Summer is the best time to get your senior photo shoot done. Summer offers great weather and wonderful lighting. Your schedule probably allows for more flexibility to plan with your photographer. And you’ll have a clear marker for this milestone you are about to accomplish — your senior year! So, if you’re planning to book your senior photo session, here are some tips for how to prepare well in advance.
1. Self Care Is Everything
There is no makeup or quick fix in the world that can undo months of bad sleep, bad diet, and stress. Junior year of high school can be incredibly stressful and busy with college applications, SATs or ACTs, AP classes and more. For most juniors, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just have to grit your teeth, do your best, and get through it.
But now summer is here, school is out, and you can actually give yourself a break. And if you want the best possible photos, you will give yourself that break. It’s time to relax and recover from a grueling year. You can also take heart in the fact that for most students, senior year is much easier.
Why do you need to recover? Why shouldn’t you take on summer classes, take on an internship, and do that volunteer work you’ve been meaning to get to?
As Madeleine Albright once said, “Yes, you can have it all, just not all at the same time.”
If you want your senior photos to look great, the reality is you need to get your rest. Self care shows up in photos, and so does the absence of it. If you’re tired, stressed, and haven’t been eating well, it will show.
Instead, take the opportunity in the weeks leading up to your photo session to play in the sunshine with friends, sleep 9 or 10 hours a night, catch up on reading you enjoy, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
And don’t forget to hydrate!
All of this comes across in your photos as genuine smiles, dewy skin, and healthy, shiny hair.
2. Go Through Your Wardrobe
Now that we’ve discussed your inner beauty, let’s talk about your outer beauty. What are you going to wear?
It’s a good idea to go through your wardrobe and find the outfits you love best. Not just what looks great on the hanger, but what you know you look good in.
I do not recommend buying a new outfit or two for your photo shoot. The last thing you want is to buy something cute and then hate it the day of your session. (It happens!)
Instead, find the outfits you feel good in and that you feel like you look great in. They should be clean and attractive but also make you feel comfortable. Trust me, these feelings will come through in your pictures.
On the day of the shoot, bring two or three outfits to the location in case you feel like a last minute change or we want to take pics of you in different settings with different colors.
Items to avoid include neons (no one looks good in neon in a photo shoot), athletic wear (almost always looks sloppy), and large logos (with the exception of band Ts. Always bring the band T-shirts!).
3. Get Comfortable with Hair and Makeup
Just like you want to be comfortable with your clothes, you also want to be comfortable in your hair and makeup. You’ve undoubtedly seen those old-school senior photos of young women in fancy dresses and hairdos with lots of makeup or young men in suits and ties. Those days are long gone.
Now we want to be relaxed, natural, and authentic.
Your goal is to look back at these photos and remember these moments — anticipating your senior year, the stresses of your junior year, how far you’ve come, what your dreams are, etc.
So, if you plan for a trip to the salon for hair and makeup, ensure you plan a natural look that you typically wear on special occasions. Don’t go for the crazy updo or wild makeup. I promise you won’t love the results.
Because we’ll be photographing you during the summer, we want gently sunkissed skin, clean, flowing hair, and neutral colors. Err on the side of less in the case of hair and makeup and you’ll always be happy.
4. Look for Inspo Online
Whatever your favorite social media platform is, go there. Look up inspiration pics for senior photos and save what you respond to.
Of course Pinterest has a million amazing ideas to scour, and then there’s TikTok and Instagram, which will give you great shots and typically the feedback from the person in the shot.
Are you looking for natural surroundings? Water? Deep forest? Maybe a library or a science lab look? Do you want props?
All of these questions and more will come up for you as you thumb through inspo pics online.
Then, write down your ideas and be sure to share them with your photographer. She’ll have some great tips for how to get the look and feel you want.
5. Get Zen
Finally, on the day before your session, make sure you eat well, sleep well, and hydrate. When you wake up that morning, if you have a regular calming routine like yoga or meditation, or both, be sure not to skip it. Have a healthy breakfast rich with proteins and healthy fats and, again, hydrate!
The goal as you lead up to your photo session is to get super relaxed, chill out, and feel well-rested.
You’ve booked a session with a professional photographer experienced in taking photos of young adults preparing for a major moment in their lives. Now, you just have to follow her lead.
You’re in good hands.
Contact Me Today for Your Senior Session
If you’re ready to book your senior photo session, contact me today.
We’ll discuss preparation, your inspiration, and we’ll get you scheduled!