Check out these helpful tips on what to expect for a high school senior session.
(We even have a bonus tip!)
High school seniors (and families) can be unsure of how a senior photo session “works.” It’s mostly the not knowing what to wear and what to expect. Our expectations for a senior photo shoot is a relaxed, enjoyable session with everyone excited about seizing their moment.
We wanted to create a blog that sorts out the confusion. Senior sessions are quite honestly the most fun photo shoots for us because of their excitement for a new adventure and the adult freedom that feels so close.
These 5 tips will give you (the senior & families) a better understanding of a Peaceful Pastures Photography high school senior photo session.
Tip #1 Timing is Key The phrase “better late than never” doesn’t apply to high school senior photo sessions. Because of strict deadlines for yearbook photos, graduation parties, and order processing, it’s SO important to get Senior pictures done “sooner rather than later.”
A good time to book your senior session is during the summer/early fall of your senior year. Many high schools have an early deadline for yearbook photos and missing that deadline would mean high school memories are lost. You would be a blank space next to your friends in a laminated yearbook you would otherwise pass down to your grandchildren. Don’t let that happen!
You also have to consider photos for graduation cards, thank you cards, and graduation party invites. If your parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles would like physical copies of your photographs, that’s important to get taken care of early as well! The last thing you want to do (or your parents want to do) is scramble around getting everything in place while you’re working on college prep or planning your last summer vacation as a high school senior.
Tip #2 What To Wear
This is the BIGGEST concern we hear from our high school seniors. What you wear is not as important as how you feel wearing it. We like to tell our seniors (and all clients) you should wear something you know you’ll feel confident in. It may show off your features, like your sparkling eyes or your tan arms or long legs. Or it’s your favorite color blue. Whatever the reason, wear something you love.
Dress as if you’re out for a nice dinner or school function. For girls, we suggest either a dress, a flowy skirt, or your favorite pair of blue jeans. For guys, we think button-ups look nice or single-colored T-shirts with a pair of nice pants/jeans. We suggest a maximum of 3 outfit changes for diversity because any more than this and you spend more time changing clothes than taking photos!
Colors are what you make it. Neutral earth tones like brown, white, dark green, blue, or gray always look great. Busy patterns could take away from the scenery in your photographs, which brings us to the next tip. (For suggestions on clothing ideas visit our Pinterest page https://www.pinterest.com/peacefulpasturesctx/)
Tip #3 Choosing Your Location You are the luckiest high school senior in America. Know why? Because you live in such a beautiful area! The location for senior photos is limitless and incomparable to any place in the US. You can choose to have your senior photo session anywhere you’d like (within reason!). If you can’t think of any location, we provide beautiful options like wooded areas, fields of flowers, fun alleyways, etc.
The location also provides character to your photos. Where do you feel comfortable? How do you want to represent yourself against whatever backdrop you choose? Are you more interested in urban downtown? Does nature fit more with your personality? Choosing a location is more than just a pretty back screen. It’s a place where you feel at home.
If you’re still unsure about the location, send us an email and we’ll gladly show you some great spots!
Tip #4 Your Design Consultation After your shoot, you’re probably thinking….okay now what? Now is the important part: your Design Consultation.
Your Design Consultation is YOUR experience. We sit down in your home or other location while you view your personalized photos. This is where we design your photographs into actual physical products. Letting your photographs sit as “images” in an unopened file folder on your desktop is not worth the amount of time and funds you’ve invested in taking your photographs. Getting your photographs onto your walls, into the hands of your family, and on display for the world to see is what’s most important Your design consultation involves touching, feeling, and experiencing your photographs in albums, frames, crystal blocks, and so much more. Images remain digital, photographs last a lifetime.
Tip #5 Make-up, unexpected skin problems, and a few other tips Ladies, you do not need to go overboard on makeup! It's absolutely up to you if you want your makeup done professionally (we can suggest great people) or do your own. The key is to still look like yourself, just polished. Guys, if you are prone to razor burn when shaving, take into consideration giving your skin time to adjust before your session. Another tip we love, is the night ahead of your scheduled shoot, get a decent night's sleep, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and for your skin to look its best.
Bonus Tip: Preparing for your Next Adventure Your photos are done, your graduation cards are sent out, and your products are ordered. You’ve finished your senior pictures and now you have all these great photographs in your home, on your mantle, and in albums to share with your family and friends.
As a guiding tip for graduating seniors, we can take a few headshot photographs during your session that you can use for starting your career path. This headshot could go on your social media, website, resume, portfolio, or any other professional avenue you wish to use when starting your journey into your career, whether academic or professional.
Now you can focus on the bigger things, like getting ready for your next adventure!