December 17, 2025 • 43 mins
In this episode, Amber and Marie break down why some images feel instantly high-end while others unintentionally read budget. They explore the visual cues that define luxury photography and share the intentional choices that elevate a portfolio. From lighting and color to posing, wardrobe, and curation, you will learn how to audit your work through the lens of The Vogue Test and shape a portfolio that attracts premium clients.
What We Cover- The core elements that create luxury imagery
- Why intentional lighting is the strongest indicator of a high end brand
- How consistency in edit, color, and mood builds trust with premium clients
- The importance of natural skin tones, movement, and connection
- How confident direction elevates posing and client experience
- Why wardrobe choices dramatically affect perceived value
- Common visual mistakes that quietly read budget
- Different luxury aesthetics and what makes each of them elevated
- How to use The Vogue Test to refine your portfolio
- A simple process to curate a more cohesive, luxury aligned body of work
- Luxury is built on intention and clarity
- Beautiful light, clean color, and refined posing elevate even simple locations
- Strong curation is one of the fastest ways to transform your portfolio
- Removing budget cues immediately raises perceived value
- A luxury portfolio is tight, cohesive, and aligned with your artistic vision
If you are ready to refine your portfolio and create a more elevated brand presence, stay tuned for upcoming resources. Share this episode with a photographer who is ready to move into a luxury lane
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https://www.instagram.com/marie.elizabeth.photo/https://lightlivinphotography.com/
Marie: https://marie-elizabethphotography.com/
The Vogue Test WorksheetMark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome back to the Luxe and Legacy Podcast.
Today we are diving into one of the most important topics in luxury photography.
What actually makes an image or portfolio feel expensive and the opposite.
What makes it quietly scream? Budget, even when the photographer is talented.
(00:24):
So such an important conversation because so many photographers are working incredibly hard.
They're shooting tons of sessions, delivering galleries, posting on Instagram, but there are things missing from their portfolio that align with the luxury market.
And most of the time it's not a skill problem per se.
(00:45):
There's some visual issues.
Yes.
Today we are breaking down exactly how to shoot for luxury and the common pitfalls that immediately lower that perceived value of your work.
are also going to walk through real examples of what luxury portfolios, some different really.
(01:05):
Vastly different styles that are still really luxury.
We're gonna point out exactly what they're doing, and then we're also gonna point out some examples of what are common pitfalls that you can avoid so that you can make sure you're attracting your ideal client.
Okay, so let's start with the foundation.
(01:25):
If you want to shoot luxury work, you have to understand the pillars that create that elevated feel.
It is not equipment or fancy locations.
It's shooting with intention and purpose.
Yeah.
And that intention and purpose is key.
So let's talk a little bit about light.
(01:47):
So luxury imagery prioritizes intentional light, so.
It could be soft light, directional light, beautiful back light.
You can make a random patch of grass look high end if the light is perfect, and then the opposite is true as well.
You can be in a stunning location and still have low end looking photos if the light is too harsh or too unflattering.
(02:13):
For years, soft backlighting was the only look of luxury.
Direct sun is really trendy right now and a lot of luxury photographers are using it.
But they are using it intentionally.
They're still ensuring their clients look good, or the light is enhancing a particular moment.
In essence, it's the intentionality behind the light that is the most important part.
(02:37):
Maybe just mom's face is in dappled light, and the rest of her body is in shade.
This dappled light is drawing you.
Into mom and the expression she is making, maybe she's looking directly at the camera and with this lighting it just presents as a power pose.
Or a family may be walking in a field with beautiful backlit, sunset glow, and that's setting the scene and adding some storytelling to their recession.
(03:03):
So again, the key behind all of this is purpose and intention when choosing what kinda light to shoot in.
Yes.
I truly believe lighting is the core of a high-end brand.
It is the foundation of my work.
Personally.
I shoot almost exclusively with backlight and some sidelight.
(03:24):
For a softness and romantic ethereal feel to my brand, not because I can't shoot in other types of light, but because I understand light so deeply that I intentionally choose the type that supports my soft, romantic, ethereal feel to my brand.
And when you truly underst.
Stand the principles of light.
You stop reacting to whatever light you're giving and you start choosing light that aligns with your personal vision.
(03:52):
And that could be all sorts of light for different brands and people who are expressing something specific with their choices.
And the truth is there are plenty of.
Luxury photographers, like Marie mentioned, who use direct light, harsh light, dappled light, and their work is incredibly high-end because they use it with purpose.
(04:13):
And luxury isn't about one specific lighting style for every single person.
It's about understanding light so well that every lighting choice is intentional and supports that brand that you are building.
Yes.
And next we're gonna talk about consistency over variety.
(04:34):
Now, consistency is incredibly important in all areas of your business, you know, from your messaging.
To your images and in your work, you want consistency with colors, with lighting overall, with wardrobe overall, yes, you can play around here and there, but as long as you have most factors of your work consistent, it's going to correctly communicate what clients are gonna get when they look at your imagery.
(05:06):
Yeah.
Luxury clients book you because they know exactly what they're gonna get.
They feel relaxed, supporting because they know what to expect.
They're not questioning you.
And if you're.
Gonna get the right shot because it's a lot of work to get your family together for photos.
I mean, even me, when I do family photos, I'm exhausted getting my two boys and husband.
(05:29):
On the same page for, for going to do it.
So when you do it, you wanna make sure that it's worthwhile no matter what the price is, right? So your editing should be consistent so they know what to expect.
Every time the mood should be consistent.
Your color palette should stay cohesive.
So luxury brands are recognizable instantly.
(05:51):
And when I say cohesive for your color palette.
That doesn't mean you're only neutrals or you're only one thing, but it should be like when you open up your portfolio, your website page or your Instagram, it should feel like when you open a magazine and.
Magazine pages.
They all have colors on the pages that flow together, that work well together, that coordinate together.
(06:18):
There's never like bright, bold colors and then super soft feminine pinks.
Like, it just doesn't work well together on the same page.
So we, we wanna include that in our brand and what we're showcasing our, our portfolio grows.
So your color palette should be cohesive and you don't wanna have.
(06:39):
images that are super warm in white balance and then other images right below it that are a super cool in temperature, meaning like more bluish tones.
And the skin tones are just much cooler overall.
Like they have kind of a dullness to them, a little bit bluish.
And then another.
One right next to it, that's desaturated skin.
(07:01):
And then after that you have super bright saturated colors and neon grass.
Next to it, clients don't articulate it.
They don't really know how to put their finger on what it is when they see inconsistency, but they feel it and inconsistency screams beginner or amateur, and it does destroy their trust.
(07:22):
And therefore, they may not be willing to come to you for really high.
Expensive packages.
Okay.
Yes.
And next kind of ties into that consistency aspect, prioritizing clean color.
And true skin tones.
So luxury editing is gentle, it's minimal.
(07:46):
There's no orange skin tones, no muddy greens, no neon grass.
Your white balance and colors matter more than any preset.
What I find is that the true to color and film look stands the test of time.
Back when I first started photography, there was a really trendy look of like.
(08:08):
Oversaturated and contrasty orangeish editing and that looks so incredibly outdated and tacky.
Now also those super desaturated greens, that was a few years ago and it looks really budget right now.
So when you prioritize clean colors and natural skin tones, you're appealing to high-end clients 'cause they want something that's going to stand the test of time.
(08:35):
Yes, exactly.
For me, skin tones is a really important element to my brand and what I see as conveying luxury when I look at other people's portfolios as well.
