When I first starting out as a photographer, I always imagined that I would open up a studio and focus my business on children and families. All it took was one fateful day with two seniors to change the course of my business forever. Fast forward eight years and here I am, a specialist in high school senior portraits for girls. I have built my entire business around a single demographic, cultivating a brand that represents not only my clients, but also reflects me: Young & Free.
Summer is the kick-start of our senior season- my favorite time of year! During a session, I have a series of things that I look for and work through with my clients. I’ve outlined each of them below, consider it a road map of my head, as I am shooting a senior session.
KEEP THE POSING NATURAL & SIMPLE
When it comes to posing, it should look effortless- almost as though they’ve posed themselves. With that said, you definitely want to take the time to pose your clients from head-to-toe. I recommend starting from the ground, working your way up. By positioning the feet first, it allows you to get the weight distribution set before working with the upper body. I always have my clients lean toward me, whether that be straight-on (bent at the waist, chin up to the camera) or from the side (front shoulder dropped down to the camera). With hands, remind them to keep them soft, like ballet hands, no tight fists, claws or tension. Remember: posing doesn’t have to be overly complex or so complicated that they look like body contortionists, simple, natural poses are timeless and beautiful.
OFFER MORE THAN FULL BODY & CLOSE-UP
Half body and 3/4 body poses are often over looked, which is such a shame. It’s a great distance to capture, as it shows off their killer threads, but it’s also close enough that you can easily see their faces. For both poses, be sure not to amputate their limbs. For half body, keep hands above the waist to avoid cutting them off at the wrist. For 3/4 body, you have more freedom with the hands, just keep the crop above the knee.
OFFER A VARIETY OF EXPRESSIONS
Give your clients options by capturing a variety of expressions. I believe that conversation is key when it comes to gaining authentic expressions, avoid awkward silence. To evoke emotion, give them something to think about: “picture a gorgeous guy right here beside me”, “imagine your crush is standing right over there, now flirt with him”, “give me a sassy little look, like you couldn’t care less about what’s happening”, etc. For a no-smile expression, I tell my clients to think about someone or something they love (to soften their eyes), but not to make it obvious that they are thinking about it, like it’s their secret. Then, I have them breathe through their mouth, so their lips aren’t pressed together, looking tense. Breathing through the mouth keeps the expression soft and pretty. And, whenever possible, capture candid laughter, too!
UTILIZE YOUR LOCATIONS
When you find an area with great light, don’t be quick to move from the location. Stay there and shoot it from every angle and direction possible. Move around your client, have your client move around you. By doing this, it will appear that you went to several locations, even though you may have only worked in a small radius. The image above is a prime example of this. The image on the left, my client is standing in front of a yellow wall on a sidewalk. The image on the right, she is standing in the same exact place, I just stepped onto the sidewalk with her and reposed her so she was looking my way, the yellow wall is still behind her, but you just can’t see it.
FOLLOW THE SUN
Light is everything when it comes to photography, don’t fight it. Great light equals a great location, poor light equals a poor location. If you want beautiful, well-lit, tack-sharp images, follow the sun. When shooting in direct sunlight, the sun should be angled behind them and not directly overhead. Position your client between you and the sun, casting even light on the part of them you will be photographing. I strongly recommend using a reflector, but make sure not to blind them with the metallic side. A little reflector goes a long way in the direct sun.
EMPHASIZE YOUR SUBJECT
The background is just that- the background. It should never outshine or compete with your client. Shoot with a shallow depth of field to keep it a mystery, keeping all eyes on your client. This also allows you to shoot just about anywhere with just about anything in the distance. In both images above, there is a parking lot directly behind my subject, the bokeh is from the sun reflecting off of the windshields of the cars parked there. We are about thirty feet away, I was shooting at an F-Stop of 2.5, late afternoon.
HAVE FUN!
This is the most important tip of all! If you’re having fun, they’re having fun! Sessions should be filled with laughter, good times and lots of conversation. Senior sessions are special, as for many clients, this is their first experience working with a professional photographer. Make it great and give them an experience that they’ll remember for a lifetime.
I am just a girl with a camera and a dream. Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, celebrating all of the beauty that the gorgeous Pacific Northwest has to offer with my hubby of 16 years and our two kiddos. I learned early on in my business that my heart was for teen girls, since 2010 I have specialized in high school senior portraits for girls. In addition to being a full-time photographer and fiction writer, I am also a photography educator, offering various workshop opportunities and 1-on-1 online mentoring to photographers worldwide.
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HOLLI TRUE PHOTOGRAPHY
Young & Free | Senior Portraits for Girls
Office Hours | Monday-Friday | 9am – 3pm
Email: holli@hollitrue.com
