Prepare for your Senior Session

Preparing for your shoot

It’s so important the you arrive prepared for your session. Consulting a few weeks before your session with our photographers can help you decide on outfits, props and locations you would like to have in your senior portraits. Remember if you are poorly prepared or bring the wrong clothes, we can not make your portraits the best they can be! When you arrive to our studio, please bring all of  your outfits inside for us to see. We will then match your outfits up with specific backgrounds or locations you have chosen.

Clothing

First of all AVOID STRIPES AND PLAID!! Solids photograph much better! Also bring a variety of color and style.  Avoid clothing that has a lot of wording on it. Vary the dress level, bring some dressy, some medium and some casual. Having many different colors and styles will make your photos more colorful and fun!

Our sessions let you do unlimited looks within your time period. Most people can get 3-4 looks per hour. Bring more than what you will actually use, so that you will have more options to choose from.

 Make sure outfits are ironed, neat, and clean. Make sure your clothing flatters you. 

Please bring appropriate underwear for each outfit. Flesh colored is the best you can hope for. Also, if you need a strapless, bring one. Tucking the straps down usually shows and looks bad. With todays thin fabrics, you might want to carefully select these pieces so they do not give unsightly lines.

Hair & Makeup

Quick easy hairstyle changes during your session are OK, but make it quick or you loose camera time.  Bring your hair care tools and products with you if need be.

Although our photographer tries to help with hair, it is hard to know what your hair “is supposed to look like”. So make sure you like the look or let the photographer know your preferences. 

Makeup should only be slightly heavier than normal. About like you might wear in the evening. Mascara should be clean and contain no clumps. So if your mascara is old and clumpy, replace it first. Avoid makeup with “sparkles” in it. When you move, it makes a nice shimmer, but in a photo, where you are still, it creates a little white spot that almost looks like a pimple. Summer shine can be controlled by using translucent powder that knocks out shine without adding additional color.

NAILS SHOW! If they have the paint all chipped off, it will show. Many casual shots are done barefoot, so don’t forget about those toes! Avoid real bright colors. Natural or basic work best. We don’t want to draw attention to your neon orange toe nails. And they may look really bad with your next outfit.

Props & Pets

Bring props that help define who you are. Some popular choices are: Sports equipment (soccer ball, football, hockey stick, hurdle, whatever), sports uniforms, music instruments (from school tuba to rock guitar), activities (dance leotard and shoes, swimming, hobbies, you name it!).

It is a good idea to have someone bring a pet, then leave with them after. Treats can be helpful to hold a dogs attention. Friends or parents are welcome. They can be a help as long as they don’t distract you. 

Weather

Let’s face it, we are at the mercy of mother nature. If it rains,  we simply have to reschedule. Don’t worry about clouds, they actually HELP! But rain falling IS a problem. If the weather is questionable, we can always book for another day!