Having accessories such as scarves, hats and jewelry with you on a photo shoot is a great idea.  This allows you to add things to the shoot to give your senior a different look.  Hats and Scarves become props and are great things to have the senior work with for different poses.

See the photos below on how we used a hat and scarf at Seniorologie Tour Atlanta to provide a new look to this outfit!

Image by Nicole Lubin of Nicole Lubin Photography

Image by Leslie Kerrigan of Leslie Kerrigan Photography

By Amy Froughton of Photo Business Tools

With the end of school coming just around the corner, I am sure that many of you are booked crazy with last minute seniors who need to look fabulous and have their pictures done asap, right?  It’s so fun, but so crazy all at the same time!

As you are building your senior photography business, you might want to start thinking ahead to next year, and how you can grow your brand awareness and your clients even more.  So, we wanted to share a few ideas that may help you get your name out there, build trust with your potential clients and bring new business your way.

Have you thought of working with the local high schools?  The schools are a fantastic place to be, in front of the kids who are soon going to be seniors.  It’s a great idea to start building a relationship with different departments in the high school to see how you can help them, and still get exposure.

Why not offer to be a guest speaker in the photography class?  Bring in some of your best senior work to illustrate the topics that you choose to share about, and offer the students a discount, or coupon to use with their next session with you.

You may also want to contact the Student Council, find out what events they have going on throughout the year, and see if you can be a part of them in any way, of course, leaving your branding everywhere as you go.

Another couple of groups you may want to consider offering your photography or guest speaker services to is the home economics and business classes.  Be sure to start everything off on the right foot by clearing with the school what marketing pieces you will or will not be able to provide as part of your services!

And of course, if any of your clients that are or were students at those High Schools then ask them who you should talk to first, and if there are any teachers or classes that they think would benefit from what you have to offer then get those contacts and start there.

At Photo Business Tools, we help photographers gain more clients,

more sales and more time through better organization!

 Photo Business Tools is giving away one annual memberships and two 6 month memberships to THREE lucky Seniorologie fans.

How to enter the contest:

• Add a comment telling us what your biggest business challenge is.
•  Make sure you “LIKE” Photo Business Tools and Seniorologie’s Facebook page.  This is required for entry, but please do not add an additional comment once you have done this.

Gain Extra Entries:

• Share about Photo Business Tools, Seniorologie and this fun giveaway, link it to Seniorologie/PBT Giveaway.  Share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Stumble Upon, etc.  For each social networking site where you post about it, add a comment on this post telling us where you shared.

• Visit Photo Business Tools Facebook page and leave a note sharing what you love most about shooting Seniors and leave a comment here confirming that you did.
• Visit Seniorologie’s Facebook page and leave a note sharing what you love most about Shooting Seniors and leave a comment here confirming that you did.

• If you’ve been a fan of Photo Business Tools before, leave a comment here telling us how you are using PBT to help your business.  This is for an extra entry.

We will announce the winner Monday, May 21 on the Seniorologie Facebook page and the PBT Facebook Page!!  Good Luck!!

To read more about this session, see below and please visit Retha’s blog here.  Thanks for sharing Retha!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

My clients are my inspiration.  In this case, I was inspired by Irene along with Detroit and it’s hidden gems.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

Downtown Detroit

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

Absolutely.  Knowing what outfits they plan to wear says a lot about the look they are going for.  She wanted Detroit as the location and once her outfits were put together…everything fell into place.

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

My Canon40d and FAVORITE lens, the 50mm

What time of day were these taken?

We started shooting around 4pm and used up every bit of natural light before calling it a wrap. 

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

I do all my sorting in bridge and then edit with Cs5.  I try to keep my processing simple.

What is your favorite thing about this session?

My favorite thing…oh goodness…everything!  My favorite part of every session is the time I get to spend with my clients. With Irene, it was the moments of giggling, setting off the alarm going up the exit to the people mover,  Her admirers that sometimes jumped in the photo, watching her grace as she jumped, over and over.

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

How comfortable and happy she is with herself.  Her love of dance.  I want my seniors to see what I see in their images, how beautiful they are.  If I can convey that in my style…I’m a happy girl. 

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

Talk to them.  This past summer I had a lot of my seniors reference their love for a particular session I did the previous year.  It’s a great starting point but getting to know them…I quickly realized that it wasn’t necessarily the locations or styling that they liked…it was that the images showed her personality.  If someone comes to you and says they want x,y and z, you have to find out what they are really saying.  No two people are alike so find what it is that can make their session, theirs.

To kick off this next leg of the Tour, we are having a VIDEO Contest to give away one FREE seat at the Texas Tour!!  To enter for your chance to win a seat, please make a short (one minute or less) video and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo.  Post a link to the video in the comment section of this blog post, on Seniorologie’s Facebook wall or Tweet a link to @seniorologie with the hash tag #seniorologietourtexas or do all three so we are sure to see your video!  You can be as creative as you like and let us know why YOU want to be at THE SENIOROLOGIE TOUR TEXAS.

