Most of the sessions we feature here are sessions taken at sunset.  But this beautiful session below was taken at 5 am!!  The lighting is beautiful and the senior was ready and willing to start at dawn!

“Most people laugh when I suggest a sunrise session (especially when the location is 45 minutes away) but Sandra just asked when and where we should meet with no hesitation, even when I said 5 am! said Taylor Glazner of Taylor Marie Photography in Phoenix, Arizona.

I think getting up early resulted in a beautiful session!  Check it out below and read what else Taylor had to say about this session! Thanks for sharing your beautiful work with Seniorologie!!

Website:  www.taylor-marie.com

Blog:  www.taylor-marie.com/blog

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/taymariephoto

What was your inspiration for this photo shoot?
Sandra was totally my inspiration! She is a musician and a bit of a fashionista, a little vintage, but a country girl at heart, so I wanted to give her a combination of all of these. So I found the perfect grass field, added a beautiful vintage chair, a guitar, a dirt road…and voila!

Where did this photo shoot take place?
This session took place about 45 minutes north of Phoenix, in a beautiful grassy field on the way to Flagstaff. I have always wanted to do a sunrise session there, but not many people are willing to wake up early enough to be picture perfect and there in time…especially when there are so many other beautiful places to shoot in Arizona. But I knew it was the perfect location for Sandra!

Did you collaborate with this senior to come up with the clothing and/or concept for this shoot?
Yes! Every senior is unique, so I always meet them first so I can tailor their session to fit their personality and interests. I met with Sandra a few weeks before the session to collaborate and find out what she wanted to get out of her senior portraits. She wanted to include her guitar, her bible and her best friend. She wanted a boho/country feel for her images and I said I know the perfect place! Right before we left, she asked if I had a vintage chair that we could use…and I knew we were a match made in heaven!

What camera, lens or other equipment was used for this shoot?
Nikon D7000…yes it is time for an upgrade, but it goes to show that the equipment does not make the photographer 😉
Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4
Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8
Nikkor 10-24 mm f/3.5-4.5
5-in-1 Reflector

What time of day were these taken?
Sunrise!

Can you share any post-processing techniques used when editing this session?
I like to keep my post-prossesing minimal for a more natural look. I edited this entire session in Lightroom. The light, location and senior were already gorgeous, so I didn’t do much. Sandra had the most beautiful, bright, blue eyes so I sharpened them and added a little brightness and contrast to draw attention to them…I never add saturation or color – they are really that blue!

What is your favorite thing about this session?
I love everything about this session! I love the location! And I absolutely love, love, love the chair! But I think my favorite part of this session was Sandra. She is the sweetest, most beautiful girl and I loved getting to collaborate with her on this one 🙂

What do you want this session to convey about this senior and about your senior photography style?
I know that Sandra will be a famous singer/songwriter one day, so I would like this session to convey her unique style, creativity and love of music. A car actually drove by us on that dirt road and stopped to ask if we were shooting an album cover…hopefully soon!

What is one tip you can share with other photographers regarding photographing seniors?
Listen to your seniors…they have great ideas and will be thrilled that you want to hear them 🙂