How to prepare for your senior session

Your senior session is a great time to celebrate all you’ve accomplished leading up to this point! My goal is to make you feel comfortable and to make your session fun! Below are some tips to help you plan for your session. If you have booked a session with me already, we will talk through the location and any questions/concerns you have during our 15-minute call. I’ll also be sending a questionnaire your way so I can gather some information about what feels important to you when we take your photos.

Also, my guide for seniors is here: Senior Guide

Sleep - Try to get a lot of REST the night before your shoot. Don’t stress over it; trust me - we’re going to have a great time together! 

Hair - Don't try a new hairstyle the morning of your session. Play around in the weeks beforehand to see what works and what doesn't. You might even want to have a professional do this for you. Go for a “timeless” hairstyle. Use a little extra hairspray, but not so much that your hair is stiff. Get a haircut at least a month in advance for girls or a week in advance for guys, so that the hair has time to grow a little and look more natural. Remember, you still want to look like YOU in your photos. So if you’ve had long hair for quite some time, now might not be the time to get a short haircut if you’re not sure that you’ll love it. 

Makeup - Wear what you usually wear, but slightly more than normal. Please use care while applying eye makeup (eyeliner, mascara), as your eyes will be the focal point of many of your photos. If you don’t wear makeup ever, no problem. Again, be your for your photos!

Nails + Hands - Keep in mind that your hands will be showing in many of your photos. Consider a mani / pedi if that is something you do, and be sure to moisturize.

Glasses - If you wear glasses, please see your optometrist about loaning you a pair without lenses, or have your lenses removed for your session. If this is not an option, I will do my best to avoid glass glare, but there may be an extra charge of $10 per image for glare removal when ordering your portraits. Glare will not be removed from proofs.  

Retouching - Don't worry about having a few blemishes! These will be removed during retouching. Please see below regarding severe acne.  Scars/birthmarks will be removed only at your request. Please tell me at the time of your session what your preference is. Severe acne may require extensive retouching. If extensive retouching is necessary, it will not be done on proofs, but will be done on the prints that you order, at your request. Basic retouching is included in your package, but extensive retouching will be completed after you show me your favorite images from the gallery. Braces will not be removed from proofs, but can be removed from your portrait order at a charge of $10 per image. 

Clothing -A standard senior portrait session includes 2-3 outfits – the one you wear when you show up, and up to two changes. 

I recommend accessories like jackets, scarves, etc., that can be added/removed for a different look.  Mix up your clothing from dressy to casual – Fun stuff you’d wear to hang out with friends (jeans!), and something sophisticated that will work well if you need a photo for a LinkedIn profile.

Can’t decide what to wear? Bring lots of wardrobe choices, and between the two of us, we'll make sure you look your absolute best!  

Hats are great for a few shots, but please don’t wear one to your session and get “hat head.”  Be sure to bring along shoes to match each outfit. 

Try your clothing on in advance to be sure it fits comfortably and is flattering. Bend over, sit down, etc., and make sure that you don’t have skin showing where it shouldn’t be in certain positions and that you’re able to do such movements.  

If you intend to wear a “strappy” dress or light-colored clothing, be sure to wear or bring the appropriate undergarments that will not show in your photos. Bra strap removal will be done at an additional cost. 

What to BRING.... 

Props - Feel free to bring sports equipment (football, football helmet, ball & glove, batting helmet, bat, mitt, soccer ball, volleyball, hockey stick, pom pons, baton, etc.), sports uniforms, trophies/medals, musical instruments (Can’t bring drums? Bring the sticks!), tap or ballet shoes, sunglasses. If you are a volunteer firefighter, bring your uniform and helmet. Pets can be included as well!

Touch-up stuff – lip balm, lipstick, powder, hairspray, etc.