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Hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day yesterday. Whether you were photographing couples, editing galleries, or just enjoying a quiet night with chocolate you didn’t have to share, I hope it was a good one. ❤️

A huge thank you to everyone who entered this year’s Photographers I’d Love to Follow contest. We had more than 2,200 images submitted and I’m currently knee-deep in photos, poring over every submission and looking for the standouts that will be featured in next month's issue of SeniorInspire the Magazine. The talent in this community is unreal, and narrowing it down is not for the faint of heart.

In this week’s issue, we’re rolling out a brand-new feature, Photographer of the Week, which I’m pretty excited about. We’re also answering a great question about finding your style, and I’m sharing an image I absolutely love from Cristy Sartwell that fits the Valentine vibe perfectly.

Let’s dive in!

—Nick

Good work deserves a spotlight, and this community has plenty of it. Every week I see images posted in our group and on Instagram that stop me mid-scroll. Thoughtful lighting. Confident posing. Creative locations.

Work that deserves more than a quick “Nice shot!” in the comments.

That’s exactly why I’m excited to officially roll out a new feature: Photographer of the Week.

This is a simple idea with a meaningful goal. Each week, we’ll highlight one SeniorInspire photographer in the newsletter and on Instagram. We’ll share a handful of their images and tell a bit of their story so our audience can see not just what they shoot, but how they think.

The intention here is not to rank anyone or crown a “winner.” This is not another contest. It’s not about chasing trends or comparing averages. It’s about recognizing strong work and giving it a moment to breathe in front of a wider audience.

One of the best parts of this community is that it’s filled with photographers at different stages. Some of you are just getting started. Others have been at this for 15 or 20 years. Photographer of the Week is a chance to celebrate that range and to show what’s possible at every level.

If you’re selected, you’ll be notified ahead of time by email. No surprises. You’ll know it’s coming and have a chance to make sure everything we share represents you well. Then we’ll feature your work in the newsletter and on Instagram so the SeniorInspire audience can get to know you.

And here’s the part I love most: this gives us more room to showcase more of you. Instead of spotlighting one or two images in passing, we get to slow down and actually feature the photographer behind the camera.

This community works because of the people in it. The willingness to share. The encouragement in the comments. The honest conversations about pricing, marketing, burnout, and growth. Photographer of the Week is simply another way to say, “Hey, what you’re doing matters.”

If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe someday,” consider this your nudge.

You don’t have to be the loudest. You don’t have to have the biggest following. You just have to be doing good work and willing to share it.

Ready to be considered? Head to www.seniorinspire.com/potw and submit your work.

I can’t wait to start shining a light on more of you.

This Week’s Question:
Is it okay if my editing style is still changing, or does that make me look unprofessional?

Let me start with this... If your editing style has never changed, I’m actually more concerned.

Editing style evolves because your eye evolves. Your lighting improves. Your taste sharpens. Your understanding of skin tones, color balance, and restraint gets better. Growth almost always shows up in the edit first.

Now that said, there’s a difference between evolution and chaos.

Early in my career, I was chasing every trend that came within a 50-mile radius of Photoshop. Textures? Absolutely. Heavy color shifts? Yes, please. Compositing dramatic skies and overlays? Of course. If it was popular, I was trying it.

At the time, it felt creative. It felt edgy. It felt like I was “developing a style.” In reality, I was experimenting. Which is fine. That’s how you learn.

But eventually I noticed something important. Those textured and heavily composited images took forever. They were a ton of work. And more importantly, they weren’t what was consistently selling.

As my lighting improved and my color balance got stronger, something shifted. I didn’t need all the extra noise anymore. I slowly moved toward a more natural editing style. It was cleaner. It was easier. It saved me time. And it actually aligned better with what clients wanted.

That wasn’t me becoming more professional overnight. It was me growing up a little.

Here’s the part most photographers miss... Changing your editing style is not unprofessional. Changing it every six months because Instagram changed is.

Healthy evolution looks like this:

• Your work gradually becomes more consistent
• Your edits become cleaner and more intentional
• You’re removing distractions, not adding them
• You can explain why you edit the way you do

Chaotic inconsistency looks like this:

• Your portfolio looks like five different photographers
• One client gets dark and moody while the next gets bright and airy
• You’re constantly apologizing for older work
• You’re reacting to trends instead of refining your own taste

Clients don’t expect your 2026 work to look identical to your 2018 work. They expect the images they book today to look like the images on your website today.

That’s the professionalism part.

Professionalism isn’t about freezing your style in time. It’s about consistency within a client’s experience. If someone hires you based on your current portfolio, can you deliver something that feels cohesive and intentional? That’s the standard.