I think having a really natural skin tone that doesn't look too filtery too.
Orange or off of what their natural skin tone is or washed out is a really big element.
(09:01):
I have a lot of people who come to me with skin tones and they tell me like, I am booking you because you're really good at doing my type of skin tone, like a darker skin tone, and they'll fly to me from other places because of that.
They're like, all the people in my area, they wash out my skin, or they make it look too yellowy or.
(09:23):
Slightly green or something like that.
And they want their skin tone to look like themselves, but just a little bit better, a little bit more glowy.
But a lot of photographers who are more budget.
They don't quite understand exposure on a deeper level, like exactly how to nail it in camera and how to make it look not overexposed when you're trying to achieve the light and airy look.
(09:50):
Or not super underexposed where it, you really underexpose an image, I don't think you can truly ever get that beautiful skin tone back.
I think the closer you get it in camera.
The better, the final look of the skin tone will be, and then understanding white balance in camera.
So understanding Kelvin to me has been a big game changer and really knowing how to create that glow and getting it right in camera where it's not gonna be super orangey or super cool afterwards.
(10:25):
So yeah, exposure and white balance are very important to luxury.
Element of portfolios.
I do wanna say that something we're talking about today is different styles can have a luxury look.
So whether all your photos are a little more on the warmer side, or all your photos are a little more on the cooler side.
(10:47):
You can still have a beautiful luxury brand.
just talking about when it's kind of an unintentional, like, oh, there's muddy skin tones.
We don't know why.
Or, oh, that person, you made them look really orangey and tan, but they're not, and it's not intentional.
So we're talking about those kind of mistakes.
Can, that can really make clients say, oh, that's, that's kind of a more budget level photographer compared to others.
(11:16):
Absolutely.
And just adding onto that, something I see a lot of still is overexposing, and I've been guilty of this myself, but a lot of photographers will think that they can get that.
Bright and airy look just by raising exposure.
And then all the colors look different.
(11:36):
You know, everything is off from how it looked in person, and people really want their skin tones represented naturally, and that's especially important to people of varying skin tones.
So it's something that, you know, photographers should really look into making sure that they are doing correctly.
Okay.
Next is creating depth in your imagery through movement and connection.
(12:02):
So another factor that really separates budget work from luxury work, it's a bunch of small details.
And these details can be how hands look, the connection between clients layering.
This could be done.
With like different fabrics or posing with layering, stiff hands will always look budget, so you want fingers to look very relaxed, tender, elegant, like flowing, and then the connection ties into posing.
(12:31):
But four smiles look like four smiles and not a natural connective moment, and also opposing.
Layering multiple people like kids, so they're not all standing next to one another.
You can have a kid sitting on a stool, one on the ground, maybe one on dad's shoulder, someone on the couch, maybe someone sitting, someone standing, layering adds interest and automatically elevates imagery.
(13:00):
Marie talked about, just the simple factor of having soft hands that are relaxed and flowing, fabrics, layers of foreground.
I.
want to add foreground into my photos.
Not too much so that it's distracting, but just enough so that we have layers of foreground, mid-ground background, going into the image to draw your eye in and natural interaction.
(13:26):
When it comes to movement and connection, this is one of the clearest differences between luxury photography work and work that reads budget.
High end imagery conveys an emotion.
It feels like you're stepping into a moment that's unfolding naturally.
There's softness, there's interaction, a sense of.
(13:50):
Love and feeling in the moment.
And bodies are more relaxed.
They're not forced and posed and there's just movement in, in everything they do.
So even if I do a few pose, looking at the camera shots, they always start with an action or a prompt or a movement, and then we come into the looking at the camera so that it feels more genuine.
(14:17):
Something that I notice when I look at people's feeds, who they say they're struggling with booking or attracting the wrong clients who are only wanting to pay really cheap prices, is if you look at their feed, does it look like a series of mini sessions, which I mean by that is it like a bunch of really quick images, looking at the camera that are more stiff, less natural, less connection, less creativity.
(14:48):
They're just kind of copy paste, copy paste, copy, paste of looking at the camera in the mid ground, the same amount of distance away from their client.
Just very stiff and what's the word I'm looking for? Like that, just very much the same thing over and over, rather than.
(15:10):
Taking the time to learn about each family, getting to know the child and what's important to them, and creating a story with your images.
So that's really going to set you apart from the high end, from the, the more budget feel when your images hold the connection in.
Instead, instead of simply capturing a pose, that's when your work begins to feel elevated.
(15:37):
Yeah.
Okay.
Moving on.
The next aspect is directing your clients with confidence and clarity.
So luxury clients expect guidance.
They don't wanna have to guess where to put their hands.
When you direct calmly and clearly, the images will feel elevated in the end.
(15:59):
Yes, there are some luxury clients who are like models.
Maybe they are and they know exactly what to do, but most of my clients are lawyers or doctors.
Do not know naturally what to do in their photos.
They want the look of my images, but want to know what they should be doing with their smiles, their chins, their hands, et cetera.
(16:19):
So I'm going to confidently tell them what they should be doing so they feel confident and comfortable.
They want to feel taken care of, right? So budget work often shows clients who look stiff, like I was talking about before, or they just aren't being directed with confidence.
(16:39):
High end photography, posing.
not about a rigid position.
It's about giving really clear guidance that helps them relax, get comfortable into a natural movement, and explaining.
The things that they need to do to make sure that yes, we're interacting and we're playing games and we're being playful and silly, but there's also some key things to remember in order to keep it a flattering image, right? So even though we're playing Red Rover, red Rover, I'm gonna remind the parents to keep their spines elevated and up high.
(17:20):
Because we naturally will do like crouched positions that are really unflattering.
So a higher end photographer is always mindful of a lot of different things going on in the photo.
And posing doesn't really look like posing.
It looks like connection, but there's this, this really beautiful middle ground where.
(17:45):
You're not overly posing, but you're also not someone who's just saying, okay, go and, and act natural, because Mm-hmm.
know what to do if you say act natural.
I actually heard that at a session once where someone was like.
Just act natural.
Just act natural, like telling their clients.
(18:06):
And I was like, oh my gosh, these poor clients.
And then she started kind of like yelling at them to act natural.
like, that's not gonna work.
They're like, I'm just gonna sit here and like have a little frown on my face.
That's natural.
Yeah.
Yeah, I feel like good posing is when you look at an image and it looks like it was a natural moment happening or unfolding when really the photographer is the director, like right, we're giving the prompts and giving them games or direction, things to do, and then we're capturing so good posing.
(18:44):
Will look like nothing was given or it will look not stiff.
But at behind the scenes, the photographer is giving direction.
Exactly.
Okay.
So the next element that's really important in standing out as a luxury photographer is curating your feed like you are an art director.
(19:09):
Luxury photographers do not show.
Everything they show the strongest, most aligned images and curation is as important as shooting.
Yeah, and luxury brands, they show a lot.
Of restraint and a tight, cohesive portfolio will always be stronger than a large inconsistent one.
(19:33):
And this is true with galleries as well, and I'm guilty of delivering a lot of images.
But the smaller your gallery, the stronger it is.
Less is always more in luxury, so you need to master the art of curating.
You might only share one out of every four sessions.
That's okay.
If the other three sessions won't attract your ideal client, don't share them.
(19:56):
We're not obligated to share all of our work and the purpose of blogging and Instagram, social media, it's marketing the idea of attracting more of what we want to do.
So if a session won't achieve that, simply don't share it.
