Gianna’s quinceañera photo session at Castle McCulloch was one of those shoots that seemed to evolve naturally as the day unfolded.
The only real plan going in was simple: Gianna wanted her portraits taken in a castle. Beyond that, a lot of the creative direction happened in the moment once I actually arrived and began exploring the venue for the first time. And honestly, that is often when the most interesting work happens.
I arrived whilst it was still raining, so we began the session indoors, working with the moodier light inside the castle before gradually moving outside as the weather cleared. Throughout the afternoon we kept bouncing between indoor and outdoor spaces depending on how the light was shifting. Sometimes the softer overcast light outside was perfect, then twenty minutes later the sun would break through the trees and completely change the atmosphere again. It kept the whole session feeling creative and reactive rather than overly structured.
Castle McCulloch turned out to be a fantastic place to work for exactly that reason. The old stonework, dramatic archway at the entrance, heavy wooden doors, chandeliers, woodland walkways, ivy-covered walls, and surrounding greenery all created very different moods depending on where we were standing and what the weather happened to be doing at the time.
One of the advantages we had was time. We were never rushing from one setup to another, which meant we could slow down, experiment a little, and really respond to the location creatively instead of forcing a rigid shot list. Some of the portraits became soft and painterly amongst the greenery, whilst others naturally leaned into something more cinematic once we moved back inside the darker interiors.
The lighting itself became part of the process too. Ironically, the one place I knew Gianna would absolutely want portraits — right outside the main entrance beneath the archway — was also the trickiest lighting situation on the property. The trees directly outside the doorway created heavy overhead shadows and those classic “panda eyes” photographers are always trying to avoid. That ended up being the only point during the session where I reached for a studio light and softbox because I wanted to preserve the atmosphere of the entrance whilst still giving her flattering light.
Later on, though, we found a much simpler solution. Gianna’s dad ended up helping me by holding the white cloak out just off-camera so I could use it as a giant reflector to bounce some natural light back into her face and soften the harsher shadows. Honestly, I love little improvised moments like that during shoots. Sometimes the best lighting tools are simply whatever happens to be nearby.
The white fur-trimmed cloak itself only made a brief appearance during the session, but it completely transformed the mood for those few portraits. Combined with the darker interior spaces and candlelit atmosphere, the images suddenly took on a much more timeless, cinematic feel that contrasted beautifully with the softer outdoor portraits earlier in the day.
The lantern bridge ended up becoming another really fun part of the shoot creatively. By that point the sunlight was filtering sharply through the trees in small patches, creating these dramatic spotlight effects across the bridge and walkway. A lot of photographers might avoid that sort of harsh, broken light entirely, but I’ve always found it more interesting to see what the light is offering you rather than immediately fighting against it. We embraced the harder light for some portraits first, allowing Gianna to step in and out of those shafts of sunlight almost like a theatre spotlight, before later moving to one side of the bridge where the light softened again for a completely different feel.
I think over the past decade or so, photography has increasingly been pushed into these simplified categories of either “dark and moody” or “light and airy,” as though every image has to fit neatly into one aesthetic box. But in reality, photography is much more about observation and adaptation than forcing a preset style onto every situation. Light changes constantly. Weather changes constantly. Locations behave differently every few minutes. What one photographer might see as a lighting problem, another might see as an opportunity to experiment.
For me, sessions like this are always about slowing down, paying attention to what the environment is giving you, and being willing to play a little creatively rather than trying to completely control every variable. Some of my favourite images from the day happened precisely because the conditions kept changing and forced us to adapt.
This session was also particularly meaningful for me because it was actually my second time photographing this family. A few years ago, I photographed Gianna’s sister Olivia’s quinceañera as well, so there was already a level of familiarity and trust that made the entire afternoon feel relaxed from the start. The whole family came dressed for success too, and throughout the session we naturally paused to create a mixture of family portraits, sibling photographs, and individual images along the way rather than separating everything into rigid sections.
One thing I particularly appreciated was how genuinely excited everyone became seeing the first sneak peeks afterwards. Gianna’s mum later messaged me saying the family had all “hovered over my phone like it was Christmas morning” whilst looking through the photographs together, which honestly made me laugh — but also perfectly captured the energy surrounding the session. Those reactions are always meaningful because they remind me that these images become part of family history, not just something posted online for a few days.
What I enjoy most about quinceañera sessions like this is the balance between elegance, personality, and spontaneity. Yes, there are classic portraits and important family photographs, but there is also room to experiment and let the atmosphere of the day shape the work naturally. This session never felt overly staged or manufactured to me. It felt collaborative, relaxed, and creatively inspired by the environment we happened to be standing in at that exact moment.
And these are still only the sneak peeks. I have a feeling this session may deserve a second post once I finish curating the full gallery properly.
Here are my picks of the pics from Gianna’s session….
