Fifteen years after one of my first Hampton Roads photo shoots, Elle and I reunited in Virginia Beach Town Center for a powerful Suit Shoot.
The Summer Solstice has always meant a little more to me than simply being the longest day of the year. For a while, I made it a tradition to celebrate the start of summer with a photo shoot. It was my way of welcoming the season that photographers wait for all year. Longer evenings, warmer weather, and months of creative opportunities ahead. Somewhere along the way that tradition faded, so this year it felt like the perfect time to bring it back.
It was even more fitting because I was photographing someone who has been part of my portrait photography journey almost since the beginning.
Back in 2011, not long after I moved to Hampton Roads, I was part of a group shoots in the area. A handful of local models met us at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront before sunrise, and we spent a couple of hours chasing that incredible early morning light. I was still getting to know the area, still meeting people, and still trying to establish myself in a new community.
Elle was there that morning.
Fifteen years later, we’re both different artists than we were back then. We’ve each grown, learned, and gained a lot of experience, which made this reunion feel even more meaningful.
We started the session with another installment of my Suit Shoot Series, an idea I’ve become more passionate about over the past year. I’ve always loved the look of a tailored suit, especially on a confident woman. For decades, the suit has represented authority, ambition, and success. Seeing women wear it with confidence challenges old ideas about who gets to own those qualities. The suit doesn’t make the woman powerful. It simply amplifies the power that’s already there.
Elle slipped into that role effortlessly. Every pose felt strong without being forced, elegant without losing its edge. The pinstripes, the clean lines, and her confidence all came together exactly the way I had envisioned.
Once we finished the suit portion of the session, we opened things up and shifted into a more general fashion shoot. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about working with experienced models. We don’t feel locked into one concept. We can let the session evolve naturally, trying different wardrobe pieces, changing the mood, and following wherever the creativity takes us. Some of my favorite images came from those moments when we stopped thinking about the original plan and simply started creating.
Looking back through these photographs, I can’t help but think about that sunrise shoot fifteen years ago. At the time, neither of us had any idea we’d still be creating together all these years later. That’s one of the things I love most about photography. It’s more than making beautiful images. It’s building relationships, watching people grow, and reconnecting years later to tell the next chapter of the story.
If you’ve been thinking about updating your portfolio, celebrating a milestone, or simply creating something bold and different, I’d love to help. Whether it’s a Suit Shoot, a fashion session, or a concept that’s entirely your own, let’s create photographs that you’ll still be excited to look at fifteen years from now.
Photography by Mark K 