Showing all aspects of a senior’s personality is key to giving your client a perfect session.  Whether the senior is into flow-y dresses and rustic charm or softball uniforms and lettermen jackets, you as the photographer need to be ready to shoot accordingly.

Heidi Abbott of Thrive Creative Studio and Thrive Seniors out of Kansas City was definitely ready for this senior shoot.  Heidi was able to capture this session in what she describes as an “out of town” and “vintage sunset” shoot.  She showed both sides of this senior, the girly-girl and the softball player, and managed to create photos that the senior and her parents will treasure forever.

Heidi tells us all about the session in the interview below.  Be sure to check out her other work here.  Thanks for sharing Heidi!!

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
I absolutely love shooting in the country!  Love the tall grass, the rustic old barn and the gorgeous light that I get in the hour and  a half before sunset.

Where did this shoot take place?
I have my galleries on my website divided into Uptown, Downtown, Out of Town and Vintage Sunset.   My Out of Town shoots take place in lots of places out of town; dirt roads, fields, old barns.  This particular session was at an old barn that I shoot at often.   I have permission to shoot here, so if a client is looking for that rustic, country setting, it’s my go to place.  (I like to have permission.)  I’ve sort of combined my Out of Town and my Vintage Sunset into this one shoot; shooting with lots of backlight at that golden time of day.

Did you collaborate with this senior on the wardrobe for this shoot?
I always offer tips and ideas for my senior sessions, but ultimately, she pulled it all together!  I thought she picked the perfect outfits for this setting with her floral print dresses and skirts.  She is a total softball stud and I was so excited when I saw that she brought everything from her school jacket, state championship ring , to all of her homerun balls!  Yes, those are all of her homerun balls from high school and I love that shot.

What camera, lens and equipment was used during this shoot?
I shot this session with a Nikon D3S and a 50mm 1.4 lens.  I will use a reflector when I can and when it is appropriate as well.

What time of day was this shot?
I always time my shoots to wrap up 30 minutes before sunset.   This was a 2 hour shoot.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing these photos?
I shoot in RAW and initially use Lightroom to tweak any issues I may see with exposure and color.  In Photoshop, I have actions that I run to pop color, create definition and touch up my client’s skin.

What is your favorite thing about these photos?
One of my favorite things about these photos is that I believe I totally captured Olivia and created portraits that truly express who she is right now.    She traveled over 100 miles to come to my studio for her senior pictures, which was such a huge compliment, and I wanted her (and her parents) to feel that it was completely worth it.   Aside from that, I love the lighting, the props, her amazing eyes and just how gorgeous she looks.

What do you wan this session to convey about this senior and about your photography style?
I wanted this session to convey Olivia in the best possible way; who she is, how beautiful she is, and what she loves.  Hopefully, this session showcases my ability as a senior photographer to create senior portraits that truly are a reflection of the person I am photographing.  Displaying my skills to not only capture great shots, in great locations and produce images that are polished and vibrant, not fake and overdone, but to be able to show that my sessions are fun and the senior looks relaxed and like she was having a great time.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers about photographing seniors?
Hmmm, just one?    Honestly,  one of the best tips has to do with how you engage with your seniors.  You have to do what ever it takes to make them feel comfortable with you.    Even if you feel awkward at first, you have to ignore that feeling and find a way to get them laughing and really smiling.    I want my senior clients to leave their session feeling so great about themselves.  I express myself and my excitement over great shots and I share those on the back of my camera with them.  Show them how great they look in what you’ve already taken and it will cause them to be more confident and relaxed as you move through the shoot.