Leah Clancy - Senior Photographer and Educator

Leah Clancy - Senior Photographer and Educator We create beautiful images for high school seniors and business professionals.

I take BEAUTIFUL senior photos & teach photographers how to build CONFIDENT, PROFITABLE businesses
Podcast | Pose Lab App | Coaching
leahclancy.com to book or apply for a mentorship

05/22/2026

My prom girl video went viral, 12 million views 40,000 new followers. People are impressed by follower count and viral videos and maybe it is a little bit impressive. But what does it mean about me? I’ve been viral many many times. Does it make me special? Listen to my newest podcast and I’ll tell you what I think.

05/06/2026

Last week, millions of people watched Sariah share the story of being ditched before prom… and on Sunday, we finally got to make this shoot happen.

We both drove hours to meet up for the session, Sariah baked me cookies herself, and I got to spend the afternoon getting to know one of the sweetest, most thoughtful girls.

She’s a little quieter, the kind of person you can tell thinks deeply about life and people. We spent a huge part of the shoot just talking about life, the ways people hurt each other sometimes, giving grace, and how everybody is carrying things you can’t always see from the outside.

Meeting her just made me even happier that I reached out to her in the first place.

Of course we photographed the prom dress, but we also photographed a few other looks and spent the afternoon exploring the Gorge, laughing, talking, and creating together.

These are just the behind the scenes moments from our shoot together. I actually flew to France the day after this shoot, so I’m editing these from across the world right now and cannot wait to share the final images soon.

05/02/2026

At this point in my life, I’m basically an expert on Columbia River Gorge weather.
Call me the wind queen, because I’ve photographed out there so many times in absolute chaos and somehow always make it work. Hair flying. Clothes flying. Dresses turning into balloons. Full parachute energy. Meanwhile, I’m staying calm, adjusting fast, and working with whatever the Gorge decides to give us that day. It’s one of the most beautiful places to shoot, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Here’s part one of this session… part two is where things got wild. Stay tuned.

04/28/2026

Yesterday I saw a video from a high school senior whose so called friends completely left her out of prom. They told her there wasn’t room for her in photos. No room in the car. No getting ready together. None of the fun memories she should have had. Brutal.

We’re not giving energy to that part.

What we are giving energy to is what happened next.

I reached out right away and told her if she lived closer, I’d love to photograph her. Turns out she’s only a few hours away… so this Sunday she’s coming down for a shoot.

She’s a singer songwriter, wildly talented, and we’re turning that prom dress into something way better than one night.

We’re creating album cover style images for an upcoming song release, mixing in the dress, maybe some other looks, and making art out of disappointment.

Sometimes people exclude you.

Sometimes life reroutes you toward something better.

Follow along Sunday and let’s see what we create. #

11/26/2025

I started as a broke single mom with nothing but confidence and survival instincts.
Now this business has paid for my home, my kids’ education, travel all over the world, connections to my community that are EVERYTHING and a life I’m proud of. Listen to the voices in your head… and trust yourself.

11/25/2025

There was a phase about seven to ten years ago when I styled every single model that walked into my studio. I’d hunt down outfits, build these dramatic looks, and convince myself it made the whole session feel “editorial.”

And then one day, a girl looked at the outfit I’d pulled for her and said,
“I mean… I’d totally wear this when I’m married in my 30s.”

Ouch.
But she was right.

I realized I was putting my forty something taste on teenage girls who were deeply connected to their style, not mine. And the more I pushed my ideas, the more uncomfortable they looked in the photos.

I see this all the time in our industry now.
Huge, dramatic styled shoots meant to “build a portfolio,” filled with outfits no actual teenager would ever wear. If you’re trying to attract seniors, why dress them like a Pinterest mood board for adults? Sorry, not sorry.

So here’s the rule of thumb I use now.
I give them a palette, a vibe, and a few yes-and-no guidelines… and then I let them choose pieces that feel like them. The sessions are more natural, the photos feel elevated, and the confidence is real.

If you’re shooting teens, let them lead with their style.
The photos, and the clients, will be better for it.

Save this as a reminder before your next session

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Vancouver, WA

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+13602135612

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