Showgirl Inspired Creative Photoshoot

Hello friends,

Today I am sharing a creative photoshoot I did this month! I was inspired by a book I was readying called Feuding Fan Dancers about two showgirls back in the Golden Age of the showgirl. I absolutely love learning about the early years of entertainment such as cinema and nightlife. Definitely check this book out if you’re interested in the Ziegeld Follies and other showgirls/dancers.

I reached out to one of my dear friends to model for this photoshoot. I wanted to give a modern take on the fan dancer and of course add in my style. I have to say I am obsessed with this set!

Here are some favorites from our glorious fan dancing day!

-Shannon

Personal Branding Photoshoot with Rachael

Hello friends!

October has flown by and been nothing short of busy. The studio has had so many wonderful clients come in for their sessions, including Rachael.

Rachael is beginning to re-launch her fitness business and wanted a session that reflected her and what she wanted to brand to represent. She wanted to be able to show herself and her personality in her photos to give her audience a reason to stop scrolling and check out her page.

We planned her session over a few months, discussing ideas for her wardrobe, brand colors, and how we could best show her to an audience.

Here are her words and experience from photoshoot:

“I loved working with Shannon! She put me at ease from our first message, she had great ideas for my personal branding shots, and had clear direction so I knew exactly what to do. Shannon cared by setting up calls prior to meeting, getting to know my personality, and made the whole process so easy. Every detail from sending tips, what to have prepared, what to wear, location, makeup artist information. The cherry on the top was how fun her and Noelle (makeup artist) were during the get ready process and made the whole moment such a pleasure. Post shoot she took so much time and patience going over photos, with needed recommendations. Love the outcome, every detail was covered, and highly recommend.”

I’ll be sure to share more Personal Branding photoshoots with you all soon!

Until next time,

Shannon

Editorial Portrait Photoshoot in Arizona with Anna

Hello Friends,

I’m excited to share another session from my time in Arizona! I was lucky enough to meet the amazing Anna during my trip to Phoenix. She’s a fellow photographer too so always fun to work with others in the same field of work.

I later learned she had a ton of nerves going into the photoshoot but I would of never guessed it. Her whole vibe was friendly, vibrant, and strong in front of the camera.

Also, it was so hot that day in Phoenix (I believe 100+ degrees) but she didn’t break a sweat being the supermodel for the day.

I styled her completely in my own wardrobe I packed since our shoot kinda happened last minute and on a whim. I wanted her to have an editorial style and vibe throughout the photoshoot.

Here is what she had to say about her photoshoot:

“Shannon is incredible! I had the opportunity to shoot with her and was absolutely floored when I received my images. I usually avoid having my photo taken and feel so awkward in front of the camera because I never feel like I can pose my face. Shannon made the whole process comfortable and low key. When I got my photos back I was unwell. I have never seen my face look so good in a photo before. I immediately changed my profile picture and sent the photos to my friends. Book with her asap, you won’t regret it 💕”

Until next time,

Shannon

Parisian Style in Arizona

Hello Friends,

I’ve been away from my blog far too long. Well, almost exactly a month. I feel like the end of Summer and and start of Autumn has already flown by.

I did some traveling this month and I’m excited to share some of the images with you all!

On a balmy morning in Phoenix, I met up with Emily. Her and I had known each other online for a short while but finally got to meet up on my last morning in town. For this photoshoot, we used the hotel room I stayed in. Honestly, I wasn't very inspired by the room to start. But I loved the light in the mornings in the room during my stay. When I stepped back and found little pockets of light that I loved, I started to feel excited and inspired to photograph Emily’s session in there.

I mostly used the windows and balcony to create Parisian style portraits but in Phoenix. I absolutely adore how these turned out!

Until next time,

Shannon

Boudoir with an Editorial Edge

Hello Friends!

I have been so excited to share this session over on the blog. If you follow me on Instagram (@shannon_k_dougherty) then you’ve seen some images from this session.

Tanya reached out to me months ago to plan her dream photoshoot. She believes that photos are a wonderful way to celebrate herself (you know I couldn’t agree more!)

She left it up to me to style her to her comfort and taste level. We knew we wanted every set to feel like an editorial from a magazine and a mix of classic boudoir and studio photography more common in editorials.