Yeah, I've heard people say, well, won't.
Won't my client be insulted if I don't show their images? And I think absolutely not.
(20:20):
Especially if you've set the precedent that you rarely, like you post very strategically and not every session.
I've never had anyone feel like they were insulted by me not posting them.
I'm just very specific about.
Curating my feed and creating a look that I wanna convey.
(20:41):
And if a session didn't, like every session, I think fits well into the aesthetic that they expect very, very much so.
But it may not be exactly what's going to attract a high-end client the next time.
So like Marie said, you have to think of.
(21:02):
Your Instagram feed as your commercial, basically like every image on there should look like a marketing image that you want to attract the next luxury client with, and not worrying about what other people may think or judging about what you're posting, because it's ultimately, it's just for marketing.
(21:27):
Yeah.
All right.
The last really big component of luxury work, it's wardrobe choices.
So you definitely wanna avoid.
Four wardrobe choices with your clients.
If you look at luxury wedding photographers, fashion is very much a part of their work.
Their clients are dressed like they could be in a magazine, so you wanna avoid.
(21:52):
Things that are too trendy or tacky.
Outfits like really outdated, tight jeans.
The millennial in me, the skinny jeans, holiday pajamas, matchy matchy outfits.
These instantly cheapen.
Your work Luxury photographers guide wardrobe down to a T very meticulously.
(22:15):
So study Vogue, Harper's Bazaar.
Look at Instagram accounts of luxury wedding planners or designers and see what they're wearing, the styles, the fit, and you can incorporate those overall ideas into your work.
Yes, I am very particular about how I style clients to make sure that my brand really stands out as a, a specific thing.
(22:42):
So it's very romantic, ethereal, whimsical.
So that means I am not shooting with.
With jeans and casual outfits.
Personally, I do think there are some high-end brands that can shoot with more casual outfits for sure.
If they've created this very documentary, vibrant storytelling lifestyle type of.
(23:07):
brand.
But for me, I really love, like what Marie was talking about, where it's very elevated.
Like it could be in a high fashion magazine, like it looks like there's production value, but maybe there isn't really.
You've just very.
Very, you've done a very good job of curating your style.
(23:28):
Therefore, you're attracting people who go, oh, I love that style.
Like, my clients will say, oh, I wanna wear one of your dresses.
I love your dresses.
I'm so excited to come and pick out one of your, your things from your wardrobe, because that's the client I'm attracting.
And if I were to show other types of.
Styling that wasn't cohesive with my brand, you're gonna start attracting people who might be like, oh, that's what she does.
(23:56):
I'm gonna, I'm gonna do that.
Oh wait, that's not what she does.
Oh no.
Then they're confused.
And any confusion will lead to lack of trust and not fully.
When you have a lack of trust, that's when your price tags t typically are lower.
So I agree with that.
(24:17):
Even though I love my skinny jeans, I'm not gonna have my clients wear them.
I got a pair of like super wide leg jeans and I live right by a large university.
And so like I see all the college, I call 'em the college kids.
I see what they're wearing all the time.
And I feel so hip amber with my huge wide leg, wide leg jeans.
(24:40):
But yeah, skinny jeans.
I still love skinny jeans.
They, they're coming back around.
I hear though.
like I tried the wide leg and I was like, I just feel so frumpy.
How did these kids do it? I do feel frumpy.
It's like I feel frumpy, but cool.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay.
Those are all the main components to focus on, but here are a couple smaller things to keep in mind.
(25:04):
So first is distracting backgrounds.
Yes, I personally very much am anti distracting background, so I'm not the type of photographer who's gonna say, oh, let's just shoot in front of this trash can and i'll it out with a white aperture.
Or they, I'm just very intentional about like what's showing in the background of my images.
(25:26):
And if there are, maybe in the distance, maybe I was shooting in a direction where the light was best, but you could kind of see some cars on the street a little bit.
I will definitely edit those out so that everything looks really clean and natural.
And it looks like no one else was there.
We were in a fairytale world, even though there were people and cars in the distance.
(25:48):
I also am mindful of where things are being cut off and cropped on my images.
So composition is isn't a part of this, right? So making sure you're having compositions that kind of feel balanced and they're not cutting people off in the wrong places anything that's cluttered, it's gonna lower the perceived value.
(26:12):
Luxury thrives on simplicity.
Yeah, absolutely.
And going back to like backgrounds and anything distracting, like you basically want it to look like it was supposed to be there, right? So like if you're at a park and there are these cars in the background, but you're at a park that doesn't.
(26:34):
You know, that doesn't translate.
It doesn't make sense.
Whereas if you're in downtown Manhattan, of course there's gonna be cars, there's gonna be taxis, there's gonna be lights.
It's supposed to be there that works.
So you have to be very intentional with that.
Then the other small factor, well it's not really small, it's big, is clear style.
(26:55):
So if someone scrolls your feet and cannot tell it's you or your work pops up and they don't know, it's your work, your brand's not strong enough to read luxury.
We've talked about brand adjectives and doing the brand adjective exercise before, and that is so helpful with distinguishing your unique style from other photographers through your work, your copy, all parts of your brand.
(27:21):
Yeah, in developing, this starts from you.
yes, we can learn other photographers and we should learn from other photographers and speed up our skills, our technical skills, our understanding of all of these elements.
But then in the end, it's important to think about who you are as an artist, what you absolutely feel passionate about, and put your own spin on things.
(27:47):
So even though Maria and I are both luxury, fine art, light and airy photographers, we have a very different look.
And I can identify Marie's look in a crowd and, and people often tell me the same for mine.
Even though I teach my style, there's something about the specific voice behind it makes people go, oh, that's a light living photo, photography photo.
(28:15):
Or, oh, that's a Marie token's photo, even though someone has learned from you, and they can copy the exact presets and lighting style and understand white balance and exposure better and all those things, but.
When you truly understand your ideal client and what you want to create, it becomes a more unique voice, and that really helps to elevate your brand into that luxury market.
(28:44):
Okay.
Yeah, absolutely.
So let's talk about the transformation now.
So what happens when you eliminate all these budget queues we've talked about? Your work will instantly look more expensive.
Your brand becomes cohesive, and your clients trust you more.
(29:04):
Yeah, people start booking you for you, for your look, not your price.
You're not gonna get price shoppers anymore.
And bonus artwork, sales increased because the images feel timeless.
They feel like art.
Okay.
And now a really fun aspect of this episode that we're bringing in is Amber and I wanted to analyze a few different luxury photography styles that are different from our own work and different from each other, because we wanna stress that luxury is not.
(29:39):
One aesthetic.
There are multiple style lanes you can be in to be a luxury photographer.
So we're gonna walk through examples so photographers can see how different luxury styles all stay elevated, even though they look nothing alike.
And we will include Instagram handles in the show link, so you can go and look these up as well.
(30:03):
Okay.
The first photographer we wanna talk about is Brooke Schultz, and if you don't know who Brooke Schultz is, you are living under a rock because she is an extraordinarily talented family photographer who has been in the industry for years.
And we wanna share her because her work is very, very different from Amber's and mine.
(30:26):
However, it is still luxury work, the light she uses.
Is simply poetic.
It is seriously so intentional, and I think this is definitely one of the defining aspects of her work.
And as Amber mentioned earlier, light is huge with establishing a luxury brand.
(30:46):
She also captures raw emotion and honest storytelling.
And both of these vibe with what we talked about earlier with fluidity and connection imposing.
