Ashley Westphal of Ashley Westphal Photography out of Atlanta, Georgia shares a beautiful session below that really showcases her ability to take control of the photo shoot, which she says allows her clients to feel confident in both themselves and in her abilities as a photographer.  She walks her seniors through posing from head to toe (or as Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model says, “modeling H to T”) :), checking every detail before clicking the shutter!  I would imagine that this not only produces wonderful images but cuts down on culling time too!!  And as you will see below, every image is perfection!  Be sure to check out Ashley’s other work here and read what else Ashley had to say about this photo shoot!  Thanks for sharing Ashley!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?  The inspiration for this shoot was the AMAZING light we had, as well as the seniors killer wardrobe and SUPER sweet personality! This whole shoot felt very light and airy, which I felt was so reflective of her personality (I adored her!).

Where did this photo shoot take place? We shot this session in the Midtown and Buckhead neighborhoods of Atlanta, GA

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?  I always provide inspiration to my seniors via pinterest, but ultimately it’s up to them to bring what they love and feel comfortable in (but this particular senior brought an outfit directly off the inspiration board!  Awesome!).  I usually ask them to pack more outfits than is necessary, and then help them narrow it down to what they really love and what will photograph well.  Additionally, I help style the shoot with accessories to give that little extra “something” to their outfit.

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?  This is going to shock some people, but I actually shoot Micro 4:3.  I have a high-end Pan M4:3 and the shoot was primarily shot on a 50mm 1.4 Leica lens and a 90mm 2.8 Leica Lens.

What time of day were these taken?  This session was shot in the early AM which is my favorite time to shoot.  Not only do you get dreamy light, but in the middle of the city in Atlanta, you can run into a lot of clutter with people, cars, etc. so I’ve taken a liking to the early morning session. 

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?  I shoot in RAW and then do all of my initial color correction in Lightroom.  I’m a huge fan of the clickinmoms essentials preset set for quick and easy LR workflow (http://www.clickinmoms.com/store/shop/essentials-presets/). I then upload to Photoshop for skin correction, color boost, and sharpening. 

What is your favorite thing about this session?  All of the dreamy light and how perfectly it worked with her wardrobe and personality.  She was a smiley, sweet girl, and I loved the airy feeling of the whole shoot (even the urban shots felt light and airy to me).

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?  The amazing light really highlighted the glow that this senior brings into a room (sounds cliche, but it’s true), and I love how we mixed my high-fashion style with what fit her personality.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?  I’ve found that the more “in control” of the shoot you are, the more everyone relaxes.  I walk my seniors through their pose from head to toe (well, actually, it’s from toe to head for me as I find that the shoulders and the mouth are the last to relax), their expression, and make sure that every detail with their clothing is the way I want it before I hit that shutter button.  By showing the senior and mom that I know what I’m doing, everyone seems to relax quicker and it results in better images.