The iconic St. Louis Arch served as the backdrop for my DeClue Crew Senior Model session this past weekend.  It was a beautiful sunny day, the sky was blue and filled with puffy white clouds that added the final touch to our images.  

The DeClue Crew Senior Model program is a really fun experience for the girls.  I look for Juniors in high school to represent me and we do about 8 creative sessions throughout the year.  I use the sessions to try out new ideas, test new equipment or just to do something fun that I might not get to do with a client.  It helps get my creative juices flowing and I can take what I've done in those sessions and apply techniques or ideas when I am working with one of my wonderful clients.

I really enjoy working with the girls and it's fun to see them as they progress throughout the year.  Many of them are not as comfortable in front of the camera and by the time they graduate, they don't even think twice about it.  That is very helpful when it is time to take their official senior portraits; they will be ready to go and know how the process works.

The parachute skirt was a 25 ft. parachute that I purchased and had made into a skirt.  It can be used a couple of different ways as you can see.  If you wear it where it is open in the front, you can toss it on both sides and it creates a very dramatic look.  And you can get different looks every time you toss it.  If you turn it around and have the open part in the back and it creates this beautiful, flowing skirt that can be draped wide or wrapped tight to create a mermaid effect.  

However you use it, it creates a beautiful, glamorous look and any girl is going to feel like a princess wearing it.