Session Tips
While your senior portraits should reflect your personality and be as unique as you are, some thought should be put into what you will be wearing since that can truly make or break your senior portraits. So what exactly should you wear?
CLOTHING
In any portrait, your face should always be the main point of interest, not your clothing. The clothing should compliment, not compete. The point is to draw less attention to your body and more to your face - that's what it's all about!
Choose color themes and clothing styles that best fit you. Wear your favorite colors or that outfit you just couldn’t live without! If you feel good, you’ll look good. Those clothes are the “Real You”, the person your friends will recognize. When choosing your outfits keep in mind the most important thing is that you like them. You’ll also want to bring as much variety as possible. Most seniors choose some casual and some dressy outfits.
Avoid stripes & plaids! Solids photograph much better! Bring a variety of color and avoid too much clothing with words. Vary the style, you don’t want all your pictures looking the same. Bring dressy, medium, and casual – it’s best to please Mom first, then we can get to your style! Bring more than what you think you will need. Bring along hats, sunglasses, jackets, and jewelry to accessorize your outfits. Better to bring too much than too little. We do both up close shots and full-length. Be sure to dress from head to toe including socks and shoes. As a rule, light colors do best on light backgrounds, dark colors on dark backgrounds. Bring the style you prefer, or bring both just in case. Black & White glamour shots are best with black clothing. The contrast between the skin and the black is what makes them look so dramatic. Girls – keep in mind that if you bring in light or white pants, your underwear WILL be seen through, so keep the flowered or stripes at home! Also, a natural colored bra is best. Be careful with baggy clothes, they may make you look larger than you are. Make sure your clothes flatter you. Darker clothes minimize body size. A little edgy is ok, but make sure you have some that Mom and relatives will like, too. We photograph formals to swimsuits. As long as it is rated PG, the sky is the limit.
Please bring your clothing pressed and on hangers. Remember to check your total look from head to toe!
Although the rules above are great, these are YOUR photos. Bring clothes you love and that you feel best wearing.
PROPS
Bring them!! Bring props that tell us who you are. Popular choices are: Sports equipment (soccer balls, basketball, baseballs & bats, hockey stick, hurdle, golf clubs), uniforms, instruments (tuba to rock guitar), school jackets, dance outfits, family pets…you name it!! If you are bringing in a pet please tell us at the time you schedule your portrait session and make sure you bring someone along who can take care of your pet while we shoot. Cars or motorcycles – best if taken at the park, so you’ll need to book the outdoor session for this one. Your own props help tell the story of who you are!
HAIR
Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair right before the session. Wear your hair the way you usually do! Don’t try anything new this will only look unnatural. We suggest you style your hair as you do every day. You can also bring in clips, ponies, etc. to use to have a different look in some of your photos, but we will want to start with your hair down first.
NAILS
Nails DO show, so make sure they look nice. If they are chipping off or some funky color, they will show. Many of your casual shots are done barefoot, so same applies to toes. Light or natural color works best.
FACE
Girls, wear a LITTLE more than your normal makeup – kinda what you would wear in the evening. Make sure your mascara is clean with no clumps. Try to keep the eye liner to a minimum. It can make your eyes seem very dark. Guys, please make sure you are clean shaven. Stubble retouching takes time and never looks as good as a close shave. We retouch blemishes at no extra charge, so don’t fret about a minor breakout!
JEWELRY
Keep it simple to keep the attention on YOU. We don’t want attention drawn to bright and shiny jewelry.
GLASSES
Let’s face it – glasses glare. If possible, remove the lenses before you get here. Some optometrists will loan you an empty pair of frames similar to yours. Check with them.
SUNBURN / TANNING
AVOID SUNBURN! Sunburn and peeling skin do not photograph well! Tan is OK, but burning is bad. Don’t overdo it – skin that looks dark and leathery doesn’t look too attractive. Tan lines also don’t look good in photos – we suggest you vary your swimsuit or use a tanning bed to minimize any marks.
A FEW EXTRA TIPS
Tip #1 - Get into it
The best way to get great pictures is by having a positive attitude. If you're excited and enjoying yourself, it shows up on every shot. Some of my best photos are from people who can't wait to see their pictures. Attitude makes a huge difference!
Tip #2 - Be Yourself
While the photographer will help with posing, don't be afraid to try something different. Not every picture needs to have a big smile. They should reflect several aspects of your personality. When asked to sit for a pose, sit naturally, as you would anywhere else. Make yourself comfortable and it's OK to move around!
Tip #3 Feel the Music
In Studio Sessions – Feel Free to Bring Some Music of your choice to help you relax and have fun!