Here is her experience in her words:

“Just like her photos, working with Shannon was dreamy. I found her on Instagram and immediately fell in love with her effortless style and art. Her pictures are unlike other women's portrait photographers, and I can't really explain the way I'm drawn to her images, but I am, and I had to book a glamorous photoshoot with her. The studio is so cute and her client closet is to die for! Shannon's personal touch with her clients is extraordinary. I flew in from out of state, and it was the loveliest thing to walk on the airplane with nothing packed. She had everything taken care of from hair & makeup, styling, wardrobe; I had nothing to worry or stress about. Then she showed me the images... They were everything I dreamed they would be and more. I loved all of them, she is that good! I can't wait to go back someday and create more with her. Thank you Shannon for an unforgettable experience in St Louis!”

Until next time,

Shannon

Glamorous Editorial Style Maternity Photoshoot

Hello Friends,

I truly adore my clients and feel like they are each my friends after their photoshoot. When Jamie reached out to me for a second photoshoot, I was beyond excited. She knew she wanted a glamorous, editorial style session to celebrate her expecting her first child but trusted any ideas I had.

We kept most of the session simple and elegant with long dresses, flowing hair, and just a touch of sparkle.

It was such an honor that we could give her a dream photoshoot to celebrate her and her growing family.

Here are a few favorites from her session and her kind words about her session experience!

“Shannon was the first person to come to mind when thinking of doing a maternity shoot. To me, maternity photos are photos I will have forever. Ones I will pass down to my daughter to show her how proud and honored I was to carry her! Pregnancy has been an experience I’ll cherish forever and so will these photos. Shannon’s style is so elegant, classic and yet unique. So happy to have worked with her AGAIN and looking forward to future photoshoots together. “

-Shannon

Fine Art inspired Portrait Session

Hello Friends,

I can’t believe I haven’t shared this session on my blog yet! Back in May, I was in Asheville teaching a workshop with a dear friend of mine. The last day I was in town I did a mini session with the associate photographer at the studio!

She trusted me with the whole vision being fine art inspired! I styled her in a gown and corset that photographed beautifully in color or b&w. I directed the posing to be exaggerated to really show off her shape and the shape of the gown.

The final step was setting up the perfect moody lighting to capture the mood of the great painters of the past like Rembrandt.

I would say we nailed this set exactly how I envisioned it and she has images to love for many years to come!

Until next time,

Shannon

Throwback Portrait Photoshoot!

Hello friends,

Happy Monday! I’m starting the week off by sharing one of my favorite portrait photoshoots from last year. Okay, I love every photoshoot we do so call me biased.

This beautiful lady reached out to me to celebrate herself and her hard work in college. She is doing some incredible things in the medical community and loved hearing all about her schooling and what she was doing in her next chapter in life.

During her session, we really had a blast and laughed… a lot! It really was the most amazing energy that day!

Her image reveal was just as special and same amazing energy. She purchased prints, wall art, and digitals to enjoy her images everyday!

I cannot wait until her next session. Here is her testimonial about her photoshoot experience :

“Working with Shannon was such an incredible, heartwarming experience! Just looking at her portfolio photos, it’s easy to see how talented of an artist she is, but behind the scenes, Shannon also provides unparalleled warmth, comfort, and guidance to her clients during their shoots. It is her words and energy that let you know you’re in a safe, body-affirming space—one that makes you feel strong and beautiful. To say the least, I’m thrilled to have worked with Shannon and am already planning our next session!”

Until next time,

Shannon

A little break in Italy

Hello Friends,

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve shared anything on the blog. I decided that June was going to be a month I would take an extended break and what better place than Italy?!

I am admittedly a workaholic so even the thought (at first) of taking almost a whole month off made my anxiety go through the roof. I tried to talk myself out of it more times than I’d like to admit. What if something happens while I’m away and can't answer a call/email/DM?! When I sat with that thought for awhile I realized how silly that sounded. Plus, I always had my phone on me if needed, I had my emails set to Vacation Mode so everyone had a response if I couldn't get to it right away… The world (and my business) wasn’t going to fall apart if I took some time off.

As time got closer to my break, I became super excited. I was ready to take the long flight and be in Italy. I wanted all the coffee, art, and soak in all that I could. I visited places I read about in art books from college, ate all the delicious food, and towards the end of the trip I relaxed near the ocean.

I’m so glad I took this time off. I feel ready to come back to the studio! I’m full of inspiration!

Below are just a few of the hundreds of photos I took during my stay in Italy.

Until next time,

Shannon

Let's chat about posing during your session

Hello friends,

I’m really excited about this topic because it comes up a lot during consultation calls with clients. I often hear them say, “I don’t know how to pose!”

