Preparing for Your High School Senior Session – Senior Photography
So you’re thinking about a senior session? You’ve come to the right place! This post is all about why you should have a senior session and how to prepare to make your session perfect!
Having a high school senior session is a great opportunity to capture this exact time in your life. It will help to document not only what you looked like, but the interests you had, the style you conveyed, and the personality that you possessed! 
The first decision you will have to make is WHO will you trust to take these photos? This is a very important decision and you do have a lot of options. It is important to know the style of the photographer you are considering. Look through their website, blog, and instagram. Make sure you see clarity (especially in the eyes) and variety. Do you feel like the personality of the senior is coming through in the photographs? Do you see variety or are the images the same style over and over? Reach out to the photographer you are considering and ask some questions to get a feel for whether or not you would be comfortable with this person. Will the photographer put you at ease so your personality can come through in the photos? Try to get some testimonials or talk to other seniors the photographer has photographed.
Once you have decided on your photographer, your next job is to plan your session! If you’ve chosen a photographer with experience, that person should give you advice about outfits, locations, and props. Pinterest also has lots of great ideas. You can check out my pinterest page here: Pinterest
Most photographers will tell you to plan 2-3 outfit changes. These are really about you and your personality. I always suggest one that is a little more dressy (this can be a dress, slacks, or anything you would wear if you were dressing up!), and one or two casual outfits that show off your personality. I do love when one of the outfit choices are jeans so we can pose the senior seated on the ground, stairs, or other areas that might be more awkward with a skirt or nice pants. If the senior is involved in sports it is great to bring along a uniform (or at the very least a jersey) for a few photographs.
Outfit choices for seniors are a great way to show off the time period, the styles, and really who you are as a person at this moment. While a parent may want a particular shirt or dress for some photos, I do encourage the senior to have control over some of the outfits. It is so much better when the senior I am photographing is comfortable and happy in what they are wearing. It really does come through in the photos! Accessories are also great to change up. Jewelry, scarves, hats, shoes, etc… bring it on!
One of the only types of sessions that has the opportunity for fun props is senior sessions. I have seen some seniors bring cool things for their session and photographing them with these props has turned out really great. An easy example would be sports equipment like baseball gloves (don’t forget the baseball!), softball gloves, bats, soccer balls, track medals, running shoes, basketballs, etc. Not into sports? Think outside of the box! I have also photographed seniors with their favorite books, instruments they play, cameras, phone! There are so many different things a senior can bring along! If you aren’t sure about something bring it along and talk to your photographer about if it can be incorporated into your session. You may be surprised!
So let’s recap!
-Choose a photographer that fits your style and personality. Be sure to look for variety and quality in their work before you sign up!
-Plan 2-3 outfits that show off your personality. Change it up with accessories too! Try to plan one that is a little dressier and 2 that are more casual (jeans!)
-Think about props! Bring in sports, instruments, books, etc… Show off what you like to do!
The bottom line is that a senior session should be a fun, relaxed, and enjoyable experience. Seniors should walk away from this type of session with photographs that really captured their personalities and will remind them and their family of what they were like at this time in their lives.
