5 Mistakes to avoid when planning your senior portrait session

Senior Portraits Session Tips in Elk Grove, CA.

Every senior wants their senior portraits session to be amazing.  No one wants there to be issues or mistakes or to walk away feeling deflated by not having the session they envisioned.  As a senior photographer serving Elk Grove, Ca., and the greater Sacramento area for over 15 years, I have a ton of knowledge when it comes to senior photography. I love sharing tips and tricks with seniors so I can help them, and their parents have stress free senior sessions and stunning senior portraits!

So, let’s dive into a few tips on some common session mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Not booking your session early:

Procrastinating is NOT ideal when discussing your senior portraits. Don't leave it until the last minute to schedule your senior pictures. Many photographers book up quickly, especially during peak seasons. Waiting too long may limit your options and leave you with fewer choices for dates and locations. You will also need plenty of time to select your outfits, to make other appointments with your hair stylist, nail artist, aesthetician, etc. to ensure that you look and feel your best on session day. Plus, senior year events tend to get busy between March and May, so you'll want to make sure you book early with your photographer to get on their schedule before they book up and your activities get too busy.  You will also want plenty of time after your session to select your images and have any prints and announcement done in time for graduation.

2. Not reviewing the session preparation materials:

One of the biggest mistakes I see seniors making is not reading through the session prep materials that they receive from their photographer.  They show up to their session and have forgotten something important like part of their outfit, or a prop they wanted to bring.  It may be that they didn’t get those nails done and have peeling polish on their nails, or they went with a faux tan too soon to their session and look too orange in their images, or maybe they dyed their hair the night before the session which is a big NO!

As an expert in senior portrait photography, I have helped countless seniors over the past 15 years, and I know all the tips and tricks to help you have the best session possible. That is why I provide my clients with a location guide to help them select a location for their session, a style guide to give them tips on selecting outfits and props, a session prep guide which lets them know what to do prior to the session and when, and what to bring to the session. The session prep guide includes a checklist, so they don’t forget anything.  All these session prep materials are given to ensure that you know what to expect from your session, you are ready and prepared and know what to bring so that your session day is easy and stress-free.  Take the time to read through all the resources your photographer provides, so you're fully prepared for your big day.

3. Arriving late to the session:

This is by far the most consequential mistake you can make for your senior portrait session. Photographers work around the timing of the sun, especially that golden hour lighting right before sunset.  As we all know, the sun will go down and the lighting goes away.  As a photographer I can't extend your session past sunset. When the lighting is gone, it is gone and nothing I can do will fix that.  Even 15 minutes of tardiness can affect your session to the point where you may need to pass on an outfit or do fewer poses due to time constraints. If we run out of sunlight, the session ends.  It is always important to err on the side of precaution and leave for your session early.  You never know if there will be traffic, an accident, or other incidences outside of your control.  It is better to be early for your session than worrying and stressing about getting there and being late. Being early will even give you a chance to just relax a beat before we get started so you feel more comfortable and at ease.

4. Lack of variety in wardrobe choices:

Variety is essential when it comes to your outfit choices. Avoid selecting all dresses, jeans, or shorts. Try to incorporate a variety of not only pieces but also styles like urban, organic, casual, and sophisticated.

Here are three useful tips to ensure that your session wardrobe has lots of variety:

• Avoid wearing the same type of clothing or vibe for every outfit during your senior session. It is recommended that you bring a range of pieces, such as denim pants for one outfit, a more formal type of dress for another, and perhaps a skirt or shorts for more variety. Make sure that the pieces you select range from casual to sophisticated and everything in between. Keep in mind that layers can really extend your outfit choices and offer additional images.

• Choose colors that complement your skin tone. Wearing the wrong colors can make you appear washed out and dull. To avoid this, select colors that are known to suit your seasonal shades, such as warm, cool, or neutral colors. If you have never figured out what your skin tone is I have a free guide, you can download that will help you figure out the best colors for your skin tone. 

• Vary the colors you wear throughout your session outfits. Although wearing a monochrome color scheme can look stylish, your senior session is an opportunity to showcase your personality with a variety of colors. Choose a beautiful range of colors that complement your skin tone for a diverse and interesting look. If you prefer to stick to one or two colors, consider varying the shades to add some variation.

 5. Only getting the digital images:

Technology not only changes rapidly, but with technology there are always risks of failure.  I recommend that you not only buy digitals, but at the very least print out your session images. Plus, there is something to be said for a tangible item that you can feel, touch, and see without it being on a screen. Getting printed products is the best way to ensure that you'll always have a way to view your images, especially if God forbid technology does fail. You don’t want to lose all your precious senior photos. Consider getting prints for frames, a beautiful coffee table book, an image box or a storyboard you showcase on the wall to enjoy for years to come.

In summary, avoid procrastinating by booking your session early, choose the right outfit, communicate with your photographer, pay attention to the details they outline in all the guides and materials they send you, arrive early to the session, consider more than just digitals, and most importantly, have fun during your senior portrait session.

Remember that your senior portraits are not only a rite of passage, but it is an exciting and memorable occasion to help highlight your senior year. It's an opportunity to capture memories that will last a lifetime.  Make sure you don’t make the mistakes outlined above, so that you walk away from your senior photos’ session feeling on top of the world and walking away with amazing images that will stand the test of time.

If you're considering booking a senior portrait session and would like some additional information, please reach out to me via my contact page.  I would love to send you my Senior Welcome Brochure, which includes comprehensive information on pricing, packages, booking, locations, and more.

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