I love a vintage senior session and this one is absolutely beautiful!  Jennifer of J. Tori Photography says that this senior has anxiously been waiting for her senior session ever since both of her older brothers had their senior photos taken.  So she had a lot of time to think about what she wanted for her shoot.  Using her mom’s vintage dress from when she was young and photographing the session in the Los Angeles Union Station helped pull off the perfect vintage vibe that this senior wanted.  Jennifer did an excellent job with capturing this look and with the unique lighting she used to showcase this senior!

Check out what Jennifer had to say about the session below and be sure to check out more of Jennifer’s beautiful work here.  Thanks for sharing!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot?

My inspiration for the photo shoot was 1920’s-1940’s vintage with a modern flair.

Where did this photo shoot take place?

This shoot took place in Los Angeles at Union Station and at the Griffith Park Observatory

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

I contacted my senior before the shoot to discuss doing a different kind of style for her session than her other friends had done.  She said she loved the vintage/retro look.  We met and went through several different outfits before her session to choose which ones we wanted her to wear for her session.

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

I shoot with two Canon 5d Mark II’s and mostly a 50mm F1.2/L lens.  The 50mm is pretty much my go to lens that I use for 90% of my work.  I occasionally throw in the 24mm F1.4/L or the 70-200mm F2.8/L IS II.  For the last few images shot at the Griffith Park observatory I also utilized my LED video light.

Tell us a little about the lighting you used for this photo shoot.

I am mostly a natural light shooter.  For this shoot I shot with mostly window light while inside Union station or by finding natural reflectors like white walls in front of my subject.  I also used some backlighting which I tend to favor over direct light.  The LED video light is a small panel that can be purchased through either Samy’s Camera or B&H.  I LOVE it for dimly lit situations, especially for capturing beautiful after sunset shots.

What time of day were these taken?

The session started in the late afternoon just a few hours before sunset and continued on until it was totally dark outside.

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

Unlike most photographers I know, I chose not to use lightroom for my basic color editing but instead use Aperture for culling and color correcting.  Then I export the images as jpeg’s and open them in photoshop where I will do my skin retouching, some slight saturation and vignetting.

What is your favorite thing about this session?

My favorite thing about this particular session is that we totally accomplished the look that I was going for and I had some fun bonding time with my senior and her mom in the car while sitting in the LA traffic.

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

I wanted this session to convey that this senior is a sweet and absolutely beautiful girl with a little bit of a vintage style.  My senior photography style is to not only create simply beautiful images of my senior but also to create unique looks for all of my seniors that fit their style and personality.

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

One tip that I can share with other photographers regarding seniors is to make sure you have fun together and create a connection between the subject and the camera by allowing them to get to know you.  I like to think of my seniors not just as clients, but also as friends.