Most of the submissions sent to Seniorologie are from women.  So it is nice to every now and then get a man’s perspective on senior portrait photography!

Mario of Mario Masitti Studios is just the guy to share a fabulous senior session from the man’s point of view!  Check out these awesome images and what he had to say about this shoot below.  Also, check out his website here.  Thanks Mario!

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot? A huge inspiration for this photo shoot was definitely Ralph Lauren and The Frye Company. We really wanted to drive home this kind of editorial and lifestyle feel for the entire shoot.

Where did this shoot take place? The shoot took place in a small town just outside of Boulder, CO. A bit of a drive, but totally worth it!

What camera, lens or equipment was used during this shoot? Gear used: Canon 1Ds-II, 35 1.4L, 50 1.2L, 85 1.2L. On the lighting side: AB800’s, Vagabond Minis, and Westcott Modifiers. Misc. equipment includes a Sekonic L-358 meter and Hoya ND Filters.

What time of the day was this shoot? The shoot began at 2:30p and wrapped up right around 8p, with 3 different looks.

Can you share with us how you achieved these looks? A lot of this shoot featured natural light (usually with a little push of directional light provided by a reflector), with a few of these images using strobes to either balance with ambient, or as noted in the last look… to completely overpower ambient and set a certain mood/tone.

Can you share any post processing techniques used on these photos? Getting an image as perfect in-camera as possible is really the key to good post-production. Using the trusty Sekonic L-358, I’m able to properly meter both ambient and artificially lit images with little trouble. From there, simple adjustments in LR/ACR are applied, with any remaining work (specifically dodge/burning) completed in Photoshop.

What is your favorite thing about these photos? This set is just fun! Some of the images are flirty fun, some of them are more dramatic fun.. but I think at the end of the day, this set accomplishes the goal of everyone (parents, friends, photographers) really enjoying the images.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your photography business/style? This set really conveys how powerful a team of artists can be. The preplanning session is so important to piece together concepts, outfits, locations, etc. Having hair/make-up on shoots is fantastic. I love for my seniors to enjoy the experience of a fashion and editorial inspired shoot. Preplanning, team of artists, and images that look like a magazine spread all contribute to that!

What is one tip you could share with other photographers who want to break into the senior market? Breaking into the senior market requires patience and dedication. Not only is it important to create work that is both unique and captivating, but there is an entire art of business that is just as important.

Tell me a little about you…Let’s see.. I’m 24 years old – I’ve been doing portrait photography for 4 years now, and have been photographing Seniors for pretty much all 4 of those years. I reside in Denver, Colorado – I basically live in my Frye’s and Diesel Jeans. I enjoy playing guitar/piano, playing chef and cooking up Italian dishes, wrenching on the car, and all sorts of fantastic things.