Leah and Jeff’s First Portrait Session

First ever professional portrait photoshoot

It’s always nerve racking to call in for your first ever professional photoshoot. Especially with portraits, you don't really know what to expect! Leah and Jeff felt the same way.

Leah and Jeff are very talented dancers, and on top of that, they are also avid travelers and (between the two of them) a writer, a teacher, and a medical professional. They wanted to capture a lot of who they are in their portraits. And even with all their accomplishments, professional successes, and crazy traveling experiences, they still felt a little nervous coming to our studio for their first ever portrait session. And they’re not alone - seeing several folks who feel this way before they come in, I thought it might help if I explain a bit about our photoshoot process.

Before your first portrait session

All of our photoshoots start with a consultation. Photographers work hard to understand the best light and angles for each person, and how to bring “you” out during the session while showing your unique aesthetic in each photo. If we don’t know what we are trying to capture (do you want to look moody and mysterious or happy and cheerful?), it becomes a guessing game during the shoot and it usually results in photos that aren’t as good as they could be.

Leah, Jeff, and I exchanged ideas well before the shoot, and we all knew what we wanted to capture the day of. That helped guide us, though of course this photoshoot took different turns here and there. It’s important to also be flexible! We ended up with some images we expected and some that were even better than we planned.

During the photoshoot (environment)

I personally do not like and environment that feels intimidating, and I certainly don’t want to bring that to our photoshoot. I enjoy photographing my clients in a small, homey space where everyone can be comfortable. I like having a space where kids can hang out while they wait for their turn (if I’m taking family portraits), or where partners can laugh and relax. I want it to be as low-key as possible. After all, I’m not trying to take insanely glorified images of people. I want to take photos of who they are today, and leave those images as a legacy for them and their loved ones to look back on.

During the photoshoot (being photographed)

I believe that a portrait session should be about teamwork between the photographer and the subject(s). While I do take photos in my particular style, these are going to be my clients’ photos to keep for years to come and I want to make sure that they feel well represented. For this, I love having an iPad displaying the photos I’m taking for my clients to see as we’re shooting. This also allows subjects to choose the images they want me to edit before they go home. It’s always so fun to see everyone’s excitement when picking their images!

Leah and Jeff choosing their photos.

They were an adorable couple!

Thank you Leah and Jeff

Leah and Jeff were so wonderful to work with. I really appreciated that they trusted my vision, and we all worked together to make it an even better fit for their personalities. I don’t know how they felt but I decided that we were great friends by the end of the shoot!

Thanks Leah and Jeff for coming all the way from Portland! I’m certainly looking forward to seeing you guys again soon both on TV and in-person!

If you are in Portland and looking for dance instructors, I cannot recommend Leah and Jeff enough! They are so easy to talk to and clearly know their stuff. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know them through their first portrait session!

Leah and Jeff can be reached on their IG: @lavelezanator