Graduation is right around the corner – Congratulations! It’s time to document this monumental time with a Senior portrait session!

Whether you’re a High School Senior or a College Grad, a Senior Portraits session is so much more than the cheesy yearbook photo on picture day or you in your graduation cap and gown. Your Senior Portraits should capture YOU — your personality, style, and time of your life to look back on and remember.

This blog post will help you find a Senior Portraits photographer, know what to watch out for, understand the key must-have photos, and help you best prepare for a Senior Portraits session so you walk away from a fun experience with the photos you need!

Top 5 Must-Have Graduation Photos for High School Seniors

Parents, this can be an emotional time for you, but you’ll want to make sure that you document this exciting time with photos to look back on. To help you make sure you don’t miss a moment or key photos, check out my other blog post: Top 5 Must-Have Graduation Photos for High School Seniors.

How to Find a Senior Portraits Photographer Near Me

You’ve probably gotten the notice from your high school that Senior yearbook photos will be due to the school soon. So, now it’s time to start looking for a reputable senior photographer.

Here are some quick tips for how to find a Senior Portraits photographer near me:

Do your research. Ask around. Talk to other seniors, parents, and alumni about their experiences with Senior Portraits photographers. They should be able to give you some referrals of photographers they used and had a great experience with. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they liked and what they didn’t so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Your school may also have a list of Senior Portraits photographers to help get you started.

If you have a Senior who hates having their picture taken, check out my other blog post: Read This if You Hate Getting Your Picture Taken.
Don’t let the price alone dictate your decision. Professional photos aren’t cheap. But here’s the thing. If you go with the cheapest photographer or just have your friend take them, are you sure you’ll get the quality images you want? More than likely… no. As a photographer, I can’t tell you how many times I hear that people weren’t happy when they hired an “affordable photographer” or their friend who said they could take them. Unfortunately, the photos never turn out well, you’re left unhappy, and sometimes, you never actually get the photos back — just a sad truth I see happen too often. You’re only going to do Senior Portraits once, so hiring a professional will definitely be worth the investment so you’ll have great photos to cherish for a lifetime and an experience you’ll have fun with.
Look for the style you want. Look through the photographer’s website, socials, and portfolio’s to get a sense of what you can expect for Senior Portraits. Do you like true colors, light and airy, or a more moody, dramatic feel to the photos style? Are you wanting to do in-studio, outdoor, or something completely different and unique? Search for photographers who fit the style you’re looking for.
Ask for their package options. This is very important to understand because many Senior Portraits photographers set up their packages very differently, so you want to make sure items that are important to you are included in the package you choose. What’s important for you to walk away with. Digital images? Prints? Wallets for graduation announcements? Canvases? Oil portraits? Retouching? A combination of all of the above? Keep in mind, this is where Senior Portraits pricing fluctuates the most! (Professional Tip: Be cautious of photographers advertising low session fees. Most of the time, in the fine print, you’ll end up being charged A La Carte or for additional picture packages, and sometimes they charge per image — this can add up really fast! So, a $200 sitting fee can quickly add up to a $2,500 package.)
Communication is key: When you have a few of your top choices for Senior Portraits photographers, reach out to them directly and ask for more details in booking with them. You want to make sure they are responsive and won’t leave you hanging. This will also give you an opportunity to ask any questions, clarify packages and pricing, and also get a feel for the photographer’s personality — are they someone you want to work with. (Professional Tip: Senior Portraits are a special time to capture and a photography session that should be a lot of fun so you want the whole experience of the photoshoot to be great! Make sure the Senior Portraits photographer communicates with you as someone they are excited to work with and design a session around YOU, instead of just another shoot — a number on their books. This way you get the most and best experience out of your session.)

If you like my Senior Portraits photography style, then you can book your Senior Portraits session here! I work with each of my clients to fully design their Senior Portraits session uniquely to fit them. Plus, all final digital images are always included in the package for a flat fee. Great experience, simple, straightforward pricing.

How to Prepare for Your Senior Portraits Session

Your Senior Portraits photoshoot is booked! Now what?

Here are some of my best tips to help you best prepare for your Senior Portraits session.

Tips for Preparing for Your Senior Portraits Session

Choose A Location That Fits You

The location for your Senior Portraits is your choice — indoor, in-studio, outdoor, etc. Do you have a favorite place in mind? What type of setting would you like? I always have a list of places I can recommend, but if there is a place that is special to you, your Senior Portraits will be even more special.

