Senior Photography in 2026: Trends, Challenges, and Real Talk: Insights from 5 Pros in the Field

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Tried and True with a Dash of Woo, where
we blend rock solid tips with alittle bit of magic.
I'm Renee Bowen, your host, lifeand business coach, and
professional photographer.
At your service, we are allabout getting creative, diving
in your business, and playingwith manifestation over here.
So are you ready to get inspiredand have some fun?
Let's dive in.

(00:22):
Hey, hey, welcome back to Triedand True with a Dash of Woo.
I'm your host, Renee Bowen, andthis week's episode is going to
be a little bit different.
So not only do I have one guest,I have several guests, but I'm
doing it in a prettynon-traditional way because it
was really hard to wrangle asmany people as I wanted to
include in this conversation.

(00:44):
So I basically sent somequestions to some of the senior
photographers who I work withinside of Elevate because a lot
of us are seeing differentthings, right?
Like we're all in differentparts of the country, but
there's a very big conversationgoing on right now around what's
next for our industry, what'scoming.

(01:04):
We have so many things changingand shifting.
We have AI, our teen clients arechanging.
Again, we're moving really intoGen Alpha.
I've been talking a lot aboutthat in the last several months.
And as a senior photographer andas an educator in this industry,
I really want to make sure thatI'm highlighting other voices as

(01:26):
well.
Because, you know, I'm not theund all be all, right?
I'm in Southern California.
And so I do tend to see trendsand things like that happen
earlier.
But, you know, that may or maynot be relevant for you wherever
you are.
And so I wanted to have thisdialogue with some other senior
photographers who are working,who are doing really well, but

(01:49):
they run their businesses, youknow, in different parts of the
country.
And so I had a set of questionsthat I really wanted to cover
and go deeper into.
So you're gonna hear four tofive different voices answer
these questions.
And some answered all of them,some just popped in for a few.
But I think it's gonna make fora really fun and different

(02:12):
listening experience for youtoday.
And it is only audio.
We're not doing a video for thisweek's episode.
Uh, so you can listen to thisobviously wherever you listen to
podcasts.
And basically, I'm just gonnapop in, I'm gonna say the
question, and then each personis going to sort of like answer
it in their own way.
And then I'm gonna pop back inand sort of tie it all together.

(02:34):
So I think it's gonna be reallyfun.
And I really think that, youknow, if you're a senior
photographer or if you want tobe a senior photographer, this
is gonna be a really important,you know, great conversation for
you to listen to.
I would love to continue thisconversation with you as well.
So head over to the DMs and myInstagram at Renee Bowen if you

(02:55):
have any questions or ifanything stood out for you.
I would absolutely love to hearfrom you.
And of course, share this with afriend who you think would also
benefit from all of this amazinginsight that we are about to dig
into.
But really quickly, before we dothat, I just want to mention
that it's December, it's earlyDecember, right?

(03:16):
So we're heading into theholidays.
And I know this is downtime fora lot of us, photographers,
creatives.
Um, again, if you even if you'renot a senior photographer, this
conversation we're having todaycould be super insightful for
you just across the boardbecause we are talking about,
you know, a lot of differenttrends that we're seeing.

(03:38):
So this could be relevant foryou no matter what kind of
business you're running.
But aside from that, this isalso the time of year heading
into January.
There's a couple of things thatI want to highlight that I have
going on that could also besuper beneficial to you as well.
So the first thing is that nextweek on December 10th, I'm gonna

(03:58):
be hosting a live workshop.
And it's not your typicalend-of-year planning or goal
setting for the next yearworkshop.
We are gonna do a bit of thatbecause I really do think that
it's important to get someclarity before we clock out at
the end of the year.
And this year in particular,because we are moving out of a

(04:21):
nine-year in numerology.
So in numerology, you know, itgoes up to nine and then it
restarts the cycle.
And so this is a nine year.
It's also the year of the snakein Chinese astrology, and we're
moving from that to the year ofthe horse and also a nine-year
to a one-year.
And so that can be really,really impactful because it

(04:44):
means that we're shedding oldcycles, we're leaving what no
longer serves us behind in 2025.
And unless we're doing thatintentionally, we might feel
like we are scattered and notsuper focused heading into 2026.
And so I'd really love to haveyou join me on December 10th.

(05:06):
If you are feeling any sort ofstuckness or confusion or just
like generally, you know, meh,like not feeling it, like not
really feeling in your body,feeling um any sort of clarity
on kind of where you want to go,because that's exactly what
we're gonna be doing in thisworkshop.

(05:26):
But we're gonna be doing a fewdifferent things.
Okay.
So, first of all, I'm callingthis workshop unavoidable
because I want you to setyourself up so that the future
vision of your life isunavoidable.
Okay, we're gonna make this soeasy for you to implement.
Okay, we're not gonna just getclarity on things.
We're going to actually createsome tools that are gonna help

(05:49):
you uh move through this andactually embody this vision,
this version of you, right?
So we are gonna look back on2025.
That's the first thing we'regonna do because it's really
important for us to take stock.
What worked, what didn't work,what do I want to continue
doing?
What am I no longer availablefor, basically?

(06:11):
And so that's gonna be a pieceof it.
Then we're gonna go ahead andproject.
Really, five years out, right?
I'm gonna give you the tools andthe framework to really go there
and really get curious aboutwhat it is you truly wanna do.
Okay, and we're gonna take thisstep by step and I'm gonna guide

(06:31):
us through it, which I thinkreally is important that you
join us live.
However, you can also just signup and get the replay and do
this on your own.
That totally works as well.
So we're gonna do that.
We're also going to create thisfive-year vision.
Then we're gonna kind of breakit down to like, okay, then just
2026.
What do we really want to mapout for that?

(06:52):
And then the first 90 days andaction plan so that you really
start 2026 knowing what you'regonna be doing, and we're gonna
create some tools to help youalong the way.
We're going to not just do likea vision board, we're gonna do a
vision movie because that's waymore impactful than just looking
at something static, a staticimage.

(07:13):
That's helpful, and we candefinitely go into that.
There's gonna be a little uhCanva template for you to do
this for your iPhone screen,because I really am very big on
planting those seeds in ourunconscious mind daily.
So you're gonna get that.
We're also gonna create thatmovie, which is gonna be
actually really, really fun aswell.
Um, but you get to design this,okay?

(07:36):
And so we're gonna take it stepby step, piece by piece, so that
by the end of this workshop, youare going to feel so much more
grounded.
And this is all very nervoussystem friendly because I know
that we are all frazzled, we areall done, we don't want one more
thing to do at the end of theyear.
And so this is gonna be wrappedin sort of like a very calming

(07:58):
ritual vibe.
Okay, like this is a gift toyourself right before the
holidays.
And so I want you to go aheadand join us if that feels
aligned for you.
The link is below.
Go ahead and do that becauseit's on December 10th.
If you want to join us live, youare going to still be able to
purchase this through the end ofDecember at the same price, but

(08:18):
then in January, the price isgoing to jump.
So if you know you want to doit, let's say the first week of
January, go ahead and purchaseit now because the price is
going to increase.
The other thing I'm gonna talkto you guys about at the end of
this episode, but I'm gonnamention it really quickly is
that I am signing up my nextsemester of Elevate.
This is my six-month containerfor high vibe, visionary,

(08:41):
creative female photographers.
Okay, so you don't have to be asenior photographer, a lot of us
are, but some otherphotographers in the group are
branding, headshots, some doevents, families.
And so you don't have to justspecifically do one niche of
photography.
However, it is only for femalephotographers.