If you’re early in your career and your style is shifting, that’s normal. You’re still figuring out what you like. You’re still mastering lighting. You’re still developing restraint, which honestly might be the most underrated skill in editing.

If you’re ten years in and still wildly swinging between looks because you’re bored, that’s a different conversation.

Here’s a simple gut check.

• Does my website reflect what I’m producing right now?
• If I shot three sessions this week, would they feel cohesive together?
• Am I evolving intentionally, or just reacting emotionally?

If you can answer those confidently, you’re fine.

In my experience, the more technically strong you become, the less you need the flashy stuff. When lighting is solid and skin tones are accurate, editing becomes refinement instead of rescue.

And that’s usually when your “style” finally feels less like something you’re trying to invent and more like something that just naturally fits.

So no, changing your editing style doesn’t make you unprofessional. Refusing to grow might.

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.” 

This week’s image comes from Cristy Sartwell of Warrensburg, Missouri, and it was featured on our Instagram page in October 2025. The timing could not be better because this one feels tailor made for this Valentine’s edition of the newsletter. It is soft, romantic, a little whimsical, and completely committed to its concept. From the moment you see it, you know exactly what it is trying to say, and it says it beautifully.

Let’s start with the obvious. Hearts falling from an umbrella. That alone could have gone sideways in a hurry. It could have felt cheesy or overdone. Instead, it feels magical. The way the pink hearts spill out and drift downward gives the image motion and life. It feels like love is literally pouring out of the sky. There is a sense of lightness to it, almost as if the senior is standing in the middle of her own daydream.

The setting plays a huge role in making this work. That long stretch of road leading straight back into the horizon is not just pretty scenery. It adds meaning. Roads in portraits always carry symbolism, whether we intend them to or not. In this case, it feels like the road to the future, wide open and full of possibility. Pair that with the airy blue sky and the soft greenery lining the path, and you have a backdrop that supports the fantasy without overpowering it.

The lighting is another win. It is bright, clean, and flattering without feeling harsh. The sky could easily have blown out or distracted from the subject, but it stays soft and balanced. The light wraps around her face and gown in a way that enhances the romantic tone of the image. Nothing feels heavy. Everything feels intentional.

And then there is that skirt. That puffy pink tulle skirt is doing a lot of the storytelling here. It adds volume, elegance, and just the right amount of drama. It grounds the whimsical concept in something tangible and beautiful. The softness of the pink works perfectly with the floating hearts and contrasts gently with the cool blues of the sky. The color harmony across the entire frame is subtle but very effective.

I also love her expression. She looks joyful without being over the top. It is a relaxed, genuine smile that feels believable. That matters in a concept-driven image like this. If the expression feels forced, the whole illusion falls apart. Here, she looks like she truly belongs in this little world of falling hearts.

Compositionally, the placement is strong. She is centered, but the negative space around her gives the image room to breathe. The silo structure off to the right adds architectural interest without competing for attention. The fence line on the left subtly guides your eye back toward the subject. Everything works together to keep your focus where it belongs.

Could this have been pushed further with wind in the skirt or more motion in the hearts? Maybe. But honestly, the restraint is part of the charm. It feels polished and thoughtful, not chaotic.

In a sea of senior portraits, this one leans fully into whimsy and romance without losing elegance. It is playful, seasonal, and still beautifully crafted from a technical standpoint. It makes you smile. And in a Valentine’s edition of the newsletter, that feels exactly right.

.

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

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 nearly half 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.

If you made it this far and have any opinions or ideas I'd love to hear it. Good, bad, whatever. Just hit reply or send me an email and let me know what you think. I love the feedback!

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. The real ones always make it down here.

I’m currently knee-deep in your Photographers I’d Like to Follow submissions, and I’ve got to say — the bar is high this year. I’m hoping to have winners announced by next Sunday, assuming I can stop second-guessing myself long enough to make the final calls.

This week’s Tune of the Week is “Tennis” by Lily Allen, a brutally honest track reportedly inspired by her relationship with David Harbour of Stranger Things fame. It’s messy, emotional, and painfully self-aware. No filters. No pretending.

Which believe it or not connects pretty well to this week’s topics. Finding your style requires that same level of honesty. Owning your work. Showing up as yourself. Not chasing trends or trying to be someone else’s version of “good enough.”

And our new Photographer of the Week feature?

Same thing. It’s about celebrating photographers who aren’t hiding behind someone else’s preset pack.

🎧 Tennis - Lily Allen

See you next Sunday.

Nick
SeniorInspire

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