Book Your Date & Time

Typically, Senior Portraits aren’t something you think about until you get the notice from your high school that yearbook photos will be due to the school soon. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your session — many photographers will book up or charge extra for fast turnaround times. Ideally, you want to give yourself a little bit of time to prepare for your Senior Portraits session, but also make sure it’s not too close to the date your yearbook photos are due to the school. Also, if parent’s or family is planning to do a Senior page or other things for your yearbook, the due date for those might be sooner. Pay attention to these dates and book your date and time accordingly.

The Week Before Your Senior Portraits Session

Prep Your Wardrobe

You’ve probably selected a few outfits or gone shopping to prepare for your Senior Portraits session. For my clients, I usually recommend a few outfit options, including: one more formal outfit; one more casual, everyday type outfit; a letter jacket, uniform, etc. if you have one that you’d like in photos; your cap and gown if you want; and one outfit that’s more fun or fits your style/personality. Do you play sports or are in an activity? What are your hobbies? Do you have any favorite jackets or clothing that are special to you? I always tell my clients to bring some ideas and I’m happy to help them choose during the session.

The best thing you can do the week before your Senior Portraits session is to make sure that everything you need is cleaned, pressed or steamed, and packed into a garment bag so it’s ready for your shoot. This gives you time for a last-minute run to the dry cleaners or to make time to steam your outfits that may need it. This will also help you feel confident during your photoshoot knowing that your wardrobe is pristine and ready to go.

Planning Your Hair & Makeup

You probably know how you like to wear your hair — so do that so your photos look like you. If you have long hair, usually having your hair down will be better than pulled back, but you can always wear it down to start your session, and pull it up later for different options and looks. Hairspray can be helpful, but don’t over do it (same with hair gel). It can be a great idea to bring a travel size one with you and a brush or comb just in case, especially as you change outfits.

For any makeup, again, you probably know how you like your make-up. I actually do recommend that you may apply a little more makeup than you normally would specifically for taking photos. You lose makeup in the lens, so wearing a little extra makeup is actually good and will help you look your best for your photos.

Tanning

In general, I personally don’t recommend getting a tan or tanning lotion before a photoshoot. I have seen these go bad (trying to tone down an orange tint is never good). High-quality, professional spray tans can turn out better, but unless you’ve done it before, ideally with the same technician, I don’t recommend trying it out for the first time right before your shoot. There’s only so much editing any photographer can do. Also, try to stay out of direct sunlight and don’t forget your sunscreen to avoid those pesky tan lines.

Confirm with Your Senior Portraits Photographer

Your photographer should confirm with you leading up to the Senior Portraits session date. Make sure you confirm for yourself the date, time, and location with your photographer so you are ready to go.

The Day Before Your Senior Portraits Session

Drink Lots of Water

Drink lots of water the day before your Senior Portraits session. This will help keep you healthy for the photoshoot day, while also helping give you glowing skin to look and feel the best for your photos. Don't forget to pack a water bottle so you can stay hydrated during your shoot too.

Pack Up The Car

To avoid rushing around in the morning and possibly forgetting something, pack up your car with everything you need for your Senior Portraits session the night before. Pack your outfits in your garment bag. Plus, toss in a few extra just-in-case of emergency items – extra hairspray, lipstick/chapstick, makeup for touch ups, safety pins, etc. Travel sized toiletries can be great. Don’t forget your water bottle and a snack or two too!

Get Good Sleep

Ideally, plan to go to bed a little bit early. You don’t want to wake up tired or look unrested. Aim to get a good night’s sleep and wake up early so you have plenty of time and don’t feel rushed.

The Morning Of Your Senior Portraits Session

Be Early

Wake up early to give yourself extra time and not feel rushed or stressed. Then, get to your Senior Portraits photography session early. The better you can feel during your session, the better your photos will turn out and the happier you will be with them.

Just Be YOU

This is the best piece of advice I could give you. Having your Senior Portraits taken is meant to be a fun and an amazing experience — it shouldn’t be something you stress over. This should be a reflection of the person you are today and who you aspire to be in the future. So, just have fun and be yourself!

Relax & Enjoy

At this point, you’ve discussed everything with your photographer and planned your details for your Senior Portraits session. Now, relax and have fun during your shoot! I always check your make-up, help you adjust hair, and will look for the best angle and pose to get it just right. I get picky with hair because that’s the one thing you can’t photoshop later — it just never looks right. (You’ll thank me for that later!) Trust your photographer to do what they do best.