Alissa Esposito, of Alissa Esposito Photography,  is a photographer in Las Vegas, Nevada.  In addition to photographing beautiful seniors, like the one below, Alissa has been my go-to person in Vegas to help plan the Seniorologie Shoot Out.  Thank you Alissa!!!

The senior featured in the beautiful session below just happens to be one of our models for the Shoot Out!  And I can’t wait to meet her in person!

Alissa did a wonderful job capturing these senior photos utilizing open shade when she could.  And when she just loved a spot but it wasn’t in the best light, she used her reflector and diffuser to make that spot work for her!

Check out the session below and read what Alissa had to say about it.  And be sure to check out more of Alissa’s work here.  Thanks for sharing Alissa!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot? I was inspired by the location of this shoot, the arts district.  There are many colorful buildings, spray painted murals, graffiti and a beautiful new preforming arts center. 

Where did this photo shoot take place?  – This shoot was downtown Las Vegas in the Arts district.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot? – Asia was awesome to work with and was up for anything. We talked about what I envisioned for the shoot and she came up with some amazing outfits and sent them to my via picture mail on my phone.  It’s a great way to get your seniors excited for the shoot and not stressed out about outfits at the last moment.  While Asia was getting her hair and makeup done I worked on accessorizing her looks.

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? For this shoot I used my Nikon D700, 50mm 1.4, 105mm 2.8 and my  17-55 2.8 lens as well as a reflector and a diffuser. 

What time of day were these taken? We shot the last two hours before sunset, not only because it was cooler as it was a super hot and humid day, but I just love the light at that time of day.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?  This was the first session I tried a neutral Expodisc with. I think it’s a great product but I found that I prefer setting my white balance with Kelvin values. It allows me to  be a little more spontaneous with my shots.  If I was shooting with mixed lighting I think it would be a very helpful tool to have but I prefer to use natural light. Other than that I had to use a few soft light layers on the backlight shot to help bring out the color in the photo.

What is your favorite thing about this session?  I love that Asia was up for pretty much anything.  She is very easy going and was open to my ideas for shooting downtown.  She was a trooper despite the 109 degree temperature and humidity that day and kept a beautiful smile on the entire time. 

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?  I like to shoot seniors with a modern and urban type style.  For my area, senior portraits are not routinely done.  I’m hoping that more seniors in west coast states will get excited about capturing this important stage of their lives with custom photography.  

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?  One thing I have learned along the way is that for a successful shoot it’s important to communicate with your senior, learning about their ideas of what they want and what represents the as well as discussing both your vision for the shoot.  Coordinating and planning out props, outfits and locations in advance make for less stress the day of for both the photographer and the senior.  Getting your senior excited about the process and the shoot is essential for the overall experience, which is ultimately reflected in the photos.