Overview
Noelle's graduation session was a session like no other. It was a celebration of who she is as a photographer, person, and creative being. For her graduation portraits, taken on campus at the University of South Florida, we shot a blend of studio images and some outdoor images with an edgy, filmy flair.
Some Backstory
Noelle and I have known each other since our days at St. Petersburg College, when we both took the same Design I class in 2021 at the height of the pandemic. Although we initially took different artistic paths after that class (with Noelle sticking to her photographic guns while I explored other mediums), she was never too far from our core group of community college friends. A few years later, Noelle introduced me to the team at Limelight Photography, where I have been working alongside her and so many other talented wedding industry creatives.
A few weeks ago, I slid into Noelle's text messages asking if she wanted to be my test dummy for an edgier style of graduation photo, to which she obliged and offered to take mine as well since we're both graduating with our Bachelor's Degrees this winter! We brainstormed for days, sharing ideas for locations, props, vibes, and even what lenses we were shooting with (she let me use her 10mm fisheye - horrible manual focusing, but it was still REALLY cool).
Our Session
During our joint service-trade session, Noelle and I bounced between the advanced lighting studio in the fine arts building (it was free!), the exterior of the Marshall Student Center, the photo lab, and Noelle's own studio space! In these locations, we were able to shoot some images that were deeply personal to each other — to our growth, to our identities, and to our art.
Noelle, thank you so much again for trusting me with capturing one of the most important milestone of your life! And stay tuned to Noelle's Instagram page @noelletopa.photography — you may see some photos of your's truly!
