Jessica Feely is an amazing photographer out of Sacramento that specializes in senior portrait. Jessica has photography in her blood, as her mom also had her own photography business! In addition to her photography business, she has an awesome marketing kit for senior photographers called Senior Portraits 101. This kit has everything!! If you are looking to start your senior portrait business or improve your business, this is the marketing kit for you! Exclusively, for our readers, Jessica is offering a discount on the Senior Portraits 101 marketing kit! Check it out here.

In addition to her photography and marketing, Jessica just started a new forum for senior photographers! Check it out here. Until August 12th, you can receive a membership to the forum FREE!!! Yep, that is right. It is free so sign up now!!

We are so excited to have Jessica’s work as our first official post on Seniorologie! Thanks for the inspiration!!

How did you get into the senior photography market?
I first started photographing my sister who was just a year older than senior age and that moment it clicked. I loved the makeup, hair, cute outfits, poses…it was something that made me happy and excited!

Do you have a specific senior season? If so, when?
Yes, my senior season is generally August through October. I photograph my reps much earlier though. I would like my senior season to span a larger number of months, but in my area most seniors wait until the last minute to get their pictures done.

What is your photography style when it comes to shooting seniors?
My style is naturally posed with some flair. I like to have both sides of fun and candid while still grabbing the more traditional end of the spectrum. Having that variety seems to go over well with clients. As for editing, I used to skin smooth a TON. It actually looked plastic and fake because I did it too much. I personally dont like that style anymore. I will touch up blemishes, and run a very light skin smoothing treatment. I want it to look mostly real with a touch of soft skin. I have been blessed to have clients with very clear and beautiful skin. I do not touch up the eyes anymore. The trick for me is finding good lighting. Ever since I learned how to recognize light and the direction of where it is, my senior’s eyes are always bright and have catch lights. My editing style I would define as timeless because I dont follow any fads that “date” my work. In 15 years, the senior will look back and still enjoy their pictures, and not wonder why it had a vintagey yellow tint.

What is your advice to those photographers looking to grow their senior photography business?
Take lots of pictures! You wonder why all professionals say this? Because its TRUE! Photoshop is too much of a crutch for newbie photographers. Learn how to expose your subjects correctly to get those creamy nice skin tones. Learn how to shoot at different apertures to get the desired effect. And learn how to get the picture correctly IN camera the first time, and then you wont have to worry about fixing mistakes and spending hours in photoshop dodging and burning skin etc.

What do you feel is the best marketing tool you have used to promote your business?
Hands down facebook. If you havent used this or taken advantage of it yet, its a must. 99% of my referrals and clients come from it. There are many great ways to market outside of facebook, but its like facebook was designed with photographers in mind. Take the time to learn it!

You have a very successful senior rep program. Can you tell us how it works?
Basically, my senior reps are chosen and photographed early on in the year, then they spend the summer/fall advertising and marketing to their friends and classmates. They receive goodies and incentives when referring, and always rewards for working hard.

Can you share tips on how to start a senior rep program?
Find someone who is willing to work hard, has a lot of friends and is very social. Offer them a free session, or free prints or whatever you’d like, in exchange for being your rep. Give them materials to hand out to friends such as senior rep cards. It can be frustrating the first year, but from then on out, each new year gets easier and easier.

What are the benefits to a senior rep program?
You have more than one mouth singing your praises! Plus, friends like to copy their friends and get recommendations right?

What do you feel makes your senior business so successful?
Successful to me maybe not be successful to someone else. To me, I prefer to take on quality vs quantity. Some senior photographers will have high volumes and it will work great for them. For me, I have a steady base of preferred clients that pay well. I am happy to do the work and be paid well, rather than overworking myself and taking on high volume for the same amount of money. In other words, its completely specific to my lifestyle and family. Being a mom and a wife, I feel that with the # of seniors I photograph and the amount of money I make, I am happy and consider myself successful. The other reason I dont take a high volume of sessions is because I want enjoy what I do and not feel like I am working for a pay check. Having a life and feeling inspired and prepared in between sessions really help me to love my job.

You have a marketing kit for photographers called Senior Portraits 101. Can you tell us about this?
Its a guide that will help you develop your senior business and rep program. It has everything that I have used to build mine plus more. It really answers alot of the questions that a newbie would have a long the way. It doesnt have “fluff” and gets right to the point. It also includes my complete editing and workflow process from beginning to end in a 65 minute video, contracts and forms, and a marketing template set to get you started.

What can photographers expect to learn from this guide?
Starting your senior program, rep program, pricing, marketing, resources, styling, clothing, timelines, and SO much more!

What is in your camera bag?
Nikon D700 + 35mm + 50mm +85mm ( I shoot mostly with my 50) I am a prime girl, cant you tell?

Favorite lens? 50 1.4!

Join my brand new forum here: http://www.seniorportraitsforum.com between now and August 12th and get your membership FREE!

Discount code for the Senior Portraits 101 Guide: sp101take51 Good until end of August.  Click HERE to purchase!  The code applies to the second choice, the digital download.