Should a wedding photographer only learn from other wedding photographers?
Should a family photographer only learn from other family photographers?
Should a photographer only learn from other photographers in their niche?
The answer is simple. No.
There is so much overlap between different genres that learning from those that specialize in other photography niches can help make us better photographers. We can learn how to show love from a wedding photographer, work with groups from a family photographer, and draw out personalities from kids with a child photographer. There is a lot to learn from senior photographers, too. We asked three senior photographers presenting at Click Away 2016 to weigh in on what exactly you can learn from senior photographers!
Holli True:
1. How to pose with variety
Working with small and/or large groups can be a daunting task when you think about all of those legs, arms and hands. Just because you’re shooting a group doesn’t mean you have to limit your creativity or your posing. When working with my senior model team, I pose in layers and rows. To do this, have your clients sit, kneel and stand at various heights to add interest. This also allows you to really mold the bodies together and keep them intersecting to showcase a visual connection between everyone in the image.
Add movement and fluidity to your posing by breaking away from stiff, stagnant posing. Get your group moving! Have them link arms or hold hands as they walk across a field. Capture a huge game of tag, follow-the-leader or a fabulous dance party. Let them have some fun in front of your lens and truly show off their personality and bond. Many of the posing done in photographing a group of seniors can be used in photographing families.
2. Give them a taste
Want new clients? Sure you do! Of course, you can continue to pump them full of gorgeous imagery on Facebook and Instagram, but why not take it one step further? Invite potential clients to tag along on a shoot by taking them behind the scenes on Snapchat. Show them what it’s like to be on a photo shoot with you. Capture the fun and all of those perfectly imperfect moments that go into creating those beautiful images and memories. By giving them just a taste of what you have to offer, you’ll have them jumping at the chance to experience a photo shoot with you. This is a technique that anyone can use regardless of photo genre.
Leslie Kerrigan:
3. Â That one can lead to the other and vice versa
That’s right! If you are a family photographer, you can easily add seniors to your clientele or transition into the senior market. Ask some of your families if they have teenage children or if they have babysitters that are the right age. Anyone between 16-19 can work to showcase senior work. And if you are a senior photographer and want to add more families to your business, then simply let your senior clients (or their moms!) know that a family photo before the senior goes off to college is the perfect way to capture the family before it changes.
4. Â Sometimes photographing seniors is easier than families
Yep, I said it! If you photograph families and find yourself always having to bribe or chase the kids, photographing seniors will feel like a breeze. Why? Because seniors actually want to have their photos taken! In the day and age of the selfie and all the social media teens are on, they have made it a hobby to take great photos to post so they are ready and willing to pose for you! No more having to bring along smarties or cute props to get them to smile because teens have already perfected the SMIZE and they are ready to show you how it’s done! Although, some seniors will still love a surprise treat! 🙂
Lissa Chandler:
5. How to infuse personality into photographs
As a senior photographer in Arkansas, I feel incredibly passionate about creating images that explode with personality. I do not want to take the same photograph over and over – I want to produce unique and creative images instead. Though senior photography differs from family photography, every photographer can begin to connect with their clients by being her authentic self at sessions, by having real conversations with her clients, and by showing her heart in her photography work. Since senior photographers work closely with seniors, often one-on-one, senior photographers have an incredible amount of insight on how to bond with their clients that can be transferred to any other genre of photography. And best of all? The connection skills that senior photographers master leads to an awesome infusion of personality in each and every photograph. Take photographs that make your heart – and your clients’ hearts – sing!
6. How to attract the clients you want to attract
Let’s face it! Not every photographer is the best fit for every client. Since senior photographers work with a revolving client base and work with a new client pool every year, they have to stay on their branding and marketing A game. Every high school senior only has one chance to book a senior photographer that they love and, because of this, senior photographers have to become branding wizards. If you struggle with attracting the clients you want to attract, there is so much to learn from a senior photographer! From Instagram curating to creative marketing plans, senior photographers have so much to share on this topic. Don’t miss out!
Michelle Moore:
7. Confidence and posing
The most important thing to remember when working with teens on their senior portraits is to be confident in your posing. You can do this by giving your client lots of positive feedback constantly throughout the shoot by telling them how gorgeous (or handsome for the guys) they look and how great they are doing with their poses. Teens want to be reassured that you are capturing them in their most flattering light – so talking to them throughout the shoot, and guiding them to great poses with confidence will result in them feeling comfortable and opening up to the camera. Both brides and moms want that reassurance, too, when being photographed.
Be sure to study some poses before your first senior shoot – and practice with friends or models so that you walk into your first paid shoot feeling confident and at ease. Teen clients pick up on your vibe immediately – and will mirror your instructions – so be sure to describe what you want them to do with ease and grace, and you’ll have amazing results every time!
8. How to work with a professional makeup artist
Want to take your photo sessions to the next level? Partner with (or hire a freelance) makeup artist to ensure your clients receive a top-notch experience and will be camera-ready. I’ve found that working with a professional artist cuts down on editing and adds an incredible amount of value to your work and your client’s experience.
Give your clients the option for an a la carte service, partner with a local salon, or just include makeup as part of one (or all) of your packages. Working with a makeup artist is fairly common in the senior photography market but why not offer that to moms for their family photos?