The top THREE videos will be chosen and put on the blog for everyone to view and VOTE!!  The video (out of the top three finalists) that receives the most votes will win the FREE seat to The Seniorologie Tour Texas!!!  I can’t wait to see everyone’s videos!!

Video entries must be posted by Friday, May 25 at 11:59 p.m.  The Top Three Finalists will be chosen and those will be announced and posted on the blog Monday, May 28.  Fans will then be allowed to vote on their favorite right here on the blog.  Voting will end at 11:59 p.m. May 31 and the winner will be announced June 1 on the blog!!

That is exactly what happened with this senior and Jenice Ray of Jenice Ray Photography!  Jenice says that most of this seniors clothes came from Forever 21 and she looked like she stepped off the screen of Gossip Girl!  Read what else Jenice had to say about this session below!  Thanks for sharing Jenice!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

Definitely Brittany’s personality! I wanted to capture her fun, genuine, outgoing spirit!

Where did this photo shoot take place?

I’m very lucky to live in a very historic place that has so much character, we used two locations, Down town Jackson, CA (where I live) and another little historic town about 5 minutes away called Sutter Creek. Imagine stores with old original brick designs and parlor balconies. Its honestly a photographers dream

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

I send my seniors a little packet after they book their session with me, it covers hair, makeup and wardrobe ideas. I also send them links to my pinterest boards so they can get some great inspiration. I try to be careful how I explain clothing to them, after all I don’t want them to show up how I would dress, I want them to bring their style and capture them exactly as they are with a touch of glamour

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

I shoot with a Nikon D700 and use my 105 f/2.8 for 99.9% of my senior shoots, I just adore that lens!

What time of day were these taken?

We started at 2:00 and shot till 5. She brought the most amazing wardrobe, we literally shot till it was dark. Brittany never wanted to stop, and neither did I

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

I have a much cleaner style these days when it comes to processing. I really want my subjects to be front and center. Colors are slightly bumped up and skin retouched. Brittany has amazing skin and a little portraiture layer was used at a 50% opacity

What is your favorite thing about this session?

This session I have many favorites but the one thing that comes to mind is that my senior was up for anything. She wanted to get in as many spots and as many wardrobe changes as the sun would allow. When I look back at this session, one would think it was shot over a few days with many different backgrounds and clothes changes.

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

FUN FUN FUN! Brittany and her mom were a blast, we honestly laughed the entire time. I’m sitting here with a smile as the session comes rushing back to me. At one point in the shoot Brittany’s mom Illa was holding a branch for me, we were all on a slight hill and I couldn’t hold my balance so I actually put my elbow on Illa’s shoulder….. Illa was holding the branch and myself up on a hill. We were all laughing so hard, all those smiles Brittany had were genuine smiles. I hope the viewers can see how much fun we had during the shoot.

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

I am very lucky that I have this amazing fan base. My seniors and their parents are excited about their session and I am the first person to jump in and share that excitement with them. My tip would be to let photographers know that its okay to completely live in the moment. When I get an amazing shot I jump up and show them the image on the back of my camera. When I capture their genuine laugh or smile, I run over and show their parents. I get excited and scream like a teenage girl at a slumber party when I look back at the images. My clients appreciate my authentic excitement and feed off it.

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?  I spend quite a bit of time getting to know each senior individually, I learn this through a questionaire I send each of them, as well as if we have a consultation ect.. Erika’s style was very classy and elegant, I wanted to make sure this came out in her photos. Since I’m not a teenager anymore, I use their inspirations to inspire me, the senior’s favorite magazines, clothing brands, and musicians all serve as a great source of inspiration for that senior’s shoot.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot? I learned a great way to help senior’s with clothing and concepts for their shoots from Amanda Holloway’s Evolve workshop. The method she teaches is brilliant to help guide seniors into a style that is their’s but at the same time is yours. The balloons and swing were completely Erika’s idea, I asked is there anything special you want to coordinate in this shoot, and a tree swing and balloons were her exact answer. If the client asks for something in particular I make sure to try my hardest to deliver!

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? I shoot with a Nikon D7000, and 50mm 1.8 lens.

What time of day were these taken? We shot this in early December on a very overcast and chilly day from 1-4 in the afternoon.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? I always try to keep my images natural and clean looking. I tend to be loud and bold at times, and I feel the colors in my images reflect this. I use a mix of adjustment levels, blending modes and Michelle Kane actions in my post processing.

