What Am I Looking for While I’m Photographing You?

Have you ever wondered what’s actually going through my head while I’m photographing you? There’s a lot more happening behind the camera than waiting for the perfect smile. From the minute we start your senior session, I’m paying attention to the little things that help me figure out how you naturally photograph and what is going to make your gallery feel like you.

At first, I’m watching how you move and how you naturally carry yourself. I notice which expressions come easily, what happens when you laugh for real, and whether you seem more comfortable moving around or settling into a pose for a minute. Everyone is different in front of the camera, so those first few minutes tell me quite a bit. You might feel like we’re simply getting started, but I’m already learning how I want to photograph the rest of your session. At the same time, I’m constantly paying attention to the light and everything happening around you. I’m looking at how the light falls across your face, how your outfit works with the setting, what I’m seeing in the background, and whether changing our angle or moving a few feet will give us something completely different. A lot of what makes a photograph beautiful happens in those tiny decisions, and most of the time you probably won’t even realize I’m making them.

I’m also watching all those little details that are really easy to miss when you’re the one standing in front of the camera. If your necklace has shifted, your hair is caught under your collar, or something about your outfit needs a quick adjustment, I want to catch it before we move on. I would much rather fix something during your session than have you notice it later when you’re looking through your gallery and wish someone had told you. As we keep going, I’m also waiting for that point when you really start to settle in. Most seniors don’t walk into a session completely comfortable in front of a camera, and I don’t expect you to. You don’t need to practice poses beforehand or somehow know what to do with your hands. I’m going to guide you through all of that, and while I’m doing it, I’m figuring out what works best for you rather than putting you through the exact same poses I use for everyone else.

That’s usually when I start seeing the photos that feel the most like the person standing in front of me. Maybe your whole face changes when you genuinely laugh, or you look especially good when we add a little movement. Maybe there’s a quieter expression that feels much more natural to you than a huge smile. Sometimes it’s something I notice that you probably wouldn’t have thought to ask for, and those are often some of my favorite images to create. I want there to be variety in your senior gallery, but I also want that variety to make sense for you. I’m not trying to turn you into somebody completely different for an afternoon or recreate another senior’s session because their photos looked great. I want to figure out what works with your personality, your style, and the way you naturally come across so that when you see your finished images, they actually feel familiar.

So if part of you is nervous about your senior session because you don’t think you’re “good at pictures,” you can take that pressure off yourself. While you’re in front of my camera, I’m paying attention to the things you shouldn’t have to worry about. I’m watching, adjusting, guiding, and getting to know you a little better as we go, because that’s a huge part of creating senior photos you’re going to love.

All you really need to do is show up as yourself. I’ll take it from there.

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What Am I Looking for While I’m Photographing You?

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