Wedding and senior portrait photographer Samantha Slayton was nearing the end of this session, captured at golden hour at Greene Farms in Dyer, Tennessee, when she decided to change things up. She knew she had enough shots of the client to deliver a solid collection of images, so she decided to spend the last bit of time with the sunlight taking creative shots, zooming in close for more intimate portraits with her subject.

Slayton knew she wanted to use the farm’s natural greenery as an element in her work but it was a slightly windy day, so capturing the leaves as they moved took a bit of time. “I patiently waited for that perfect moment,” Slayton says, which she caught just as her subject was making direct eye contact with the camera. Says Slayton, “I love this image because it focuses on the senior’s eyes, and the eyes are the gateway to the soul.”

(Captured using a Nikon D750 with a Sigma 24-70mm lens.)

Photo © Samantha Slayton

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