Portrait: Trevor Loria on Black Diamond Trail

Trevor Loria, 21, of Concord, Calif., looks toward the sun while hiking on the Black Diamond Trail in Clayton, Calif., on Friday, June 4, 2021. Loria lives nearby the trail that leads up to Mount Diablo and frequently brings his dog, Maisie, on his sunset hikes. (Miyah Saeyang)

For my portrait assignment, I really wanted to capture images of my friend, Trevor Loria, on the Black Diamond Trail in Clayton, California, where we often go to hike on the weekends. Because we normally go during the hours around sunset (approximately 6–9PM), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take photos of the setting sunlight hitting his face and the rolling hills of the East Bay. I chose this picture as my leading photo because I thought that the light gave his face a nice color on his naturally fair skin tone while also illuminating the slightly out of focus trail behind him. It also includes some shadows from the trees that create some contrast between the background scenery and his face at the forefront (or as the focus) of the image. Below are some of the photos I thought were worth showing as well.

Trevor Loria, 21, of Concord, Calif., poses for his photo taken by friend Miyah Saeyang on the Black Diamond Trail in Clayton, Calif., on Friday, June 4, 2021. The two often hike the many trails available to them in the neighborhood and surrounding state parks.

Trevor Loria, 21, stands in the light under a tree as the sun sets over the cities of Concord and Clayton, Calif., on Friday, June 4, 2021.

Trevor Loria, 21, opens his arms out to the sun wearing a sparkly blue button up shirt that he brought as a prop in preparation for his portrait taken in Clayton, Calif., on Friday, June 4, 2021.