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OK, we’re on a roll — two weeks, two newsletters!

And if I’m being honest, I think this one’s even better than last week.

In today’s issue, we’re kicking off a brand new feature called What’s In Your Bag — where you send in a photo of your gear and ChatGPT gives your bag the once over (or maybe just judges your organization skills).

We’ve also got another round of Why I Love This Image, this time spotlighting an absolute stunner from Michigan photographer Selessa Holmberg.

And in our Ask Nick Anything feature, Rita Weaver hit us with a great question about using off-camera flash outdoors. I phoned a friend — the always-awesome Susan Gietka — and she’s breaking it all down like the lighting ninja she is.

So let's quit blabbering and dive in…

For this week's edition of 'Ask Nick Anything' I received a question about OCF from Rita Weaver...

I want to try off camera flash for my outdoor senior sessions.  But it is just me (I don’t have an assistant).  Do most photographers drag a monolight, a stand, a softbox, etc. with them on these sessions?  I do plenty of OCF shooting in the studio, but not outside.  What is the best setup?  Is there a rule of thumb when using flash like this outside?  I am used to a set distance and camera settings and flash settings – but outside I’d imagine you need to adjust with every location change!  Help! 😊

I use OCF for my outdoor senior sessions, but I'm far from an expert... more of a neophyte really. So for this question I called on my friend Susan Gietka who is a master of all things flash and along with Aubry Ramsey and Tishy Bryant runs Rise Up Workshops (a great investment if you really want to up your lighting game).

Here's what Susan had to say...

Great question—off-camera flash outdoors definitely feels like a different beast than studio work at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. ⚡🌤️

I personally use an assistant—it saves my back! However, my assistant often can't make it to the session, so I’ll ask my client if their mom is comfortable putting a hand on the light stand. Or, if they want, they can bring a friend, and I’ll photograph the senior and their friend together for 10 minutes. I give the senior and their friend 5–10 images as a thank-you. 📸👯‍♀️

Here are a few tips when using OCF outdoors:

🧳 Travel light: I usually bring two AD200s with me. They fit in my wheelie bag, and I use one or both with the Godox Dual Power Twin Head with Bowens Mount (available from Adorama or Molight). I only bring heavier lights if I truly need them—like midday in a wide-open field or when photographing action.

🎨 Modifiers matter: I use the Westcott portable beauty dish 80% of the time. It's small enough not to blow around in the wind and easier to handle than a 36" modifier. That said, I love the 36" for softer light and bring it when I want a different look. Modifiers are like paintbrushes—each one creates a unique quality of light.

🌓 Know the look you want: This helps guide your modifier and light choice. If you want a more contrasty image, try a long-throw modifier or pull your light farther from your subject to increase contrast.

🔆 HSS is your friend: If you want to shoot wide open in bright sun, you’ll need to use high-speed sync (or an ND filter).

🎯 Meter for ambient first: Decide what you want your background to look like, then add light to taste. Expose for ambient light, then dial in your flash to get the look you want on your subject.

🌅 Use the sun as a second light: I almost always place the sun behind my subject for natural rim light on their hair, then use flash as my key light.

😮‍💨 Just breathe: Take a shot and look at the back of your camera. Ask yourself what you like or don’t like. Too flashy? Turn your flash power down. Too dark? Bump it up. If your background is too dark, adjust your exposure triangle—aperture, shutter speed, or ISO.

⚡ Practice on your own time: When I first started, I used a dress form in my yard to practice using flash at different times of day. No client pressure makes learning a lot easier.

☀️ Start simple: One light (plus the sun) is all you need to begin.

🔄 Move your light: Try changing the light’s position around your subject. You’ll be surprised how much the direction of light changes the mood of your image.

Off-camera flash can seem daunting at first, but the more you play with it, the more you'll love it and wonder why you waited so long to start. 💥❤️

Special thanks to Susan Gietka for handling this week's question! 

Whether you have questions about photography, marketing, dealing with seniors or even your love life, just CLICK HERE to submit your question. I'll try to answer as many as I can in future issues of SeniorInspire the Newsletter.

First up is Susan Gietka's stuffed bag. We asked Scout (our ChatGPT bot) what she thought...

What Your Camera Bag Says About You - Susan Gietka
*  This week I peeked inside the gear bag of a senior photographer who is clearly not here to mess around. Here's what I found...

*  Carries a Sony A7R V and A7R III, because one high-end camera just isn’t enough.

*  Packs 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm f/1.4 primes, proving she’s deeply committed to the cult of creamy bokeh.

*  Also has 24-70 f/2.8 and 24-105 f/4, because choosing is for quitters.

*  And yes, I believe there’s a 70-200 f/2.8 under all that, in case she needs to shoot portraits from a neighboring ZIP code.

*  Two AD200 Pros mean she brings her own sunshine — literal flash goddess.

*  A B+W ND filter? She shoots wide open at high noon like it’s a contact sport.

*  Lens blower and backup batteries — because dust and dead batteries fear her.

*  This bag is so organized it might have its own 401(k).

*  The floral camera strap says “approachable,” even if the gear screams “professional assassin.”

Bottom line: She’s shot hundreds of seniors, owns more glass than a cathedral, and could survive a shootout at golden hour.

