Claire S. | Agent Spotlight | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

You just have to meet Claire! 

Claire is the newest addition to the Sarah Elle Photography Senior Agent model team and she is fabulous!

Claire is sweet, polite, energetic, and motivated-- pretty much everything an #SEPagent is; plus she is active in her school  and really close with her family. I mean seriously, anyone who sends a picture of themselves with their mom when asked to provide pictures is truly someone who views family as a big personal value-- ALL of my agents are like this! I love it!

Claire is one of those girls who really doesn't fit into any one box: she plays Lacrosse and is a swimmer; but she also is really interested in art as well as photography (yay!) and spends her time volunteering at the elementary school, too!

It's clear that Claire has been a Virginia Tech fan for quite some time-- and if she doesn't end up there for school in a year I'm not sure what her family (or ME for that matter) will think! ;)

Claire also sent in a picture of her and her dog, Chico, who she got for her birthday last year. I'm pretty sure anyone who includes a picture of their pup gets a gold star in my book. And i'm certain Chico and Charlie need to meet one day very soon, don't you?! They look like they would be fast friends :)

I am really looking forward to having Claire as an Agent and I know she will be a great addition to the model team! Welcome to the Sarah Elle Photography family, Claire!!


Best,
Sarah

Senior Agent 007 | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

If you follow my facebook page you have seen me go on and on for forever about my Senior Agent program and my super fabulous #SEPagents! It's no secret I love this program and I am over the moon excited when I have a Senior portrait session on the books. But I realized that no matter how many times I use the hashtag: #SEPagent, everyone who follows the page may not know what exactly a Sarah Elle Photography Senior Agent actually is (or more importantly what they DO).

When I was in High School I didn't have my Senior pictures taken (except of course the formal one that went into the year book). To be honest with you I was completely ok with that. Senior pictures were taken and handed out to friends in wallet form (for the record there are TONS of new and BETTER products to pass out these days-- I'll be doing a product spotlight soon so stay tuned) and a few images were *sometimes* displayed at graduation parties-- but all in all it wasn't a huge deal in my area.

Working with my Seniors and Senior Agents today I'll tell you: my area was missing out on a LOT.
 

Senior portraits today are a BIG deal and are an incredible way to not only highlight what each Senior is about but also really pull out their creativity and create something...well...magical. There's hair, makeup, props, outfit changes, sometimes there's even a theme (these ones are the MOST fun!). Senior portraits often times even include specific locations- sometimes they are so elaborate that they take an entire afternoon/evening to shoot! I would even go so far as to say that Senior Portrait sessions today, at least for my gals, are pretty much like personalized modeling sessions.

 

 

See why I say my hometown missed out on a lot?!

Because of the high volume of interest today in Senior Portraits and the amount of work that goes in to each session I have found that it is REALLY helpful to have specific girls, hand-picked by yours truly, representing Sarah Elle Photography in their school. By having a Senior Agent model team that I know I can trust and who I feel are a good representation of what Sarah Elle Photography is all about, I can feel confident that they will encourage other Juniors/Seniors who would also be a perfect fit for my approach to Senior Portraits.

  

Each #SEPagent's job is to encourage their friends to book their Senior Portraits with Sarah Elle Photography. By hand-picking my Agents I know the folks they will encourage to book Senior Portraits with me will be the type of people who LOVE what I offer and LOVE the full glamour treatment.

 

My style of shooting Senior Portraits is to give my gals (and guys) the complete rockstar treatment [except fulfilling requests like having a bowl filled with JUST green M&Ms...I'm not that nice ;) ]. Remember how I said a lot of Senior Portrait sessions today are personalized model shoots? That's what I give to my Seniors. And that means whomever represents me likes that approach and will have no trouble talking about their experience with their friends (who, in theory, like that, too).

  

So, in short, the purpose behind my Senior Agent program is to find the perfect fit for Sarah Elle Photography and what my Senior Portrait experience represents and in turn, hopefully, connect with others who love that, too! Working with Seniors is about giving them the best experience-- one they never forget-- so finding a photographer who gives you what you're dreaming of is the goal-- and it's my goal to be that photographer.

  

So, if you're a current Junior or Senior in High School who wants that type of Senior Portrait experience be sure to get a hold of one of my #SEPagents to learn more about the Sarah Elle Photography Senior experience! And while you're at it give them a big high five for being so totally awesome as one of my Agents-- because seriously they are a fantastic bunch!

Best,
Sarah

 

 

"Alice" | Stylized Shoot | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

“There is nothing so very remarkable in that;
nor did Alice think it so very much out of the ordinary to hear the Rabbit say to itself
'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!'

...but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat pocket,
and looked at it, and then hurried on,
Alice startled to her feet...."

 

“If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense.

Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t.

And contrary wise: what it is it wouldn’t be,

and what it wouldn’t be it would.

You see?”

 

"There is a place.
Like no place on Earth.
A land full of wonder,
mystery and danger!
Some say to survive it:
You have to be
MAD AS A HATTER.
Which luckily I am."

THE BIGGEST THANK YOU to....
Paper Goods: {Paper} Dolls Design

Dress and accessories: Bridal Boutique of Gloucestor

Cake and table design: Sugar with Vanilla

Cupcakes: Sweet Bite Cupcakerie

Chairs and Vintage Props: Folk Art by Christine

Tables: Southern Belle Custom Furniture and Decor

Hair: Markia Nicole MUA/ Hair Stylist
Makeup: Makeup by Vega

 ...and my good friend Tiffany, of Tiffany Joyce Photography for her unending help the day of the shoot and for helping me trudge all the furniture from here to the moon and back.

