Spending time with clients prior to their session can give you a unique perspective on the day of the shoot.  You not only get to know the client prior to the session but it calms their nerves during the session because you already know each other.

“We met Sarah and her mother ahead of time to get to know them and to find out more about Sarah’s style and personality,” said Monique Montoya of Joie Photographie in Houston, Texas.  “We found out that they’ve been fans for a while, which of course makes us even more excited!”

Check out this bright and beautiful session below and read what else Monique had to say about it.  Thanks for sharing your work with Seniorologie Monique!

Website:  www.joiephotographie.com

Blog:  www.joiephotographie.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/JoiePhotographie

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
Just like any senior we photograph, we always meet with them ahead of time to find out more about their personality and style. So Sarah was our inspiration for the photo shoot. She’s fun and bubbly and active and willing to try anything and also very trendy and fashionable. So we wanted to show of her fun and bubbly side with bright colors in the studio and by the Biscuit Wall. We also wanted to show off her hip and trendy side with the more urban locations and outfits. She inspired us so much!

Where did this photo shoot take place?
The photo session took place in The Heights area of Houston which is a historical part of town. We started in our studio with the pink background for a fun and bubbly look. Then we went down our street which is full of shops and restaurants and shot behind different buildings for the urban feel. This included setting up a background in the alley way in order to utilize the great lighting for a studio look.
We then left the Heights area and headed over to the Biscuit Wall in Montrose that is very popular because of the beautiful mural. It was painted so that it looks like different paint colors are dripping down the entire wall.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
As mentioned before, we always have a consultation or weeks before the photo session. That’s when we talk about their style and personality to figure out which direction go in with their session.
On the day of the session, we have them show up early with lots of clothes and accessories and we go through the process of picking out outfits that might look good for the session. We have them try everything on and let us know if they like the outfit, if they feel comfortable in it, if they feel it represents them, etc. They are definitely part of the process of narrowing down the outfits for the session.

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 5D Mark II, 50mm f/2.5 compact macro, 85mm f/1.8USM

What time of day were these taken?
5pm-8pm

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
We run all our images through Lightroom for a soft proofing to correct white balance, exposure, etc. Then we pick our favorites and fully edit those images. The full editing includes re-touching (removing stray hairs, blemishes, trash on the ground, etc.) as well as going through a few of our own custom actions for the final look.

What is your favorite thing about this session?
We love the variety that we were able to capture due to Sarah’s personality. She’s fun and colorful but can still rock a more trendy and urban look. It gave us the chance to showcase different styles and looks.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
For Sarah, we wanted to convey her happy and vibrant spirit as well as her fashionable side. For our photography style, we want to show our modern and fashionable point of view combined with a great eye for lighting.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Take the time to find out more about your senior so that you can reflect their personality and style. When they look at the final pictures and feel like you captured who they are, they’ll love their images more. And don’t be afraid to play with accessories. It can really pull together an outfit.