Finding the right backdrop to coordinate with your client’s clothing is part of our jobs as photographers.  Photographer Sarah Edelman of Thomas and Thomas Photography in Ohio said that she always tells her clients to pick clothing they feel comfortable in but she will find the perfect location that works with what they wear.

“It is my job to find the right backdrop to coordinate with their clothing,” said Sarah.  “For example, if their most favorite shirt is bright colored plaid, I might try to find some type of background that is a bit more subdued, to really focus on the subject.”

Check out this perfect backdrop for this gorgeous senior session in downtown Cleveland and read what else Sarah had to say about this shoot.  Thank you for sharing your work with Seniorologie Sarah!

Website:  www.ttwss.com

Blog:  www.ttwss.com/blog

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/tandtphoto

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
To have a more urban feel.  The model is so pretty and prim and proper, that I wanted to add more depth to the session than the typical flowers that you would expect.  She also rocks an AMAZING serious face!!

Where did this photo shoot take place?
All around downtown Cleveland (The night before the Cavs won! haha)

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
We give all of our clients a welcome guide that talks about clothing choices etc.  But all in all, I always tell them to choose outfits that they like and feel comfortable in; it’s my job to find the right backdrop to coordinate with their clothing.  For example, if their most favorite shirt is a bright colored plaid, I might try to find some type of background the is a bit more subdued, to really focus on the subject and not get lost in a world of color!

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 200mm f/2.0

What time of day were these taken?
Sunset

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
My business partner Amy does all of the editing from our studio. She has created certain actions to maintain the look that we like, but it mostly consists of curves, softlight, offset and portraiture.

What is your favorite thing about this session?
I LOVE when a senior can rock both a smiley face and a serious face.  She has one of my most favorite serious faces!!

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
This senior is SO smiley and has such a bubbly personality.  If I asked her if she would prefer smiley to serious faces, she most certainly would aire on the side of smiley.  But I LOVE her eyes when she is serious!  She was up for anything, so I made sure I captured both faces.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Make sure that you capture what they *think* they want.  I always want them to walk out of our studio feeling like they had a hand in directing how the session went.  Once they feel comfortable, and feel like they got to “call some of the shots”, they start to really trust me, and then I start making suggestions of thing to add to their gallery.  That could be different faces, different locations, pairing different outfits together etc.  9 times out of 10 they love what I suggest, but I’ve learned that if you start being bossy right out of the gate they don’t respond nearly as well!