Seeing a girl gain confidence throughout a photo session is so much fun!  Sally Griswold of Iron Orchid Designs and Photography in Roseville, California says that it was such a fun transformation to experience and photograph.

“It was fun because her whole family came along and wanted to be part of the experience,” said Sally.  “It was nice to have the extra hands and now when they look at the images it will also be a memento of that special occasion.”

Check out this beautiful photo shoot below and read what else Sally had to say about it.  Thanks for sharing Sally!

Website:  www.ironorchiddesigns.com

Blog:  www.ironorchiddesigns.com/blog

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/IronOrchidDesignsPhotography

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
In the pre consultation we talked about what she gets excited about. What kind of movies does she like, what stores does she shop at… what kind of music does she listen to. It was a match made in heaven because she loved all things vintage and was a romantic at heart! Mom also really wanted fall to be injected into the shoot as well as Carissa’s love of literature.

Where did this photo shoot take place?
I took her to several locations in Placer County California.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
yes, see the above question 😉

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
I used my nikon D600 and 70-200 lens with a reflector

What time of day were these taken?
We met at 3pm and shot until the sun went down at about 6pm

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
absolutely! I love to pump up my color in the fall images, because in our area of california we don’t get those brilliant fall hues her mom was craving. I used an action by Paint the Moon Actions called “paint on color pops” to bring out the natural brilliance! The other processing I”m happy to share, but it is most likely considered standard ( ACR adj, levels, curves, healing brush, dodge, burn, etc.)

What is your favorite thing about this session?
My absolute FAVORITE thing about this session is the water images. It was not a planned part of the shoot and yet I got a whim. That inner doubt said “Don’t get in the water, it’ll be a hassle, she won’t want to and you know the images will not turn out how you envision them.” But my photographer voice said ” Do it! What’s a little water on your shoes? Look at the brilliance of that sun hitting the water and the way the fall colors are shining in the reflection. Capture that dummy!!” So I did it, I stepped into the water myself, had her put on her formal attire and step into the water barefoot. They are by far some of my favorite images I’ve ever taken.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
I really wanted this session to tell a story. A story about her, and who she is. In a way that words can’t. That’s what I want from all of my sessions. When I met with her mom and her, they paid me the biggest compliment I had received about my photography to that point. Her mom said, ” I looked at a lot of different senior photographers websites and saw a lot of pretty girls. But when I saw your page it was like I could see who the girl was by looking at your images.” That’s what I want.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Take risks. One thing about photographing seniors that is different than many other genres is that it’s a perfect platform for playing outside of the box. They’re in a time in their lives when risk and adventure is exciting, jump in there and have fun!