WHAT EVERY
The senior portrait session is one of my favorite kinds of portrait sessions! It is such an exciting time in your life full of hope, dreams and anticipation - and a time of longing to capture the crazy yet endearing moments of your senior year. You are standing on the edge of the rest of your life - and you are SO READY! We are going to have a blast at your senior session capturing exactly who you are at this special time in your life. Whether you are super excited about your session or a little bit nervous, I will walk you through every step of the way from choosing outfits, to locations, and themes to incorporate your hobbies and interests. I created this guide just for you, and packed it with all my best secrets for getting the best out of your senior portrait experience, so let’s dive right in!
Senior
NEEDS TO
KNOW
CHOOSING
time and date
One of the biggest factors in creating beautiful senior portraits is choosing the right date and time for your session. The season, lighting, and location all work together to create the look and feel of your images.
Consider the Season
Think about the style and vibe you want for your photos:
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Summer (June–August): Lush greenery, wildflowers, and warm sunsets.
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Early Fall (September–October): Rich colors, golden light, and cooler temperatures.
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Late Fall (October–November): Vibrant autumn leaves and cozy seasonal looks.
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Spring (April–May): Fresh blooms, soft colors, and a bright, airy feel.
Keep in mind that popular fall dates book quickly, so it's best to reserve your session several months in advance.
The Best Time of Day
The most flattering light typically occurs during the last 1–2 hours before sunset, often called "golden hour." This beautiful light creates warm skin tones, soft shadows, and that dreamy glow you see throughout my portfolio.
Morning sessions can also be a great option, especially during the summer months when temperatures are cooler and locations are less crowded.
Yearbook Deadlines Matter
If your school requires a yearbook photo submission, be sure to schedule your session well before the deadline. This allows plenty of time for editing, image selection, and submitting your chosen photo.
Think About Activities & Sports
Many seniors like to include sports uniforms, instruments, college gear, or other activities that represent who they are. Consider your sports schedule, extracurricular activities, and upcoming events when selecting a session date.
My Recommendation
For the best selection of dates, I recommend booking your senior session 2–4 months in advance. This gives you the most flexibility and ensures we can plan a session that perfectly matches your style, personality, and vision.
Not sure which season is right for you? I would love to help you choose the perfect date, location, and overall look for your senior portraits!
Quick Tip:
My weekends fill up fast and far in advance. You can get a FAST PASS to the front of the line by scheduling mid-week.
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SELECTING THE RIGHT
Location
The location of your portrait session it up to you! Like you see throughout this guide, most of our clients choose to showcase the natural beauty of surrounding areas. For most of our sessions, outdoor, open-air environments are always my first choice. I love shooting in wide-open natural spaces because the light is divine, especially during golden hour. There are great options all around the area, so even if you've never seen me photograph in a specific spot before, I'm always up for exploring a new spot with you! Try not to overthink your location - we want the main focus to be on YOU, not the background.
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THINK THE BOX
Outside
EXPRESS Yourself
Want your senior portraits to look more editorial? Bring a little extra something with you! If there is something that describes who you ARE, bring it along! Do you play a musical instrument, are you on a sports team, are you a dancer? Bring along anything that we can incorporate into your pictures to tell the story of who you are! Love your furry friend? Dogs are my favorite!
A freshly-picked bouquet for you to hold, or fresh flowers to put on something else, like a bicycle basket, tree swing, picnic basket, car bumper or rowboat, is a fun way to bring a little extra fun to everyday objects.
Whether it’s larger items like your first car, or smaller ones like blankets or hats, even incorporating just one extra styled item could be a fun way to make your session more unique. Be sure and bring along your class ring, or a borrowed cap and gown if you don't have yours yet.
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Style Tips
FOR HER
SAY YES!
