The last few years have been dominated by natural light shoots, but one of the biggest trends we're seeing in the senior portrait industry in 2018 is the adoption of studio lighting. As a photographer who LOVES shooting in studio and even on location with studio lights, I couldn't be more thrilled to see high school seniors requesting studio sessions for their high school portraits. Now, I'm a kid of the 90s, so I remember what studio portraits looked like back then - and let's be honest, they were pretty lame. Everyone looked the same, wore the same thing, or posed next to giant foam numbers. OMG! What were we THINKING?!?!
These days, though, seniors are connected to social media, pop culture, and technology in a way that we've never really seen before. They know what a professional shoot looks like, and it's set the bar for what they want when it comes to their own high school senior pictures. In my opinion, it's more important than ever for high school senior photographers to learn how to incorporate studio lighting into their sessions.
However, most photographers don't know where to start when it comes to studio lighting and equipment, so they never make the leap. That's why Vickie Black of Senior Style Guide called on me to help photographers out in this month's issue of Senior Style Guide. In my article "LIGHT IT UP: Making the Transition to Studio Lighting," I outline a few simple actions that photographers can take to eliminate overwhelm and start their journey to learning studio lighting. If you're a photographer and on the fence about (or even committed to) learning studio lighting, this issue is for YOU! I know it's trite, but it's true that a journey begins with a single step. This issue is PACKED with all kinds of educational goodness from contributors such as Stephanie Newbold, Jackie Palmer, Sean Brown, and MORE!! SO, go grab your copy of Senior Style Guide's Issue 35 today!!
I LOVE teaching photographers about studio lighting! If you're interested in learning more, be sure to check out my one-on-one mentorships, online mentorships, and my studio lighting workshop, Enlighten!