Your senior portrait session is an experience you’re always going to remember, but you also want to make sure that you’re walking away with photos that you love. There is already a lot of planning that goes into a session of this nature, so if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, here are a few tips to keep on hand to help you feel more confident and prepared.

1. Let’s Talk Ahead of Time! We want to know what you’re looking for. The more information we have, the better. If you’ve created a mood board, such as Pinterest, or an old-school dream board with cut-outs from magazines on poster board, make a point of sharing it with your photographer. 

2. Get some advice. Many seniors end up with a few outfit ideas but can’t always decide what to wear. If this sounds familiar, send a few photos to us to get our input. Our sessions are planned out for 2 outfit to 5 outfits, so it helps to plan things out so you end up with a variety of different looks that tell your story. But above all else, wear clothing that makes you feel comfortable and confident. 

3. Put a few accessories together. Accessories can give your photos that unique, personal touch, so bring a few options along with you on the day so we can help you decide what works best. One of the advantages of coming to the Imagery is that we have a large selection of accessories and an overflowing “Glam Closet” with just about every option possible for all body types and styles.  If you’d like to experiment (on one of your outfits) with something adventurous, we’ve got you covered!

4. Book your hair appointment ahead of time. Even though you shouldn’t make any drastic changes to your hair before your senior session, it’s still important to get a trim and color touchup at least a week before. However, if you happen to be drastically changing your style, give yourself about 2 weeks prior to your session, so you have time to settle that new look in and make sure you are comfortable and confident with the new you.

5. Skip the spray tan. Unless you’ve done it before and know what it will look like, it’s probably best to skip the spray tan for your senior session. This is because if a spray tan isn’t done right, it can make you look orange. Remember that your photos are about capturing the real YOU, and not necessarily making it about your deepest summer tan.

6. Don’t skip the mani pedi. Believe it or not, you will notice your nails in your photos, so schedule a mani and pedi before your shoot.  Pedicure is essential if you plan to wear open toe shoes or sandals. 

7. Remember your underwear! When planning your outfits, make sure that you have lighter underwear for lighter clothing and darker underwear for darker clothing.  Make sure that straps aren’t showing on any of your looks. The last thing you want is for your underwear to show through. 

8. Leave those blemishes alone. If a blemish or two pops up in the days before your shoot, just leave them be – don’t pick! Along with covering it up with a bit of makeup, we will also be able to retouch them out. 

9. Sparkles should be avoided. Because there’s a chance it might photograph weirdly, it’s best to avoid any shimmer body lotions and sparkly makeup.  This is true with clothing as well.  Clothing that is sparkly or has a tight weave of different color threads might be interpreted strangely in the camera. Neon colors are also hard to translate into to prints correctly and your outfit may have a slight variation of color when printed.

10. Stay hydrated and rested. You’d be surprised at the difference water and proper sleep can make to your skin in your photos. Make sure you’re drinking enough in the days leading up to your shoot and that you don’t have any long movie nights planned. 

11. Keep movement in mind. There’s a good chance you’ll be moving around quite a bit on the day, so pick your outfit accordingly. For example, sitting and moving around in a mini-skirt might make you feel uncomfortable and limit your options for posing. 

12. Get everything ready the night before. Instead of rushing on the morning of your senior session, rather get everything you need together in one place the night before.  Make sure you have your shoes, underwear, accessories, touch-up makeup, hair ties (if changing your hair to updo for last outfit), and any props that complement your outfit (extracurriculars you have been involved in–full sets of sports items–items that symbolize your interests and personality–anything that could be used creatively in a photograph).  There might be items from your room or home that you’d like to incorporate in your photos as well.  We have a number of ways to subtly include things in backgrounds, digitally add-in overlays, or create backgrounds for collages, and the more personal you can make it the more memorable it will be for generations to come.

13. Bring someone along. If you’re feeling nervous about being in front of a camera, bring a friend or family member along with you. Parents are always welcome, and so are friends. Keep it to one or two people though, you want the focus to be on YOU.  Have a special pet? We love photographing you with your fur baby family as well (and we’ve done a number of birds and reptiles too–all pets are welcome).

Now that you have a better idea of how to plan for your shoot, you can relax and let us do the rest!