That’s what I’m here for! I will guide you the whole way with posing and show you exactly what to do. I will never have anyone do a pose that doesn’t come out truly amazing.

Plus, I want it to feel natural with your movements and give you the best editorial style.

No need to stress or overthink! I am here to guide you all the whole photoshoot and its seriously an amazing day being a supermodel.

-Shannon

Maternity Photoshoot but make it Fashion

Hello friends,

I’m so excited to share Morgan’s stunning maternity session at the studio! I’ve known this beautiful woman for years and I was beyond happy she reached out to me to photograph this special time in her life.

When we had our consultation, she told me she was so excited to come in for her session and trusted me with all the logistics and details. I knew that we would great some amazing looks and always have a full service glamorous day.

We started with a soft, ethereal vibe and dreamy wardrobe and expressions. She decided to wear one of my favorite pieces with butterflies (it’s actually a piece of fabric that makes an amazing dress).Next, we pulled one of my favorite gowns (all the sparkles) and added an editorial edge. Final look was a fresh and casual look with one of her favorite jackets.

I can’t wait to deliver her images to her to enjoy for a lifetime.

-Shannon

Editorial Maternity Photoshoot

Hello Friends!

I literally could not wait to share this glamorous maternity photoshoot! During our consultation, I knew we were going to have an amazing session.

Taylor walked in with tons of energy and ready to create a session that would be something she could treasure for many years to come.

We did a few ethereal looks to start and ended with classic and casual.

Here are a few favorites from her session!

Until next time,

Shannon

Styled Bridal Photoshoot

Hello Friends,

I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog and on social media. I’ve been up to a lot the past few weeks (well, months) not just in the studio but back to doing photography education!

I took a bit of a break from doing education the past few years so I was happy to be back this March and April.

I’ll be back to share so much more from the studio, travels, and workshops soon! But first, I have to share a few images from the most recent demo I did with Intuition Backgrounds. I created this background to work for soft, bridal style photoshoots and I’m loving the results so far and ready to photograph clients in this studio with this background.

Here is a Sneak Peak of what we created during the demo! Thank you to the lovely Violet for modeling and always trusting my vision. Big thank you to Intuition Backgrounds for always loving and supporting me and my work!

Until next time,
Shannon

Dream Photoshoot in Hawaii - Part 1

Hello Friends,

If you know me or follow my work then you know I love a good, glamorous dress. So of course, I had to bring one to Hawaii with me to photograph by the dark rocks. I’ve had a vision for this photoshoot for years (even did a version of it years ago as a self portrait series).

I’m so glad I got to do this photoshoot again with a few different models and friends. Not only did I want to photograph this look, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone as a photographer and get out of the studio, into a new location, and shoot this look completely outside.

This first shoot is with the lovely Mara. I’ll be sharing many more images from the other photoshoots (and more from Mara’s ) soon!

Until next time,

Shannon

A dreamy session with a long time client - Sneak Peek

Hello friends,

I’m so excited to share images from my recent session with this beautiful repeat client (and friend).

When we chatted about her themes for the photoshoot, the ideas were open to whatever! Of course I had to pull out a gown from the studio closet to start then move more into some softer boudoir and really focus on movement and emotion.

I cannot wait to share more from this gorgeous session and couldn’t wait to share on the blog!

Scroll down for more!

Until next time,

Shannon

Boudoir Session - Client review!

Hello friends!

I’ve been spending the past few weeks catching up with editing and photographing so many amazing clients.

I had to share this review from a recent client about her experience. I can’t thank this beautiful lady (and all of my clients) enough for being such amazing people and everyday reminding me how much I love what I do!

I couldn’t do it without all of you!

“ WHERE DO I EVEN START WITH HOW AMAZING SHANNON IS?! As a very busy mom, wife and working woman - I tend to get lost in the day-to-day and forget about myself - as most women do! I've followed Shannon for a long time on IG and constantly saw her beautiful work and especially LOVED the boudoir photos - so classy, gorgeous, and timeless. Every time I saw a new picture - I'd tell myself that I would treat myself "one day" and book a boudoir session with her. I finally reached out to her and am SO grateful for the experience. From having my hair and makeup done by the talented and wonderful Noelle, to having Shannon put me at ease during the photo shoot, I can truly say that I would book a session 100 times again. Of course, it can be intimidating being so vulnerable in front of the camera, but Shannon made me so relaxed. She's patient and takes the time to walk you through it all so that you truly can enjoy your time with her. Ladies, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this wonderful experience because not only do we deserve to feel like a damn queen for the day, but the pictures you get out of it will remind you of the bad ass you are every time you look at them. Thank you again, Shannon (and Noelle) for the amazing day! “

Until next time,

Shannon

Your legacy in print

Hello friends!