Long flowing dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Especially when juxtaposed with nature, like fields, forest, plains or the beach. Cute, shorter-length dresses photograph beautifully as well. Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter the female body. But, a cute fit with a pair of your favorite jeans is always a big hit too!
to the dress
Most of my seniors who choose two or three outfits and will bring one “wow” dress, and then another shorter sun dress for a more casual feel. Whatever you choose to wear make sure you feel comfortable and confident and it defines who you are! Two to three outfits is just right. Be prepared to change in your car if we are at a location without facilities. If you feel much more comfortable in denim and high heels - that is totally perfect too! Cowboy boots and a cute denim skirt?? I love it!! Don't forget about the fun details like cute shoes and nail polish! Now is a great time to splurge on getting your hair and make up done as well!
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your face and let the eye focus on the beautiful YOU! The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments, and makes my light and airy style really pop!
Chosing Colors
As you begin selecting your wardrobe, think about this part of the experience as "choosing your paint colors". Our ultimate goal will be a work of art - so begin thinking about yours colors now as you plan what you want your final portraits to be. Will these hang on the wall in your home, be used for graduation announcements? Think about what colors you might want for those.
Style Tips
FOR Him
When choosing what to wear for our guys, the most important factor is his comfort and confidence! A couple of layers always looks nice, as well as long pants and closed toe shoes. Leave the shorts at home! Be sure your clothes are true to your personality and help tell the story of who you are!
Stick to Classics
Stick to timeless, clean looks that are in good condition, clean, and wrinkle-free. Avoid bold patterns and bright colors. Instead, lean towards rich colors, neutrals, and tones that complement your skin tone.
Some classic combinations:
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Crisp white or light blue button-up
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Dark jeans or khakis
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Brown or black shoes or clean new tennis shoes
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Jacket, blazer, or varsity jacket
Empty Your Pockets
I always do my best to remind guys of this on the day of our shoot,…. but don’t keep anything in your pockets during photos! Your phone, keys, wallet, etc. will all show up in your pictures as a random square in your pocket…and we don’t want that!
Guys Can Accessorize Too
Consider bringing along a hat if you are wearing your sports gear, a special watch, add a jacket, layer up… think outside the box a bit! Bringing along additional pieces like this allows us to get a lot of variety in your photos in a short time, and make them feel more like you! So don’t hesitate to accessorize a bit.
Other Ways To Prep For Your Senior Pictures
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Plan a haircut a few days to a week before your photo shoot.
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Shave or manicure facial hair the morning of your session.
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Make sure your nails are clean and trimmed.
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Use moisturizer and chapstick prior to your photos to avoid dry, flaky skin.
And Finally: A few prop ideas
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Bring a pet! This one is my absolute favorite.
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Sports uniform, shirt, hat, etc
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Medals or awards
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Musical instrument
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Supplies for any hobbies you love
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Something representing your post high school plans
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Car or truck
final tips
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Bring water to stay hydrated and a light non-messy snack.
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Bring more outfits than you think you need for your senior photo experienceand and be prepared to change outfits throughout our time together based on backdrops and poses used.
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A general rule of thumb is 2-5 outfits, each of which reflects your individual style.
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It’s a good idea to try on each ensemble to ensure it allows you freedom of movement and comfort in all sorts of poses and to steer clear of clothing that is too tight, too short for you to be completely comfortable.
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Bring accessories like jewelry, hair ornaments and neck ties for individual outfits in baggies and a brush, comb and makeup, especially powder and lipstick, for touch ups.
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Bring a close friend or family member to help you fix hair and outfit issues and to lend you support.
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If you have photos of poses you like, bring the pictures or magazine pages. I will suggest poses but am open to your ideas. You can preferably get these to me ahead of the shoot to maximize our time together.
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Make sure that your lips are moisturized, crust is out of your eyes, hair is done, nails look how you want them to look in the photos, and no food is in your teeth.
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Make sure that your clothes are not wrinkled, it’s really hard to get wrinkles out of clothing so however you come to your shoot, that’s how you will look in your photos.
I know I just gave you a lot to think about. I created this guide to help make your senior portrait experience something you’ll look back fondly on for years and years to come. At the end of the day though, the location you choose and the outfits you select won’t matter nearly as much as the memories you make! Capturing who you are right now is the most important thing to me, and I want your portrait session to be a time for you to just be yourself and enjoy it.
Have fun. Laugh a lot. And I’ll take care of the rest!
final note
MUCH LOVE,