Great Expectations & the Virginia Community College System

As the graduation season shifts into high gear, I find myself reflecting upon one of our studio's most rewarding projects of the year: Great Expectations.  It's the Virginia Community College System's scholarship program for high school students who will be transitioning from foster homes when they reach the age of 18.

Over the past year, we've meet and photographed many students, their mentors and life coaches, and foundation leaders who are all dedicated to this program.  Every shoot has been a delightful experience.

Communications group CRT-Tanaka asked us to create environmental portraits for the programs' website and collateral materials.  They made if very clear that they wanted images that were relaxed and look like real life on campus.  The images you see were created in one day at the Henrico JSReynolds Campus, in their new library/technology center.

Above, Jeremy is in the foreground, and as you can see, he's just hangin' out, looking like he's between classes.  The young man studying in the background is Tracey, and he's featured in the image below.

Tracey told me he was working 2 jobs in addition to going to college at J-Sarge.  What an inspirational young man.  I love his ID tag and the mobile phone/ipod in his hands.  

Next, we met Keturah, also a student at JS Reynolds, who said she was thinking about going into nursing.  She sure has a bright future.

One of the really cool things about Great Expectations, is that the advisers (or coaches, as they call themselves) start working with students when they're in high school, getting them prepared for the transition to independence and college.

Two of the students we photographed on that day at JSR were high school students, who were visiting the school with their coach. 

This is Cortez who I recall said he wanted to study business in college.  He was happy to settle in behind a field of computer monitors in the tech lab.

And last that day, but certainly not least, was Mike, also a high school student looking forward to college.  We had him stand in the lobby of the busy Tech Center while we waited for classes to change.

We were going for that classic "Grand Central Station" feel.  Trouble was, that students thought they were helping us by avoiding the shot.  What we really wanted them to do was walk around, in front of, and behind Mike...just like they would if we hadn't had a camera on a tripod and a few light stands here and there.  We managed to get a few frames that gave us the look we were after.

As usual, our team include Hassan Pitts, for lighting and all-around photographer's assistant, and stylist Winifred Halliday, who helped get everyone looking their best on camera.

All images and text Copyright 2010, Elaine Odell, Church Hill Photography, LLC.

Do you need a lawyer with you in court?

This is our latest video with a local attorney in Central Virgina.  It's the first of a series we're calling "Legal Q&A".  In each episode, Esther Windmueller, Esq., will answer a question or discuss a topic in layperson terms. 

We shot this with our Canon 5DMarkII, and rented a wireless lav mic from Back Stage in Richmond.  We intentionally recorded audio through the camera's on-board mic to get the street noise that was naturally occurring around us during the shoot.

Hassan Pitts was our sound man and all-around production consultant. 

Copyright 2010 Elaine Odell/Church Hill Photography, LLC.