Last weekend I had the privilege of shooting alongside the fabulous and incredible Amanda Mae at her super fun workshop called Amplified. It’s been years since I have attended a photography workshop that was all about shooting and oh my goodness it was so refreshing. Amanda and I go way back and I have really enjoyed watching her business grow and take a stronghold over the Washington area and I was so excited when she decided to have a workshop all about Senior Portraits. And who doesn’t need an excuse to play in San Francisco?! Having never taken a vacation away from my boys, it was due time for me to play with my camera and learn from the best!

I learned a TON watching Amanda shoot. From how she directed her model to the enthusiasm she brought to the stage, I loved every second of watching her. As a photographer, who has been doing this for awhile, it’s like a breath of fresh air when I see someone who is so good at what they do, photograph the same model but with a different method. I can’t wait for my next Senior Portrait shoot to apply all that I have learned.

Mackenzie is a Senior in Washington at Meadowdale High School and was Amanda’s 2014 Model Winner and came all the way down to Cali to model for us! Mackenzie is freaking awesome! This girl not only knows how to model, but she is also a star athlete as a basketball player and is so smart that she is heading to Occidental College in the Fall. I really enjoyed getting to know her and she really is a jewel.

We just happened to walk past this Vespa and it was practically screaming for Mackenzie to hop on. Doesn’t this look like it belongs in a magazine?!One of my favorite things about San Francisco is the fun street cars and pops of color that are everywhere. And with Mackenzie’s beautiful smile, it’s perfection. One of the things that I loved working with Amanda was how she was able to bring an elevated style to everything. She really taught me how to push my clients and see the full potential of every shot. Amanda actually set this shot up and I really love all the geometry of the scene that I had to take a snap and once I turned it black and white, BOOM, it’s amazing!The next day, we had another shoot of the darling Mackenzie, along with two more models who will be featured in future blog posts. Our setting was amazing, a gorgeous home, beautiful light and great clothes. Amanda really did a great job styling Mackenzie, because every outfit was incredible and so well accessorized. Isn’t this outfit just perfection?!Thanks Amanda for letting me peek into your shooting style for a full weekend. You have been a great teacher, mentor and friend. You are seriously going to bring my Senior Portraits to the next level. And Mackenzie, you are amazing! I really enjoyed getting to know you and I loved photographing you all weekend long. You are gorgeous, both inside and out. Seriously, you’re stunning!