The wardrobe is natural, even casual, but it's elevated still.
So even though her clients are dressing casually, there are some pieces that pop or details that elevate.
(31:11):
Like for example, she might have pops of one particular color or red lipstick on Mom.
Brooke is very colorful and has been long before color was trendy, and the colors she incorporates coordinates so well, it does not look random.
Her work is simply museum worthy.
(31:33):
I've just admired it for years and years.
So luxury clients pay for the depth and presence she brings to a session.
Yes, her, her look is very eye catching and it's not about the looking at the camera, it's about feeling the soul.
Behind her images and she uses her compositions and lighting to do that, even though clients are wearing very casual clothing, like she said, and it's very colorful.
(32:03):
I, yeah, I love it.
It looks like definitely something that could be in a museum.
It looks more like art pieces.
you not, you can't even really see people's faces sometimes, like it's just very like either cropped way in or just the way she plays with her composition and movement and light is definitely luxury.
(32:25):
Okay, so next person I'm really excited to talk about is, well, first let me introduce kind of what I'm gonna say and then I'll, I'll say who Yeah.
There's an entirely different category of luxury that leans into fine art, fashion, and minimalism.
And one of the best examples of this is Shannon Griffin, who will actually be joining our podcast in January, and we're super excited to have her on, but I wanted to talk about her because.
(32:58):
it's a very different style from Marie and I, and her work feels like it belongs in a gallery.
Like you could put these up in a modern art gallery and walk around and be fascinated for hours, and her light feels sculpted and and intentional.
Mm-hmm.
are very clean and editorial, so nothing distracting.
(33:23):
No, no cheesy backgrounds or.
posed images.
The poses feel more like.
Body language and movement than direction, everything she does feels really intimate like you're there in the moment with the person.
Very quiet, very refined.
(33:45):
Her palette has soft neutrals, very muted colors, creams, whites, grays.
Nothing is trendy or loud.
This kind of work is incredibly high-end because it shows a deep mastery.
Of light posing and restraint.
There's absolutely no clutter, no gimmicks.
(34:07):
I think gimmicks is a key word when I see a more budget type of feed is that there's a lot of gimmicks or little props or things like that, but she has absolutely none of that.
It's just pure artistry.
An emotion, and it's such a good reminder luxury is not defined by one single aesthetic.
(34:29):
You guys Mm-hmm.
we're not saying do what we do.
It's the only way to charge high prices.
We're not saying that we want you to look into who you are and create the artwork that you are proud of, and that expresses what you are passionate about.
So luxury is defined more about Consistency strong, confident artistic point of view.
(34:55):
And Shannon does that really well.
I am obsessed with Shannon.
I just cannot wait to have her on the podcast because she is an amazing artist, but also an amazing.
And vastly interesting businesswoman that we're just gonna learn so much from, so super pumped about that.
(35:16):
The next person I'm gonna talk about is one of my favorite photographers.
She has a very clean, airy, pastel type of.
Of color palette and she works with beautiful intentional light.
Her wardrobe styling is always elevated and very beautiful, very much an attention to detail.
(35:43):
The colors always coordinate really well, like you could open up a magazine and see the different images on either side of the page, and everything flows really beautifully.
She's amazing at emotional connection, strong curation, incredible compositions, and she has a very recognizable fingerprint.
(36:07):
So if you scroll, you will recognize her images and is a very timeless.
Feel to how she edits.
And yes, you guys, I'm talking about our very own Marie Elizabeth Photography.
If you haven't, if you're new to our podcast and haven't seen her feed, go check it out and you will, you'll definitely see what I'm talking about.
(36:30):
Oh my gosh.
I feel like you know, when it's your birthday, everyone's singing happy birthday to you, and you're just sitting and like, what do I do? I am serious though.
Okay, but right back at you.
So I wanna talk about Amber's work.
When I think of her work.
(36:51):
I think romantic, stylized, super feminine.
She uses consistent pastel palette and she often will incorporate florals and locations, but they're so curated, and then the gowns and recessions achieve.
Such an elevated look.
(37:12):
It's definitely giving a strong fairytale aesthetic, which I love.
And then she's so in tune with small details, and we talked about this earlier, but hands like fingers, like chin position.
Oftentimes her clients who are her.
(37:33):
Clients, they look like models and they're not models, but it's because of how she posed them.
And it's a lot of the small things.
So again, like exactly how she will position their head, their fingers, and once again, it's luxury because it's intentional, it's cohesive, and just beautifully executed.
(37:55):
Aw.
Thank Okay.
much.
It's.
that you mentioned that about the chin movement, because I'm constantly adjusting peoples angle of what they're doing.
Yes.
Okay.
Enough about us.
Moving on.
We wanna talk about one of the best tools you can use to audit your portfolio, and we're calling this the Vogue test.
(38:19):
Imagine flipping through Vogue, Chanel Dior.
Do you see a froggy pose or a farm themed newborn backdrop or overly posed holiday scenes? Nope.
You're gonna see something that's simple emotive.
There's clean styling.
There's a sense of humanity.
(38:39):
If it wouldn't appear in a luxury magazine, then it might not be a good fit for a luxury portfolio.
And like we said, these other images, even though Marie and I love the more high-end curated.
Elegant gowns and expensive dresses and things like that.
(39:00):
It could be a more casual vibe to your brand, but it still has a soul and an intention behind it.
And you could open a luxury magazine and still see one of Brooks Schultz's images, even though they're wearing jeans, but it's curated and the way that it captures the light and the composition and the emotion behind it.
(39:22):
Makes you instantly go, oh wow, that's something really fascinating to look at.
Okay, so here is how to do the Vogue test.
Step one, you're going to gather your top images in one place.
Okay? This is like your.
Portfolio, if you had to share your portfolio with a potential client, so only the images you want to be known for, step two is you're going to analyze each image for consistency.
(39:52):
Ask yourself, does this match like my brand colors, does this match my brand adjectives? Does the lighting fit? Is the posing natural? Is there.
A natural emotion.
Would a high-end client expect this? And then number three is you're going to ask yourself, would this live in a luxury magazine or museum? And if you're not sure, study.
(40:17):
Luxury brands.
Look through luxury magazines.
Study the work of maybe someone who's not quite in our industry, like a luxury wedding photographer.
You can look at luxury portrait photographers too, but pay attention to small details like wardrobe choice, color choices.
Hand placement, what their lips are doing, where their chin is, what the light is doing in the photos.
(40:45):
And then step four is you're gonna remove anything that is good, but off brand and will not align with luxury.
And this step alone will elevate your entire brand.
And so lastly, you're gonna curate your, your work to represent.
Only the images that fit everything we went over.
(41:08):
Remember, luxury portfolios are tight and intentional.
I feel like that is the word we've mentioned over and over again today.
Amber.
It's probably the key with having luxury work.
Yes.
I can't wait for you guys to go and sit down, take notes on this episode.
We'll, actually.
(41:29):
Let's attach a, document with Mm-hmm.
because I think it would be really great for you guys to go and print this out and actually work on this during your slow season and really curating your portfolio and planning some specific shoots that do align with these elements so that you can elevate to luxury.
(41:51):
Because we've talked about in all the other episodes, yes, there are a lot of elements too.
Having a luxury brand, your marketing your, the way that you speak your language to people, A lot of elements, but it does start with portfolio as the foundation.
So you can work on over the off season during the holidays.
(42:15):
And removing anything that is, I like what we said there.
Good, but off brand.
We're gonna just take it out guys.
