Senior sessions are usually full of fun, excitement and emotion.  This time in a senior’s life is so important and documenting it with a senior photo session is a must!  But a senior session can also be emotional for the photographer, especially in the case of this senior photo session.

Michelle Saxton of Life Inspired Photography says that photographing her niece, who is a beautiful person inside and out, was full of mixed emotions.  Emotions such as pride and sadness, happiness and love all filled Michelle’s heart as she took these photos.

Read what Michelle had to say about this shoot below and be sure to check out Michelle’s other work here.  Thanks for sharing this lovely session with us Michelle!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

I always draw my inspiration from the personality of the senior I am shooting.  In this case, I was very familiar with the person that I was shooting, because she is my niece, Taylor.  I know Taylor so well and I was inspired to use this shoot to showcase what a smart, savvy, beautiful and fun person she is!

Where did this photo shoot take place?

This was our second shoot for Taylor’s senior portraits and we wanted to do something completely different then her 1st session which was in a lovely field.  After much discussion, we finally settled on a new high-end shopping center.  The architecture of this location provides such a beautiful backdrop and the old world European atmosphere worked perfectly for the urban feel of this session.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?

I always send suggestions of what to wear and what to bring to all my senior clients.  Taylor brought a ton of clothes to her shoot so that we could sort through them and put together some adorable outfits.  I LOVE when my seniors bring clothing choices so that we can work together to choose outfits that really vibe with the feel of the location.  Taylor also had a lot of ideas about what she wanted, including a concept to put her hair up and wear red lipstick.  This was her homage to the elegant beauty of classic movie actresses.  Think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s!

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot?

I shot this session with my Nikon D700 and my two favorite lenses, my 85mm 1.4 and my 24-70mm 2.8.

What time of day were these taken?

We began shooting at about 3:00 p.m. and kept going until we ran out of light.  This is my favorite time of day to shoot.  I just love the beautiful rich tones of the “golden hour”.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?

My editing style is generally crisp and clean.  I strive to get the image right in the camera so that very little post-processing is needed.  I always start in Lightroom where I can do a small tweak of the brightness and white balance, if needed.  Then I export to Photoshop to just do a little clean up of the skin.  I rarely use actions, but I do have a couple of black and white actions that I simply adore!

What is your favorite thing about this session?

I love that we had so much fun!  Taylor’s beautiful smile.  Oh, and of course…glitter!

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?

I want this session to convey that the most important thing that I always try to capture is the personality of the subject.  We all love a pretty picture, but when I can actually capture the essence of my subject,  it makes it so much more special.  Taylor is a beautiful girl both inside and out and I was so thrilled that I was able to capture that with this shoot.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?

Relax and have fun, and they will too!  Don’t just create pictures, create an experience that they will remember forever.