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Welcome to this week’s edition of the SeniorInspire Newsletter!

If you’ve been refreshing your inbox waiting for Influencer contest results, the wait is over — the winners have been announced! 🎉

We received over 1,200 square images this year, and narrowing them down was no small feat. But the final selections are in, and this year's SeniorInspire Influencers are now officially out in the wild.

The print copy of the Influencer magazine is in the works and should be ready for purchase in early September. So if you're published — or just want to be inspired — keep an eye out.

Now, let’s talk about what’s inside this week’s issue.

We’ve got an Ask Nick tackling the problem of overshooting — and yes, it's as much a therapy session as it is practical advice.

There's also a fun read about how we sometimes pick up habits (and maybe slang?) from the very seniors we photograph. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “no cap” unironically, this one’s for you.

In Why I Love This Image, we're featuring an absolute stunner from Erika Humke that defies gravity and basically makes the rest of us look lazy.

And in this week’s Mentor of the Week, we’re introducing you to Kristin Jones, a seasoned pro with advice as sharp as her images. Get in touch with her if you're looking to level up your game.

Lots to dig into this week, so let’s go!

This week I'm answering a question from Terrie Groth in our Facebook group...

I am a habitual over-shooter. Any proven methods on how to cut back?

Oh boy, you are absolutely not alone — the over-shooting habit is real, and most photographers have gone through their “20 shots of the same pose just in case” phase. I know I did...

The good news? You can absolutely break it.

Here’s how:

🧘‍♂️ Force yourself to slow down.
I know it sounds obvious, but it works. Start your next shoot with a mental reset. Take your time setting up the shot. Heck, walk in and adjust the subject’s sleeve, even if it doesn’t need it. Move a light an inch. Take a breath. The act of pausing — even artificially — breaks the instinct to rapid-fire. It also gives you a second to see the image more intentionally before you press the shutter.

💬 Tell yourself you got it.
Confidence is a huge part of this. If you’re unsure whether you nailed the shot, you’re more likely to overshoot out of anxiety. So after you fire off one or two frames, tell yourself — “I got it.” Then move on. The truth is, once you know how to pose and light your subject, you really don’t need 17 variations of the same pose setup. Trust your gut — it’s probably right.

⏱ Set a time limit per outfit — and stick to it.
Let’s say you’ve got a 2-hour shoot and 4 outfits. That’s 30 minutes per look — including outfit change, location move, posing, and chatting with mom about college plans. So wear a watch and keep track. If you only have 18 minutes to shoot, you’ll naturally start thinking in efficiency instead of repetition. Get the pose. Move to the next one. Boom.

🛑 Just stop doing it.
Seriously. Sometimes the best advice is the least poetic. When you feel yourself slipping into machine-gun mode, stop. Take your finger off the shutter. Reset. Don’t make excuses. You’re not doing yourself any favors when you come home with 900 files from a single shoot and have to dig through 37 nearly identical ones just to find the shot.

🎯 Bonus tip: Give yourself a target number.
Set a personal challenge before each shoot: “I’m only going to shoot 200 images today.” Or 150. Or even 100. See what happens. Spoiler: you’ll probably end up liking your work more, because you were focused and deliberate. Quality over quantity wins every time.

Bottom line? Overshooting usually means you're chasing safety. But confidence, discipline, and a little self-imposed structure can help you let go of the shutter crutch — and shoot smarter, not harder.

Have a burning question you want answered in a future column? Head over to www.seniorinspire.com/asknick. I’ll be there manning the phones and waiting for your questions...

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.”

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Some images make you pause. Others make you stare. And then there's this one — which makes you do a double take and ask yourself, “Wait… how did she even get that?”

This gravity-defying portrait from Erika Humke of Humke Group | Photo + Design was featured in the 2021 One Hundred Photographers to Follow issue of SeniorInspire the Magazine, and to this day, it remains one of the most jaw-dropping action portraits we’ve ever published.

Let’s just start with the obvious: the senior in this shot is flying. Not jumping. Not mid-dive. Flying. Suspended above the pool like a superhero caught mid-launch. There’s not a hint of motion blur. No missed focus. Every muscle, every droplet, every line is tack-sharp. It’s a moment frozen in time with pinpoint precision, and that’s no small feat when you’re working with movement this fast.

Now, let’s talk about color — because Erika absolutely nailed it. The red swimsuit pops beautifully against the cool blue of the pool and the green tones of the background. It’s one of those palettes that feels naturally vibrant, not oversaturated.

The skin tones are spot-on, which is especially impressive when working in reflective environments like water and concrete. Everything feels crisp, clean, and balanced.

Compositionally, this image is working on multiple levels. The fence behind the swimmer creates a perfect set of leading lines that guide your eye straight to the subject. The ladder, the pool deck, the chairs — all subtly frame the shot without distracting from it.

But maybe the best part of this image is the feeling it gives you. There’s energy. Motion. Confidence. You don’t even have to know this swimmer to know she’s the real deal. You can feel her power in that posture, her grace in the line of her body, and her control in the precision of her flight. It’s athleticism and artistry wrapped into one killer frame.