Smaller portfolio is better than too much that's inconsistent, so a luxury photo.
Luxury photography is not about being perfect.
(42:35):
It is about being intentional, about creating your world that your clients want to step into.
And the moment you remove the elements that quietly scream, low end or budget, your brain.
N will transform.
Your work becomes recognizable.
Your inquiries change and your confidence changes too.
(43:00):
We hope this episode gave you clarity and inspiration, and if you are looking for additional resources, we will link Marie and i's websites below.
We both have some amazing courses and resources, free resources as well for you guys and next week we are super excited to have a very special surprise, SEO expert guest.
(43:26):
On the podcast, so stay tuned for that one.
Thanks so much for listening and we'll see you next time.
Bye.
Bye.
Welcome back to the Luxe and Legacy Podcast.
Today we are diving into one of the most important topics in luxury photography.
What actually makes an image or portfolio feel expensive and the opposite.
What makes it quietly scream? Budget, even when the photographer is talented.
(00:24):
So such an important conversation because so many photographers are working incredibly hard.
They're shooting tons of sessions, delivering galleries, posting on Instagram, but there are things missing from their portfolio that align with the luxury market.
And most of the time it's not a skill problem per se.
(00:45):
There's some visual issues.
Yes.
Today we are breaking down exactly how to shoot for luxury and the common pitfalls that immediately lower that perceived value of your work.
are also going to walk through real examples of what luxury portfolios, some different really.
(01:05):
Vastly different styles that are still really luxury.
We're gonna point out exactly what they're doing, and then we're also gonna point out some examples of what are common pitfalls that you can avoid so that you can make sure you're attracting your ideal client.
Okay, so let's start with the foundation.
(01:25):
If you want to shoot luxury work, you have to understand the pillars that create that elevated feel.
It is not equipment or fancy locations.
It's shooting with intention and purpose.
Yeah.
And that intention and purpose is key.
So let's talk a little bit about light.
(01:47):
So luxury imagery prioritizes intentional light, so.
It could be soft light, directional light, beautiful back light.
You can make a random patch of grass look high end if the light is perfect, and then the opposite is true as well.
You can be in a stunning location and still have low end looking photos if the light is too harsh or too unflattering.
(02:13):
For years, soft backlighting was the only look of luxury.
Direct sun is really trendy right now and a lot of luxury photographers are using it.
But they are using it intentionally.
They're still ensuring their clients look good, or the light is enhancing a particular moment.
In essence, it's the intentionality behind the light that is the most important part.
(02:37):
Maybe just mom's face is in dappled light, and the rest of her body is in shade.
This dappled light is drawing you.
Into mom and the expression she is making, maybe she's looking directly at the camera and with this lighting it just presents as a power pose.
Or a family may be walking in a field with beautiful backlit, sunset glow, and that's setting the scene and adding some storytelling to their recession.
(03:03):
So again, the key behind all of this is purpose and intention when choosing what kinda light to shoot in.
Yes.
I truly believe lighting is the core of a high-end brand.
It is the foundation of my work.
Personally.
I shoot almost exclusively with backlight and some sidelight.
(03:24):
For a softness and romantic ethereal feel to my brand, not because I can't shoot in other types of light, but because I understand light so deeply that I intentionally choose the type that supports my soft, romantic, ethereal feel to my brand.
And when you truly underst.
Stand the principles of light.
You stop reacting to whatever light you're giving and you start choosing light that aligns with your personal vision.
(03:52):
And that could be all sorts of light for different brands and people who are expressing something specific with their choices.
And the truth is there are plenty of.
Luxury photographers, like Marie mentioned, who use direct light, harsh light, dappled light, and their work is incredibly high-end because they use it with purpose.
(04:13):
And luxury isn't about one specific lighting style for every single person.
It's about understanding light so well that every lighting choice is intentional and supports that brand that you are building.
Yes.
And next we're gonna talk about consistency over variety.
(04:34):
Now, consistency is incredibly important in all areas of your business, you know, from your messaging.
To your images and in your work, you want consistency with colors, with lighting overall, with wardrobe overall, yes, you can play around here and there, but as long as you have most factors of your work consistent, it's going to correctly communicate what clients are gonna get when they look at your imagery.
(05:06):
Yeah.
Luxury clients book you because they know exactly what they're gonna get.
They feel relaxed, supporting because they know what to expect.
They're not questioning you.
And if you're.
Gonna get the right shot because it's a lot of work to get your family together for photos.
I mean, even me, when I do family photos, I'm exhausted getting my two boys and husband.
(05:29):
On the same page for, for going to do it.
So when you do it, you wanna make sure that it's worthwhile no matter what the price is, right? So your editing should be consistent so they know what to expect.
Every time the mood should be consistent.
Your color palette should stay cohesive.
So luxury brands are recognizable instantly.
(05:51):
And when I say cohesive for your color palette.
That doesn't mean you're only neutrals or you're only one thing, but it should be like when you open up your portfolio, your website page or your Instagram, it should feel like when you open a magazine and.
Magazine pages.
They all have colors on the pages that flow together, that work well together, that coordinate together.
(06:18):
There's never like bright, bold colors and then super soft feminine pinks.
Like, it just doesn't work well together on the same page.
So we, we wanna include that in our brand and what we're showcasing our, our portfolio grows.
So your color palette should be cohesive and you don't wanna have.
(06:39):
images that are super warm in white balance and then other images right below it that are a super cool in temperature, meaning like more bluish tones.
And the skin tones are just much cooler overall.
Like they have kind of a dullness to them, a little bit bluish.
And then another.
One right next to it, that's desaturated skin.
(07:01):
And then after that you have super bright saturated colors and neon grass.
Next to it, clients don't articulate it.
They don't really know how to put their finger on what it is when they see inconsistency, but they feel it and inconsistency screams beginner or amateur, and it does destroy their trust.
(07:22):
And therefore, they may not be willing to come to you for really high.
Expensive packages.
Okay.
Yes.
And next kind of ties into that consistency aspect, prioritizing clean color.
And true skin tones.
So luxury editing is gentle, it's minimal.
(07:46):
There's no orange skin tones, no muddy greens, no neon grass.
Your white balance and colors matter more than any preset.
What I find is that the true to color and film look stands the test of time.
Back when I first started photography, there was a really trendy look of like.
(08:08):
Oversaturated and contrasty orangeish editing and that looks so incredibly outdated and tacky.
Now also those super desaturated greens, that was a few years ago and it looks really budget right now.
So when you prioritize clean colors and natural skin tones, you're appealing to high-end clients 'cause they want something that's going to stand the test of time.
(08:35):
Yes, exactly.
For me, skin tones is a really important element to my brand and what I see as conveying luxury when I look at other people's portfolios as well.
I think having a really natural skin tone that doesn't look too filtery too.
Orange or off of what their natural skin tone is or washed out is a really big element.
(09:01):
I have a lot of people who come to me with skin tones and they tell me like, I am booking you because you're really good at doing my type of skin tone, like a darker skin tone, and they'll fly to me from other places because of that.
They're like, all the people in my area, they wash out my skin, or they make it look too yellowy or.
(09:23):
Slightly green or something like that.
And they want their skin tone to look like themselves, but just a little bit better, a little bit more glowy.
But a lot of photographers who are more budget.
They don't quite understand exposure on a deeper level, like exactly how to nail it in camera and how to make it look not overexposed when you're trying to achieve the light and airy look.
