The new school year is in full swing and as I am learning how to be the mom to a middle schooler ( I really wasn’t prepared for how drastic and emotional this change would be) my heart goes out to all of the moms of students starting their Senior year. I can’t even imagine all of the emotions you are going through. My schedule is filling up with Senior Sessions and it got me thinking how overwhelming it must be to start planning all of these “Senior” festivities. While I can’t help plan the perfect senior prom, give tips on ordering caps and gowns, or ideas for planning the perfect graduation party…I CAN absolutely help make sure your Senior Photo Session will result in wonderful images that will remind you of this final year of high school for years to come and also fulfill all of your immediate needs.
Choosing a photographer~
1) Use social media to look up local senior photographers in your area. Not all photographers specialize in High School Seniors so make sure they list Seniors as one of their session types and that they have examples of Seniors in their portfolio.
2) Look at each photographer’s style. If they don’t appear to have a consistent style (every image looks like it could have been taken by a different photographer) it most likely means that they are a fairly new photographer and still trying to find it. This is fine, but can make it difficult to anticipate what YOUR finished photos will look like and it could also be an indicator that they struggle to produce consistent images in different lighting, locations and weather conditions. Also look closely at their images. Are they all in focus? Are the people normal people colors or do they have strange tints because of filters and heavy editing? Are they so bright that you loose the details of the images? These can be warning signs that the quality of the images that you receive may not be what you are hoping for. Remember they most likely put their very best images on their website so they should be amazing!
3) Think about what you want to do with these photos after the session. Will you want some prints to put in frames? Wallets to hand out to friends (these will come in handy at graduation parties), all of the digital images with printing rights so you can print whatever you like whenever you like and as often as you like? Once you determine what is important to you, look at each photographers options to make sure they offer what will best fit your needs and budget.
What to Wear~
There is a lot to consider when choosing outfits for your Senior Session. The only rule I suggest following is to choose things that makes you feel confident, and amazing. Try everything you are considering wearing on before your session and maybe even practice a few poses in a mirror to see how moveable and photogenic your clothes are. A lot of clients like a mix of casual and dressy and then throw in a few sentimental things like a prom dress, letter jacket, sports or band uniform, etc. If you already have a location you would like to use picked out, think about what colors and styles will work best with the location but still stand out. For example if you want your session to take place in the woods or a grassy field, it’s probably best to stay away from a lot of greens. If you know you want to use a brick wall or bright doorway, choose colors that compliment the background colors but POP against them. Also check to see how long of sessions your photographer offers and how many outfits they can accomodate. I personally offer an hour session for just a couple of changes and 1 location or a 3 hour session which allows time for many more outfits and usually a couple different locations. Which brings us to the next thing to consider…
Location~
There are a lot of location choices. I am an especially lucky photographer in this area because I am located equally close to a large(ish) downtown and the country. Think about whether you want an urban look or would rather have mother nature in your background. If you play sports do you want some images at the football field, etc. where you play? Maybe there is a location that is meaningful to you that you want to incorporate. Your photographer should be able to help you in this area and have many locations in mind to help you achieve the look you desire.
What to bring~
This is by far my favorite part of Senior sessions. By all means, if you have a passion, talent, or hobby that you love…bring something to represent that! Senior sessions are usually the first time that these kiddos have posed for photos all by themselves like this (not counting selfies) and it can be awkward and uncomfortable at first but when clients pull out props, outfits, or instruments that really define who they are and get to show something that they are proud of, something magical happens. They seem to relax instantly because they are in their element. Everything suddenly becomes familiar instead of awkward. They know how to stand while holding that golf club or musical instrument. They don’t have to worry about what to do with their hands when holding a football or favorite book. Plus these photos are great for capturing who the Seniors are at this stage of their life and what they love. And if you have a horse…always bring the horse.
