According to Chelsea Atkins of Chelsea Atkins Photography, this senior photo session reminder her of why she absolutely loves photographing seniors!  With three outfit changes, three locations and a horse, this photo session was packed full of lots of gorgeous-ness!

I love that Chelsea not only used natural light but she also rocked the off camera flash!  Way to go Chelsea!  Check out what she had to share about this session below and be sure to check out Chelsea’s other work here.  Thanks for sharing!!

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
It was Darbys natural beauty and loving personality that mainly inspired this shoot. I wanted to create a session that was unique but very simple and I knew I wanted to showcase that with lots of beautiful sunlight!

Where did this photo shoot take place?
The session took place at two different locations, in Ridgefield Washington. We started at Darbys house so we could include her horses. From there we went to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge for outdoor/sunset shots.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
We talked about the concept as well as the locations together.  As for the clothing, I told her to bring as many outfits as she would like and I would help her select them as we arrived at the different locations. 
What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?
I used the Nikon D700 with the NIKKOR 50mm f1.4G and the NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8. As well as, the Westcott Illuminator Reflector, both the gold and silver side. At sunset I used my Nikon SB 700 Speedlight {off camera} with an 8″ Westcott softbox. 

What time of day were these taken?
We started around 3:30 at her house and then moved to the Wildlife Refuge and shot until the sun was set.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I didn’t use a lot of dramatic post processing since I wanted to keep the overall theme about her and her natural gorgeousness! I edited primarily in Adobe Bridge and Photoshop. I used a few amazing actions from Florabella at low opacitys. 
What is your favorite thing about this session?
I loved everything about this session, the light was absolutely perfect, Darby was so amazing and sweet. I had my wonderful friend, Charissa {hair/makeup artist} helping me with my reflector and we all three had a great time together. We ended up shooting for over three hours and the time just flew by with all the fun we were having! Sometimes it really doesn’t even feel like a job! 

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
This session really allowed me to just step back and relax a little. I wasn’t worried about props, or extravagant oufits, and crazy poses. I knew I wanted to capture Darby “naturally” so we just had fun with it.  I am not afraid to try new things, I always let my seniors express themselves. When posing them, I always say do what feels most natural to you, I want them to feel beautiful not only on the outside but on the inside as well. I always make sure to show them a few shots on the back of my camera, just to give them that extra boost in confidence as well as encouragement.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
This is such a unique time in their life, I believe uncovering their personality and letting that shine through the photos is so important.  Ask questions and listen, get to know them and don’t try to make them do something that you might think is a great shot, if its not them.

Senior Inspiration – {Chelsea Atkins Photography}

Reply...

heck, yes i do!

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