(09:50):
Or not super underexposed where it, you really underexpose an image, I don't think you can truly ever get that beautiful skin tone back.
I think the closer you get it in camera.
The better, the final look of the skin tone will be, and then understanding white balance in camera.
So understanding Kelvin to me has been a big game changer and really knowing how to create that glow and getting it right in camera where it's not gonna be super orangey or super cool afterwards.
(10:25):
So yeah, exposure and white balance are very important to luxury.
Element of portfolios.
I do wanna say that something we're talking about today is different styles can have a luxury look.
So whether all your photos are a little more on the warmer side, or all your photos are a little more on the cooler side.
(10:47):
You can still have a beautiful luxury brand.
just talking about when it's kind of an unintentional, like, oh, there's muddy skin tones.
We don't know why.
Or, oh, that person, you made them look really orangey and tan, but they're not, and it's not intentional.
So we're talking about those kind of mistakes.
Can, that can really make clients say, oh, that's, that's kind of a more budget level photographer compared to others.
(11:16):
Absolutely.
And just adding onto that, something I see a lot of still is overexposing, and I've been guilty of this myself, but a lot of photographers will think that they can get that.
Bright and airy look just by raising exposure.
And then all the colors look different.
(11:36):
You know, everything is off from how it looked in person, and people really want their skin tones represented naturally, and that's especially important to people of varying skin tones.
So it's something that, you know, photographers should really look into making sure that they are doing correctly.
Okay.
Next is creating depth in your imagery through movement and connection.
(12:02):
So another factor that really separates budget work from luxury work, it's a bunch of small details.
And these details can be how hands look, the connection between clients layering.
This could be done.
With like different fabrics or posing with layering, stiff hands will always look budget, so you want fingers to look very relaxed, tender, elegant, like flowing, and then the connection ties into posing.
(12:31):
But four smiles look like four smiles and not a natural connective moment, and also opposing.
Layering multiple people like kids, so they're not all standing next to one another.
You can have a kid sitting on a stool, one on the ground, maybe one on dad's shoulder, someone on the couch, maybe someone sitting, someone standing, layering adds interest and automatically elevates imagery.
(13:00):
Marie talked about, just the simple factor of having soft hands that are relaxed and flowing, fabrics, layers of foreground.
I.
want to add foreground into my photos.
Not too much so that it's distracting, but just enough so that we have layers of foreground, mid-ground background, going into the image to draw your eye in and natural interaction.
(13:26):
When it comes to movement and connection, this is one of the clearest differences between luxury photography work and work that reads budget.
High end imagery conveys an emotion.
It feels like you're stepping into a moment that's unfolding naturally.
There's softness, there's interaction, a sense of.
(13:50):
Love and feeling in the moment.
And bodies are more relaxed.
They're not forced and posed and there's just movement in, in everything they do.
So even if I do a few pose, looking at the camera shots, they always start with an action or a prompt or a movement, and then we come into the looking at the camera so that it feels more genuine.
(14:17):
Something that I notice when I look at people's feeds, who they say they're struggling with booking or attracting the wrong clients who are only wanting to pay really cheap prices, is if you look at their feed, does it look like a series of mini sessions, which I mean by that is it like a bunch of really quick images, looking at the camera that are more stiff, less natural, less connection, less creativity.
(14:48):
They're just kind of copy paste, copy paste, copy, paste of looking at the camera in the mid ground, the same amount of distance away from their client.
Just very stiff and what's the word I'm looking for? Like that, just very much the same thing over and over, rather than.
(15:10):
Taking the time to learn about each family, getting to know the child and what's important to them, and creating a story with your images.
So that's really going to set you apart from the high end, from the, the more budget feel when your images hold the connection in.
Instead, instead of simply capturing a pose, that's when your work begins to feel elevated.
(15:37):
Yeah.
Okay.
Moving on.
The next aspect is directing your clients with confidence and clarity.
So luxury clients expect guidance.
They don't wanna have to guess where to put their hands.
When you direct calmly and clearly, the images will feel elevated in the end.
(15:59):
Yes, there are some luxury clients who are like models.
Maybe they are and they know exactly what to do, but most of my clients are lawyers or doctors.
Do not know naturally what to do in their photos.
They want the look of my images, but want to know what they should be doing with their smiles, their chins, their hands, et cetera.
(16:19):
So I'm going to confidently tell them what they should be doing so they feel confident and comfortable.
They want to feel taken care of, right? So budget work often shows clients who look stiff, like I was talking about before, or they just aren't being directed with confidence.
(16:39):
High end photography, posing.
not about a rigid position.
It's about giving really clear guidance that helps them relax, get comfortable into a natural movement, and explaining.
The things that they need to do to make sure that yes, we're interacting and we're playing games and we're being playful and silly, but there's also some key things to remember in order to keep it a flattering image, right? So even though we're playing Red Rover, red Rover, I'm gonna remind the parents to keep their spines elevated and up high.
(17:20):
Because we naturally will do like crouched positions that are really unflattering.
So a higher end photographer is always mindful of a lot of different things going on in the photo.
And posing doesn't really look like posing.
It looks like connection, but there's this, this really beautiful middle ground where.
(17:45):
You're not overly posing, but you're also not someone who's just saying, okay, go and, and act natural, because Mm-hmm.
know what to do if you say act natural.
I actually heard that at a session once where someone was like.
Just act natural.
Just act natural, like telling their clients.
(18:06):
And I was like, oh my gosh, these poor clients.
And then she started kind of like yelling at them to act natural.
like, that's not gonna work.
They're like, I'm just gonna sit here and like have a little frown on my face.
That's natural.
Yeah.
Yeah, I feel like good posing is when you look at an image and it looks like it was a natural moment happening or unfolding when really the photographer is the director, like right, we're giving the prompts and giving them games or direction, things to do, and then we're capturing so good posing.
(18:44):
Will look like nothing was given or it will look not stiff.
But at behind the scenes, the photographer is giving direction.
Exactly.
Okay.
So the next element that's really important in standing out as a luxury photographer is curating your feed like you are an art director.
(19:09):
Luxury photographers do not show.
Everything they show the strongest, most aligned images and curation is as important as shooting.
Yeah, and luxury brands, they show a lot.
Of restraint and a tight, cohesive portfolio will always be stronger than a large inconsistent one.
(19:33):
And this is true with galleries as well, and I'm guilty of delivering a lot of images.
But the smaller your gallery, the stronger it is.
Less is always more in luxury, so you need to master the art of curating.
You might only share one out of every four sessions.
That's okay.
If the other three sessions won't attract your ideal client, don't share them.
(19:56):
We're not obligated to share all of our work and the purpose of blogging and Instagram, social media, it's marketing the idea of attracting more of what we want to do.
So if a session won't achieve that, simply don't share it.
Yeah, I've heard people say, well, won't.
Won't my client be insulted if I don't show their images? And I think absolutely not.
(20:20):
Especially if you've set the precedent that you rarely, like you post very strategically and not every session.
I've never had anyone feel like they were insulted by me not posting them.
I'm just very specific about.
Curating my feed and creating a look that I wanna convey.
(20:41):
And if a session didn't, like every session, I think fits well into the aesthetic that they expect very, very much so.
But it may not be exactly what's going to attract a high-end client the next time.
So like Marie said, you have to think of.
(21:02):
Your Instagram feed as your commercial, basically like every image on there should look like a marketing image that you want to attract the next luxury client with, and not worrying about what other people may think or judging about what you're posting, because it's ultimately, it's just for marketing.
