I’m back with Part II of the awesome Seniorologie shootout in Las Vegas! I thought that this time, I’d share a couple of things that I loved about this shootout, which happen to be things that make any senior session fun and gives great pics!
One of the first things I loved about working with these gals is that they are not afraid to step outside their comfort zone. Trying new things is a BLAST! And that can mean wearing something you love but wouldn’t normally buy, doing your hair or makeup a new way, trying a completely off the wall location, etc. Yes, we want your senior session to be about YOU, but you’d be amazed at the amount of YOU that can shine through when you make it a true adventure. The truck we used in this set of photos was….well, OLD. The seat was not the most comfortable (or pretty), but Gabi hopped right in and worked it. The color and shape of the truck window made an amazing frame to her beautiful face.
One of the other things I loved about working with Gabi is her willingness to just do something silly. Yup, we got silly. One of our great photographers that hosted the shoot found this super cool, broken down old bicycle. We grabbed it and had Gabi pose with it, pretend to ride it (even though no one in their right mind is riding a bike in the middle of a desert ghost town!), and we just had fun. Again, it’s about stepping outside your comfort zone, and just being YOU.
One of the best tips I can give my seniors is to trust me to make your images look FAB. It isn’t all about the clothes, or the location, or the props. It’s about bringing YOU out. (Do I sound like a broken record? Well, it’s because it is true!) I may look like a fool when I’m down on the ground, or climbing a bench or a tree to get that perfect shot. You might even feel a little weird in some of the poses I direct you into. but trust me. Relax and just go with it. When you don’t relax into a pose, it begins to look awkward and stiff, and believe me when I say it will come through in your photos. I will never do anything to put any of my clients at risk, so have a little faith, and we’ll run with it!
Also, it’s great to bring ideas with you to your session. I’ve had seniors and other clients bring me sample photos, even entire boards on Pinterest. AWESOME! But….yes, there is a but….let’s take that idea and put a spin on it to make it uniquely YOU. You hired me to take your senior portraits that didn’t look like every other senior picture, so let’s make this amazing!
My last bit of advice for today: Limit the number of people you bring along to your session. “Officially”, I say limit it to one parent and/or one friend. The more people you have as an audience, the more you will be thinking about THEM and not about YOU. It makes a big difference!!