What is your favorite thing about this session? I love how elegant yet youthful Erika is at the exact same time. I enjoyed how we were able to capture the elegance within her at the urban shots and how her youthful girliness came out in the country locations.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style? I like to think my style is classic, that I create timeless captures that aren’t trendy and will still be considered beautiful art twenty years from now when these seniors show their images to their granchildren. Erika’s style definately fits that to a tee. I really try to document them, to show off who they are right now in their life. Show off their fashion choices, show off their beautiful complexions, and the carefree exuberance that is all about being 17.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors? Hmm, aim for variety in each gallery. Each senior has a casual style, a dressy style, and edgy style that all fits within their overall style, show each of these off in your photos. Give them many different backgrounds, poses, expressions. Seniors more than anyone else are coming into their own and figuring out who they are, try to document that in their senior gallery.

Leah, the creator of LCH Designs, includes helpful instructions and provides you with the font names that you can download for free!

Today, Leah is giving away one of these Senior Edge 4 Collections to one lucky Seniorologie Reader!!  To enter, please post a comment below and let us know what you think of these awesome designs!  A random number comment will be chosen as the winner.  Comments must be in by Sunday, May 13 at 11:59 p.m.  The winner will receive an email with the link for this download!

Be sure to check out Leah’s other designs here.

Kim shares her first shoot after including hair and makeup in her session below and shares with us the behind the scenes information about this shoot!  Thanks for sharing Kim!!

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors? Talk to them about what they like to do, their interests, and current tv shows, etc. Keep a conversation going while you are photographing them so they feel relax and comfortable. Have an assistant come along to help hold the reflector or lighting equipment.

Stacy Larsen of Stacy Larsen Photography in Tampa, Florida remembers what it is like to be best friends.  This allowed her to really connect with the two best friends she photographed for their senior sessions.

“Elizabeth and Zoe are the best of friends. The kind of friends who stay at each others house for days on end and share their deepest darkest secrets. I still hold my high school bff near and dear in my heart and I think that is why this session was so fun for me. The reminded me of a couple of girls I used to know ” said Stacy.

Stacy created a fun backdrop using a vintage quilt, old milking stool, twine and clothes pins to create a beautiful backdrop for this session.

Read what Stacy had to say about this shoot and check out the photos below.  Also, check out Stacy’s work on her blog here.  Thanks for sharing Stacy!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

I am often asked what inspires me for a shoot. It’s such a tough question for me because I don’t think I could say it’s any one thing. I may find a specific element that I would like to incorporate, like the 1920′s vintage quilt and then I allow my subjects to inspire me. I never plan a shoot other than location because I find that it stifles my creativity. i find the best moments and capture happen when you least expect them.

This is a best friend shoot.  What is it like shooting two seniors?  How do you incorporate them together in the shoot and separately?

I LOVED shooting the girls together. They are the best of friends and their close relationship lent to a really unique energy. When it comes time for their individual shoots, I prefer to go off just the two of us. I am able to really connect better when their friend isn’t there watching. I also engage with a lot of conversation which is easier when it’s just the two of us.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

I did this photo shoot in a little town center which has a lot of interesting architecture. There was also a field nearby which made for a really great backdrop for the friends shots.

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

I offer a consultation before hand and discuss the different option/locations for their shoot. It usually becomes very clear to both of us where the shoot will take place. As far as clothing, I offer general guidelines and ask them to bring several outfits to choose from. Styling is one of my favorite things about shooting seniors!

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

I shot this session with the Nikon D700 and 50mm 1.4G lens. I have a 24-70 2.8 but find it sits in my camera bag 90% of the time. You just can’t beat the sharpness of the 50mm.

What time of day were these taken?

I prefer to shoot seniors in the evening because the light, especially here in Florida is magical that time of day.

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

I am a pretty clean editor. I aim to get exposure dead on in camera and then do a little color saturation, remove any blemishes or skin imperfections (which these girls had none of) and sharpen. I am not a fan of heavy processing as my goal is to create timeless photographs for my clients.

What is your favorite thing about this session?

As with any session, I would have to say the relationship building. I am a total people person and love the energy that teenagers bring to a shoot. I find we end up feeding off each other and it makes for a really fun session! It doesn’t hurt that I have two teenagers myself so I can connect very easily.

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

I think I would like to it to convey their personalities both individually and together. My goal with every session is to capture my subject as they are. I would hate to take a quiet, shy person and have them jumping in the air. If the photograph doesn’t convey who they are then I have not done my job.

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

Get to know your subject and find connectors. And most importantly create an environment where your subject feels as beautiful and special as they really are. Anyone can take a pretty picture but when you take it a step further and connect with your subject, beautiful things happen.

How much of your photography business is seniors?  I would say 70% of my business is the senior market.

How many reps do you have per year?  This year I have 13 senior reps.

How did you pull together the props used in this shoot?  It was super easy because the main props were made out of newspaper!  Once I had the paper airplanes and the newspaper popcorn cones, I just needed some baskets and fabric.  My husband got a little muddy finding the sticks for the teepee but he didn’t complain!  What a guy!

What is your favorite thing about these photos?  How can I pick one?  Probably the chemistry between the girls.  It wouldn’t have worked if they didn’t have fun and feel comfortable with each other.  They truly had an awesome time and were sad when we were finished.  As was I!