In the last year I have done something that would seem insane to many photographers. I have cut the amount of weddings I photograph from ten or more a year to less than five. I have a toddler and found that finding a babysitter for extended wedding days was very hard. Plus, the work after the wedding was time consuming and very stressful. This decision meant I was starting completely over with marketing my company. Marketing weddings was simple in my area. I just needed a nice website and Google presence. Portrait photography has proven to be a challenge due to the high saturation of photographers in the area. I knew that having seniors as one of my target markets was going to be an uphill battle (then again, aren’t most battles?)
I decided the best route for starting the climb involved Prom Mini Sessions. In past years I’ve photographed a handful of short and sweet prom sessions, but I wanted this year to be different. Everyone in my city comes to our state capital for prom photographs so I wanted to put a fun twist on the old tradition. I feel as though I succeeded and now I want to help you do the same. Here’s some tips on how you can do it too!
- Location! Location! Location!
As I mentioned earlier everyone goes to the WV State Capitol for prom photographs. It has been that way since I was in high school over fifteen years ago. If you live in a city like mine, you know better than to rebel against tradition. I gave my prom session clients the option of embracing tradition at the State Capital or adding a fun new twist to their sessions in downtown Charleston, WV. The two locations were within two miles of one another and I was able to shoot all the sessions at one location, make the quick trip to the other, and then shoot there. Do not try to pop back and forth between two locations all day. You will definitely be met with traffic and completely throw your timeline off.
- Timing is EVERYTHING.
I imagine that many towns only have one prom on any given Saturday night, but that is not the case in my city. Proms are held over four Saturdays and any given Saturday may have four or more proms occurring. Everyone involved with prom is inundated. Restaurants run out of reservations. Hair salons are booked early in the morning to late afternoon. It is chaotic. When booking prom mini sessions, I have a small window of opportunity between the time they are ready and the time they have to be at dinner for photos. This year all sessions occurred between 3 and 6 PM. Sessions last approximately 20 minutes with a 10-minute buffer between and everyone is asked to be 10 minutes early for their session. In a perfect world (and this year was perfect!) we end up running ahead of schedule but the 10-minute buffer ensures I have some extra time in case mishaps arise.
- Add Personality.
One of my main goals is to ensure that each prom session has a little personality. Shooting short sessions at the same locations limits your creativity, but does not make it impossible to add some variety. Step back and see the environment around you: the dress, the makeup, and the colors. Then work with it all! Even though you are shooting at the same location it does not mean you have to use the same exact spots. Moving your subject just a few feet can completely change the photograph. During my downtown sessions a local bookstore, Taylor Books, had carts of bargain bins sitting outside. The books provided the perfect backdrop of contrast and color for one client’s stunning form fitting blue dress. The next session included four friends. We made our way into the ally behind the bookstore, grabbed two broken chairs and gave their shot a more urban feel. Same spot, different side of building and two completely different personalities showing through their sessions.
- Prepare for Weather.
You do not have the option of a rain day with prom sessions. They are going to happen on the day they are planned whether Mother Nature makes it pour the rain or gives you a perfect slightly cloudy day. My first weekend of prom sessions this year was gorgeous – not too hot, not too cold, no rain, absolute perfection! Our second weekend involved wind and torrential downpours. Luckily for me I’ve become adapt to shooting weddings in the rain so I am almost as confident shooting in rain as I am without it. That didn’t ease my clients’ fears. The first step to handling the weather was to contact each client and assure them their session would be a success. Second was knowing how to handle the situation. I knew there was plenty of cover around our State Capital, but I didn’t want to limit myself to the obvious locations. We acquired umbrellas and I searched out dry areas. Did you know when it is pouring the rain down it is still possible to have areas that are not getting rain? It happens. You just have to step back, look at how the rain is falling; the environment may naturally block the water. It is pretty magical shooting in the rain! If you are not comfortable shooting in the rain, then be sure to plan far in advance for a rain location. I photographed one of my clients in the stunning Bricks & Barrels restaurant in downtown Charleston because she did not want to risk getting her dress wet.
- Edit – Binge Watch – Edit. Rinse & Repeat.
Part of my marketing goal with prom mini sessions is to generate excitement and buzz among the upcoming senior class. I have to capitalize on the excitement of prom! My turnaround time has to be incredibly fast. I sat aside a week block to have each session edited meaning that within seven days they are on my proof site ready for viewing. Trust me y’all it is a lot of editing, binge watching TV while editing, and more editing. Once a session is edited the client gets the same treatment as a full-session with social media posts, blog features, and more. Sounds like a lot of work? It is! But the prom sessions are averaging 250+ hits within the first few hours they are blogged. Hard work pays off!
About the Author: Hi y’all. I’m Kelly Broyles- a photographer, wife, and mommy based out of Charleston, WV. I am a portrait photographer focusing on seniors, children, and families. I photograph a handful of weddings each year. Aside from photography, I am an avid television binge watcher, reading addict, makeup collector, and Disney fanatic. My favorite sandwich is bologna, cheese, and ketchup. And to add to my already quirky existence, I use a Sony a99 which makes me a unicorn among photographers.
Find more of my work on the Web: Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest
