Are you a senior who’s thinking about your senior pictures for Spring or Summer but aren’t sure how to get ready for them? Don’t wait to start brainstorming ideas and planning for an amazing experience! This might be the only downtime you have before the craziness of Spring season begins, so take advantage. This way, you can begin the prep phase and tweak it little by little as you need to. A lot is going to come at you before graduation- you want to make sure you carve out time to commemorate it properly!
Here’s 4 things you can do right now to get ready for senior pictures before you book a session to be sure you look your best and your photos turn out just the way you envision!
1. Start Gathering Inspiration
The perfect senior photos start with great planning. If you don’t know what you want yours to look like, start searching Pinterest and see what types of images you are drawn to. You can discover a lot about your style that you may not have even thought of! You may discover you like Spring flowers better or that Fall is your vibe so you need to plan your schedule accordingly and start looking for a photographer that suits your style. This is also a good time to start thinking about outfit ideas and makeup looks as these will help in the planning process after you book a session. You can get started by exploring my Pinterest boards
2. Experiment with Hairstyles
If you know you have some time before your session, now is a great time to try out different hairstyles. I wouldn’t suggest a drastic cut or bangs, but maybe you want to see how your hair looks using a different part, or maybe you’ve been wanting to try some layers. Experiment with styles by following tutorials on YouTube. Maybe you want to try and perfect an updo to change up your look during your session or try out new hair products to see what gives you the style you’re looking for. This is a great time to play around with looks, styling tools, and products.
3. Look for Senior Photographers in your Area
Looking for photographers early ensures you a spot on their calendar, especially if you want a Spring session. Many book up months in advance and only take a certain amount of clients per month or season. Start researching on Google or see who friends have used. Check out their website and see if their style and process is in line with your expectations. See if they offer free consultation calls to discuss details and make sure they are the right fit for you. If you want finished products, make sure they offer what you are looking for. It can be difficult to try and print professional looking photos on your own. See the experience I provide for my seniors
4. Take Care of Your Skin
If you don’t have one already, develop a skincare routine to control breakouts and help keep your skin glowing and healthy. At the very least, make sure you are washing your face everyday and exfoliating once a week. Try a mask with charcoal and see what works best for your skin. Stick to this routine and don’t try any new products in the weeks leading up to your session. If you have acne or troublesome skin, book an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss products to try and allow time to see if they work. Never start a new medicine or treatment right before your session.
The earlier you start planning for and nailing down the details of your session, the better the final result, which, next to the fun of the actual shoot, is the best part! You should fall in love with your images, not just have a few decent shots to commemorate senior year.
A great place to begin is by downloading my FREE PREP GUIDE to help you start visualizing your session and things you should be doing now to get ready for perfect portraits.
You can also check out a list of my favorite senior portrait planning posts here.
