Let's Prepare!
Senior Session
This guide will help you feel prepared and relaxed for your Senior session. A little planning helps everything run smoothly so we can focus on natural, beautiful images to celebrate you!
About your session:
Your senior portrait session is all about capturing your personality, style, and this exciting season of life! Sessions are approximately 1.25-1.5 hours, giving us plenty of time to relax, explore, and create a variety of beautiful images.
You’ll have the freedom to choose a location that fits your vision, and you can bring up to three outfits, plus your graduation cap and gown if you’d like to incorporate them. From choosing the perfect location to planning outfits and coordinating colors, I’m here to help every step of the way. Together, we’ll create a session that feels authentic to your senior and showcases what makes them uniquely them.
Your proof gallery will be delivered approximately 2–3 weeks after your session, giving you the opportunity to select your favorite images and create the perfect collection of senior portraits to remember this special milestone.
Pets are welcome! If you’d like to include your furry friend in a few senior portraits, we’d love to have them join us. I highly encourage bringing someone along who can take your pet once we’ve captured the planned pet portraits, allowing us to continue the remainder of the session without them. Please remember to choose a location that allows pets!
Selecting the Location:
I schedule sessions around sunrise or sunset to take advantage of the most beautiful, flattering natural light. While weekday sessions may be a little less convenient, they often provide a more relaxed experience with fewer crowds, giving us the best opportunity to capture beautiful, uninterrupted images.
One of my favorite parts of portrait photography is discovering beautiful new locations! I'm happy to meet you at a location that's meaningful to you, or if you'd like a little guidance, I can recommend some of my favorite spots based on the look and feel you're hoping to achieve.
Below you'll find a list of some of my favorite session locations for inspiration. These are simply suggestions—I always love exploring new places and am happy to consider other locations within a reasonable travel distance.
A $25 travel fee applies to locations more than 20 miles from my home studio. If you're unsure whether your location falls within that range, just ask!
Clothing & Styling Guide
Your senior portraits should feel like you! The best outfits are ones that make you feel confident, comfortable, and reflect your personal style. Since we’ll have time for up to three outfits, I recommend choosing a variety of looks rather than three outfits that feel too similar.
Start With Three Different Looks
1. Your Favorite Casual Look
Think jeans, a cute top, sweater, cardigan, sneakers, or your favorite everyday outfit. Choose something you would genuinely wear and feel comfortable in.
2. A Dressier Look
This is a great opportunity to dress up a little! Consider a dress, skirt and blouse, jumpsuit, button-down shirt, trousers, or another outfit that feels a little more polished. This can be a great way to create those timeless senior portraits.
3. A Personal or Statement Look
Choose something that shows your personality! This could be a favorite team jersey, dance or cheer uniform, a trendy outfit, a hat, a special jacket, or anything that represents something you love. Your senior session doesn't have to be all traditional portraits—let's make it personal to you!
A Few Helpful Tips
Choose clothes that fit well.
Make sure everything is comfortable and fits the way you like. You don't want to spend your session adjusting clothing that doesn't feel right.
Coordinate with your location.
Once we choose your location, we can talk about colors and styles that will photograph beautifully there. I'm always happy to help you decide what will work best!
Consider color.
Solid colors, subtle patterns, and textures photograph beautifully. Neutrals are timeless, but don't be afraid to incorporate your favorite colors or something that makes your personality shine.
Don't be afraid to layer.
Jackets, cardigans, sweaters, denim, and other layers can add texture and give us more variety without requiring an entirely different outfit.
Bring the right shoes!
Shoes are part of the outfit, too. Make sure they're clean and coordinate with each look. If we're walking around during your session, you may also want to bring comfortable shoes for traveling between locations.
Keep accessories simple.
Jewelry, hair accessories, hats, or other meaningful pieces can add personality without taking attention away from you.
What About Hair & Makeup?
If you're having your hair and/or makeup professionally done, choose a look that still feels like you. Your senior portraits should look like an elevated version of yourself—not someone you don't recognize!
