Welcome
Welcome to Issue number 25 of SeniorInspire the newsletter!
Half a year ago I started this endeavor with two goals... to get to 25 issues and to have one thousand subscribers.
So here we are at issue 25 and as I write this we just added our 999th subscriber! Just one more to a thousand and at the rate we've been going we may very well be there by the time you're reading this.
On the outside chance we're not there yet, please pass along this link to other fellow photographers you think may be interested in what we share each week. We'd love to have them join us!
On to this week's issue...
Facebook Group
What I learned
Are you a member of the SeniorInspire Facebook group?
If you are, you know from time to time we post image calls where we ask you to post senior images based on whatever that day's theme is.
While we don't don't allow random photo shares in the group (none of us are going to hire you to take senior photos), we do have one ongoing image call that you can feel free to post any time, any day... #WhatILearned
For this image call we want you to start a separate thread and post a senior photo of yours where you learned or tried something new.
Maybe you learned a new lighting technique, a new pose, or maybe it was just something out of your comfort zone.
Whatever it is, be sure to include a short (or long) description of what you learned and include the hashtag #WhatILearned
That way, we can all learn from each other!
Photography Trivia
Raise your hand if you know what this is
Take a look at the picture above. If you have a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, odds are that little circle with a line through it is etched into your camera body as well.
I always thought it was a Canon thing, but when I started shooting Sony that little circle/line combo was there too. WTH?
Want to know what it is? Scroll to the bottom to find out...
Equipment News
Clean your dang sensor!
I am so proud of myself.
Over the years I've purchased all the tools you need to clean your sensor. I've got the swabs and the solution. I've got the cool rocket air puffer and even a litttle magnifyng light you use to see all that dust up close.
I've just NEVER had the guts to actually go poking around inside my sensor.
In my defense, my sensor is not always super dirty. I do blow the rocket puffer thing in there every once in awhile. And once a year I send my cameras off to Sony Pro Support for a good cleaning. I'm also very careful about how I take my lens on and off.
But if you've ever used a mirrorless camera, you know they are dust magnets. And last week I had an elephant sized piece of dust in there and no amount of blowing from the rocket puffer was getting it out.
I knew it was time to break down and do it.
Thank you to Susan Gietka who talked me off the ledge and sent me this helpful video which could not have made it sound more simple.
I also watched this video where a guy tried to destroy his sensor with dust, dirt and even a knife. The fact that only the knife ended up doing any harm actually made me feel a lot better about my odds of trashing anything.
So, I did it... and now I'm wondering why I never did it before. IT WAS SO EASY!
If you're like me and this is something you need to do, but you've been putting it off... Just do it!
Meet the Photographer
All ebout Eve
For our 25th issue we decided to head to New York to talk to Eve Taverne who has been a SeniorInspire regular from the beginning. Here's what went down...
SeniorInspire Hi, Eve! I've always admired your work and feel like you've been a SeniorInspire regular from the beginning.
Eve Taverne Thank you, Nick! Yes, I have been here since you first started this amazing group which has grown exponentially from the beginning. Congrats! 🎉
SI Thanks so much! How long have you been in business and how did you get started?
ET I’ve been in the senior photography business since 2005. My daughter Marena was my official ‘senior’ the summer of 2004! The following summer I had 10 seniors contacting me without any advertising at all. The summer after that I had more than 50! Eeeek!
SI Your studio is located in Poland, NY which is about 4 hours from New York City. Do you ever wish you were located closer to all that action?
ET I’d love to be closer to NYC! My absolute love is urban style shoots so that would be SO amazing. I am actually close to the Adirondack Mountains. So we have an abundance of creeks, woodlands and maybe a bear or 2 😉
SI What's the worst thing a Mom can say or do during a senior shoot?
ET All of my client Moms are super amazing so this will take a bit of digging, hmmm... I love it when my moms take behind the scenes pics, sometimes I even hand them my phone. However, when they stop me in the middle of photographing and say, ‘WAIT, can I just grab this shot with my phone?’ And they do it multiple times... that gets old quick. Ha!! Only had it happen once, thankfully!!!
SI What's something a senior Mom can say during a shoot that makes you think, 'cha-ching'?
ET Absolutely when they say, ‘Every single shot is amazing. how am I going to choose?!’ I say choose them ALLL!
SI What’s an accomplishment you are really proud of?
ET My first great accomplishments are my children. They are my world! Secondly, it is being featured and published in the midst of so much great talent these days. That to me is the best feeling ever!
SI What's something you ate all the time when you were a kid, but can't stomach now that you're an adult?
ET When I got home from school as a kid I used to make this recipe that involved making a cream sauce with tuna and peas over toast. I thought it was the bomb. I’m not sure I remember the name of that recipe. But just thinking about that makes my stomach churn a bit. Oh and fish sticks, are they really made out of fish? Yuk!
SI LOL Fish sticks were a staple for me in college, but that tuna and peas dish sounds... kinda nasty! 😜
Who are some photographers, artists or influencers you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
ET Oh gosh! I have so many artists that make my scroll stop. But here’s a few:
Claire Luxton for her use of color, post-production and use of florals and props.
Fiona Larkins. Her black and white images are dreamy and awe inspiring.
Dani Diamond Who doesn’t love Dani!?!
And Devan on Deck for his cool videos and fashion inspiration.
I knew of Dani, but love adding others I don't already follow. Thanks for the tips and have a great senior season!!
Trivia Answer
If you knew this was a focal plane indicator, your name is probably Gary Box
Want to know what that little circle with the line running through it is?
It's your very own focal plane indicator!!
Here's a short article and video that explain it.
An even shorter explanation? The line is aligned perfectly with the focal plane of the camera.
As a senior photographer, the odds of you ever needing to use this line are slim to none. But If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to know precisely how far away your subject is - think macro-photography - you would measure the distance starting from the focal plane indicator, not from the front of your lens like I always thought.
So now you know...
And Finally
And that's it for issue number 25! I promise from here on out I won't be mentioning issue numbers (until we get to 100).
In other news, if you have any senior images you'd like to have published in a magazine, I just heard through the grapevine that Senior Year Magazine is going to begin taking submissions for their Spring issue TODAY. I'd imagine there will be more info on their website soon.
But please, save a few good ones for the next issue of SeniorInspire the magazine due out this summer! 😎
Have a great week!