(21:27):
Yeah.
All right.
The last really big component of luxury work, it's wardrobe choices.
So you definitely wanna avoid.
Four wardrobe choices with your clients.
If you look at luxury wedding photographers, fashion is very much a part of their work.
Their clients are dressed like they could be in a magazine, so you wanna avoid.
(21:52):
Things that are too trendy or tacky.
Outfits like really outdated, tight jeans.
The millennial in me, the skinny jeans, holiday pajamas, matchy matchy outfits.
These instantly cheapen.
Your work Luxury photographers guide wardrobe down to a T very meticulously.
(22:15):
So study Vogue, Harper's Bazaar.
Look at Instagram accounts of luxury wedding planners or designers and see what they're wearing, the styles, the fit, and you can incorporate those overall ideas into your work.
Yes, I am very particular about how I style clients to make sure that my brand really stands out as a, a specific thing.
(22:42):
So it's very romantic, ethereal, whimsical.
So that means I am not shooting with.
With jeans and casual outfits.
Personally, I do think there are some high-end brands that can shoot with more casual outfits for sure.
If they've created this very documentary, vibrant storytelling lifestyle type of.
(23:07):
brand.
But for me, I really love, like what Marie was talking about, where it's very elevated.
Like it could be in a high fashion magazine, like it looks like there's production value, but maybe there isn't really.
You've just very.
Very, you've done a very good job of curating your style.
(23:28):
Therefore, you're attracting people who go, oh, I love that style.
Like, my clients will say, oh, I wanna wear one of your dresses.
I love your dresses.
I'm so excited to come and pick out one of your, your things from your wardrobe, because that's the client I'm attracting.
And if I were to show other types of.
Styling that wasn't cohesive with my brand, you're gonna start attracting people who might be like, oh, that's what she does.
(23:56):
I'm gonna, I'm gonna do that.
Oh wait, that's not what she does.
Oh no.
Then they're confused.
And any confusion will lead to lack of trust and not fully.
When you have a lack of trust, that's when your price tags t typically are lower.
So I agree with that.
(24:17):
Even though I love my skinny jeans, I'm not gonna have my clients wear them.
I got a pair of like super wide leg jeans and I live right by a large university.
And so like I see all the college, I call 'em the college kids.
I see what they're wearing all the time.
And I feel so hip amber with my huge wide leg, wide leg jeans.
(24:40):
But yeah, skinny jeans.
I still love skinny jeans.
They, they're coming back around.
I hear though.
like I tried the wide leg and I was like, I just feel so frumpy.
How did these kids do it? I do feel frumpy.
It's like I feel frumpy, but cool.
Yeah, exactly.
Okay.
Those are all the main components to focus on, but here are a couple smaller things to keep in mind.
(25:04):
So first is distracting backgrounds.
Yes, I personally very much am anti distracting background, so I'm not the type of photographer who's gonna say, oh, let's just shoot in front of this trash can and i'll it out with a white aperture.
Or they, I'm just very intentional about like what's showing in the background of my images.
(25:26):
And if there are, maybe in the distance, maybe I was shooting in a direction where the light was best, but you could kind of see some cars on the street a little bit.
I will definitely edit those out so that everything looks really clean and natural.
And it looks like no one else was there.
We were in a fairytale world, even though there were people and cars in the distance.
(25:48):
I also am mindful of where things are being cut off and cropped on my images.
So composition is isn't a part of this, right? So making sure you're having compositions that kind of feel balanced and they're not cutting people off in the wrong places anything that's cluttered, it's gonna lower the perceived value.
(26:12):
Luxury thrives on simplicity.
Yeah, absolutely.
And going back to like backgrounds and anything distracting, like you basically want it to look like it was supposed to be there, right? So like if you're at a park and there are these cars in the background, but you're at a park that doesn't.
(26:34):
You know, that doesn't translate.
It doesn't make sense.
Whereas if you're in downtown Manhattan, of course there's gonna be cars, there's gonna be taxis, there's gonna be lights.
It's supposed to be there that works.
So you have to be very intentional with that.
Then the other small factor, well it's not really small, it's big, is clear style.
(26:55):
So if someone scrolls your feet and cannot tell it's you or your work pops up and they don't know, it's your work, your brand's not strong enough to read luxury.
We've talked about brand adjectives and doing the brand adjective exercise before, and that is so helpful with distinguishing your unique style from other photographers through your work, your copy, all parts of your brand.
(27:21):
Yeah, in developing, this starts from you.
yes, we can learn other photographers and we should learn from other photographers and speed up our skills, our technical skills, our understanding of all of these elements.
But then in the end, it's important to think about who you are as an artist, what you absolutely feel passionate about, and put your own spin on things.
(27:47):
So even though Maria and I are both luxury, fine art, light and airy photographers, we have a very different look.
And I can identify Marie's look in a crowd and, and people often tell me the same for mine.
Even though I teach my style, there's something about the specific voice behind it makes people go, oh, that's a light living photo, photography photo.
(28:15):
Or, oh, that's a Marie token's photo, even though someone has learned from you, and they can copy the exact presets and lighting style and understand white balance and exposure better and all those things, but.
When you truly understand your ideal client and what you want to create, it becomes a more unique voice, and that really helps to elevate your brand into that luxury market.
(28:44):
Okay.
Yeah, absolutely.
So let's talk about the transformation now.
So what happens when you eliminate all these budget queues we've talked about? Your work will instantly look more expensive.
Your brand becomes cohesive, and your clients trust you more.
(29:04):
Yeah, people start booking you for you, for your look, not your price.
You're not gonna get price shoppers anymore.
And bonus artwork, sales increased because the images feel timeless.
They feel like art.
Okay.
And now a really fun aspect of this episode that we're bringing in is Amber and I wanted to analyze a few different luxury photography styles that are different from our own work and different from each other, because we wanna stress that luxury is not.
(29:39):
One aesthetic.
There are multiple style lanes you can be in to be a luxury photographer.
So we're gonna walk through examples so photographers can see how different luxury styles all stay elevated, even though they look nothing alike.
And we will include Instagram handles in the show link, so you can go and look these up as well.
(30:03):
Okay.
The first photographer we wanna talk about is Brooke Schultz, and if you don't know who Brooke Schultz is, you are living under a rock because she is an extraordinarily talented family photographer who has been in the industry for years.
And we wanna share her because her work is very, very different from Amber's and mine.
(30:26):
However, it is still luxury work, the light she uses.
Is simply poetic.
It is seriously so intentional, and I think this is definitely one of the defining aspects of her work.
And as Amber mentioned earlier, light is huge with establishing a luxury brand.
(30:46):
She also captures raw emotion and honest storytelling.
And both of these vibe with what we talked about earlier with fluidity and connection imposing.
The wardrobe is natural, even casual, but it's elevated still.
So even though her clients are dressing casually, there are some pieces that pop or details that elevate.
(31:11):
Like for example, she might have pops of one particular color or red lipstick on Mom.
Brooke is very colorful and has been long before color was trendy, and the colors she incorporates coordinates so well, it does not look random.
Her work is simply museum worthy.
(31:33):
I've just admired it for years and years.
So luxury clients pay for the depth and presence she brings to a session.
Yes, her, her look is very eye catching and it's not about the looking at the camera, it's about feeling the soul.
Behind her images and she uses her compositions and lighting to do that, even though clients are wearing very casual clothing, like she said, and it's very colorful.
(32:03):
I, yeah, I love it.
