Preparation tips for a senior photo session

Once your session is booked, we will have a phone consultation so that I can get to know you and your style, as well as your hopes and dreams for your shoot!

You might ask: “Well, what do I show up wearing? I have no idea.”

No worries - I’ll help you choose exactly what’s going to look best based on the location and then I’ll walk you through the outfits just to make sure you like everything.

We’ll talk about your ideas if you have any locations in mind. Tell me what setting you prefer, e.g., urban or park-like and I’ll figure out the rest.

Also, during the call, I will give you an idea of what to expect, answer your questions. We will talk about styling, accessories, hair, and makeup, etc. to match your location choice.

Remember that what you don’t want to do is as important as what you want to do, so tell me. For example, knowing that you don’t want to take photos in front of graffiti or in the open field helps me ensure that I’ll give you the best possible experience.

Planning ahead of time and good preparation is the key to great looking senior portraits. So what do you need to do to prepare for your session? Here is my step-by-step guide!

Preparation tips

- Once you’ve reserved the time of your senior session, start doing some brainstorming. Pinterest is a great tool for this. Visualize how you want your own senior pictures to look like.

- Iron your clothes and transport them on hangers to prevent wrinkles.

- Avoid clothes and accessories with busy patterns, logos, stripes, and bright colors. Big, bold patterns can be distracting in photographs

- Shoes/boots and socks should go well with each outfit.

- A few days prior, make sure you stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Don’t stress if you wake up with blemishes the day of your session (and don’t mess with them as it will generally make them worse -- let the Photoshop deal with it!)

- Come with a fresh face. No moisturizer.

- Wash your hair the night before.

- Bring accessories or props that go with your sports or hobbies, e.g., musical instruments, awards, sports equipment if you want to incorporate them into your shoot.

- Avoid getting sunburned, we want you to look and feel your best!

- If you are planning on getting a haircut, do so at least two weeks in advance.

- Ladies: Practice your hair and makeup! Bring makeup and hair products for touch-ups. Paint your nails the night before the session or have them done professionally.

- Guys: shave the day of your appointment.

What to wear

You should bring at least 4-5 different looks to your session. We may not shoot them all, but it’s always great to have options. Bring both casual/cozy and formal/dressy. Clothes that fit close to your body are more flattering in photos.

Pick clothes that represent the best of you and reflect your personality. Wear what you love and feel most comfortable in. You are welcome to bring something in your closet that you love but never get to wear.

Feel free to send me photos of what you plan to wear if you have any questions. I’m happy to help you plan what to wear and provide you with additional suggestions.

Layer up: in the cold months, adding layers to your outfits always looks great in portraits! Wearing cardigans, sweaters, vests, jackets, flannel shirts makes your photos much more interesting.

Makeup

If you’re getting professional makeup and/or hair, arrive with your face and hair clean and dry. If you aren't getting a professional makeover, wear your makeup as you normally would. And guys, a bit of chapstick is a great thing to bring for hydrated, non-cracked lips!

Accessories

Accessories are a great way to add a little pop to your photos and showcase your style.

Accessories are important because they complete your look and communicate something about your unique personality. Adding things like dangle earrings, long necklaces, bracelets, rings, hats, flower crowns, headbands make ALL the difference.

In the colder months, cute hats, scarves, and gloves look great! Just make sure that your scarf isn’t too big around your neck.

Posing

It’s normal to feel a little nervous and awkward to start. You don’t know where to put your hands and where to look. Good news: you don’t need to know how to pose! I’ll walk you through it and tension will soon fade!

I’ll show you where and how to stand, sit, or lean and tell you what to do with your hands. I will adjust your pose slightly for each frame. Then we’ll move to another spot changing outfits & poses along the way. I won’t use any complicated posing unless you’re into it.

My goal is to capture your style and personality, so the most important thing for you to do is to act natural.