Photography is not only Jacki Stoddard’s passion but it is also this senior’s passion! And Jacki, the photographer of this session, was able to incorporate the senior’s love of the art into the photos to create a beautiful session!!

Using a seniors hobby or passion is a great way to tell the story about the subject and since this senior is majoring in photography at Utah State, these photos will remind her of her passion and her journey into making that passion a reality!!

Check out the photos below and read what Jacki had to say about this session. You can view more of Jacki’s work at Jacki Stoddard Photo and Design by clicking here. Thanks for sharing Jacki!!

What was your inspiration for the photo shoot? For this shoot I and Nicole were wanting to capture her fun, outgoing and artistic personality. Nicole is loves photography and is actually in the process of pursuing this talent of hers as a career! She brought along a vintage camera that one of her professors let her borrow so that we could incorporate this fun hobby of hers. I absolutely LOVE Nicole’s style. From her classic hat, to her simple floral dress, Nicole had a unique way of putting everything together. I wanted to make sure I captured her creativity with not only her hobby, but with her sense of style as well:)

Where did this photo shoot take place? This session was taken in a few locations on the east side of Draper, Ut. For the first part of her session we went to an old vintage house along the side of the road that had an old barn next to it. There were so many fun colors and textures that fit her session and style perfectly. We ended things at a farm with a gorgeous open field of grass. Nicole wanted part of her session to be at an open pasture, and this location ended up being the perfect place to end the shoot.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot? Before any of my sessions I like to find out what style/theme they are wanting for their shoot. We talk about what colors, outfits, and different props that would work perfectly with the location they want and with their ideas behind their session. With some of my sessions I offer professional hair and makeup services as well. This allows the senior to relax and enjoy their session without worrying about having time to do their own hair and makeup.

What camera, lens and equipment were used for this shoot? For this session I used my Nikon D300s, my 24-70 mm lens and my 35 mm lens.

What time of day were these taken? This session started at 6:00 and we finished up around 7:30pm.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? For post-processing I like to give my senior sessions a little extra pop. I first smooth out the skin and make sure that everything looks perfect. I then enhance the colors, turn up the contrast a bit and it the session calls for it I may run a fun action over it 🙂

What is your favorite thing about this session? My favorite thing about this session was how much fun Nicole was to work with! She was up for anything and came prepared to work it in front of the camera:) I loved the locations we went to and the fun outfits and props she brought ( how cool was that camera?!). I love when my clients are as excited about their shoots as I am!

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style? At the end of this shoot I wanted to walk away with images that really showed off Nicoles fun personality and style. That is what I strive to do with all my senior sessions. With my style of photography I want my images to be colorful, bright and energetic.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors? If I had one tip to share with other photographers about photographing seniors it would be… To be excited and energetic during the session. This is such a fun time for seniors! They want others to share in that excitement with them as well, especially that someone that is capturing these fun memories for them:)