I love meeting photographers at each and every stop on The Seniorologie Tour, and every one of the photographers who have attended have a special place in my heart.  I love watching their businesses grow and seeing how they are succeeding in Senior Portrait Photography.

Lisa McCully of Lisa McCully Photography is one of those photographers.  I first met Lisa when she pulled into the parking lot of the Inn at Serenbe fresh off a drive from Texas.  She was the first attendee to arrive and she left a lasting impression on myself and all the speakers and attendees in Atlanta.  She is such a brilliant Instagrammer, as well as a wonderful photographer, that I was lucky enough to have her come to the Texas tour (very close to her home) to capture the entire thing via Instagram.

I have watched Lisa grow as a photographer and I am so excited to feature her work below.  This session features Sarah and has an urban feel.  Check it out below and read what Lisa has to say about the session.  Be sure to check out more of Lisa’s work here.  Thanks for sharing Lisa!!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?  I am a fan of many senior photographers but Ryan Towe’s urban session with streets and lights inspire me to no end, this is how I thought of the session in the beginning.  

Where did this photo shoot take place?  We wanted something Urban, and downtown Dallas area is great to work in, great indirect light, loads of texture and color.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?  Sarah and I messaged back and forth, she sent pictures of clothing too, like the chevron dress she wears in the session was a must after I saw the picture. We talked about accessories and scarves, things like that. Sarah knew that I wanted to use the Dallas area for the session so her clothing choices were right on the money!  

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?  I use a Canon 7D with the Canon 85mm 1.4. I rarely switch up lenses, on occassion I will use my 50mm 1.4 but not as often as the 85.

What time of day were these taken?  Sarah started at the Ulta for hair and make up at 11:00am, we left from there to Dallas starting the session around 2:00p, wrapping it up at 5:30p/6:00p. Her dad came with her and was a champ with following us around.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?  My post-processing has changed soooo much in the last 10 months, literally I had an addiction to actions in the beginning and now hardly use them! I shoot RAW, upload in LR, tweak for WB/crop/exposure then export to PSE where I do the final edits, basic stuff. I am still in the process of growth in my photography, I am looking forward to seeing what this year brings in the way of new skills!!

What is your favorite thing about this session?  I think all the smiles, Sarah is so pretty and sweet, she couldn’t help but to smile for Diego (my camera:). I love all the textures and colors. Sarah was a treat to photograph, I was excited after leaving the session, I knew she was going to be happy with her images.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?  I wanted the images to convey Sarah’s wonderful youth, I wanted her family to recognize her and then see how much of her was coming thru the image, that she’s sweet and fun, plus she’s grown into a smart young lady headed to Texas A&M in the fall. I’m not sure of my style, I only know that I want them to be happy and feel good about themselves, I try to photograph in a way to make them know that, I want them to see the images and think I look pretty, oh my gosh I’m beautiful, hoping they’ll carry that joy and confidence with them as they move on into college and adult lives.  

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?  Be confident in what you are doing, if it isn’t going the way you need, change it and try something else. Talk to them, get to know them, laugh with them. Show them the camera, let them see the images, once they see that you aren’t going to do anything that makes them look bad they will relax and trust you more. Be yourself, smile and have fun.