Shooting a senior session around town in all the fun little spots that make up that senior’s home town is a great way to tell their story.  Where you are from is part of who you are and showcasing that in a senior session is a great way to tell that senior’s story.

Check out this beautiful senior session shot in and around the town of Zanesville, Ohio and read what Penny Evans of Penny Claire Photography had to share about it.  Thanks for sharing your work with Seniorologie Penny!

Website:  www.pennyclairephotography.com

Blog:  www.pennyclairephotography.com/blog

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
McKenzie, the senior, was my inspiration.  McKenzie had an amazing wardrobe so I chose locations based on each of her amazing outfits.

Where did this photo shoot take place?
This photo shoot took place all over downtown Zanesville Ohio and some in a field near a beach in Nashport Ohio.

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
I always ask seniors to send photos of their wardrobe before their sessions.  I find that I tend to feel better prepared for sessions when I have seen some of the wardrobe beforehand.  She had also requested a flower crown and trusted me to create it however I wanted. I am definitely not the best flower crown crafter, but she looked amazing in it none the less.

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
I used a Canon 6D with a 135mm 2.0 lens.  Also used a large reflector occasionally.

What time of day were these taken?
Started the session approx. 3.5 hours before sunset.

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I tend to try to keep my edits as simple and clean as possible.
Editing should be like makeup in my opinion.  Makeup should only enhance and never be applied simply for the sake of being applied.  It is so easy to accidently over edit an image without realizing so when I finish an edit I always like to toggle back and forth between the original and the edit.  If the original looks better than the edit you over did it.

What is your favorite thing about this session?
McKenzie of course!  And her wardrobe.  I’ll admit, there were a few outfits that had me a little nervous because they don’t necessarily look as though they would be flattering.  But when Mckenzie put them on she shined!  I was blown away by how well she pulled off her different looks.

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
I want this session and all my sessions to communicate my modern fashion inspired style.  My goal is to help each senior feel like the models they see in magazines and ads all the time and realize that they are just as beautiful and stunning as those models.

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Don’t be afraid to pull inspiration from magazines, ads, commercials, movies, music videos, and you name it!  I can’t express enough how much it has helped me grow having so many amazing senior photographers to look up to, but when it comes to developing your own style it also makes a huge difference when you start looking outside that obvious bubble. It’s not uncommon for me to stop in the mall hallway to take a snapshot of a photo I see of a model in a store window so that I can remember the unique pose, facial expression, or composition of it to inspire me later. Inspiration can be found beyond Facebook and Pinterest. It’s literally all around you all the time.