Shooting Senior Guys with Flash at Triple Creek Ranch (new session)
Here are my top tips for shooting senior guys using this senior session I did a few weeks back. One challenge I think with guys (some not all), is that getting their photo taken can feel weird unless they are really into themselves, so my goal with any shoot is to create memorable images, but also images they enjoy taking. If the session is painful for them to do because they feel awkward the whole time, they will inevitably not love the photos no matter how good. This session with a 17 year old country boy of TN turned out great, and we had a great time, and here is how: 1- Flash makes them look COOL. I love flash because it makes the images look super cool and helps put them at ease right off the bat that the photos will look great. 2- Find out what their "thing" is. This kid is a country boy. So in my intake form I asked what things he LOVES and he loves farms, trucks, cowboy hats and horses. So they had a friend with 400 acres and horses, another friend with a killer old 70's Ford truck, and he brought his cowboy hat. This gives him something to DO on the shoot, Adjust the hat, sit on the fence, pet the horse, sit in the truck. Now that he has something to DO he feels comfortable and shots just come out that much better. 3- Slow it down. I never rush on a portrait session. Take 5. Give them a break. Stop and think. Connect with the client and chat. GO a bit slower and the images and pace will feel better for the client. 4- Take a RISK. We were driving the truck out into the open field for the final shots. The rest of the images were easy work for my style. But as we drove, I saw some great background light and scenery as we crested the hill, and told him to stop. I jumped out, and went for the sitting in the truck shots and the through the windshield one (I only snapped 2-3 of those). Those can be hard because of posing, framing and trying to nail the lighting, but what the heck! Take a risk and those ended up being their FAVORITE shots of the shoot!