It looks like definitely something that could be in a museum.
It looks more like art pieces.
you not, you can't even really see people's faces sometimes, like it's just very like either cropped way in or just the way she plays with her composition and movement and light is definitely luxury.
(32:25):
Okay, so next person I'm really excited to talk about is, well, first let me introduce kind of what I'm gonna say and then I'll, I'll say who Yeah.
There's an entirely different category of luxury that leans into fine art, fashion, and minimalism.
And one of the best examples of this is Shannon Griffin, who will actually be joining our podcast in January, and we're super excited to have her on, but I wanted to talk about her because.
(32:58):
it's a very different style from Marie and I, and her work feels like it belongs in a gallery.
Like you could put these up in a modern art gallery and walk around and be fascinated for hours, and her light feels sculpted and and intentional.
Mm-hmm.
are very clean and editorial, so nothing distracting.
(33:23):
No, no cheesy backgrounds or.
posed images.
The poses feel more like.
Body language and movement than direction, everything she does feels really intimate like you're there in the moment with the person.
Very quiet, very refined.
(33:45):
Her palette has soft neutrals, very muted colors, creams, whites, grays.
Nothing is trendy or loud.
This kind of work is incredibly high-end because it shows a deep mastery.
Of light posing and restraint.
There's absolutely no clutter, no gimmicks.
(34:07):
I think gimmicks is a key word when I see a more budget type of feed is that there's a lot of gimmicks or little props or things like that, but she has absolutely none of that.
It's just pure artistry.
An emotion, and it's such a good reminder luxury is not defined by one single aesthetic.
(34:29):
You guys Mm-hmm.
we're not saying do what we do.
It's the only way to charge high prices.
We're not saying that we want you to look into who you are and create the artwork that you are proud of, and that expresses what you are passionate about.
So luxury is defined more about Consistency strong, confident artistic point of view.
(34:55):
And Shannon does that really well.
I am obsessed with Shannon.
I just cannot wait to have her on the podcast because she is an amazing artist, but also an amazing.
And vastly interesting businesswoman that we're just gonna learn so much from, so super pumped about that.
(35:16):
The next person I'm gonna talk about is one of my favorite photographers.
She has a very clean, airy, pastel type of.
Of color palette and she works with beautiful intentional light.
Her wardrobe styling is always elevated and very beautiful, very much an attention to detail.
(35:43):
The colors always coordinate really well, like you could open up a magazine and see the different images on either side of the page, and everything flows really beautifully.
She's amazing at emotional connection, strong curation, incredible compositions, and she has a very recognizable fingerprint.
(36:07):
So if you scroll, you will recognize her images and is a very timeless.
Feel to how she edits.
And yes, you guys, I'm talking about our very own Marie Elizabeth Photography.
If you haven't, if you're new to our podcast and haven't seen her feed, go check it out and you will, you'll definitely see what I'm talking about.
(36:30):
Oh my gosh.
I feel like you know, when it's your birthday, everyone's singing happy birthday to you, and you're just sitting and like, what do I do? I am serious though.
Okay, but right back at you.
So I wanna talk about Amber's work.
When I think of her work.
(36:51):
I think romantic, stylized, super feminine.
She uses consistent pastel palette and she often will incorporate florals and locations, but they're so curated, and then the gowns and recessions achieve.
Such an elevated look.
(37:12):
It's definitely giving a strong fairytale aesthetic, which I love.
And then she's so in tune with small details, and we talked about this earlier, but hands like fingers, like chin position.
Oftentimes her clients who are her.
(37:33):
Clients, they look like models and they're not models, but it's because of how she posed them.
And it's a lot of the small things.
So again, like exactly how she will position their head, their fingers, and once again, it's luxury because it's intentional, it's cohesive, and just beautifully executed.
(37:55):
Aw.
Thank Okay.
much.
It's.
that you mentioned that about the chin movement, because I'm constantly adjusting peoples angle of what they're doing.
Yes.
Okay.
Enough about us.
Moving on.
We wanna talk about one of the best tools you can use to audit your portfolio, and we're calling this the Vogue test.
(38:19):
Imagine flipping through Vogue, Chanel Dior.
Do you see a froggy pose or a farm themed newborn backdrop or overly posed holiday scenes? Nope.
You're gonna see something that's simple emotive.
There's clean styling.
There's a sense of humanity.
(38:39):
If it wouldn't appear in a luxury magazine, then it might not be a good fit for a luxury portfolio.
And like we said, these other images, even though Marie and I love the more high-end curated.
Elegant gowns and expensive dresses and things like that.
(39:00):
It could be a more casual vibe to your brand, but it still has a soul and an intention behind it.
And you could open a luxury magazine and still see one of Brooks Schultz's images, even though they're wearing jeans, but it's curated and the way that it captures the light and the composition and the emotion behind it.
(39:22):
Makes you instantly go, oh wow, that's something really fascinating to look at.
Okay, so here is how to do the Vogue test.
Step one, you're going to gather your top images in one place.
Okay? This is like your.
Portfolio, if you had to share your portfolio with a potential client, so only the images you want to be known for, step two is you're going to analyze each image for consistency.
(39:52):
Ask yourself, does this match like my brand colors, does this match my brand adjectives? Does the lighting fit? Is the posing natural? Is there.
A natural emotion.
Would a high-end client expect this? And then number three is you're going to ask yourself, would this live in a luxury magazine or museum? And if you're not sure, study.
(40:17):
Luxury brands.
Look through luxury magazines.
Study the work of maybe someone who's not quite in our industry, like a luxury wedding photographer.
You can look at luxury portrait photographers too, but pay attention to small details like wardrobe choice, color choices.
Hand placement, what their lips are doing, where their chin is, what the light is doing in the photos.
(40:45):
And then step four is you're gonna remove anything that is good, but off brand and will not align with luxury.
And this step alone will elevate your entire brand.
And so lastly, you're gonna curate your, your work to represent.
Only the images that fit everything we went over.
(41:08):
Remember, luxury portfolios are tight and intentional.
I feel like that is the word we've mentioned over and over again today.
Amber.
It's probably the key with having luxury work.
Yes.
I can't wait for you guys to go and sit down, take notes on this episode.
We'll, actually.
(41:29):
Let's attach a, document with Mm-hmm.
because I think it would be really great for you guys to go and print this out and actually work on this during your slow season and really curating your portfolio and planning some specific shoots that do align with these elements so that you can elevate to luxury.
(41:51):
Because we've talked about in all the other episodes, yes, there are a lot of elements too.
Having a luxury brand, your marketing your, the way that you speak your language to people, A lot of elements, but it does start with portfolio as the foundation.
So you can work on over the off season during the holidays.
(42:15):
And removing anything that is, I like what we said there.
Good, but off brand.
We're gonna just take it out guys.
Smaller portfolio is better than too much that's inconsistent, so a luxury photo.
Luxury photography is not about being perfect.
(42:35):
It is about being intentional, about creating your world that your clients want to step into.
And the moment you remove the elements that quietly scream, low end or budget, your brain.
N will transform.
Your work becomes recognizable.
Your inquiries change and your confidence changes too.
(43:00):
We hope this episode gave you clarity and inspiration, and if you are looking for additional resources, we will link Marie and i's websites below.
We both have some amazing courses and resources, free resources as well for you guys and next week we are super excited to have a very special surprise, SEO expert guest.
(43:26):
On the podcast, so stay tuned for that one.
Thanks so much for listening and we'll see you next time.
Bye.
Bye.
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