(09:01):
And it's not a great fit if youare a newbie.
Okay.
Like if you are a newphotographer and you're looking
for a roadmap and guidance inthat way, that is coaching with
me.
That is my level up program.
We can talk about that.
I'll put the links below.
But you definitely can book acall with me in December if you
are thinking of addingone-on-one coaching to your

(09:22):
education roster in 2026,because I am signing up
one-on-one clients right now for2026.
So I'll put that link below too.
That's always in the show notes.
Just book a call with me becausewe do have to chat for that.
But for Elevate, all you need todo is just apply.
So I'm gonna link the pagebelow.
The page really goes into allthe details about what it is and

(09:43):
who it's for.
So go ahead and read that.
And then when you click apply,it'll bring you to a form.
And then I'll reach out fromthere and let you know if I feel
like it would be a good fit.
And maybe we need to hop on acall or something like that.
But if you are a femalephotographer and you are seeking
really a beautiful community,because the women in this group,

(10:03):
most of them have been with mefor years, and we have such good
vibes on our calls in thisgroup.
It's so supportive.
You get a lot of marketing,obviously, because marketing is
like my love language.
So we talk a lot about marketingin a lot of different ways.
We are diving deep into AI rightnow, and I'm that's where I'm

(10:25):
doing a lot of my AI educationbecause it is ongoing and
non-stop, just like social mediamarketing.
So that's this is the placewhere I like to dive into all of
that because it's more up todate and current.
And it's very, very heavy onmindset, unconscious
reprogramming.
You do get a one-on-one callwith me included during your six

(10:45):
months in Elevate, and that youcan schedule at any time during
that six months that you are amember.
So you do get some one-on-onesupport, but you get some very
focused and individualized groupsupport as well.
We have two calls a month, andthen we have ongoing support and
a Voxer thread.
And so that's like justbasically having a coach in your
pocket.
At any time, you can reach outwith whatever you need, and I

(11:07):
will pop in within 24 hours andanswer you.
So it's kind of unheard of atthis price to get this level of
support, but I love keeping itaccessible and I'm just very
protective of the energy of thisgroup.
So I want to make sure it's agood fit for you and a good fit
for us.
But if this feels like somethingyou want to be a part of, I

(11:28):
would love to have you apply.
So go ahead and click the linkand do that.
And uh I hope to see you inElevate as well in January.
Okay, so let's get into today'sepisode.
As I said, I am going to pop inwith what the question is that I
asked everyone.
And then each person is going tosay a little bit about what

(11:49):
their answer is and give somecontext behind it.
You're gonna hear from StaceyDominici, she is SL Boutique
Photography, and she is inPennsylvania.
You're gonna hear from KellyHeights, she's in Florida.
You're gonna hear from TracyCaffrey and she's in Minnesota.
And you're gonna also hear fromLinda Soboluski, and she is out
of Connecticut.
They're all amazing.

(12:09):
They're all in Elevate.
I've been working with them fora while, some of them one-on-one
first, and then inside ofElevate as well.
And so they really understand uhnot just, you know, what we need
to be doing as seniorphotographers, but because
they've been in my coachingcontainer for a while, they're
pretty well versed also in likethe way that I coach and the way
that I uh speak to you guys andmy community.

(12:32):
So it's super aligned.
And you can read more about themon my blog.
I've linked out to each of theirbusinesses so you guys can go
and find out more about them.
And they're also linked here inthe show notes.
Okay, here we go.
First question that I askedthese amazing photographers is
what are some of the biggestshifts or trends that you've
noticed in the high schoolsenior photography world over

(12:53):
the past year or two?

SPEAKER_01 (12:54):
I'm definitely seeing seniors want something
that feels more like them andless like the perfectly posed,
overly styled shoots that weused to see.
Seniors want to look likethey're moving around and candid
moments, emotional connection.
They kind of want to look likethey're in a magazine, but they
also want to look very natural.
They want natural edits, theywant clean edits, nothing too

(13:18):
heavy.
Um, noticing that seniors wantmore variety without doing a big
production.
They want multiple outfits, theywant multiple locations, but
they want it to feel simple,they want it to look like you're
just having fun.
And honestly, the parents lovethat too.

SPEAKER_02 (13:31):
Um, a couple different things.
First, I feel like, I mean,obviously, we've talked about
the fact that they're, you know,they're wanting everything to
look more like them, which Ihope leads away from AI because
they want to feel like thepictures really represent who
they are.
But I'm also noticing that theydon't really care about seeing
your photos and not necessarilyin a good or bad way.

(13:52):
It's just they feel like it'snot necessarily that rite of
passage anymore.
The parents were wanting it.
And I've noticed that now theparents are more leaning into
whatever the kids say they want.
So if the kids don't want it,then the parents don't want it.
Um, and I I've noticed that I'vealso noticed that there's no
follow-through.
You know, I think they're reallystruggling with how to do the

(14:12):
steps that go along with it.
And I'm wondering if a lot ofthis is coming from COVID,
where, you know, they weren't inclasses, they were at home, and
so they get really overwhelmedwhen they have to do things.
And I I found that this startedin 2022.
It was a little bit better in2023, which was the last class
that I think really had some oftheir freshman year.

(14:33):
And then, you know, I reallystarted to see a decrease in any
type of prep work, even on theparent side, which was a little
bit crazy.
I also feel like I've seen a lotthis year of both the parents
and the seniors just kind ofgoing along with it, not
necessarily being excited aboutit.
You know, so I'd love to see alittle bit more excitement.

(14:53):
I'd love to see some positivityput back into it.
I'd love to see a focus on, Ithink, the outcome of them.
Um, you know, I think socialmedia plays a huge part in this.
They don't want to feel likethey're overrepresenting
themselves.
But I just think it's a shame,you know, when they look back
and they don't really havephotos of who they were and
selfies just are not the same.
I've learned that being out oftown and taking my camera and

(15:15):
not taking my professionalcamera, just taking my cell
phone.
It is not the same.
The other funny thing, and we'vetalked about this before too, is
that there's this huge pushagainst professional photos.
Um, and I think that comes fromportrait remote on a camera
because it's fake, it's AI.
So they don't want to have umimage blur.
And it was funny, I was actuallyworking with my nephew who's

(15:36):
trying to learn how to use acamera, and we were talking
about depth of field and theshallowness or the you know, a
deeper depth of field and whatthe focus becomes when there's a
deep depth, you know, a deepdepth of field, meaning
everything's in focus.
And he was like, well, thennothing's really in focus.
You're not focused on anything.
And it was great that he couldsee that he's 15 and but he's
learning about a camera.

(15:56):
And I think that was one of theother great things I was talking
to him about is that he was ableto see what the human eye can
see versus what the camera cansee.
And I think that's a bit of achallenge for people too.
They they struggle with whycan't we get the background and
the foreground if you know oneis in shade and um and things
like that.
So I've seen a little bit ofthat.
When I started, I really enjoyeddoing a lot of what I did with

(16:17):
weddings.
I like to make dramatic lightingand all that kind of stuff.
And I'm seeing less of a pushfor that until they get into the
moment and then they really wantit.
So I think, you know, that'spart of it is just really being
able to show people what theresults are and how you can have
them.
You know, I'm a big believer,and I made a TikTok on this that
I think senior portraits are area bigger deal than wedding

(16:37):
photos.
And I'm a retired weddingphotographer.
I just think, you know, weddingreally isn't about you or even
really about your spouse.
It's about your family, andthere's so much going on.
And um, and I just think thatsenior moment is where they
really get to focus on whatthey're going to become and
where they want to go, eventhough it'll change a thousand
times in their lifetime andit'll definitely change when
they're in college.
I just think it's really greatwhen you get to focus in on

(16:59):
that.
And I'm feeling like so much ofthat has been pushed away.
And I don't feel like you know,seniors get that moment.

SPEAKER_04 (17:06):
I would say that I run a luxury high school senior
photography business.
And even among my luxuryclients, I've noticed that
they're spending less overallthan in years past.
With the state of the economy,everyone's being more selective
with what they choose to spendtheir money on.
And then in addition to that,supplier and vendor costs have

(17:28):
increased.
So my overall revenue and profitmargins have decreased um this
year versus years prior.

SPEAKER_00 (17:37):
Okay, so those were all really great.
I think that, you know, a lot ofus can identify with everything,
all three of them said.
You know, again, I think thatsome of this is regional.
And I think that it also dependson, you know, the kind of
business that we run, wherewe're located, all that kind of
stuff.