Now of course, maybe there’s a little Photoshop wizardry going on here. And if there is, I genuinely can’t tell. The water droplets trailing from her feet and hands look so perfectly placed, they could have been added in post. But then again… maybe not. The beauty of it is, I’m not sure — and frankly, I don’t care. It all just works.

This image isn't just a senior portrait — it’s a moment of pure visual storytelling. A reminder that when you bring bold ideas, technical excellence, and creative bravery together, you can capture something unforgettable.

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

I’ll admit it—I’m an exclamation point junkie!!!

After almost 20 years of communicating with seniors on social media, I can’t help myself. Everything feels like an exclamation!

In my mind I’m always thinking, if I don’t add the exclamation point, how will Susie Senior and her Mom know how important this sentence is?!

Somewhere along the way, my punctuation got hijacked by teenagers.

And it’s not just exclamation points. Spend enough time around high school seniors and you start picking up their habits without even realizing it. Their energy is contagious, and some of it always sneaks into our daily lives.

One year it was their lingo. Suddenly I was saying “fire” about good photos and songs I liked were "bangers". At first, it was ironic. Then it was just… how I talked.

Music has been another big influence. The first time I ever heard of artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, or The Pretty Reckless was from seniors who loved them before anyone else.

And thanks to years of asking seniors to tell me their favorite artists so I could play music they liked in the studio, Spotify now thinks I’m a 16-year-old girl.

Seriously, my 28 year old daughter took one look at my Spotify Wrapped last year and said, "Time to leave childish things behind, Dad".

That’s the funny thing about working with teens—you can’t help but absorb some of what they’re into. We think we’re influencing them, but more often than not, they’re influencing us.

So here’s my question for you: what habits have you picked up from the seniors you’ve worked with? Did they sneak new words into your vocabulary? New food? Or maybe a whole new playlist into your car?

Reply to this email and let me know. If I get enough responses, I’ll share a future story summarizing the results.

Who knows, maybe we’ll discover that we’re all walking around with the same teenage-inspired quirks.

This week’s featured mentor is Kristin Jones of Any Angle Photography. Based year-round in Salt Lake City, Utah with summer sessions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kristin brings a wealth of experience to the senior photography space—not only as a working photographer, but also as a speaker, educator, and business strategist. Whether you're just starting out or need a strategic push to the next level, Kristin’s coaching is practical, personal, and packed with actionable takeaways.

Kristin Jones - Any Angle Photography
Salt Lake City, Utah

Do you offer phone or virtual mentoring?
Yes! I offer both virtual mentoring via Zoom and in-person options.

What type of mentoring do you offer?
Most frequently I am working 1:1 via Zoom or 1:2–3 if friends want to do mentoring together. I have mentees fill out a questionnaire for me before we start, and we outline goals for our time together. We cover what you need. That can be any combination of posing, lighting, portfolio reviews, website analysis, and there is always some element of business strategy.

I also teach at workshops and conferences every year, speaking on posing, lighting, and client communication/business strategy. I’ll be teaching a pre-con at SYNC 2026 and will also be teaching half-day and full-day programs at a couple of PPA affiliates in 2026.

Who is your ideal mentee?
All levels. I’ve worked with beginning photographers who need a lot of direction and weathered photographers who just need to tweak a few things. It doesn’t matter so much the experience. What matters more is the drive and willingness to put in the work.

What topics do you most enjoy mentoring on?
Posing, lighting techniques, client communication, and business strategies like pricing and sales. No matter where we start—whether it be posing or lighting—business questions always come up.

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out?
That photography is 30% taking pictures and 70% running a business. Master your communication and client experience early—it will make everything else so much easier.

How would you describe your shooting style?
Creative and intentional with posing and light. I’m always aiming to highlight a client’s personality and passions. I want my seniors laughing, moving, and feeling like their best selves in front of the camera.

What do you hope mentees walk away with after working with you?
Did you know it only takes 6–9 hours on average to start seeing real success with coaching? I want mentees to walk away with confidence, a clear strategy, and actual scripts/poses/systems they can use right away to feel less stressed and more excited about their business.

How should potential mentees contact you?
Anyone can book a free 20-minute call with me. If we are a good fit, then we schedule more time together.
➡️ Book a free call
🌐 Website
📧kristin@anyanglephotography.com

Free Resource:
💌 Emails That Cost You Bookings: 12 Mistakes Photographers Make & How to Avoid Them

Download the freebie here

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.

Thanks for sticking around to the end of this week’s newsletter. You could’ve been anywhere — scrolling BeReal, doom-scrolling the news, or rewatching The Bear for the third time — but you chose to be here. I appreciate that.

If you’ve made it this far, hit reply and let me know what you thought of this week's newsletter. I’d genuinely love to hear from you — and honestly, I wouldn’t mind the dopamine hit.

And if there’s something you’d like to see covered in a future issue of SeniorInspire the Newsletter, send that my way too. Suggestions, questions, ideas… I’m all ears (and keyboard).

See you next week!

Nick
SeniorInspire

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