Seniorologie

Incorporating the beautiful colors of the season and coordinating the senior’s wardrobe with that is a wonderful idea to producing a beautiful photo shoot!  Jenna Stubbs, of Jenna Stubbs Photography, did just that with this beautiful session.

Part of that wardrobe includes a hat and a funny story to go along with it.

“Of course the day Target launched the Missoni line, I was online just like every other person in the world trying to snag me some coveted Missoni pieces.  Had my cart full of items, then of course the site crashed, and I lost everything…except the hat. I guess people really weren’t dying to have the hat,but that hat has been awesome to me. I have used it in several other sessions and it just adds the perfect amount of moodiness to the images, said Jenna”

Jenna shares below how she began in this industry and the workshop that really helped her become the photographer she is today! (By the way, the photographer is one of our speakers at The Seniorologie Tour)

Thanks for sharing this wonderful session with us!  To see more of Jenna’s work, click here.

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?

I wanted to really be able to incorporate lots of the beautiful fall leaves into this session, along with the more urban type shots. One important factor that helped make everything look cohesive was for my senior to wear clothes that would compliment the colorful fall leaves. I believe it is our job as the photographer to give advice to our clients about which outfits will work best in each particular location that you plan on using.

Where did this photo shoot take place? What time of day was this shot?

This was shot in the downtown area of my town. It has a park area, lots of alleys, staircases, and also a small creek flowing through the center of town. We met up starting at 8:30 to start going through outfits and the session lasted from 9am to 11am.

Did you collaborate with this senior on the wardrobe for the session? 

Yes. I always collaborate with my seniors about the outfits to wear.  Most seniors already have a great sense of style but as we photographers know, Pinterest can  also be a great place for inspiration. I have an “outfits” board that I send the link to my seniors to give them ideas for what to wear. I also tell them to bring lots of clothes to the session and we can go through them together. Also, I always bring a lot of my own clothes and accessories for them to look through. Cardigans, jackets, and blazers are easy for me to bring to help add texture and layering to their look. At almost every session, a senior may end up wearing something of mine whether it’s a necklace, hat, or even a shirt. I always tell my senior it’s a great way to go “shopping” for free. =)

What camera, lens and equipment was used in this photo shoot?

I shot this session with an 85 1.8 on my Canon 5D Mark II.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing these photos?

One trick I love doing to add depth to the hair is using the Dodge/Burn tool. Look at your subject’s hair and anywhere you see a natural highlight or lighter tone in their hair, on a separate layer, use the Dodge Tool set to highlights at 10% and gently brush onto those areas. Then look for the naturally occurring darker areas of the hair and use the Burn Tool set to shadows with a 6% brush on those areas. This gives a wonderful depth and “pop” to the hair, almost like a 3-D effect. It is easiest to see those natural highlights/shadows with curly hair but works the same with straight hair. I also swear by the Patch Tool for clearing up skin irregularities.

What is your favorite thing about these photos?

I was thrilled with this entire session because Phoebe really was up for anything. The session had a great mixture of nature and urban shots, all with a different look to them.  You know you’ve had a great session when you are excited to edit every single one of them and want to put them all on Facebook to show off. Of course, we have to keep some surprises to ourselves. =)

What do you want these photos to convey about this senior and about your photography business?

My goal at each session is to give my senior photos that look like they could be in a magazine.  By incorporating posing, different lighting scenarios, and even my editing, I really want the senior to look flawless and the photos to reflect how gorgeous each girl is.  Starting in 2012, I’m going to take my business to the next level by making a session with Jenna Stubbs Photography become a full blown experience –compete with makeup done by a professional makeup artist and even in person ordering sessions so that my clients can experience a completely personalized approach to their senior pictures.

What is one tip about senior portrait photography that you can share with other photographers?

One of the best things I’ve done for my business was attending the Kitchen Sink Workshop by Amanda Holloway. I suggest finding someone whose work you admire and see if they offer workshops. Amanda is a super savvy business woman and her workshop gave me tons of new ideas that I’m incorporating into my business in 2012. The Seniorologie Tour attendees are in for a real treat by getting to learn from Amanda and the other pros. If you can’t go to any workshops and you have a simple question, you could try just sending the photographer an email. Yes, they may be busy and you can’t take it personally if you don’t get a response, but you never know when you might just get a response.