(17:57):
You know, every everything likethat will come into play.
Uh, but for myself, I'll chimein to a lot of the things that I
have seen.
I haven't really seen it beinguh not a thing necessarily in
the same way, I think, as Kellywas talking about.
But I think that's because whereI'm located, it it never really

(18:19):
was a thing.
Like, so you know, I I createdthis business in 2007, 2008.
Nobody, nobody was doing seniorportraits like at all.
Like it wasn't a thing.
They would just go do theircontracted yearbook stuff, and
that was it.
And so I don't really feel likeI don't know, maybe it's my own
mindset because I've always sortof felt like I had to make it a

(18:43):
thing and create it and likeembed the importance of it into
everything that I do.
Um, because people literally inthe beginning, they were like,
What are you doing?
Like, what do you mean you'retaking these girls out for like
it looks like they're shootingon a magazine, you know, all
this kind of stuff, right?
And I was like, Yeah, that's thepoint.
Like it's special.
It's supposed to be special,it's supposed to be, you know, a

(19:06):
really awesome time in yourlife.
And, you know, I had to buildthat messaging and build the
reason basically why I was doingthis.
And so maybe that's why I don'tfeel like I've seen a drop.
Uh, it's just because I I kindof feel like it's it's in
California, like where I'mlocated.
Um, it's it hasn't always beenlike a huge deal necessarily.

(19:29):
Uh, but I do feel like I feellike it almost is kind of the
opposite, to be honest with you.
Like I'm kind of seeing anuptick.
I'm also seeing an uptick insenior photographers popping up
in Southern California, even injust like the last five years,
right?
Before then, it was, it was notas many of us, right?

(19:49):
You would see portraitphotographers, obviously, but
like senior photographers anddoing these kind of specific
sessions that we're talkingabout.
That wasn't necessarily a thing.
Now I see a lot more of that.
So, I mean, I kind of take thatwhen I see saturation like that
too.
A lot of people are like, oh myGod, the market's so saturated.
It's like, well, it's, you know,it's more than enough for
everybody.
Like, I'm really a big believerin abundance mindset.

(20:10):
I just refuse to get stuck inthe negativity because I don't
really feel like there's apurpose in that, honestly.
But I also do believe that wherethere's saturation, you know,
there's a reason for it.
Like there's a market.
But for me, really quickly, thetrends that I've kind of seen
are definitely more of a pullto, you know, in the moment,

(20:32):
movement, not uh images thatlook on purpose, right?
They want, they wantprofessional images and they
want to look good.
This is what I'm seeing from myclients and a lot of the images
that they send me as likeexamples of things that they
want.
Uh, they want to look good.
They want that editorial likevibe, that movement, the energy,

(20:55):
like, you know, nothing superstatic and traditional.
Like that is definitely notsomething I'm not, I don't ever
see clients want supertraditional stuff.
Like, literally, I see way farthe opposite.
And I mean, that is, I've seenthat for a while, right?
That's kind of the way that Ishoot anyway.
I've always used a lot ofmovement.
I still do prioritize portraits,obviously, too.

(21:19):
Like, you know, my job, I think,as a senior photographer is to
get what both the parent and theteenager want because they're
gonna want different things.
That's very, very common.
And the parents still do wantthose like tighter, beautiful
portrait shots of their kidssmiling.
And the teenagers want less ofthose.
But what I see in the orderingsessions is that, you know, they

(21:40):
compromise and the parentsdefinitely let their kids call
the shots, but they are, theyare for sure um still standing
their ground when it comes tolike, no, I want this image.
And the kids they're fine withit, right?
They don't maybe love that imageof themselves right now, but we

(22:02):
know that they're gonna feeldifferently about it in a few
years.
And it also has a lot to do withsome of the other things that
they were talking about in theiranswers there, right?
A lot of this has to do with thepost-COVID world and social
media and the fact that theyhave a selfie camera, you know,
in front of their face all thetime.
And it's very different when aphotographer is taking an image

(22:24):
of you with a professionalcamera with an 85 lens.
It's a different compression.
So there's a lot of that at playtoo.
And then just real quick, as faras the um spending and things
like that, I think across theboard we can all agree that that
is probably universal.
We've definitely seen a drop inpeople, you know, um, the amount

(22:48):
necessarily probably of clientscoming to you.
But for me, my prices havealways been pretty high.
So I I'm kind of used to that aswell.
I'm used to people not beingable to invest in what I do.
So um, I don't know if I'venecessarily seen a huge drop in.
I I definitely my sales arestill high.

(23:09):
I will say that my sales arestill where I'd like them to be.
And um, you know, and I'm stillI'm still booking clients.
So I haven't seen a huge drop,but I also, because of the way
that I'm priced, I wasn't likepeople weren't beating down my
door to shoot with me anyway, ifthat makes sense, right?
I mean, like I always havebusiness, but it's not like I

(23:31):
have to make people wait monthsand months to shoot with me
because like I'm expensive.
And so not everybody can affordthat.
Anyway, that's just my two centson that question.
Okay, so for this next question,it kind of ties into the first
question.
So their answers are a littlebit about more trends that
they're seeing, but also thequestion is can you share a

(23:54):
challenge that you've run intowhile trying to adapt to these
trends?
And what made it hard?
How did you navigate it?
So you'll kind of hear littledifferent things in their
answers here.
Like they'll chime in with alittle bit of a different take
on a trend, and then also likethe challenge that they've run
into, which I think is reallyinteresting.

SPEAKER_02 (24:15):
I think one of the other trends is as well, I think
we kind of touched on this, butis less perfection.
Um, and I've kind of seen thiswith hair and makeup.
And so this would be a challengethat we're trying to adapt to.
You know, I really try to say tothe seniors, one of the things
that I love about getting hairand makeup done is not
necessarily that they lookperfect, because I I think that
that's one of the things my hairand makeup artist does a great

(24:38):
job of is still keeping themlooking like them.
It's just a little bit morepolished.
But I think the biggest featureof hair and makeup is the
reduction of stress.
You know, there's this feelingwhen you're getting it done,
when you're getting photos done.
Um, and it's just there'ssomething about the pressure of
it.
And it's like, oh gosh, I wantto look perfect or I want
everything to go together andwithout fail when it's a day
when you need that, like yourhair isn't curling right or

(24:59):
something's not happening theway you want it to.
And the great thing is it justremoves all that pressure.
And I think if, you know, aslong as we can continue to focus
on making them the highlight,you know, and I always say to
seniors, I want you to look likeyou, but I want you to elevate
it.
You know, you don't want to lookback and see yourself in your
sloppy sweats.
You want to see yourself in anoutfit that you really enjoy.
And so I think it's kind offinding that blend of showing

(25:21):
who you are right now, but alittle bit of what you're going
to grow into as well.
And I think that, you know,that's the purpose of what
senior photos are.
And I think that's what I'veI've tried really hard to show.
I think the other thing we'rereally running into is trying to
speak to these kids and tryingto speak to the parents because
there's so many different, youknow, things coming at them.

(25:42):
And I think trying to get ourmessage through is a real
challenge.
Um, and that's kind of somethingbig that I'm trying to work on
this year and making sure thatmy message comes through, you
know, my why and how I can helpthem with that.
You know, my why is that I wantmy seniors and the parents to
feel seen.
I want them to feel like, youknow, that there's a place for
them to take up space and thatthey belong.
Um, and I think a lot of18-year-olds don't feel like

(26:04):
they belong and they don't feellike they can take up space.
And I think social media leadsto that.
So I'm really trying to bringthat into my messaging.
And that's kind of my goal in 26and 27.

SPEAKER_01 (26:14):
The biggest challenge for me has been
finding the balance betweenoffering variety while keeping
sessions efficient and notoverwhelming.
Seniors want lots of looks, butthey also want relaxed,
effortless photos.
So for me, the way was planningmore intentionally.
I choose locations that offerdifferent looks in one area.
I guide them through theiroutfits.
They get there, we I tell themwhat outfits to wear, when and

(26:38):
where, and what will photographwell.
And so doing all this, it's madeour workflow a lot easier and it
keeps the sessions fun insteadof chaotic.