I’m going to chat a little bit about one of my favorite things …. prints.

There is nothing quite like holding a beautiful photo of yourself or a loved one in your hands. It holds so much emotion and power to it.

If you’re like me, I used to look through boxes and boxes of prints at my grandparents house of my parents and other relatives. Listening to the stores about the photographs will always hold a special place in my heart.

Prints of your images are your legacy. It is what we hand down to our families and friends to cherish. This is your legacy. This is a moment in time to remember that day and to share that memory with others.

I personally love having my prints on the wall to remind myself of what a badass I am (especially on days I’m not feeling like my best self).

Print your photos. hang them all over your walls. Celebrate YOU!

See you all soon!

Shannon

Frequently asked Question

Hello friends,

I’m going to answer one of the frequently asked questions I get from clients about posing.

“I don't know how to pose! What do I do?!”

It’s a simple answer… I’ll help you the whole way with posing! You don’t have to have any experience in modeling or being in front of the camera at all. I truly enjoy helping with posing and direction!

No matter the pose, I will demonstrate it before we get to taking the beautiful photographs ( often the client is much more elegant than I am as I demo the poses)!

I totally understand, its intimidating to walk into a photo studio and feel you aren’t ready because you aren’t sure how to pose or if you’ll look relaxed. Again, I am here the whole way to help, couch, and motivate everyone in front of my camera.

Ready for your session?

Contact me at info@shannonkdougherty.com or through the website at www.shannonkdougherty.com

Here are some favorites from this beautiful session and her testimonial:

“Such an empowering experience. Shooting with Shannon was incredible she is amazing, her professionalism, and coaching put me at ease. I wouldn’t say I’m a natural infront of the camera but with her vision and some coaching she captured some stunning images! Her portfolio is stunning and I couldn’t recommend her more!”

Studio Wardrobe

Hello friends,

One frequently asked question I get from clients is, “What do I do for wardrobe?! What do I wear?”

It definitely can feel super stressful to decide what to bring in for your photoshoot but that’s where I come in!

First, during your consultation, I go over all of the details on what I best to bring for your photoshoot. Plus, you don’t have to go spend a lot of money. We also have a second wardrobe consultation to go over more details on what you have to bring.

The best part is there is an extensive studio wardrobe for clients to use for their session. If you want to go glam, I have gowns, long dresses, full tulle robes, and many things with sequins to give that luxe touch to your session. There are also tons of lingerie, corsets, bodysuits to name a few options (I’m personally a fan of vintage lingerie so there is a lot of that in the wardrobe). There are also a few more daring pieces with leather and lace.

For this blog post, I wanted to share a few client favorites and a sneak peek of a few of the items in the studio wardrobe. I definitely plan on doing an extensive catalog of the pieces in the future!

Until next time,

Shannon

In the studio with our Boudoir Session Giveaway winner!

Hello everyone!

I’m so excited to share this session with you all. In December, we did a giveaway on Instagram for a glamorous photoshoot experience with full makeup and hair done, luxe wardrobe, and of course the photoshoot.

We were blown away by the amount of entries we received (We definitely will have to do more giveaways for 2022)!

Our beautiful winner was nothing short sweet when she walked into the studio and excited for her experience. She embraced the day of glamour wearing one of the long robes in the client closet (I’ll have a blog about the client closet soon), wrapped in satin sheets, and kept it classic in a black bodysuit.

One of the best feelings being a photographer is having a client who has had a great experience and is taken care of for the day. This is the day to step away and really focus on you. This lovely lady is a mother to a beautiful baby boy and an incredible wife. I’m so glad she won our giveaway and had a luxurious day for herself and also has images of herself feeling amazing for many years to come!

Here is her review of the day:

“My photoshoot with Shannon was such an empowering experience. I have never felt more beautiful or confident than during my shoot. Shannon coached me through every aspect (which I loved). Her professionalism and friendliness were on display throughout the whole process. Shannon’s photos are some of the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen and I’m still in disbelief I get to see myself in them. If you are hesitant at all to book a photoshoot, let this review make the decision for you- you will not regret booking with Shannon K. Dougherty Photography.”

Be back soon with more blogs!

Shannon