Tell me a little about you…Where are you from?  

I’m a 29 year old mom of two kiddos (a 3yo boy and a 6month old girl), a former dental hygienist , married to my soul mate that I’ve been with since our very first blind date. I live in Northwest Arkansas (Siloam Springs to be exact) and love traveling, eating, running, and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

How did you get into photography?  

Like most people, I really dove into wanting to learn everything about photography after my son was born. I still remember the shot I took with my Kodak point and shoot camera that I thought “man, I’m pretty good.” That still makes me laugh and boy, did I soon realize I had a lot to learn. I got my first DSLR (a Canon Rebel XSi) in November of 2009 and started reading everything I could to learn the art of photography. I started learning how to edit using Photoshop Elements and joined a forum that also got me started on the photography train.  I eventually started upgrading my equipment and then jumped into CS5. After lots of workshops (online and in person) and reading and studying anything I could, I still am happy to learn new things to help improve my photography and help me run my business.

What is your favorite thing about photographing seniors? 

Seniors are usually up for anything and nothing makes me happier  than when they come to the session and actually tell me that. They’ll sit, stand, squat, and lay down for you so I’m not afraid to try out new poses, locations, or even compositions with them.  Plus, they are normally very confident in front of the camera so that makes the session that much more exciting when you aren’t constantly trying to get them relax in front of the camera.

A connection between this senior and her beloved horse that she raised and trained herself was captured so beautifully by Sara Welch of Sara Welch Photography.  Sara says, “she lit up like a Christmas tree with him!”  And it really shows in these photos.

Not only was Sara able to capture the love this senior had for her horse but she also captured the fashionista side of this senior with a dual location session.  In addition to shooting on location with the horse, Sara took this senior to some fun downtown locations such as alleyways and little shops.

Read the interview with Sara below and be sure to check her other amazing work here.  Thanks for sharing Sara!!

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?

Most definitely the horse and the seniors style.  When I spoke to her she said it was very important that we include her horse in the session…..she had visions of herself in a flowy dress on her horse.  She was interested in the fashion/editorial aspect of photography and was completely game for playing that up.  She was also very clear in describing her personality and her sense of style to me, and that really helps me out to figure out how to work with her and how to create her session.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

Downtown Lufkin, TX and nearby horse stables.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?

I always ask my seniors about their sense of style and if there is anything important that we include.  She indicated she had a varied style, from skinny jeans and rocker tees to flowy lace dresses and heels.  That told me we could do just about anything.  And of course incorporating the horse was key.

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? 

Nikon D700 and my 85mm 1.8

What time of day were these taken?

I knew I wanted to catch a gorgeous silhouette of her with her horse and take advantage of the hazy setting sun.  So we started around 3:30pm downtown and moved to the stables afterward. We then shot into sunset.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?  

I keep things pretty clean with my Seniors.   I do like a bit of rich contrast and tones.  I always clean up and smooth out skin, but since all my girls have their makeup professionally airbrushed there usually isn’t much for me to do!  I like eyes to pop so I usually add some contrast and sharpness to them.  Getting things right in camera first is SO key.  It saves you hours in post!

What is your favorite thing about this session?

Her amazing connection to the horse that she had trained herself.  It was bittersweet for her as she was starting to outgrow him and would have to sell him soon.  These images were not only her Senior Portraits, but also keepsakes of her and her friend.  I was so honored to be able to preserve that for her.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?

This senior took initiative.   Not only did she truly answer my initial questions about who she was and what she wanted…She got on the phone with me and really let me know more about herself and her ideas.   Often times seniors are hesitant to voice too many opinions because they want to trust the photographer.  Its true you should totally trust your photographer, but it is also important to make sure the photographer understands who you are.  The photographers style and your style should mesh.  I want to capture Seniors at their best….you on your best day, elevated to your most fabulous.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?

Find out what their passion is.  What lights them up inside.   While this senior totally rocked the downtown portion of the session, she became a whole other person when we got to the stables.  Her exuberance was pouring out of her and I wish we had more time to spend out there!  If there is something like that, include it!  If they are a serious and sweet, that should be evident.  If they are a jokester and always laughing, make sure you catch that.  It makes your session well rounded and complete.  It makes an outsider looking at the images feel like they know a little bit about who the senior is.