SPEAKER_03 (26:46):
One tend that's been challenging for me is the
increasing pressure to keep upwith social media.
As senior photographers, so muchof our visibility now depends on
being active online, and socialmedia has become this like
necessary evil we can't reallyignore.
The hard part of it is that it'sconstantly changing.
The tools we use, thealgorithms, the style of content

(27:06):
changes as well.
And the minute I feel like Ifigured it out, it all shifts
again.
It can be a full-time job andit's exhausting.
I actually stepped away fromposting for a bit because I just
needed a reset.
I know it's gonna impact mybusiness.
It was a break I needed to getback to a healthier mindset.
I know I have to accept that mysocial media doesn't have to be
perfect.
Social media is always gonna bea moving target.

(27:28):
So I'm focusing on consistencyover perfection and staying true
to my own voice.
I want my social media to beauthentic, like my work.
It also helps me that I have acommunity of photographers I can
talk to about all of the trendsand what works and what doesn't.
It makes it less overwhelmingfor sure.

SPEAKER_04 (27:46):
The challenge would be trying to increase my revenue
and profit margins with anoverall trend of clients
spending less money and vendorsand suppliers raising their
costs.
So one one thing I've done, youknow, the the challenge is

(28:06):
clients are not gonna willinglywant to pay more, but in order
to be profitable, I have toincrease prices so that you know
I'm not getting the double hitbetween lower profit margins and
um lower sales.
So one thing that I did is I Ididn't want to raise my prices

(28:28):
on my special fees because thoseget people in the door.
So what I did is I took my pricelist and I raised all of my
products by just a nominalamount, like um$100,$200,
depending on the total cost ofthe product and my cost of goods
for that product.
So it that's worked pretty wellbecause once the clients are in

(28:49):
the door, I'm fairly confidentthat I can get that I can get a
good sale um with the productsthat I offer.
So people are still purchasing,even though they're purchasing a
little less with the pricesbeing raised, it kind of evens
that out.
So that's what I chose to do.
And um, I'm also planning to inJanuary taking a look at my

(29:11):
subscriptions and offloadinganything that I'm not using or
looking at duplication ofefforts.
And if there's something, if Ihave more than one product that
does the same thing, I'm gonnatry to um consolidate and narrow
down on those products that Iuse.

SPEAKER_00 (29:27):
All right.
So the third question is what doyou think today's seniors value
most in their senior photoexperience?
And how has that shaped the waythat you shoot, edit, or
communicate with your clients?

SPEAKER_01 (29:38):
Seniors value the most, they want to look good.
They also want to feelcomfortable, but they want to
feel beautiful and look naturalat the same time.
So I spend a lot of time withthem.
I help them choose theiroutfits.
I talk to them like they'reregular people.
I communicate and talk to thembefore the session and the whole

(29:59):
time during.
During the session.
Um, we talk about locations.
I get a feel for what they want.
And on the shoe, I like I said,I just keep talking to them.
I move fast.
I keep things fun and light.
I also edit in a clean, true tocolor style because they don't
want to look overly brushed.
They don't want to lookfiltered.
They just want to look confidentand natural.

SPEAKER_02 (30:17):
I think again, they really want to look like them.
So I don't do a lot of editing.
I try to get it in the camerathe way that I want it.
I always tell them if they'renot going to have whatever thing
is in six months, then I want toget rid of it or six weeks, but
anything else, in my opinion,should stay.
But I let them kind of lead withthat.
You know, it's funny, likeswimsuit tan lines.
Four years ago, five years ago,gosh, nobody would ever leave a

(30:38):
swimsuit tan line.
And now they're leaving them.
Um, I do photograph a lot ofswimmers, and so I love it for
them because I think it's reallywho they are.
Plus, I'm in Florida and they'reproud of their tanns.
So I think it's it's good thatthey leave it, plus it makes my
editing easier.
So I love that.
But I think they really want, Ithink that they think they want
great photos, and I think thatthey do, but I think they also

(30:59):
really want an experience.
And I try to say to the parentsthat I think the parents want
that experience with theseniors.
I think it's as much for theparents, you know, as it is for
the senior to kind of get towatch it.
I don't know.
Having had my last kid graduateand looking at her photos and,
you know, seeing who she'sbecoming, like, you know, it's
this end of everything we didfor her.

(31:21):
And I just feel like as aparent, I want to look back and
see that.
I love walking around my houseand seeing her photos on my wall
or seeing their albums.
And I just I can't imagine how aparent doesn't want that.
Um, I just think it's such anamazing thing.
And so I really try to make surewhen I'm shooting, I capture,
you know, the parents' pictures,but also the seniors' photos.

(31:41):
Although it's really funny, theyalways end up coming back to the
traditional photos.
You know, they think they wantthe things that are outside the
norm, but they end up with thosetraditional ones every time.
And I think realistically, eventhough things have changed and
grown, at the end of the day,it's still those classic
portraits that went out.
Um, I think that, you know, whenwe look at things years from
now, that's what we're gonnawant to see.

(32:03):
And and somehow that that'sstill what they end up doing.
So I think I'm still trying tobalance that.
You know, it's funny, likethere's that trend for, you
know, the blurry photo of, youknow, the senior.
And I always laugh and say whowants to pay for a blurry photo,
and they really don't.
Um, so it's kind of funny whatwhat gets liked on Instagram
versus what they buy when theycome in.

(32:24):
Um, I think at the end of theday, it's still that clean
classic portrait that the parentfeels like I can see your face
and I know what you look like.
Um, and I think the seniors wantto feel like they look polished
more than they actually thinkthey do before they start.

SPEAKER_04 (32:37):
I think today's seniors are looking for more
than just good photos.
I think today's seniors arelooking for an experience, an
experience that makes them feelspecial, that makes them feel
seen, that makes them feelconfident.
It's something to mark thisspecial time in their life.

(32:58):
I really feel like that's alsowhat parents want for their
kids.
So that creating an experience,I feel like attracts clients to
me, even though I'm a luxuryphotographer and cost more than
a lot of local seniorphotographers.
So what I do in my business is Iprovide hair makeup that makes

(33:20):
them feel special and feel likethey're getting pampered for a
day.
Some it's an exc it's anexperience that they don't
normally get to have.
I also include a lot of ummovement in my sessions, the way
I photograph.
That helps them relax, thatmakes them feel like they're

(33:41):
just out having a fun day.
I also use off-camera lighting,which helps them feel like
they're on the set of amagazine.
So there's a lot that goes intothe way I shoot.
Um that makes them feel valued.
I also send them a questionnairethat gets uh to the bottom of
like their personality, thingsthat they love.

(34:03):
And then I take a look at thatand really try to think about
ways to capture theirpersonality and their passions
during their session.
Editing, I hand-touch everyphoto.
They see full edits.
I don't show them just basicedits.
I show them fully retouchedimages so that way they see

(34:23):
themselves looking beautiful andconfident.
And I think that helps with howthey feel about the overall
shoot.
And then I also do a lot ofcommunication with both the
parent and the senior.
The senior gets a magazine forme that lists out all of the
important things, how to prepyour outfits, what to expect on

(34:45):
your session day, how to thinkabout what locations they may
want to shoot at.
And then for the parents, I'mjust very good about leading
them along the way, like tellingthem what's coming, what things
they should be thinking about,what to pack the night before
for the shoot.
I try to lead the client and theparent and the senior.

(35:06):
I try to lead them throughoutthe whole um experience so that
the pressure is off of them, thestress is off of them, and they
can just enjoy the experience.

SPEAKER_00 (35:16):
Okay, awesome answers from everybody.
Again, I think I can agree with,you know, all of these little
different pieces there.
And I love the insights thatthey each dropped in.
And I definitely know that myclients do value the experience.
Again, like I'm charging morefor the this service, right?
Um, they do expect some level oflike, they love that I take care

(35:37):
of everything for them, right?
That's one of the things thatthe parents definitely tell me
is like, I'm just glad you takecare of everything.
Like, they don't have to worryabout anything.
They will, you know, gladly payfor that.
And I love doing that part ofit.
Like, that's that's a big pieceof it for me.
I want them to feel a hundredpercent taken care of across the
board.
And as far as like what I thinkthe seniors value in that

(36:01):
experience, I think that theyvalue being seen.
Like, like you've heard from theothers here, they they do, they
may not tell us that, but I dofeel like that is something that
they do value.
And they want to be seen in away like that they have in their
head, right?
Like the vision they have ofthemselves.

