Rayanne | Agent Spotlight | Class of 2015 | Poquoson High School

Hi!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to working with Rayanne!

Rayanne is representing Poquoson High School's class of 2015 for my Sarah Elle Photography Senior Agent model team and she is, simply put: a fantastic fit!

She has this awesome unique style that truly is her own- you know the kind that only a few girls can really pull off but lots of people try? (ok maybe it's just me and I always try to have the look Rayanne has and I seem to just fail miserably...)

PLUS she is super active in school: band, French Honor Society, Spanish Club, Key Club, AND she is part of International Club and gets to travel to the Czech Republic starting THIS WEEKEND for a trip with the club! How cool is that?!

Oh! And maybe the neatest thing I learned about Rayanne at our meet and greet? She just had a BREAKFAST CLUB inspired birthday party!

Yep, you read that right: BREAKFAST CLUB inspired! She had all the foods each cast member ate during the infamous lunch scene and everyone dressed like their favorite character. 

I was seriously blown away when she told me that! I may just have to have a party like that next year (not even kidding)!!

 But beyond her awesome birthday party choices Rayanne is a fantastic big sister to her 3 younger siblings. I love how much my Agents love their brothers and sisters- so much so that when I ask them to send me pictures of themselves they think to send me one of them with their family!

And of course, it's no surprise that Rayanne has a supportive and sweet mom who didn't miss a beat when I asked her to share images of Rayanne for her blog and happily sent these along to me:

How cute is she?!

Everyone please join me in welcoming Rayanne to the Class of 2015 Sarah Elle Photography Senior Agent model team and wish her one AWESOME time in the Czech Republic!!

Best,
Sarah

p.s. new here? Be sure to follow the facebook page to see Rayanne's Junior shoot later this month! You won't want to miss it!

Planning a Styled Shoot Part V | Sending Out An S.O.S.| Hampton Roads Stylized Portrait Photographer

Hi!

OH. MY. GOODNESS. it is just THREE DAYS until the styled shoot! The weather is currently forecasted at 70, partly cloudy, and 10% chance of rain. RAIN! Yes, rain. But only 10% That's ok, right???

  

Can you tell I'm anxious?

  

But i'm the BEST kind of anxious! I've been totally freaking out for like two weeks now. Ok, ok, if you ask my team I've been freaking out for longer (shhhh!). But now that we are three days out I've found this weird calm. This sort of... oh my gosh lets rock the frickin PANTS off this thing and just have a flipping blast doing it!

WOooooo!

Ok, but there is ONE thing left I want to put out there in my "how to do it the easy way by reading how I did it the hard way" series on planning a styled shoot. I am, without a doubt, very much looking forward to this shoot. NO QUESTION. But one thing I should have done from the very beginning was:

 ASK. FOR. HELP.

I am a control freak. Just ask ANYONE who has ever met me. But asking for help is not at ALL about relinquishing control.

I had this idea that if I asked someone to help me design the set or collaborate with a professional event planner to bring this vision to life that I would somehow be relinquishing the genuineness of my vision and it would automatically become the event planner's shoot with me just taking the pictures.

Not true.

Of course, this is where you would need to make sure you knew how to explain your vision and your limits and have them help you-- not sit back and watch them do it all for you.

But asking someone for help isn't cheating. (I thought it was)

Asking for help is simply asking for help. It's asking people to help you make the very best out of your vision and your goals. It's asking people to be on your team and work WITH you to reach beyond your dreams.

Asking for help is good for you.

I learned this the hard way and tried to answer all of my questions on my own. But then I realized "Hey! You've got a pretty awesome team on your hands that KNOWS about this stuff- ask them their professional opinion!" Unfortunately I did this later than I could have and probably missed out on some pretty awesome stuff had I asked for help earlier. But I still asked for help. And next time I plan to actually collaborate with a professional.

Is my shoot still going to rock? You fricking bet it is!

But could it also be something totally awesome with an event planner? For sure!

There is no right or wrong. Alone or with someone else- doesn't matter. Both will be awesome! But just don't let yourself believe that asking for help or collaborating with someone means it isn't still your vision.

It is. It's just your vision developed side by side with someone who does this kind of thing for a living.

I'm a photographer! Not a party planner or set designer. What makes me think I should be able to do all of this without any issues? That's silly! And you shouldn't let yourself think that way either. ;)

Best,
Sarah

P.S. DO NOT even think about missing the shoot this weekend! Stay tuned to the facebook page to see sneak peeks!!

P.P.S. Any guesses as to the theme yet? If you get it right there might be a surprise in it for ya! ;)

Last clue before the reveal!

In case you missed the others: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV