So when I sat down today to write another blog post, I was just going to write the standard, "This is Emily. She's stunning, isn't she. She attends Fallston High School, is a killer athlete is is headed to USC in the Fall." All of those statements are 100% true, and Emily was indeed a photographer's DREAM to work with. She's as beautiful on the inside as she is out the outside and I just loved getting to know her in the hour or so we spent together. But instead of the same old post, I wanted to take a second to give you all a glimpse of what a session with me is like.
My first interaction with the a senior usually isn't until the day of their session because typically it's mom who's communicating with me to discuss pricing, scheduling, etc. I do, however, always ask a few key questions that help me in selecting the location for the shoot. I always ask about the senior's personality - shy/outgoing, activities, etc. Then I ask about their style. Why in the world would this matter? Well, if I'm dealing with a sporty kid who lives in tees and sneaks, I'm not going to take them to a farm or barn for their session. I really want to select a location that fits their style and personality. I am based out of Harford County, but I'll travel anywhere. I don't charge a travel fee unless we're traveling 30 minutes outside of Bel Air. I'm always down for an adventure!
Emily actually broke the mold and was the one who I had contact with from the get go. She had seen some of my work and actually selected the location she wanted herself, too. The outfits she selected also worked perfectly in the locations we ended up at on Main Street.
Once we select a date and location, I usually follow up a week or so before to check-in to see if the senior needs any help with outfit selections. I'm always happy to weigh in or to make a customized style board if extra help is needed.
The day of the session isn't your typical, sit, look at the camera and smile either. My sessions are always an hour long, but I offer sessions up to 3 hours. I'm not a fan on the mini session. I like to take my time, get to know you and really help bring out your personality in your images.
I always tell my clients, getting your picture taken is not natural, like at all. If you're not a model or have no experience being in front of the camera, it is totally awkward. You can't see what you look like, so it's my job to 1. make you feel comfortable, 2. to give you assistance when it comes to posing, and 3. tell you how much you're rocking it every step of the way. I'll tell you where to place your hand, I'll give you goofy instructions, like, "now, let's laugh at your left elbow." And then once we've gotten a few shots in the camera, I'll share some of what I've shot with you, so you can see what you like, what you don't like, etc.
My first senior collection offers one location, but we'll explore that location thoroughly. For Emily's session, we walked to several spots on Main Street in Downtown Bel Air, MD and finished up on top of a parking garage (my favorite place to shoot locally).
By the end of the session, we're so comfortable working together, the posing actually is a breeze, just in time for that gorgeous golden light. Side note - when working outdoors, my favorite time of day to shoot is golden hour (1 hour before sunset). I have a serious obsession with light. If you've worked with me before, you probably know.
When we're done, I always send out a sneak peek within a few hours of the session and a full digital gallery is delivered typically within 2 weeks. I do offer a la carte print products, but you own the rights to print the photos in your gallery as many times as you want.
Hope this little peek into my sessions was helpful. Here's a look at few images from Emily's session. Her full gallery consisted of close to 200 images. These are just a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