(36:21):
And this is an identity thing,you know, like a lot of times
the vision we have of ourselvesis very different than how we
are feeling safe enough toportray in day-to-day life.
And so I feel like part of whatI do is I help people feel
comfortable enough to fall intothe session.
And that's like how I I describeit.

(36:42):
And I can always tell when thatperson falls into the session.
It's like, ah, okay, now we'rethere, right?
Like my job is to create thespace for them to feel safe and
seen and like they trust me.
That's a really big piece ofwhat we do as senior
photographers.
Like, we need to get them totrust us before they even shoot

(37:06):
with us.
And so that's why I'm, you know,really big on having that
authenticity on social, on youron your site, so that people can
get to know a piece of of you,right?
It makes that trust thing happenso much faster and easier, in my
opinion, for sure.
And yes, the parents definitelywill still value, like I said

(37:29):
before, those tight, you know,traditional looking shots.
But I gotta tell you, I putblurry photos and albums all the
time.
Like I always shoot at least ahandful of those because I know
that the trend is, you know, myclients want that movement.
They want the blurry photos,they want those, those trendy
things that they see onInstagram.

(37:49):
And so I will do that for them.
I don't do a ton, but Idefinitely have fun with it and
I challenge myself.
And they love those images.
And the parents allow them to goin the album.
And you can do this a fewdifferent ways.
Like, you know, for me, I chargeper image.
You know, like you can get acertain amount of images in the

(38:10):
album.
So it's up to you.
Like if you want to includesomething like that, you can and
maybe just like gift those tothe senior, like if it's like
two or three of them so thatthey have them to post on
Instagram.
You don't have to make them payfor them, right?
At the end of the day, like ifthey're just kind of fun images,
it's almost like a detail shot.
I kind of see it, right?
Like it's like sometimes I'lltake detail shots of like the

(38:31):
Letterman jacket or you know, oflike the boots or whatever.
And I'll just kind of like add,I'm like, you know what?
There's a couple of those.
If you guys love those for thealbum, I'll just let you guys
have those in the album.
But I have parents paying forthese, these, these blurry
images.
And so you can definitely dothat if that is how you want to
run things, right?
You can do however you want todo it.

(38:53):
But I gotta tell you thatthey're very popular.
Okay, so this next question iswith so many photographers out
there, what do you feel helps asenior photographer stay
relevant and in demand rightnow?

SPEAKER_01 (39:04):
What's helping me stand out is consistency and
connection.
I have work to develop my ownstyle.
There's nobody else that is likeme.
Nobody else poses, nobody elseedits.
I have my very own style and Ishow it consistently.
Um I connect with my clients, Imake the experience feel easy

(39:25):
from the moment that theyinquire.
What also helps me stand out isthat I am very hands-on.
I help with their outfits, Icalming direction while I'm
posing them.
I make them feel comfortablequickly, and I just keep working
at it until they are completelyat ease with me.
Parents always say their seniorsfeel relaxed, that I make them
feel good about themselves, andit shows up in the photos.

(39:47):
The big thing is also stayingtrue to your editing.
Um, I think is huge right now.
Seniors can spot inconsistenciesa mile away.

SPEAKER_02 (39:54):
Up until this year, I feel like my process and my
experience and the fact that Ifelt like the parents really
heard me and they realized howimportant it was to have that
moment and that experience withtheir senior and have the photos
that tell their kids' story atthe end of the day, you know, at
the end of this culmination of18 years.

(40:14):
I don't know that there'sanything else we do for 18 years
other than when we get married,if we're married for, you know,
more than 20, 25, 30 years, butit's so far in the future.
You know, as a parent, we'vespent 18 years with this kid and
12 years, you know, for them inschool.
Um, and it's just, it's just areally big deal, I think, for
both sides.
And I think the sad thing is thesenior photographers that are

(40:35):
willing to give it away for twoand three hundred dollars.
I think one of the things I sayto my senior parents is, you
know, you're not gonna walk awaywith 100 or 200 photos with me,
but you're gonna walk away with30 that are the ones that you
picked that you love.
And I think that the processreally works.
They don't need a hundred photosof their senior.
They don't need to wallpapertheir house with them, but they
really need the ones that thattell their seniors story.

(40:57):
And I think that's what kind ofhelps when I meet with my
clients and we go through it.
I like to think what helps mestand out is my use of flash.
I think we have great sunsetshere in Florida and and I use
the water a lot.
And I think my my seniors likethat.
I'm trying to give a blend ofthe natural light and the
flashlight together so that theyfeel like they really get both.

(41:18):
And I think that's one of thethings that helps separate me.
But I do see a decrease insenior photos right now.
I'm hoping it's just, you know,a shift.
I'm hoping it's partially theeconomy and, you know, I think
just the COVID hangover andpeople kind of figuring out
where they want to invest.
But I will say again, after, youknow, now that I'm an empty

(41:38):
nester and I have no kids, youknow, that I'm technically
raising that same way, it makesthose pictures priceless.
Um, and there's just no otherway to say it.
And you know, I'll have parentsthat say that to me.
I've been photographing kidsthat are, you know, seniors now
and I photographed them whenthey were newborns.
And and their parents will say,like, I love going back and
looking at their books andseeing, you know, how I felt

(41:59):
when they were babies and now tobe doing this is just crazy, you
know.
And I think that that's whatmakes it such a special process.
You know, photos are morevaluable as time goes on.
And I think it's important thatwe remember that.

SPEAKER_04 (42:11):
I think first and foremost, providing the good
experience and word of mouth.
So I want to provide an amazingexperience for every parent and
senior that walks through mydoor so that when they get
asked, hey, who did your kids'senior photos?
I am top of mind.
I also try to stay in touch withthose clients throughout the
year, even if it's just to checkin and say, hey, how's so-and-so

(42:34):
doing at college this year?
keeps me top of mind.
Again, so that I'm thought ofwhen they get asked the question
about a senior photographerrecommendation.
I also post on social media anddo behind the scenes videos
along with final images.
I think potential clients andseniors especially want to see

(42:55):
what goes on behind the scenes.
They want to have somethingthat's a little aspirational and
something that's different thanthey're seeing on every other
photographer's social media.
And then lastly, I have reallytaken a lot of time to make sure
that my photos look amazing.
I've learned how to work withlight.
I've learned how to pose clientsof all different body types and

(43:20):
shapes, and I've learned how tomake the clients feel special.
I think those photos, havingphotos that stand out helps
because, you know,unfortunately, there are a lot
of photographers who didn't takethe time to learn how to do good
quality photos.
Um, and there are also a lot ofbrand new photographers out
there who are learning, which isamazing.

(43:42):
But I want to attract thatclient that values photography
and sees the difference in myphotos versus someone else's.

SPEAKER_00 (43:50):
I love those answers because it's a great reflection.
And so, like, I would inviteyou, if you're listening to this
as a photographer, ask yourselfthat question.
Like, uh with so manyphotographers out there, what do
you feel helps you stand out andrelevant and stay in demand?
And if you don't feel that youare, okay, why would that be?

(44:11):
Right.
Allow yourself to just getcurious about that.
Because, you know, one of thethings that I'm always talking
about is like standing out,standing out, standing out.
But that's also part of like mywhy, right?
Like I want people to just likestand in their authenticity,
like who they really are,unapologetically, like just be
yourself.
Like literally, I know it soundsso cheesy, but that is a very,

(44:34):
very big piece of my why andlike my purpose.
I I feel it myself, right?
Like I want people to know thereal me.
I am so like sick of surfacelevel shit.
Like I'm so over surface levelconversations and small talk,
and but I want to go deep into aconversation with you, right?
Like I want to find out reallywhat's going on.

(44:56):
And I want to just kind of cutto the chase.
And I think that that is part ofwhat helps me stand out with my
seniors as well, is that, youknow, like I said before, it's
my job to get them to fall intothe session quickly.
And, you know, we don't havethat much time.
I want them to like get in thereand like we so we can get the
best images possible.

