When a senior comes to a session after working with a local salon artist for her outfits, hair and makeup, you know the session is going to be spectacular!! And this one was just that!
Janelle of Janelle Zeller Photography says that this senior client works for Doll House Empire, a local salon in Phoenix, Arizona. This allowed the senior to utilize her employer to help create a look for her senior session that was unique.
And Janelle says, “I loved being able to pair up with local businesses!” A win-win for everyone!!
Check out what else Janelle had to say about this awesome session! Thanks for sharing Janelle!
What was your inspiration for this photo shoot? My inspiration for this session was my senior, Danielle. She is full of life, a little sass and has the sweetest spirit. I wanted her session and then her images to convey all of that.
Where did this session take place? This shoot took place in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ.
Did you collaborate with this senior on the wardrobe for this shoot? Absolutely! Danielle, had an advantage because she worked for a rockin’ salon & boutique, DollyRockers that is known for it’s style & sass. The owner, Michelle hand picked every one of her outfits and along with the staff made her hair and make up work perfectly for what we were wanting to achieve.
What camera, lens or other equipment were used in this shoot? I’m a Canon girl and currently shoot with the Mark II. This particular session was shot strictly with the 50mm 1.2L lens. I’m a 50mm fan for seniors in particular I think that what comes out of the camera needs only slight editing with that baby.
I am a natural light photographer and in Scottsdale/Phoenix we have a lot of bright light. So, we looked for diffused lighting options and I pulled out my 5 in 1 reflector when we needed it. I do love backlit shots and for this session we did get a few at the end.
What time did this session take place? This session started about two hours before sunset. When the sun was done, so were we.
Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session? I use bridge to cull my images quickly. Then pull the final images into photoshop to edit. For Danielle’s bright colored images I simply popped the color a bit, added a contrast bump and then retouched her skin slightly. For the backlit shots I softened the colors slightly and then retouched skin.
What is your favorite thing about this session? My favorite thing about this session was capturing Danielle’s personality and style through my lens. We spent a lot of our time laughing and goofing off which is part of all my senior sessions especially.
What do you want this session to convey about your photography style and business and about this senior? My goal for each of my senior sessions is to capture their unique personality and style. I feel like I accomplish this through two things, one discussing ahead of time what the senior wants as far as look goes, location and clothing choices. The second thing is that I spend the first 30 minutes at the beginning of our session paying attention to how they act & react to my camera, different things I am asking them to do, and me! From there I feel like I can better accomplish how to make their personality come out in their images.
What is the best advice you can share to other photographers when it comes to photographing seniors? The biggest thing that I would share is to not be afraid to be silly with your clients. Seniors tend to be self-conscience and a little hesitant at first. Allowing yourself to be a little silly allows them to relax and get comfortable with you and your camera.