Best,

Sarah

Allison | Agent Spotlight | Class of 2015 | Smithfield High School

Hi!

Meet Allison- this year's representative for Smithfield High School!

You maaaay recognize her from last week's Alice shoot (more from that session will be on the blog this weekend- so don't miss that!).

When I got in touch with Allison and her mom for the role of "Alice" I immediately fell in love- Allison is sweet, friendly, and has a fantastic laugh- just one of those people you feel immediately comfortable around-- know what i mean?

A few days after signing on as "Alice," Allison's mom contacted me about the Senior Agent position- so of course I said YES!

(I mean, seriously, how could I not accept her as an Agent? She is clearly a SUPERSTAR! haha)
 

Allison is a Navy kid and the eldest sister to her three siblings (two brothers and a sister). She is actively involved in her school's JROTC program and works after school at the local pharmacy (she just started this job, by the way, and already loves it!).

Allison is one of those sweet souls who is content just being with her family or spending time at dance class, drawing, or cooking. But since working with her on "Alice" it's obvious she has a fun, outgoing side to her, too.

 

And of course, when I asked mom for a picture of Allison she had to include one of her as a baby cheesin' for the camera:

Allison, it is a joy to be able to welcome you to the Sarah Elle Photography Class of 2015 Senior Agent model team and I KNOW working with you the rest of the year is going to be GREAT!

Best,
Sarah

Greer's Agent Spotlight, Rayanne's Agent Spotlight

Lucy {Snow Day Session} | Hampton Roads Senior Photographer

Hi!

Remember a few weeks ago when we got pounded with snow and the world pretty much came to a screeching halt?

Well I was absolutely ITCHING to shoot! Being so close to the beach we rarely get the kind of snow that not only sticks to the ground but piles up enough to even be worth mentioning (not that this thin-skinned gal is complaining or anything).

And sometimes, if you get the right group of people together, you can create some pretty beautiful stuff! And having this gorgeous Senior on hand helps a lot, too :)

Meet Lucy, class of 2014, in her snow-day session debut!

 

A special thank you to friends, Luke and Ashley Photography, for organizing this mini-shoot and to Unearthed for the beautiful furniture!

Best,
Sarah

Stephen P. Class of 2014 | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

Did you ever have a time where someone said something to you just to be nice? "Oh we should get together some time" or  "I'd love to do that when it gets warmer" or how about "Oh we should definitely have you do Stephen's Senior photos next year!"

That last one? That last one came true ;)

Last year at ALMOST the exact same time I had the fantastic opportunity to do an extended family shoot for Stephen and his family while his grandparents were in town for Thanksgiving. His family was hands down one of the funniest sessions I've ever shot- they were just so full of laughter and jokes and knew exactly how to push each others buttons (and by the end of the shoot the grandpa had figured out how to push a few of mine, too!)

So when Stephen's mom, Desiree, said at the end of the shoot "We'll definitely be in touch to have you shoot Stephen's Senior photos next year" I thought to myself "that's so sweet of her....but that won't happen."

Fast forward to a couple of months ago when she contacted me and I JUMPED at the chance to work together again! So now, here is Stephen in all his Senior year glory!

Stephen is just as fun as the rest of his family and we were laughing and poking fun the entire session. I do however have to submit a formal AND PUBLIC apology for calling him pretty after some of his shots. He just looked so nice and handsome and the word "pretty" just came spilling out!

Stephen, I am sorry. You are not now nor shall you ever be: pretty. You are handsome and rugged and all things Abercrombie and Fitch.

One really neat thing about Stephen is that he already has everything all planned out and knows exactly what he wants to do and where he wants to head after High School. If the sweatshirt is any indication then you guessed it, he is going to enlist in the Air Force!

My favorite one ^^^

Did I mention he brought his dad's purple Challenger to the shoot? HOW NEAT IS THAT?!

Good luck in the Air Force, Stephen; I know you will be a fantastic addition to the U.S. Armed Forces and I know your dad must be so proud!

Thanks again for putting up with me ;)

Best,
Sarah

Rebekah T. | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

I am THRILLED to introduce you to Rebekah, Grafton class of 2014!

You want to talk about a confident, independent High School Senior? This is your gal! She plays Lacrosse, is part of a military family (which means she helps out an extra bunch when dad is gone), is super focused on her studies, and loves to try out unique (what I like to call: "before it's cool") styles. She's also just one of the sweetest, most caring people you'll ever meet.

So, when Bek booked the Red Carpet package for her session I was stoked for her to be able to have some pampering and be treated to professional hair and makeup. And when she told me she wanted to mix it up with a relaxed loose curl coupled with a heavy dramatic eye? I was in heaven!

I couldn't decide which I loved more about Bek's session: her goofy personality, those gorgeous eyes, her awesome combat inspired ankle boots, or her beautiful nod to her family and love for photography (bonus points!) by incorporating her grandfather's vintage camera in to the session.

I think I love it all!

The cherry on top of this awesome sundae? Bek's parents booked a family session to follow her shoot! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! I'm in love with the fact they feel High School graduation is a big deal for the whole family- so much so they wanted to document it with family photos! I was so inspired by their shoot together that I am now OFFICIALLY offering a mini-session option for the families of my Seniors to add on to the end of the Senior session! :)

Best,
Sarah