(45:16):
And a big piece of that is meleading with that energy.
It's like, oh no, you're gonnasee the real me.
And I'm, you know, I'm notputting on a mask for you.
Like, this is who you get.
I'm weird.
Yep, yeah, I totally get it.
But it gives other peoplepermission to be themselves,
right?
Like, so when you are your mostauthentic self, the most you

(45:39):
that you can be, you give otherpeople permission to do that as
well.
And so I think that's a reallybig plus in just in general on
how you can stand out.
But I love these other answerson like using off-camera flash,
especially at the beach.
And you know, I was at the beachlast night shooting a beautiful
sunset.
Like, we got such a greatsunset, and as we were leaving,
somebody was getting proposedto.

(46:00):
And this happens a lot at thebeaches here, and somebody was
getting proposed to, and I waswatching from afar, so that
wasn't gonna be in their shot,and it made me so sad because
the photographer didn't like itwas dark already.
Like, we had this gorgeous sky,gorgeous.
There was no ambient light left,and they could not have been

(46:21):
getting that sunset.
Like they were having to exposefor the faces, right?
Because they're it's a proposal,but they had this gorgeous
backdrop that the per person isnot gonna see in those photos
because they didn't haveoff-camera flash.
Now, I you guys know I am anatural light photographer.
Like I've talked about that alot.
Like I'm unapologetic aboutthat.
I am not bringing a big asslight.

(46:43):
I'm not doing it.
If that's what you want to doand that's what you incorporate,
that is amazing.
Do you?
Please do.
Uh, for me, I'm not doing it.
I'm I hate carrying gear.
So I very, very, very rarely useOCF.
And when I do, it is handheld,it's small, it's my Pro Photo
A1X.
It's, you know, I someone elseholds it for me.

(47:04):
I use a reflector the rest ofthe time.
So I am using reflected light uhand I'm controlling it, but
usually with the big reflectormost of the time.
And I think that, you know, forme, that's also part of what
makes me stand out is that myimages look a certain way
because I use light in that way.
And so whatever your signatureis, that is going to be the

(47:28):
thing that makes you stand outvisually.
But then on top of that, how areyou standing out as, you know, a
photographer amongphotographers, right?
What's gonna get someone to pullthe trigger to shoot with you
when your work is as good as,you know, the next person's
work, right?
That's where that personality,that's where that like, you

(47:50):
know, being the most you thatyou can be actually is
important.
Okay, and so the next questionis what's helping you in
particular stand out and why doyou think it's important for
senior photographers to stayplugged into a community as the
industry evolves?
And how has being an Elevatesupported you in staying
current, creative, or confidentas things shift because they

(48:13):
shift so quickly?

SPEAKER_01 (48:15):
Okay, so for senior photography, it's always
changing.
It's trying to figure out whatit is the teenagers want, what
they're into.
And that's not always easy tosee.
So working in a community, youcan talk about it, all the
different trends, marketing, howpeople are editing, the pricing.

(48:35):
So being connected to acommunity gives me perspective,
but the biggest thing is ithelps me feel like I'm not my
own little bubble.
Elevate is um a step above everyother community that I've been a
part of because it is so dialedinto seniors.
Um, the marketing, the big thingis the marketing.
It's helped me become moreconfident.

(48:55):
I feel like I'm more currentwith what's going on with the
seniors.
I love hearing what the othersenior photographers are doing.
I love seeing their differentapproaches.
And the big thing is gettingsupport during busy seasons.
It's kept me from burning out orsecond guessing myself.
It's been invaluable.
I also want to add here thatit's been you, Renee, too, that
you look beyond the trends andthe pricing, editing, and all

(49:18):
that.
Although that's part of it.
But you offer support to make uslook inward to see what's
holding us back from doingsomething different.
Um, I've never had that in anyother community that I've been a
part of.
And that has been a huge gamechanger for me.
And stepping out of my comfortzone and finding things that I
really do love because I'm notso scared of it.

SPEAKER_03 (49:40):
I think it's super important for senior
photographers to stay pluggedinto a real community because
let's face it, we can all getwrapped up in our own little
creative bubble.
So we might not notice what'shappening around us, how the
industry is evolving.
And it's not that you have tochase every trend, especially if
it's not true of you or yourclients, but it's all about
staying aware.
And I just like learning aboutwhat other photographers are

(50:02):
seeing in their corners of thecountry because it keeps me
fresh, it keeps me relevant andgives me a broader perspective.
Otherwise, I'd be stuck in myown little creative silo.
And the connection.
Being an entrepreneur can be solonely.
I love having my own group ofcoworkers to be able to chat
with.
And when I say community, I domean actual real people who you

(50:24):
can get to know, have aconversation with, and have a
relationship with, not juststuck in some group that you're
following along what'shappening.
So for me, Elevate has helpedwith all of these things.
It keeps me current because I'mconstantly hearing what other
photographers are navigating inin real time.
It also pushes me creativelybecause I'm surrounded by people
who do what I do, but they mightdo it differently.

(50:47):
And that always sparks new ideasfor me.
And I'll be honest, it's givenme a lot of confidence.
Photography and running your ownbusiness can be really
isolating, especially whenyou're second-guessing yourself
or comparing your work toeveryone else online.
Don't compare yourself to otherpeople online.
And we actually talk about thatin our group.
So, um, but having a group wherewe can talk openly about

(51:09):
business, pricing, creativity,and even the emotional side of
writing a business has groundedme and helped me so much.
It reminds me that we're allgrowing and adapting together.
And having that support makes itso much easier to evolve without
getting burnt out.
And honestly, all the women inour group are just super fun.
Um, it brightens my day when Iget to chat with them and hear

(51:31):
what they're doing and on Zooms,like all connecting and getting
to see actual real people.
I don't know.
I just think having thatconnection is super important,
like an actual real connection.

SPEAKER_04 (51:42):
I think having a community of like-minded people
is priceless.
It's been really, really amazingbeing in the Elevate group
because I know I have a group ofpeople who are going through
some of the same things that I'mgoing through, having the same
challenges, having the samequestions.
And before Elevate, I was justasking my husband or my parents

(52:06):
or my sister or a friend, hey,what do you think about this?
They're not in the industry.
They don't live and breathe thisevery day.
So it's hard for them to givegood advice.
And what they think is goodadvice sometimes is the opposite
of what you should be doing.
So having that sounding board tojust be able to ask questions,

(52:27):
get the support, talk thingsthrough when you need it, that
has been invaluable.
And the Elevate group has justbeen amazing.
Renee is just on top of things.
Um, she always knows the latesttrends, she always knows, you
know, what's going on withsocial media or AI or Gen Z or
Gen Alpha that's coming up.
So it's always great to get thatcurrent information from Renee.

(52:50):
Um, and then Renee and the groupare just so supportive.
I went through some personalthings this year with family,
and um they were even there tosupport me during that.
So, you know, they've just beenjust a blessing, and I'm so
grateful for all of the women inthat in the elevate group.

SPEAKER_02 (53:09):
I can't even say that it's necessarily elevate.
That's just a whole differentthing to keep my mindset better.
And um, I just I feel like, youknow, you really helped show me
the things about me that createa challenge in my job as well as
positivity in my job.
And I think that's really helpedin a year that has felt very
unstable.
And I think that has been thebenefit for me with Elevate.

(53:31):
But one of the reasons that I'vealways enjoyed working with you
and why I respect you is becauseI think you do a great job of
blending your business sidewith, of course, your woo-woo,
but not just that, like how youcan go in and you take what's
happening in Gen A and Gen X andI should say Gen Z, Gen X is me.
Um, but all of those differentgenerations and how that's
changing, how we have to marketand what we need to do.

(53:53):
And and I think that's comereally into play for me.
I mean, this year, I think isthe first time I really sat down
when we did it and did my why.
And and that was huge.
Um, it was a very, it was a verybig shift for me to see why I do
the things that I do.
But also, you know, kind ofexhausting as, you know, we keep
feeling like we have to recreateourselves.
And I know we've discussed thata lot in in our elevate phone

(54:16):
calls, that it feels like it'sconstantly evolving and it's
evolving faster at this pointthan we can keep up.
And so I feel like you do areally good job of staying on
the pulse of that and helpingus, you know, stay creative and
have that confidence to to knowwhen we're talking to people,
this is what we're seeinghappening, because you know, you
show us where the informationcomes from and all that.
I I just I think it it helps tokeep it helps to keep us

(54:37):
centered.

