10 Tips to Rock Your Senior Portraits!
1. Photographer
Pick a photographer whose work fits your vibe. It is particularly important to select a photographer who you know will give you the style of portraits that you are interested in and that will listen to your requests and work with you in giving you the best senior session you could ask for. Do not be afraid to ask the photographer a lot of questions before booking him or her. Make sure you are comfortable with them and you know exactly what you will get from your session and your package choice.
2. Time of Year
Picking a time of the year to do your senior portraits is just as important as deciding a location. If you love the fall colors or the spring colors decide on what time of year you want to do your portraits to incorporate those colors in your background.
3. Location Location Location
This can be one of the most important steps because you want the area you are doing your session to fit your style and what you envision for your senior portraits. Maybe you have seen other friends’ photos and like that location. Or maybe you are at a complete loss and do not know where to even look. Ask yourself some simple questions. Do you want a more country style? Do you like brick and walls and alleyways with unique nooks and crannies? Do you like wide open spaces or parks with plenty of trees and plants? If you are stuck ask your photographer for suggestions. He/She will work with you to help you select a location that will be special to you and your session.
4. Outfit Choices
As soon as you book your session start thinking of your outfit choices. Make sure your clothing will not blend in with your background. Are you going for a photo session in a nature setting? Try to limit greens and browns in your clothing. Looking for a blue-sky tropical backdrop? Don’t pick all blues for your outfit but make it pop with contrasting colors. Is your background a red brick wall or textured wall? Don’t wear red or pink. Try to limit prints and patterns as much as possible, the same goes for wording on your shirt. These elements can be quite distracting on the final picture. However, if there is a specific school spirit wear you want to incorporate that is fine. Try wearing layers for added texture and to switch things up during the session. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident! The goal is to capture you in your element and to showcase your personality. If you play sports, incorporate that into your session. To make the most of your session, have a variety in your 3 outfits. Add necklaces, scarves, hats, jewelry, sports gear, shoes and/or any other object that can personalize your session. Also stay true to your location choice to optimize your vision!
5. Communication
It is extremely important to communicate all your desires and wishes to your photographer before your session. Most photographers will send out questionnaires for their seniors to fill out. This helps them plan your session so make sure you fill everything in. Let them know if you have certain expectations for your portraits. Do you have features about yourself that you like or don’t like? Will you be bringing props to your session? Have you seen photos you want to try to recreate? Make sure you are communicating with your photographer through the whole process.
6. Props
Your senior photos should be a reflection of you as a person. It should be an overall look at you and who you are. Consider bringing props to your session. Do you play sports? Bring sports gear, a jersey or t-shirt or letterman’s jacket Are you in dance or gymnastics? Bring your shoes, ribbons, slippers, etc. Here is a list of some props you might consider bringing to incorporate into your session: sports items, extracurricular activity items, books, medals, awards, drama mask, school letters, family mementos, etc. Anything that represents who are think of using them in your portraits.
7. Prepare in Advance
Even before your session day start gathering up all the items you will be taking to your session. Put it all together in one location so you don’t forget anything. You don’t want to get to your session and realize you left behind a special prop you wanted to use or part of your outfit you were going to wear. Make yourself a checklist of all your outfits, jewelry, hair accessories, props, etc. Don’t forget to pack water. Walking around taking photos can make your thirsty and you want to stay hydrated during your session.
8. Lots of rest and eat well
You want to look your best at your session and for your portraits. This means you will want to get to bed early the night before and have a good sleep. Last thing you want is puffy eyes or your face to look drawn from lack of sleep. You also want to make sure you are drinking plenty of water. This makes your skin hydrated and plump and will help with looking your best for your images. Eat a good breakfast or lunch the day of your session. However, stay away from foods that might irritate your stomach or make you feel bloated. If you feel yucky at your session, then you will be miserable, and it will likely show in your images.
9. Keep it natural!
Something that can make your images seem off is when you don’t look like yourself. This is especially true of girls. You want to be true to who you are. Keep your hairstyle reflective of how you do it normally. If you come to your session in a prom style updo, that really isn’t going to showcase the everyday you. When it comes to makeup, natural and less Is better than overdone. You want your photos to be beautiful and classy and not like you are ready for a night out on the town. For guys I would say DON’T overdo the hair products. You don’t want your hair looking greasy or stuck to your head. Keep your do as your normally would and all will go well. Your senior photos are going to reflect you and your personality. You want people to see you, not an over done version of you. Keep it natural and you can’t go wrong.
10. Relax and enjoy!
Your photographer will more than likely touch base with you earlier in the day to finalize all plans for your session. Make sure you let him/her know if something has changed or maybe it’s something you are going to be bringing. Remember communicating with your photographer all expectations and concerns will keep your session and images geared to how you want them to be. A little tip to keep you relaxed and enjoying your session is to bring music. I encourage my clients to bring music and a Bluetooth speaker. Playing music during your session can help bring in a fun atmosphere and get you to relax and have a good time. This will reflect in your images so it’s worth the effort to do this extra step. If you are feeling awkward and nervous you can also think of bringing a friend to your session. Maybe that friend can help gets you to laugh and smile. Anything to help you feel relaxed and calm. Prepare to get to your session a little before your session time. That way you aren’t rushing, and you can come more relaxed and not hurried. Lastly, enjoy the process. Your photographer will guide you through the session and coach you during each step. Laugh, and giggle and enjoy a joke or two with your photographer.
Enjoy this moment. This is all for you. Senior portraits are a fun way to wrap up your senior year and to show others who you were at this time in your life. Follow these tips and you will rock your senior portrait session.
