A concept shoot inspired by a holiday can be so much fun!  And if that holiday is Valentine’s, then the shoot can be even more fun!!

Misti Davis of Pink Fly Photography got a few of her senior reps together for a fun, friend-filled Valentine’s Inspired shoot.  Check out this super cute session below and read what Misti had to share about the shoot!  Thanks for sharing your work with Seniorologie Misti!

What was the inspiration for this shoot? Oh, Valentine’s Day!  Though I’m not one to celebrate it much I do love the fun colors of pinks, reds and all things hearts!  Oh and chocolate….how can anyone not love boxes of chocolates where it’s like a guessing game of which ones are good and you’ve got little bites taken out of most of them?  

Are the girls featured some of your Senior Spokesmodels or Reps?  Yes, all 3 of them are reps for me this year!

When you do a concept shoot, what do you use the photos for? The photos are really just for me.  I like stepping outside of my comfort zone and just have fun doing something different. It gives me a chance to work more with my model reps and gives me a little break between my regular senior sessions. Sometimes I will use the images for marketing materials or wall displays in my office.

How did you create the cute Valentine’s Inspired looks for each girl?  I had the girls bring anything red, pink, black and white that they had and we sorted through. I didn’t have anything in mind at first because I just wanted to see what they brought and get inspired from there.  They brought me SO many cute things it had me wishing I could do wardrobe changes throughout.  In the end I went with bright and girly and what I thought could pop in a very simple setting.  I wanted the focus on them and just pretty lighting since we were so lucky to have it that day.

Where did this shoot take place? This took place in an open field down the street from my house.  It gets some beautiful lighting.  Although I’m sad to say there is officially a “no trespassing” sign on it now. 🙁  I hate when that happens.

What time of day?  Just an hour before sunset.

What equipment was used for this shoot? I used my Canon Mark III, 50 1.2 & 85 1.8.  I totally forgot my reflector but it ended up not being a big deal.  

Could you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? I love bringing everything into lightroom first and adjusting temps and vibrance.  I wish I was more of an LR wiz and could edit everything the way I want in it but I just can’t.  So I bring it into photoshop for some curves (I love me some curves) and I use a brush on color pop for dull backgrounds if needed.  Sharpen, a tiny bit of portraiture and wah-la!  I like to keep things simple.  

How do you feel concept or themed-shoots help you as a photographer? It’s such a great “break” from regular sessions. They’re laid back, creative and help me learn to incorporate props.  I don’t usually feel comfortable trying to bring props into a session because of the fear of making it look cheesy so these shoots help me to push myself to try new things, angles and learn to love props instead of being afraid to use them.

What is your favorite thing about this shoot? Honestly, the amount of laughing involved.  I LOVE fun feeling shoots where girls look like actual teenage girls full of happiness. These girls are hilarious and I love that you can see it in the images that they had a blast.

What is one tip you could give other photographers when it comes to planning a concept or themed shoot? Don’t stress.  Themed shoots are for fun and to just help you creatively.  They shouldn’t be something you feel you have to spend a ton of money on to create or that you are doing it to compete with other photographer’s themed session.  This is for you and you alone.  Have fun with it and let it teach you how to better yourself.