SPEAKER_00 (54:38):
Okay.
Well, of course, as much as Ilove to hear all their takes on,
you know, why Elevate has beenhelpful for them, my intention
with this was really for youguys listening to be able to,
you know, just hear from, youknow, regular photographers out
there why they are in thecontainers that they're in,
right?

(54:58):
Why they think that community isimportant.
And I think that hearing thosedifferent perspectives just in
general is just, it's, it's areally good thing for all of us
to be aware of because you don'tknow what you don't know, you
know?
And of course, I want Elevate tobe a nurturing, supportive, you
know, high vibe community.

(55:19):
Like that's really important tome.
I'm so protective of this group.
I can't even tell you how manyof my own coaches that I've
hired to help me with mybusiness look at this and go,
that's how much you're notcharging them a month.
That that's the whole price forsix months, and they get that
much from you.
And I'm like, yeah, I know.

(55:40):
I'm not, I'm not raising it.
That's this is this is what itis.
It's I'm not doing that.
So like people who've been withme in Elevate for years, they
pay an alumni price.
They're locked in at the pricethat they come in at.
I don't raise that price forthem every year.
So like the price that it's atright now, they're not paying
that.
They keep re-enrolling andthey're locked in at the price

(56:02):
that they enrolled at.
Some of them, that's like beenthree years ago.
So I love this group.
I love supporting them, youknow, via Zoom, Vox, or in
person.
Like sometimes we also do somein-person things.
And that just lights me up,right?
So I do it a lot for myself, andI know it's not the best

(56:23):
business decision, likemonetarily.
I know it's not.
And and maybe one day I'lldecide to retire it.
But for now, I really feelcalled to continue doing it in
this way, and they continueasking to come back.
So, you know, I love this group.
They've grown so much.

(56:44):
Like, it's really, really coolwhen one of them will pop in
and, you know, say somethingthat they've just recently done
and they can recognize inthemselves like I wouldn't have
been able to do this a coupleyears ago.
Like I stood in my boundary, orI was able to create this system
and this process for somethingthat I don't have to do anymore.
And they feel empowered in a waythat they didn't feel before.

(57:05):
That shit lights me up.
So love them.
Thank you guys for those sweet,sweet answers.
All right.
Last question is what would youtell a new senior photographer
just now entering the game?

SPEAKER_01 (57:18):
I tell them to keep it simple in the beginning.
Focus on your connection, yourcommunication, making your
client feel comfortable, makingyour client feel beautiful, and
find one editing style that youlove, not a whole bunch.
Don't chase every trend.
Learn to read light, learn topose in a natural way, give your
clients a great experience.

(57:39):
Because if seniors feelcomfortable with you, they're
gonna tell their friends, andthat's still the best marketing
in the world.

SPEAKER_03 (57:45):
So if I were giving advice to a new senior
photographer, I'd really focuson three things.
First, make sure you genuinelylove the business side just as
much as the creative side.
It's gonna be what makes yourbusiness grow and what makes it
sustainable.
It's easy to dive in to aphotography business just
because you love taking photos.
I mean, hey, we all started thatway.

(58:07):
We all love doing that, butyou're gonna spend a lot of time
on things like editing, taxes,client communication, marketing,
and planning.
Don't get me wrong, taking thephotos of my clients is
definitely my favorite part, butI don't get to do those things
without having to do all theother.
Second, I would say you need tovalue who you are and what you

(58:28):
offer right from the start.
When you know your own worth, itsets the tone for how clients
will value you too.
It is also what keeps you goingwhen things get hard,
frustrating, or discouraging.
And trust me, they're going to.
But if you know your worth, itmakes it so much easier.
And finally, as soon as you can,talk to someone who's been on
this journey.

(58:49):
Hire a mentor or a coach becauseinvesting in yourself and having
that guidance will help youshape a business that grows with
you and reflects your evolvingexperience and skills.
Do your research though beforeyou hire.
I wasted a lot of money onthings that seemed great at
first, or maybe they were thecheapest option of what I was
looking at, or maybe they hadthe flashiest marketing and it

(59:10):
looks super easy and so fun.
But those things just don't liveup to the hype.
So before you hire someone, makesure you do research, but
definitely hire someone as soonas you can.

SPEAKER_02 (59:20):
I think the hardest thing is knowing how we can
communicate to our audience.
It seems like, again, socialmedia feels so overwhelming that
I I don't, I don't, I don't knowhow we get in the face of people
to do it.
And I think that's one of thethings that we have to learn and
grow with through 26 and theclass of 26 and 27 is really how
to get them to see it.
I have noticed, you know, I liveon the East Coast, you live on

(59:42):
the West Coast.
Um, I've noticed a lot ofdifferences between how things
travel around the coasts andthen what happens as it goes
into the Midwest.
Like I feel like the Midwest isa little bit behind us in all
things.
And so I feel like, you know, asI talk to a lot of people, the
ones that are still, you know,seeing lots of growth and lots.
Of clients and people stillreally excited about it.

(01:00:02):
To me, that feels very much likethat is a Midwest thing and not
as much in the coastals.
So it'll be interesting to seehow that evolves.
I hope it's not the end of thispart of the industry because I
do feel like it's a really greatthing.
I'm hoping that AI doesn'tbecome a part of it.
And not that I don't think thatAI has its benefits, but I think
when we're creating pictures toshow us as a senior, like I

(01:00:23):
think we want the experience.
I do think that that's one ofthe things is that because these
seniors are really focused onauthenticity, I'm hoping that
keeps AI out of the side of theindustry, which is one of the
things that I would tell a newsenior photography to focus on.
Use your AI to help you minimizeyour jobs or, you know, to to
help in editing or things likethat.
But but don't create images thatthat people can go and create

(01:00:47):
without you.
You know, you want to be, youwant to be necessary.
And I think that's reallyimportant.
I think the other thing, too,that I would say to a new senior
photographer is definitely findyour why and use that in all the
marketing that you do and findit early, you know.
But I learned, because of courseyou and I had that conversation
five years ago.
I learned that shooting hastaught me a lot about my client

(01:01:09):
and where I'm going.
And I don't know that I couldhave answered that until I had
done it.
I remember thinking when I firstmet you, um, if I had to
describe my wedding clients, Icould do that so easily because
I'd shot weddings for 10 years.
And at seniors, I had no idea.
I had an idea in my head of whoI thought my client should be.
And it has evolved immensely.
Um, but it took time to getthere, you know.
And even this year, I feel likemy client has been a little bit

(01:01:31):
different, not necessarily whereI saw it going and and what I
thought I wanted.
And now I feel like where I wasa couple of years ago was was
more in tune with what my whywas.
So I think I have someadjustments to make on that side
of it as far as, you know,senior photography.
I just, I think the greatestpart of it is just showing these
kids how amazing they are andletting them have a place to

(01:01:53):
come back and and see themselvesyears from now.
And I think that's that's justreally important.
I think they're gonna change andgrow.
I've seen it in my own kids.
I have, you know, one that's 22and I have one that's 18, well,
19.
And I and I can see thedifference in what they thought
they would be like when theywent to college and and who they
are now.
And I just I think it's reallysad when parents miss it.

(01:02:14):
It's funny when I used tophotograph pregnancy, which I
have not done in a decade and ahalf, but when I did, I used to
say to people, do it.
What's the worst thing?
You don't like them, don't buyanything, but you can't go back
and do it afterwards.
And I think that's kind of thesame thing with seniors, you
know, get the photos, do it,have the experience.
If you don't want them, thendon't buy them.
But, you know, and I think it'sreally important to have the

(01:02:34):
experience, not in a studio, youknow, one of those that school
makes you do, you know, thatthat photo with them in their
cap and gown or their drape orwhatever.
I think it's just reallyimportant to capture who they
are.
And I think the kids are havinga hard time putting who they are
into words.
And this kind of pushes themoutside their comfort zone.
And I love that for them.
And that was what I, you know,kind of summarizing everything
together.

