As a professional senior portrait photographer, it is my job to make sure your session goes as smoothly as possible by educating you on the best ways to prepare for your big day.
There are, however, a few things you can do (or avoid) to ensure that your senior photos reflect who you are and bring out your very best.
These are the most common mistakes made when senior picture planning-
1. Not injecting your personality
One of the things I am passionate about is making sure my sessions reflect a senior’s style and personality, but it can be difficult to do that if you aren’t putting forward who you really are. If you aren’t into the trends, ditch ’em! Who says you have to do something just because everyone else is? I say, do what YOU want. I love adding a little of the unexpected. If you have a unique style, don’t hide it! I also encourage moms to allow their child to collaborate with them and not completely take over every detail. Compromise on outfits or allow mom to choose one. Remember mom, you want to capture them as they are right now and senior, remember that this is what mom will have to commemorate this year.
2. Not preparing
I mention this A LOT when talking about sessions but it’s so so so important. Those beautiful dream sessions you see don’t just happen by magic- they are designed that way and can’t come to life without a bit of prep. This means everything from what you want to wear, to accessories, to makeup and location are all thought out before the first camera click. It’s also important to take care of your skin so that your makeup goes on flawlessly. And don’t worry about knowing everything you need to do- I supply all the details and checklists with my welcome packet and prep app so all you have to do is cross them off.
3. Trying out a new haircut
This one should go without saying. While I am all about trying out a new look, the week of your senior photos is not the time to do it. Same goes for color- I highly discourage a major hair change right before your session. For one, you may end up hating it and now that’s what you have to represent yourself and two, it most likely will be a temporary change and not truly reflect your style. No one wants to look back at their senior photos and see a person they don’t recognize two years from now.
4. Not hiring a professional
It’s no secret that taking good photos is becoming easier and easier with the technology that continues to evolve and it gives many people a false sense of being able to create what professionals do. What they can’t recreate is the years of expertise and knowledge a pro photographer has when it comes to lighting and posing. Knowing that a location might be beautiful but the lighting is terrible is what separates phone photographers from portrait photographers. Pros can also provide you with the resources to create the look you envision (i.e. everything you just read above) not to mention provide beautiful ways to display the photographs you put so much work into planning. It’s not just about the session, but about the ability to create an entire experience that can be relived over and over long after senior year ends. See how I do my senior photo experience
You deserve to have this experience and these memories. You’ve worked hard to get here and I want to do everything I can to give you this moment! With a little bit of planning, we can create the photos you dream of!
If you’re in the planning stages of your senior portrait session, check out a few of my favorite posts to help you out
If you’re ready to start collaborating with me and get this party started, let’s go!
