Senior Session: Danielle | Balboa Park, CA | Analisa Joy Photography | San Diego, CA Photographer

I am always thankful for my brave seniors who gain the courage to get in front of the camera all by themselves. The thought of having a camera in your face for an hour or two can be a nerve racking feeling. One of the most common comments I receive from my clients when we start our session is that they are “awkward” in front of the camera. Unless you are a full time model, it is normal to feel this way. I sometimes feel that cameras have super powers to stiffen every limb in the body. When the lens goes up, the fingers suddenly become claw like, the shoulders begin to raise, and the knees begin to buckle. I keep this in mind for all my sessions and I have learned that the ultimate key to a successful shoot is to make sure your client is comfortable. The way to make people feel at ease is to talk to them… and to keep talking! When starting a session it is important not to pull out the camera right away. Take a minute to talk to the client and hear about the preparations that went into today’s session. Most clients spend their entire afternoon preparing by selecting out their outfits, getting their hair and makeup done, and gathering props. When it comes time to take out your camera, avoid the vague statements such as, “be yourself” or “think of something funny.” Putting a client on the spot will only heighten their nerves. As a photographer, you should take it upon yourself to keep the conversation flowing so that they worry less about the camera and feel as if they are just hanging out with a friend. Naturally, I am a talker and since I only get a few hours with my clients I like to hear the cliff note details about their lives. I enjoy hearing about their day, their plans after their session, their likes, their dislikes, and pretty much all the questions that you might ask on a first date. When looking for the natural laugh I often tell embarrassing stories about myself (you can’t have shame as a photographer). For example, I consider myself a very clumsy photographer. On an engagement session earlier this year I was walking along a wet fishing dock and I ungracefully fell right in front of my clients. They tried not to laugh, but as I helplessly laid on my side with my camera in the air as if I just won a trophy they could not hold back their laughter for long. I also play the “serious and smile” game. Not the most creative name, but the game works every time. Most people don’t do the “serious” face unless they are getting their photo taken. What I do is tell them to give me a serious face, and then smile, and then a serious face, and then smile. I speed it up until they can’t transition any further and the laughter will quickly follow. To avoid the claw like fingers I direct my clients to touch something at all times. Whether it’s their pockets, their elbow, a pole, their hair, or a tree it is important to give their hands something to do so that they don’t take on the gorilla like arms with the closed up grip. To avoid stiff poses, I often tell my clients that if something in their body bends then keep it bent… Elbows out, bend a knee, tilt the head, and pop the hips. These are key factors that will give the body more life in a photo. For candids I often tell them to look at my assistant, their significant other, their friend, their parent, or whoever is tagging along on the session. The bystanders are usually not prepared for this so when they make direct eye contact they more than likely take on a funny face because they don’t know what else to do. The unprepared eye contact between the client and the third party never fails for that perfect over the shoulder candid and the ultimate laughing picture. If you are shooting alone then find a stranger for them to stare at. People watching is always amusing especially when you are photographing at crowded sites such as Balboa Park! These are many of the components that I refer to on all of my sessions. When Danielle met me for her senior session at Balboa Park the first thing she said to me was that she was, “awkward in front of a camera.” I used all my tricks and within minutes she was pulling out all her Vogue like poses. She worked her angles, popped her joints, and transitioned from a ball of nerves into a beautiful senior simply being herself in front of the camera without being told to do so. Danielle is such a sweet girl and I had such a great time photographing her. She graduates this Spring and she is counting down the days because she was just recently was accepted into her number one college choice. She has a bright future ahead! Congrats Danielle!