Sometimes it is the little things that make a session so much fun!  Joie Madison of Joie Madison Photography says that the moment she and her makeup artist suggested red lipstick for this senior, was the moment when everything came together!  Adding that little touch, made this senior’s personality really come out!  I love that she got so excited about it and really got into her session!

Check out what Joie had to say below and be sure to visit her blog here.  Thanks for sharing Joie!

Ali herself, was my inspiration.  She is a strong, kind, talented, beautiful girl and I wanted to be able to capture that and have all the other elements of the shoot(hair, makeup, wardrobe, location) work together to make her personality shine through my lens.

Where did this shoot take place?
For this particular shoot we chose to go downtown.  It took place in Ancestor Square, St. George, Utah.  There are lots of fun shops, restaurants, old buildings surrounding a courtyard.

What time of day?
This shoot was in early December at about 4pm.  Fortunately, Southern Utah is very warm for most of the year. We had about 90 minutes before sunset which is a magical time for light.

Did you collaborate with this senior before the session to determine concept, location and/or wardrobe?
One of my favorite parts of the whole photography process is meeting with the client.  I wast able to meet with Ali and her mom in their home. I was able to get to know her and what she wanted from her senior photoshoot.

What camera, lens or equipment was used for this photo shoot?
I shoot with a Nikon D700 and my two favorite primes, which happen to be the only lenses I own: 85mm f1.4 & 50 mm f1.4.

Can you share your post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE post processing. There is just something about opening up that dull, raw image and bringing it to life on my screen that gets me really excited about my art.  I always edit my first photo in a series to set the standard/style and then I edit all the rest side-by-side next to the first to ensure consistency throughout the series.   I tend to do a lot of editing by hand such as skin touch-ups, slight eye-sharpening, popping the colors with some curves, or softlight. I love adding adjustment layers & levels to add a soft glowy look to a photo. I have created my own actions for many things, especially sizing for web and print.

What is your favorite thing about these photos?
Every time I look through these I think about the moment that we asked Ali if she wanted to wear red lipstick.  She was so excited and couldn’t stop telling us how glad she was that we brought red lipstick. It was like we read her mind!  She really was having so much fun and her energy was contagious.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and your photography style?
I hope that when others see these photographs they realize how amazing it is to be a high school senior.  It is such an exciting time of their lives.  They are so vibrant, full of life, and have the whole world ahead of them.  I want Ali and others to glimpse a little of that when they look at their senior portraits.

What is one tip you can share with other senior portrait photographers?
Bring an assistant.  Not only can they help with gear, you can bounce ideas off them, have them carry a little music on site to loosen the mood, help with wardrobe…the possibilities are endless and my senior photoshoots turn into a great experience for everyone involved.

Tell me about you…where are you from?  how long in the business? how did you get into photography? etc.
I was born and raised in Utah. I have always been interested in graphic arts and I took photoshop classes back in the 90s, before anyone really even knew what Photoshop was. 🙂 After I got married, I spent a couple years in San Francisco with my husband and really began learning everything I could about about photography. I actually have a degree to teach high school English, and I have even taught English & Spanish in juvenile detention.  This is where my love for teenagers comes from, however, having two small children myself, photography is a much better fit than full-time teaching.  I feel so blessed to work with high school seniors creatively.  I have officially been in business for about a year and the future looks exciting.