Senior Portrait Prep Guide

When and Where

Your senior portrait session can be inside or outside or a combination of both; it will depend on the time of day, the weather and what you want to capture. Indoor sessions can take place at any time of day. For outdoor sessions, we’ll be aiming for either morning or late afternoon/early evening. Taking pictures close to sunrise or sunset means we get to work with soft, gorgeous light. If your session takes place where there is plenty of shade from trees or buildings, we have more flexibility with the session time. Senior sessions can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as two hours.

If you have a location in mind, let us know! We have our favorite spots that we can recommend based on the time and weather, but we’re always willing to check out a new setting, especially if it carries some significance for you.

What to Wear

First and foremost, choose outfits that make you feel good and comfortable! That feeling of confidence will show through in your photos. Dress appropriately for the weather; it’s hard to give authentic smiles if you are feeling way too hot or too cold.

Don’t be afraid of vibrant colors, textures and patterns like florals and plaid. Do avoid pinstripes and logos (the exception being significant logos such as sports and/or school spirit wear). Remember to include shoes when you’re considering the overall look and coordination of your outfits; your feet will definitely be in some of the photos.

Most of the time, seniors change outfits during their session for some variety. We recommend no more than 2-3 changes per hour so we can be efficient with the time we have together. For additional outfits you might like to bring, keep the location in mind. If we’re at a park with no restroom handy, switching from one sweater to another and changing up your accessories will be much easier than an entire outfit change. Dressing in layers will help.

Finer Details

For makeup-wearing seniors, our recommendation is that you have your hair and makeup done professionally. If you’d like to have your hair and makeup done at a salon but aren’t sure where to start, we are more than happy to make suggestions! If you’re doing your own makeup, we do recommend paying the most attention to your eye makeup; we really focus on eyes in portraits, so check to make sure your eyeliner and mascara look the way you want them to (separate your lashes, try to avoid harsh low-lid lines with your eyeliner).

Chapstick or lip gloss is a great idea to keep your lips from looking dry or cracked during the session. Consider bringing along a comb and mirror if you need to do some quick fixes to hair in the middle of the session. If you’re planning on a haircut, do so about a week before the session.

If you wear glasses, you’ll probably find us spending extra time getting your pose just right to try to reduce glare and shadows from the lenses. Some people like to wear contact lenses or take their glasses off for the session; however, don’t feel the need to go without glasses if that means you won’t look like yourself. If you happen to visit your eye doctor before your session, check and see if you could borrow a spare pair of frames without lenses; you can still look like you but eliminate the glare and shadows.

Another note on shoes: consider your comfort level for walking around in whatever pairs you pack. If your gorgeous stilettos need to make an appearance but they’re less than comfortable for walking, bring some flats to wear while we walk from one spot to another.

The Day of Your Session

Once again considering our agreed upon location, be sure to use the restroom right before your session. There might not be one easily accessible.

Props aren’t required but are always welcome. This could be anything — your own bench or chair, balloons, sporting equipment, flowers, instruments, a pet or anything else you would like to include to represent you and what you’re passionate about.

Relax! Posing in front of a camera can feel awkward, but our goal is to make it easy and fun. We’ll tell you how and where to stand and if you need to make any adjustments to your posture. Feel free to bring along friends or family members! You can add a friend in for a few poses if you’d like, or just have them say silly things from behind the photographer to bring out those genuine smiles.