Don't Forget Your Cap & Gown!
Graduation cap and gown portraits are welcome and can be incorporated into your session. If you have cords, medals, stoles, a letterman jacket, or other meaningful graduation items, feel free to bring them along as well.
And Most Importantly...
Wear something that makes you feel like YOU. Trends come and go, but your senior portraits will become memories you'll have for years to come. Don't feel like you have to wear something just because it's "what everyone else is wearing."
And if you're stuck deciding between outfits, send me pictures! I'm happy to help you narrow everything down and make sure your outfits work well together, with your location, and with the overall look you're envisioning for your session.
What to Bring:
- Your Outfits-Bring up to three outfits that show off different sides of your personality and style. I’m always happy to help you decide what to bring or how to coordinate your looks!
- Graduation Cap & Gown-Want to celebrate your upcoming graduation? Bring your cap and gown, along with any cords, stoles, medals, or other graduation accessories you'd like included.
- Personal Items- Think about the things that make you you! Consider bringing:
- Sports uniforms, jerseys, or equipment
- Dance or cheer uniforms
- Musical instruments
- Favorite hobbies or activities
- Letterman jackets
- Special awards or accomplishments
- Meaningful accessories or sentimental items
- Shoes & Accessories- Don't forget the little details! Bring the shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, hats, jackets, or other accessories you want to pair with each outfit.
- GIRLS: Hair & Makeup Touch-Ups . Bring a small bag with anything you may need for quick touch-ups, such as lip color, powder, hairbrush, hairspray, or bobby pins.
- Water, Handheld Fan, and/or sweat towel- Especially for warm-weather sessions, bring a bottle of water to stay comfortable and hydrated throughout your session.
Before the Session:
Plan your outfits ahead of time.
Try everything on before your session to make sure you love how each outfit fits and feels. Hang everything up and bring your outfits wrinkle-free if possible.
Choose outfits that feel like YOU.
Your senior portraits should reflect your personality and style. Don't feel pressured to wear something just because it's trendy!
Get a good night's sleep.
Rest up the night before so you feel refreshed and ready to have fun.
Stay hydrated.
Drink plenty of water the day before and the day of your session, especially during warmer months.
Avoid major changes right before your session.
Try not to schedule a dramatic haircut, color change, spray tan, or new skincare treatment immediately before your portraits. Give yourself time to make sure you're happy with the results.
Prepare your hair and nails.
Make sure your hair is styled the way you'd like it and your nails are clean and photo-ready. If you're getting your hair or makeup professionally done, allow plenty of time so you aren't rushed.
Pack everything the night before.
Gather your outfits, shoes, accessories, cap and gown, personal items, and anything else you'd like photographed. This makes the day of your session much less stressful!
During the Session:
Relax and have fun!
You do NOT need to know how to pose. That's my job! I'll guide you through poses, movement, and positioning throughout your entire session.
Don't worry about being perfect.
Some of the best images happen in between poses. Laugh, move, talk, and let your personality come through!
Trust the process.
Some poses may feel a little awkward at first, but they often create some of the most beautiful portraits. I'll make adjustments along the way to make sure you look and feel your best.
Bring your personality!
Whether you're goofy, quiet, athletic, artistic, glamorous, adventurous, or somewhere in between, I want your images to feel authentic to you.
Speak up!
If you have an idea for a pose, location, or photo you've been dreaming about, tell me! This is your session, and I want to incorporate the things that matter to you.
After the Session:
Once your session is complete, I'll carefully select and hand-edit the best images to create a beautiful gallery that reflects your family's unique story.
Your online gallery will be delivered within 2–3 weeks. During the busy fall season, please allow the full 3 weeks for delivery due to increased demand. As soon as your gallery is ready, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to view, select your favorite images and download, and, if applicable, order prints or additional products.
Thank you for trusting me to capture these special memories. I can't wait to share your finished gallery with you!
