Our middle school has a wonderful arts program thanks to dedicated teachers. It’s a big draw for kids in the orchestra, band, jazz band and chorus. Before Christmas, the 7th and 8th graders came together for a magnificent performance that blew everyone away! Last year, when my daughter started playing violin in 6th grade, the teacher asked if I’d consider making musician photos to raise money for the orchestra. After wedding season wrapped up for me, I arranged the Moultrie Orchestra Fundraiser and was able to make a $2200 to the school. I was so happy to reach my $2000 goal!

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull off my ambitious plan to make some good photos in just a few minutes with each child. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Middle schoolers were a delight to photograph! I secured permission to shoot outdoors on a property with lots of trees so I’d have some decent light at various times of the day, and Sign Up Genius made it easy for parents to choose a time slot. I encouraged the kids to wear whatever they wanted to be photographed in, which resulted in a variety of middle school looks, from casual to formal concert wear and everything in between.

I tried to create a mix of shots, with the kids playing and holding their instruments. I uploaded a handful of choices from each mini session, and sold prints, which I delivered before Christmas break. I even had a few families book the mini sessions and use images for their holiday cards, which worked okay since I wanted to make sure we hit the $2000 mark.
By timing our portrait sessions before the holidays, I was able to create some great gifts for proud parents and grandparents. Thanks to all who participated and making my first Moultrie Orchestra fundraiser a huge success! These kids look like rock stars! I hope you’ll reach out and share my name with others in Mount Pleasant and Charleston who need some timeless portrait photography in the great outdoors. Take a look here for some of my other favorite portraits from last year.