(01:02:54):
I think it's really trying toget kids to see that focusing in
on where they're growing andgoing and and who they are and
their their favorite pastimesand little, you know, bits and
pieces about them will reallytell their senior story and
something they'll want to lookat, you know, 10, 15, 20 years
down the road.

SPEAKER_04 (01:03:11):
I would tell them that it is a great industry, but
it is a tough industry.
And I think the most importantthings that have gotten me
through are consistency, showingup, taking risks and not just
copying what everyone else isdoing.
You have to have your own needsin the industry.

(01:03:33):
I also think being stubborn andnot being willing to quit has
helped me as well.
I'm starting my 11th year inbusiness.
And um, you know, a lot ofphotographers don't last that
long because they just have ayear or two where it's a
possible and then they just, youknow, whether whether it's
because they they have no choiceor they just are afraid to keep

(01:03:56):
going, they just with thatbusiness and go into something
else.
But if you're a newer seniorphotographer out there and
you're willing to put in thetime and the work and learn your
craft, learn how to use yourcamera, learn lighting, learn
posing, learn how to work withyour specific clients and
providing experience and learnabout what's trending among

(01:04:19):
teens today.
All of those things will helpyou stand out in the industry.
And um, you know, just keep atit, don't give up.
This is such a a blessing to beable to have this business.
And it's been the best thingthat I've ever done in my life.
Um, and it it has been hard andit hasn't been easy, but I've
grown so much throughout theprocess.
And I know you will too.

SPEAKER_00 (01:04:40):
Okay, those were awesome suggestions for anybody
who is trying to get into seniorphotography.
And I think that one of the mainthings to remember too is that,
you know, you're gonna hear alot of naysayers just in
general, just you know, ifyou're starting any business,
but especially a creative, acreative business, you're gonna

(01:05:00):
hear a lot of people tell youthings like, oh, it'll never
work, it's gonna be really hard,all that kind of stuff, right?
But I mean, if you really havethis business on your heart, if
it's been with you and youreally feel called to do this,
you really do owe it to yourselfto follow through, right?
You don't want to wake up in thefuture at some point, you know,

(01:05:21):
in your 50s or 60s, looking backand being like, wow, I really, I
really wish I would have donesomething that lit me up.
And look, it may or may notwork, but here's the thing: you
get to decide.
And you also, you also will findout more about yourself along
the way on this journey than youwould had you not started a

(01:05:45):
business.
Let me just tell you.
You really do find out a lotabout yourself.
And it's not always comfortable,it's not always easy to look
into all of that, but it's afascinating journey.
It truly has been.
Like you, I would never havethought that I would be a
photography business owner.

(01:06:06):
Like, that's just not somethingthat was ever on my radar when I
was in my 20s.
And I'm just so grateful that Ifollowed the little breadcrumbs
that brought me here.
I've learned so much more aboutmyself.
I've made so much money for myfamily.
But really, what it comes downto is that I've been able to
really connect with peopledeeply.
Like being a photographer is is,yeah, you gotta know your

(01:06:28):
technique and you gotta be goodat what you do, but it is a
people job.
Portrait photography is a peoplejob.
And the way you make people feelis so much more valuable than
the piece of paper that thatphoto is printed on.
Yes, that's a beautiful outcome.
And I love having those tangiblepieces of our time together.

(01:06:54):
But ultimately, you know, afterthe session is done, they're
already walking away withsomething, right?
They are walking a little bittaller, they're feeling a little
bit more confident, they'refeeling happy and alive and seen
and and truly valued for whothey are.
And that's really the mainreason why I still run this
photography business, right?

(01:07:15):
I mean, I could have droppedthis business by now and done
just coaching.
And, you know, at some point Iprobably will just because
capacity-wise.
But I love what I do as aphotographer.
And like I said, I think it's Iknow it's way deeper than just
pretty pictures, meetingsomebody in a park, hand them on

(01:07:36):
flash drive.
No.
It's it's way deeper than thatfor me.
And so I love these answers thatthey popped in with.
All these perspectives are sointeresting and and valuable for
me.
And I know that they will be foryou guys too.
So I hope that this episode washelpful.
I know it was different than myformat usually is.

(01:07:58):
And, you know, the sound isn'tgoing to be 100% perfect because
we're they're recording ondifferent devices.
And I just wanted to make thisas easy as possible for them to
get this information to me.
I didn't want them to have tolike jump through a lot of
hoops.
Everybody's super busy, verycognizant of people's time.
And I, you know, why not usetechnology that we have while we

(01:08:20):
have it?
So I think it was great.
I was able to send them thequestions and give them an
overview.
And most of them were able tojust send these to me over
Voxer.
So it's perfect.
I'd love to hear your take too.
If you're a senior photographer,go ahead and let me know.
Share this episode on social tagme and then add yours to it as
well.
Maybe I'll make that a littletag and you guys can jump in on
that.
That would be fun.

(01:08:41):
Uh, I'd love to hear yourperspective and your take on
this.
And I would love to alsocontinue to lift up other voices
in our community.
Obviously, I always want to helpout my elevate members and get
them out there and shout themout from the rooftops because I
think they're all amazing.
And this is just a smallsampling of them.
There's a lot of other amazingfemale photographers in this

(01:09:03):
group.
And I appreciate them just forso much.
And I would love for you to getto know them better by joining
us for this next round.
If you feel like you want to bea part of what we got going on,
you should join us for Januarythrough June of 2026.
We talk a lot about marketingand social media marketing and

(01:09:27):
you know, visibility being seen,but also what are your values?
What are your core beliefs andyour purpose and your why?
And how is that all tied to yourmarketing?
How can we make that even easierwith AI?
Going deeper into systems andautomations and processes and
staying up to date on all thelatest trends and all the things
that we need to be thinkingabout.

(01:09:47):
Like that's what I love to dofor you guys inside of Elevate.
I want to keep you guys up todate and on top of things.
And also going out there with apositive mindset because I know
it can be really hard.
It can be really heavy and itcan feel really lonely.
It feels like you're talking tonobody on social media because
it's, it's, it's just this vastwhatever, right?

(01:10:11):
My job as your coach is to notjust, you know, blow smoke up
your butt.
It's to get you aligned, keepyou aligned, right?
Like get you aligned and keepyou aligned and help you uncover
what you what's already there.
Okay.
Like I just want to help uncoverwhat you've already got going
on.
And I want you to have like adeep, deep sense of purpose and

(01:10:35):
a self-belief that isunshakeable, that'll get you
through anything because we allgo through those times, all of
this.
I don't care who you are.
We all go through these times offeeling isolated and lonely and
like nobody gets us.
And so I know that it's reallyimportant to have a community of
people who have your back andwho get it, who get it.

(01:10:55):
Like at the end of the day, theyunderstand what's going on.
And so, yeah, we're doing workin there.
We're, we're talking strategiesand marketing, and but we're
also we are rooting into purposeand the bigger themes of life
and you know, creating abusiness that feels really good,
that doesn't just look good, butthat feels really good.

(01:11:17):
That's what I do inside of allmy coaching, one-on-one or
elevate, but it's super powerfulto be in a group of so many
like-minded women, truly.
So I'd love for you to join us.
You can apply now.
Signups will end soon inDecember.
So you need to sign up now andyou need to apply.

(01:11:38):
When you click the link in theshow notes below, you'll be able
to find out everything you needto know about it.
But you can always hit me up onInstagram as well if you have
any questions.
Let me know.
I'm happy to chat with you.
I will probably send you somevoice messages about it, but I
would love to chat with youabout it if you feel like it
might be the right fit for you.
Let's talk.
And then if we decide that itis, I'll send you a link and get
you signed up and you can joinus in January.

(01:11:59):
Okay, so don't forget we've gotthat amazing class on December
10th as well, Unavoidable.
I will put that link below ifyou want to get really clear,
like shed what you don't need totake into 2026 and get really
clear on what you do want totake in there, join us for that
class.
My Elevate members do get it forfree.
So a lot of those members willbe on that call.

(01:12:20):
That's the other cool thingabout Elevate.
You do get stuff that I create,little pop ups, you get those
for free.
It's kind of an awesome deal,I'm not gonna lie.
So, all right, you guys, have agreat rest of your week.
Love ya.
Bye.

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