My senior, Jordan, spent the first part of her summer on an extended stay in the Southern California sunshine, so when she came home to Oregon, we decided we wanted her session to have that same Cali vacation feel.
Where did this photo shoot take place?
In my friend’s gorgeous backyard.
Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
Yes. I’ve worked with Jordan before and know she has awesome style, so collaborating was pretty simple. I just told her to bring what she’d wear to the pool on vacation.
What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?
My Nikon D800 and my 50mm f/1.4.
What time of day were these taken?
I typically like to shoot an hour before sunset, which was at 8:30pm, but the pool area gets dark quick because of all the surrounding trees – so we shot from about 6 to 7 pm.
Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I use Lightroom 4 and VSCO actions for all of my post-processing.
What is your favorite thing about this session?
I love the lighting we had – it really enhanced her smooth,creamy complexion. And her red lipstick – I loved the pop it had in the images.
What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
One thing I know about Jordan is that she likes to have fun and dares to be different. She didn’t even hesitate when I asked her if she wanted to jump in the pool and mess up her curls. I wanted to make sure the images conveyed those qualities about her. I also wanted this session to convey the same about my style – fun and different.
What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Give feedback or create conversation during the session. I hate awkward silence, so I make it a point to tell my seniors how gorgeous they look or i’ll tell a funny/embarrassing story about myself. Whatever it takes to get them to loosen up and feel comfortable in front of the camera.
