Seniors – just a few more months now and you’ll be free!
Well, almost. You still have finals to prep for, and for some, the dreaded senior photoshoot to grit their teeth and power through.
This might come as a shock but if you’re one of the folks who are not too fond of the idea of spending an hour or so in front of the camera, know that you’re not alone.
The majority of people your age have not gone through anything like this at all ever, so the little anxiety you may feel is perfectly normal.
That said, senior portraits mark a very special milestone in your life, so here’s a few tips that can help you make the most of your senior photoshoot and come out of the session with amazing photos.
Get Senior Photo Ideas from Instagram and Pinterest
It’s always a good idea to scour through Instagram and Pinterest if you’re looking for inspiration for your upcoming senior photo session.
Run a quick search for “senior photo” on Instagram and take note of the poses you’d want to try out. Also, try creating a board on Pinterest and pin everything that catches your attention. From here, you can put together a little “look book” for your senior photo session and make the decision process a little less intimidating.
Find the Right Senior Portrait Photographer
Alright, now you have an aesthetic that you like, now you want to find a photographer that fits that style. Do you like a light and airy looks, or perhaps more moody? Maybe a photographer more familiar with beach photos?
I’ve already went over many tips on how to hire the right photographer, so I’d start there. Overall, finding someone who shoots a lot of senior photos helps, but at the end of the day you want a photographer that you can vibe with, who’ll make you comfortable and is experienced with posing people. Once you’ve found a few, cull for the photogs that fit your price point and then vet their reviews.
Wear Something You’re Excited About
Look, doing a little research on Instagram and Pinterest is well and good, especially if you’re anxious about your upcoming photo session. That said, don’t get caught up with the hype and pressure of what you’ll find on social media.
These platforms are great places to get inspiration from, but at the end of the day, it’s YOUR session and you should wear an outfit that is a.) comfortable and b.) completely represents your style and personality.
Talk to your chosen photographer, he/she should be able to offer up some recommendations on what to wear based on the location. Another outfit idea…
Combine your graduation and senior photos shoot!
Back in my high school days, the deadline for senior photos was something like November… nowadays most are much later… so late in fact that you might already have your cap and gown! Maybe that’s just how things are here in Hawaii? 🤷🏽♂️
Anyway, you can knock out two birds with one stone by doing grad photos and senior photos in the same shoot.
Put a Personal Spin on your Senior Photos
In the same vein as the previous point, you should consider putting a more unique, personal touch on your senior portrait session.
You can do this by bringing a prop to the shoot that means something to you. Proud to represent the chess team? Get a few shots of you holding the board. Maybe you can pick the auditorium as one of your locations if you’re a theater kid and you want everybody to know it.
There are a lot of ways you can inject more of “you” in your photos, you only need to take a step back and take an inventory of who you are and what you really like to express about yourself.
Practice Posing
Not a lot of people are natural-born models, so don’t stress about the awkwardness of posing in front of the lens. What you can do to take away a bit of that anxiety is to start practicing your poses in front of the mirror!
Start small. Pick out pictures you like on Instagram or Pinterest and try to get the basic poses down. Look at their hand placement and facial expressions – note how some can “smile with their eyes.” Do these enough times and you’ll see a major boost in your confidence.
Don’t Sweat the Blemishes
Another major point of insecurity and anxiety for a lot of people your age is their skin problems. But you’re forgetting that your images will go through another process after the session’s done — post-production.
This is where your photographer will edit your images to fit their standards and style and yes, touch up little blemishes and pimples that may make a surprise debut on this very special day. So if you wake up to a couple or more pimples the day of your shoot, don’t sweat it!
Prepare at least TWO Outfits for Your Senior Photos
You’re going to need more than one outfit going into your session. Switching things up in the wardrobe department ensures that you’ll have variety in your images. Going for a third outfit is a great idea, too!
- Formal Outfit – Can’t go wrong with a dressy get up. Guys will do just fine with a button up shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. Ladies – straight dresses and heels is always a classic look!
- Casual Outfit – Anything goes with a casual fit, really. If you’re out of ideas, you can always go with denim jackets and darker pants for a timeless look.
You’re Welcome to Bring a Friend!
I know it may be embarrassing for some folks to get somebody to tag along as your one-person support system during the shoot, but it makes a lot of difference!
Your photographer will do their best to ease you into the session and help you deal with your camera shyness as best as their can, but having a friend with you there to assist with make up or outfit changes takes a major load off your shoulders.
Prioritize Self-Care Weeks Before the Shooting Date
No amount of post-processing can bring up a certain glow in your skin like good sleep and proper hydration. So try your best to get that magical 8 hours of sleep a week before the shoot and keep an eye on your water intake.
Go Easy on the Jewelry
A ring or a bracelet here and there never hurt anybody. But remember, it’s your facial features and personality that are the main focus of a senior photo. Heavy accessorization can take away the focus from you and into your jewelry.
Another thing to consider is that some pieces of jewelry can make a photograph look dated very quickly as trends change. Keeping things simple and classy with accessories is always a good rule of thumb when it comes to senior photos.
Communication is Key
Remember, photographers are friendly, but they’re not telepaths.
So speak your mind! If a pose just doesn’t feel right or you’d rather find a different location, you should communicate this with your photographer. This is how you come up with better images anyway and I promise you, no professional will be offended by any input you can give us.
Don’t Take it too Seriously!
Look, the whole point of a senior portrait is to celebrate this huge milestone of you graduating high school and moving on to the next chapter of your life. No one’s ever going to submit your photos to next month’s issue of Teen Vogue or any major publication.
People deal with anxieties and insecurities differently, and I know this is now cliché at this point, but try to at least have fun with the session! Participate in the process. Slowly open up to your photographer and share your ideas. Don’t worry about getting anything “just perfect” and instead focus on having a good time in the session. You’ll find that you’ll get better images that way.
Wrapping Up
Congratulations are in order. Senior photos signify a huge turning of the leaf into adulthood. I hope these tips will help you make your session a memorable one and leave you with very special photos you can fondly look back on down the road.
Photographers, want a few more ideas? Here are 10 Portrait Photography Tips I wish I knew when I started…
And perhaps you want a different perspective, checkout the newest lenses from Canon, Sony, L-Mount and Micro Four Thirds cameras.