The Official Guide for Perfect Senior Portraits

by Mike Moreland

1. Plan for Your Senior Portraits

One of the biggest mistakes high school seniors often make when getting their senior portraits done is that they haven’t done any planning on what kind of pictures they’d like to have of themselves.

There are several questions to ask before scheduling your photoshoot:

1. Is this your first photoshoot?
2. Do you want to be indoors or outdoors? (Studio vs. nature/city)
3. Did you want pictures in one place or multiple locations?
4. Will family members or any animals be included?
5. Are you thinking about purchasing prints afterwards?
6. What do you want these pictures to say about you?

Being able to answer these questions will allow you to plan a successful senior portrait photoshoot that will produce pictures that you and your family will love for the years to come. However, the most important thing to do after answering these questions is to discuss your ideas with your photographer.

The more your photographer knows about you, the more they can match their style to your vision for your senior portraits!

2. Bring Multiple Outfits

We all have that one outfit we love to death, but unfortunately, seeing the same clothing in every picture taken during your photoshoot will make your photos look boring and monotonous. This is why it’s incredibly important to prepare several outfits in advance for your shoot!

Your outfits should fit well with the environment you’ll be shooting in. A ski suit would look out of place on the beach, and a lumberjack would certainly seem out of place in an office environment. Make sure to build outfits that will correspond to the surroundings of your location. This will make the photos look better and add depth to your senior portraits.

Also, don’t forget to have fun with your outfit choices! Show the world what makes you unique.

3. Glam it Up

It’s always a good idea to set an appointment with a professional hairdresser and/or makeup stylist for your senior portraits. These professionals’ expertise can be incredibly useful for enhancing the depth and character of your senior portraits. If you’d like to have a friend do it yourself or have a friend help you, that works as well! It’s never a bad idea to glam it up.

For guys, it’s always a good idea to get a quick trim before your shoot to have your hair looking nice and proper, whether it’s long or short. Also, make sure to visit a legitimate barber. Great Clips just doesn’t cut it.

4. Strike a Pose

Posing can be uncomfortable, especially if you’ve never had pictures taken of you before, but believe me, poses add depth and character to your image that will enhance your personality and create a fantastic image.

Often times, your photographer will be the one to direct your poses and they’ll guide you through the whole process. However, don’t be afraid to do your own poses! If you have an idea for an image of yourself that you’d like to see, tell your photographer and the two of you can work together to create an amazing senior portrait.

5. Location, Location, Location

Location is everything in real estate, and it’s arguably even more important in photography. Depending on where you are, the entire mood of your photo can change. A photo taken in a field of sunflowers will convey a much different mood than a photo taken in a cemetery. Think carefully about where you’d like your photos to be taken and convey this info to your photographer.

6. Lighting

Lighting is the mood of the image, and the importance of lighting cannot be understated. It’s a very important aspect of imagery to think about while planning a photoshoot. Make sure to show your photographer the look you want so they can be prepared to match the lighting conditions that you’re looking for.

Lighting in a studio setting can give your portrait a very stylistic quality like you might see in a Calvin Klein advertisement or a celebrity photoshoot. In an outdoor setting, capturing photos during the sunrise or sunset can give your photos a soft, dream-like feeling to them.

7. Don’t Forget the Props!

It’s not just you that needs to be featured in your senior portraits! If you play an instrument, love a certain sport, or would love to feature your car in your senior portraits, go for it! Tell your photographer what you’d like to be involved so they can plan the shoot accordingly.

8. Have Fun

It’s easy to get so caught up in planning your senior portraits that you lose sight of why you’re getting them in the first place. Don’t stress out too much about it, and remember to have fun!

---

Interested in more blog posts? Click here!

For more on senior portraits, click here!