As photographers, we are always looking for ways to grow.  Creativity and inspiration help us grow.  The best way to express that creativity is to shoot things that you are in total control of.  That is why a “just for you” photo shoot is a wonderful way to learn, express creativity and try something different.

“Just for You” photo shoots are those photo shoots that you, as the photographer, dream about, envision and then set up according to that vision.  Trying a new lens, playing with lighting or just creating a unique set are all ways that you can execute a “Just for You” photo shoot.

Lexi Vornberg is a photographer out of Ohio.  She wanted to play with light so she enlisted the help of a friend to serve as the model and set up this “Just for You” photo shoot.  Check out more of Lexi’s work on her blog.  She also has an incredible, inspirational blog for photographers called Lemonade and Lenses.  Be sure to check it out too!!  Below is what she had to say regarding this shoot…

How often do you do photo sessions that are “just for you?” I actually shoot for myself quite often.  I am involved in two weekly projects.  One with another photographer where we pick a word and we have a week to shoot that word.  Then at the end of the week we reveal our images to one another.  It really helps to push me to think outside the box and outside using a model.  The other project is a personal project.  It?s called 52 weeks of Jd and Samantha, my two pups.  I felt like I wasn’t taking enough pictures of the important things to me.  So I started this project as a reminder to take time once a week to capture my two puppies.

What do you feel is important about doing sessions that are “just for you?” I feel like too often we get caught up in shooting for the client and what we know they are going to buy and not what we want to shoot.   Obviously you have to pay the bills somehow but you can get burnt out if you are doing the same thing over and over.  I always try to add a little something unique to every senior session I do. Even if they don’t like it I already have the images I know they want so why not try.  Actually every senior has loved that one image I get a little creative on.

What did you hope to experiment with, work on or practice with this shoot? I wanted to play around with low light situations and alternative lighting, not studio lighting.  My style is very light, creamy and muted so I wanted to put myself somewhere I knew I would not be comfortable and somewhere I knew I would be pushing myself to become a better photographer.

You did some creative things with light in this photo session.  Can you tell us about this? I actually, after the sun went down, used car headlights as artificial lighting for some of the images.  I was really happy with the results.  Now let me tell you this was not easy.  #1 because you have a beaming light straight at your face and #2 because I couldn’t see through my lens because of the light.  So it was pretty much guess and shoot.  It was a lot of fun though.

What camera, lens or equipment was used during this session?  I used my 7D and my 50mm 1.4

What time of day did this shoot take place? We started after the sun went down, so we had barley any light to begin with and continued till dark. Obviously everything was shot at a very high ISO.

Did you collaborate with this senior on wardrobe for the session?   A little bit.  I knew the outfit wouldn’t have a huge impact because I wanted to crop in pretty close to her face and the flares from the car would make the outfit unnoticeable anyway.

What are your tips for clothing for senior sessions?  I always meet to go over and talk about clothing before a senior session.  I want all my senior to dress like themselves but step out of the box a little bit. I always recommend layering and lots of accessories.   Never anything to “busy” for outfits.  I am a very close shooter by nature so I don’t do a lot of full body shots, something I need to work on, so outfits are not my biggest concern.  I would rather have an amazing location with amazing lighting then an amazing outfit.

Can you share any post processing tips that you used for these photos?  I feel like if you have an image that has a lot of light or sun flares then it’s best to make it black and white. That is not to say some wont look better in color. I just always make them black and white first.

What feel did you hope to convey with this photo shoot?  I wanted to expose myself to different lighting situations because you’re not always going to have  beautiful light to work with.  You never know, you might get stuck in a dark place and have to make it work.

What does these photos say about your photography style? My style is very muted and organic and primarily relies on light.   Some of these images are full of light, just not sunlight, and to me that’s my style.

What tips would you give other photographers about senior photography?  Lol, I’ve only been doing this for a year so I feel like I am still learning myself but the biggest things I feel that help are stepping out of the box and putting yourself in lighting/locations/etc that you are not comfortable with.  Who knows maybe you will love it and in the end you are growing as a photographer.

What is your favorite thing about this session?  The atmosphere of the session.  My model and I are friends so we spent quite some time sitting in the middle of the street waiting for the sun to go down all the way.  It was a lot of fun just sitting and talking and not having to worry about a time frame or if the shoot would even work.  Very relaxed.