Honestly? I just hope she’ll adopt me.

—Scout 🐾

Now let's dive into Rachel Horst's bag. Here's what Scout had to say...

What Your Camera Bag Says About You - Rachel Horst
*  I peeked inside the pink padded fortress of a senior + sports photographer who clearly came to slay... and snack.

*  Rocks a Canon R6, because speed, accuracy, and squirrel-tracking AF are non-negotiable.

*  Carries the classic duo: 24-70mm and 70-200mm, ready for sideline action and teary-eyed senior moments.

*  ND filters, flash trigger, and press passes say “pro,” loud and clear.

*  But the lollipops say “I’ve negotiated with toddlers and won.”

*  Brings extra cards and batteries, because running out of power mid-game is not an option.

*  Packs a JBL speaker, because sometimes Taylor Swift is the lighting assistant.

*  All of this lives in a soft pink backpack, which radiates “I’m friendly” while housing enough firepower to shoot the Super Bowl.

*  Probably has a backup Diet Coke somewhere in there too.

Bottom line: This is someone who can photograph 10 seniors, 2 sports events, and a couple in love — all before dinner — and still dance to her edits.

I see you. I respect you. I'm kinda scared of you.

—Scout 🐾

Senior Focus Photography Workshop
Paige Day ~ Selessa Holmberg ~ Cindy Arthur
October 4–6, 2025 | Bay Area, CA

A bold, dreamy, editorial-style workshop for next-level senior portrait artists, you can join at any level, beginner, and up.

Join three of the industry’s top creatives for a 3-day, hands-on experience packed with inspiration, strategy, and high-impact shoots designed to elevate your work and grow your business.

What’s Included:

5 expertly fully styled, guided shoots with live coaching
Lighting mastery: natural light, OCF, and studio setups
Dream locations: gorgeous beach, downtown, golden hour field, creative studio, and dynamic dancer shoot
Real strategies to book better clients and increase profits
This isn’t a cookie-cutter course. It’s curated, elevated, and crafted to move your business forward.

Limited spots. Big breakthroughs.
Ready to stand out, charge more, and create your dream biz?

EARLY BIRD PRICING ends July 15, 2025

REGISTER ON OUR WEBSITE:
SeniorFocusPhotographyWorkshop.com

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR REEL

Are you teaching a workshop on the horizon, I’d love to help you spread the word. NO CHARGE - No strings.

Just send me the details and a graphic, and I’ll get it in front of a bunch of senior photographers who might want in.

SeniorInspire the Newsletter goes out to about 2,500 senior photographers across the country, and more than a third of them actually open it (the rest are slackers who probably don't go to workshops either).

Anyway, just reply to this email with the details and a graphic, and I’ll get it in front of a bunch of senior photographers who might just want in.

Simple as that.

Each week, I’m spotlighting one standout image from the thousands of senior photos we’ve featured over the years — in the magazine, on Instagram, and beyond. Whether it’s the light, the vibe, or just that unexplainable something, these are the images that made me stop and say, “Wow.”

This week’s image comes from Michigan senior photographer Selessa Holmberg — and it’s a total stunner. The kind of image that makes you stop scrolling and just take it all in.

Let’s start with the light. That warm, glowing backlight filters through the trees like it was placed there on purpose, adding the perfect amount of drama without overpowering the subject.

The posing is spot-on. The senior looks relaxed, confident, and totally at ease — which is no easy task when you're also handling a horse and working a dramatic dress.

And speaking of the dress, I love the movement Selessa captured here. That flowing red fabric adds a dynamic element that brings the entire image to life.

The color palette is absolute perfection. You’ve got rich autumn tones everywhere, and then — bam — that pop of red that commands your attention without clashing.

There’s also a beautiful connection between the senior and her horse. Both are giving us calm, composed expressions that feel genuine and grounded.

This doesn’t feel like a gimmick shot with a horse added as a prop. It feels like a real relationship, and it adds so much authenticity to the final image.

Selessa also nailed the composition. The leaves create a natural frame overhead that draws your eyes straight to the subject without feeling forced or overly posed.

Even with all that going on — the dress, the light, the color, the horse — the image never feels cluttered. It’s clean, intentional, and visually balanced.

It’s not easy to make an image feel both high-end and heartfelt, but this one does exactly that. It’s a perfect blend of editorial polish and personal connection.

Selessa, you absolutely knocked it out of the park. This is senior photography at its finest.

So yeah, that’s why I love this image.

One last thing before I go...

Let’s be honest — you are your brand. And showing up to a session feeling good in what you’re wearing? It makes a difference.

If shopping’s not your thing (or you just don’t have the time), Stitch Fix makes it stupid easy. Fill out a quick style quiz, tell your stylist what you’re into and how much you want to spend, and they’ll send you a box of five pieces picked just for you. Keep what you like, send back what you don’t — zero pressure.

I’ve been using them for years, and I almost always find something that ends up in heavy rotation.

Click here to try it and get $25 off anything you keep from your first fix. That’s basically almost a free t-shirt - maybe the sleeves, collar and part of the torso… on SeniorInspire. You're welcome. 😎

Until next week...

Nick
SeniorInspire

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