I was recently contacted by Ashley B. to do a homecoming shoot for her daughter and a group of friends from Tioga High School. The session was scheduled for 7 PM, right at sunset, meaning I wouldn’t have much natural light to work with.
The day didn’t start as smoothly as I hoped. I had just finished a mini-session at 5:45 PM and decided to edit the photos downtown by Tamp & Grind. I was editing photos in my car and using my phone’s slow hotspot to upload when I noticed a text from Ashley. I was all set and ready to go, but as I checked the time—10 minutes before the session—I realized no one had shown up yet. I rechecked the text and realized the location had changed to the fountain at Louisiana Christian University! My wife had confirmed the new spot, but I hadn’t registered the update. Thankfully, it was a short drive, and I arrived right at 7 PM with a dozen kids and family just showing up.
As soon as I got there, I greeted Ashley and quickly discussed a few ideas for the background. We could have used the fountain, but we opted for a shot that featured the beautiful oak tree with the sun fading behind the library. Even with the light fading fast, the tones in the sky were stunning.
Since I had just come from another homecoming session, I felt confident in my lighting setup. I tested the light with Ashley’s daughter, and the first shots were instantly incredible. I knew from the start that this session was going to produce some amazing photos.
As we moved through the session, the natural light quickly disappeared, and my camera started struggling to auto-focus. I’ve worked with my lighting setup plenty of times, but never in such dark conditions. It became clear that I needed a solution fast. Then, I remembered the bulb button on my Godox AD400, which provides constant light. I had never used it before during a photoshoot, but I decided to lower the light stand, press the button and give it a shot. The difference was immediate—the entire scene lit up, and my focus locked right on! It was a huge relief and a reminder of one of the reasons I love photography—it’s a lot of problem-solving.
The session wasn’t just about technical challenges though. Posing has always been an area I’m still building confidence in. I did some research before the session and saved some inspiration on my phone to reference. But what I found most rewarding were the candid moments. There’s something special about capturing a smile or a natural expression that reveals who someone is, rather than the standard posed shot.
Toward the end of the session, I gathered all the kids together for a group shot. After getting the traditional pose, I wanted to mix it up and suggested they do something fun—like a “cool squad” photo. I threw out ideas like Charlie’s Angels, James Bond, and even The Rock, which got everyone laughing. One of the kids was hesitating, and his friend joked, “Come on, just be cool for once in your life.” That broke the tension and gave us some genuinely fun, memorable shots.
The kids were easygoing and a joy to work with. I even encouraged the parents to get in a photo with their kids. Homecoming is a big deal, and the investment in making it memorable is significant. While a lot of parents said they weren’t dressed for a nice photo, I encouraged them to jump in anyway. With the camera and lighting setup I had, I knew we’d capture high-quality images that they wouldn’t get with just a phone camera. Even in a world filled with phone photography, there’s something special about a professional photo.
With Tioga High School’s homecoming wrapped up, I’m looking forward to Pineville High School’s next week.