my friend Shannon has this knack for capturing the in-between moments that really show the true nature of the families she’s photographing. It’s been one of the things that I’ve admired about her work since I first met her.

Have you been thinking about or working on portraits too? It’s definitely in the air. Tag us with #viewfindersio and let us have a peek. Looking forward to more portraits to come –Angie