Sky in the Diner – Portrait Session

Bringing the past to the present. A retro inspired editorial portrait session.

You know how there’s phases in life where just absolutely nothing goes as planned? Where you go through an unexpected breakup, then your car breaks down, then your dog eats a plate of grapes and you have to rush him to the emergency vet to get his stomach pumped, and then you get kicked out of your apartment? I’ve been through enough seemingly shitty experiences in my life to know that the moments that feel the darkest and lowest and most unsurvivable, are the ones that beget the most growth and vibrance and opportunity later on. When I find myself in a situation where everything seems to be going wrong, I pause, acknowledge that I can’t ever know or plan for everything, and trust that better things are on the way if I don’t give up at the first (or second or third) sign of hardship.

I had this idea in my head to do a vintage themed, editorial photoshoot in this retro style diner down the street. It was going to be a couples session, it would be late at night, the diner would be empty and we could play with flash and creative couples posing. Well, the second model fell through, the diner was closing early in the middle of the day, and it was still packed when we got there. In a moment of panic, I wanted to call it off, but I know that usually when things don’t go as planned is when I end up with some of my favorite images. So we waited out the other guests and the staff graciously let us run around for about 9 minutes after close. In the end I love the photos and am so happy we rolled with the punches.