Most people think a photoshoot is just a photographer showing up with a camera.

Point. Click. Done.

But that's not what happens here. Not even close.

This is how photographers prepare for their photoshoots. By the time you and I are standing together in the studio, I’ve already been thinking about you—your story, light, and vision—for weeks. And long after you leave, I’m still at work, carefully crafting the images that will change how you see yourself.

This is what a full-service photography experience actually looks like. And once you understand it, you'll never wonder about the investment again.

Before the Shoot: The Preparation You Never See

Getting to Know You: The Foundation of Everything

Great photography doesn't begin with a lens. It begins with a question.

Who are you? And how do you want the world to see you?

Before I shoot a single frame, I sit down with you — really sit down with you — and I listen. I want to know what brought you here. What you're hoping to feel when you finally see your photos. What you've never quite been able to see in yourself, but have always quietly hoped was there.

As a professional portrait photographer with over 20 years of experience, I've learned that the most powerful images are always born from the deepest conversations:

What are your hopes and dreams for these photos?
How do you want to be remembered in 20 years?
What do you want people to feel when they see you?

Your answers become my creative blueprint. They shape everything — the lighting, the mood, the styling, the way I'll coach you through every single moment of your session. Without this foundation, a photographer is just guessing. With it, we create something that moves people, including you.

Research and Creative Planning

Once I know your story, I get to work.

I’m researching poses that flatter your body, defining a mood that feels like you, and planning your session so it flows naturally.

Whether we're creating editorial style photoshoot imagery, personal branding photography, boudoir photography, magazine-style portraits, or generational family portraits — every session is planned from scratch. There are no templates here. Just a thoughtful, personalized experience built entirely around who you are.

As a luxury portrait photography studio, I believe this deeply: beautiful images don't happen by accident. They are built, long before the camera ever comes out.

Wardrobe and Styling Consultation

What you wear in front of my camera is not an afterthought. It is one of the most important creative decisions we'll make together.

Color, fabric, silhouette — all of it changes how you look and feel on camera. The wrong choice can wash you out, distract from your best features, or completely shift the mood of an image. The right choice does the opposite. It elevates you and tells your story before you say a word.

That's why wardrobe guidance is built into every personalized photoshoot I offer. I'll walk you through exactly what to bring, what to leave at home, and how to build looks that feel like the most powerful version of you.

Studio Setup and Technical Preparation

The night before your session, I'm still working.

Lighting setups are tested and refined. Backdrops are selected and prepared. Every lens, memory card, and piece of equipment has been checked with your specific images in mind. My portrait photography space is set, styled, and ready for you.

When you walk through that door, I don't want you thinking about a single logistical detail. I want you to exhale, feel held and walk into a space that was prepared entirely so that you can shine.

During the Shoot: More Than Just Pressing a Button

Lighting: The Skill That Transforms Everything

Ask any professional portrait photographer what makes a photo unforgettable, and you’ll hear the same answer.

Light.

Light shapes your face, deepens your eyes and wraps around your shoulders in a way that makes you look like you belong on the pages of a magazine. After more than 20 years of mastering this craft — working with clients across Richmond, Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Muncie, Cincinnati, Dayton, and beyond — I know exactly how to sculpt light so it loves you back.

How photographers prepare for their photoshoots is a big part of what makes this possible. And during your session, I’m constantly adjusting, shifting, softening, and redirecting light so every frame feels intentional. Most of these changes are invisible to you, but you’ll feel them in every single image.

Because light isn't just brightness. It's emotion, presence, and the thing that turns a photograph into something you don't just look at but feel.

Posing and Direction: Bringing Out Your Best

Here is something I want you to know before you book a photoshoot with me:

How to get editorial style photos doesn’t start with knowing how to pose or having experience in front of a camera.

You don’t need to be a model. You don’t need to figure anything out ahead of time. I’ve got you.

From the moment we start shooting, I am directing every single moment; the tilt of your chin, the angle of your shoulders and placement of your hands, so every frame feels intentional, effortless, and editorial.

That is my job and gift. And after two decades as a personal branding photographer and portrait artist, I know exactly how to bring out the version of you that has always been there, waiting to be seen.

After You Leave: The Hours of Work You Never See

Choosing Only the Very Best

When your session ends and you walk out of my studio feeling like the most beautiful version of yourself, I sit down and begin the work you'll never see, but will absolutely feel in your final images.

First comes culling.

I go through every single frame from your session — often hundreds upon hundreds of images — and I review each one with a trained, critical, and deeply caring eye. Is the light perfect? Is the focus sharp? Does this image carry presence, emotion, and truth?

The ones that do, I keep. The rest, I let go because what you receive should only ever be the absolute best.

Editing: Where the Artistic Vision Comes to Life

Once I've selected the finest images from your session, the editing process begins, and this is where everything we planned together truly comes to life.

Editing is a precise, skilled, deeply artistic process where I refine the color, tone, contrast, warmth, and atmosphere of every image until it feels exactly right. I build consistency across your entire gallery so that every photo works together as one cohesive, stunning visual story.

This is the difference between a photograph and a finished work of art. And at my luxury portrait photography studio, that level of care is non-negotiable — whether you're a Cincinnati photography client booking editorial style photoshoot imagery or a Central Indiana photography client scheduling personal branding photography for the first time.

Retouching: Revealing Your Most Beautiful, Authentic Self

Then comes retouching — the most misunderstood step in the entire process.

Let me be clear: retouching is not about changing who you are. It is about removing the distractions that keep people from seeing who you are. A temporary blemish. A flyaway hair. An unflattering shadow that the camera caught but your eye would have naturally overlooked in real life.

My philosophy has never wavered: you should look like you, on your most luminous, well-rested, radiant day.

I want you to look at your finished images and say — with a full heart — "That's really me."

And mean it as the greatest compliment you've ever given yourself.

Every image in your gallery is retouched with skill, with restraint, and with profound respect for the extraordinary person in the frame.

The Reveal and Delivery: The Moment It All Comes Together

After all of it — the culling, the editing, the retouching — your gallery is complete.

And then comes my absolute favorite moment.

The reveal.

Because this is when you stop looking at photos and start seeing yourself the way I saw you the entire time. Powerful. Beautiful. And already enough.

So What Does All of This Mean for Your Investment?

When people ask about portrait photography pricing or branding photoshoot pricing, they're often thinking about the session itself. The hour or two in the studio. The photos on the screen.

But now you know the truth.

How photographers prepare for their photoshoots isn’t something that starts on shoot day. It’s built into everything that comes before it. And this is a big part of why professional portrait photography is worth every penny.

Your investment covers weeks of preparation before you arrive, professional hair and makeup, expert posing and coaching throughout your session, and hours of culling, editing, and retouching after you leave. It covers 20-plus years of experience as a professional portrait photographer and a full-service photography experience designed — from your very first conversation to your final image delivery — entirely around you.

This is not just a photoshoot. It's a transformation

As my client Sharon Harlin Davis shared:

"Susanna Tanner Photography struck a home run in capturing my personality and spirit. She made me very comfortable and my pictures are definitely keepsakes. I would encourage every woman, no matter the age, to treat yourself to a great photoshoot."

Photography is not about taking photos. It's about changing how you see yourself.

When you're ready to book a photoshoot and begin that journey, I'll be right here.

Book your free consultation today. Let's begin.