Most of us take for granted the fact that we can easily communicate with our clients during a photo shoot.  But Natasha Tessier of Natasha Tessier Photography learned that communicating with a client is not always through talking.

This senior in the photos below is deaf.  Natasha communicated with her through demonstrating what she wanted her to do and through talking.  This senior could read Natasha’s lips and was able to do exactly as Natasha directed.

Check out this session below and be sure to read about Natasha’s experience on this session!  You can also check out more of Natasha’s work here.

Natasha also runs an online editing course through her School of Tess.  You can watch as she transforms and image from SOOC to Beautiful!  She is offering Seniorologie readers a special discount on top of the sale price of $99.  Enter Seniorologie10 to get an extra $10 off!  The Class is this Wednesday, March 6 at 8 pm Central.

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?  Kelsey wanted a rustic outdoor shoot. She had a vision of overgrown grass and rustic barns so that is the route we took!

Where did this photo shoot take place? The shoot was all over San Antonio! It lasted several hours as she wanted a lot of different looks!  I always try to accommodate my clients with their requests.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot? As with all my seniors, we discuss outfits prior to the session and then we go to my fabulous stylist and lay out everything. Kerri (stylist) and I create just the perfect look to for each outfit by accessorizing, finding the perfect shoes and making it a complete look from top to bottom! Kelsey wanted it to be mostly natural so we kept it pretty simple!

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? I used my canon 5d mark iii and my 85 1.2!  Love that combo!

What time of day were these taken? I prefer evening shoots but we could only work this out in the morning and the light was a bit harsh at certain times. 

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? I LOVE to edit and teach photographers how to edit!  In my opinion, after getting it right with the camera, it is the single most important step. It is what makes your work stand out from the rest of your competition! I think it is necessary to take each image, setting and scene into consideration. For a while everyone was editing all images hazy and yellow and that works for the correct image but not ALL images!

What is your favorite thing about this session? Kelsey is deaf and has a cochlear implant, but you would not have known it!  She acted just like any other senior. She is so talented with lip reading that at one point I was talking to her mom who was standing next to me and Kelsey could understand everything we were saying from 15 feet away!!  She is a strong girl, and her parents taught her to not allow anything to bring her down! She will be successful no matter what she decides to do as her drive and determination are outstanding!

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?  Kelsey is a unique individual both inside and out! I wanted to convey that in the session. As with all my sessions, I want my seniors to leave with a different and unique experience, one they will remember forever! It is so much more than just come and snap your senior pics! I collaborate and care for the client before, during, and after each session. My assistant and I go out of our way to make sure their needs are met and expectations are exceeded.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors? Make sure you listen to what your clients want. It may not be what you want, but you need to do your best to use your knowledge and their desires to create the best scenario. If done correctly, seniors can become an amazing subject. They have truly taken over my business and brought it to the next level!