5 Tips For Great Senior Photos

senior, student, portrait, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Inspired Media

Senior Photos are an important part of that amazing transition from student to adult. It’s a time where new life goals begin to form, and life changes. It’s important to capture senior photos that reflect the personality, style, passions, and maybe even the quirks of this time of life. Inspired Media has you covered with 2 amazing packages. But first, here are 5 tips to help you get great senior photos.

  1. Explore senior photo examples online. Senior photos have evolved over the years into more than just a nice outfit and going to the photo studio at JC Penny or Sears, into professional, stylized, and well planned photo sessions. The more ideas you see, the easier it is to create your plan.
  2.  Try include props that are meaningful. Your student may have books, awards, instruments, clothes, or more that are meaningful to them and their life as a student. Those can make amazing additions to photos. Below is an example of one of my seniors who was in many plays and musicals at his school. We used the show T-Shirts to create this fun look.
engagement, couple, photo, wedding photographer, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, South Bend

3. Avoid scheduling mid- day photos outside. Bright, sunny afternoons may be pretty to us with our naked eye, but to a camera they can be terrible! If you really need to schedule during the brightest part of the day it’s best to make sure you have solid shade to pose in.  Glare and squints never look great in senior photos!

4. Plan on several outfits, BUT keep them simple. First, clothes with a very busy pattern don’t always blend well with whatever background you have at your location. This is especially true if you’re outside with trees, flowers, and other intricate things. Another reason to keep the changes simple is that there are not always places that make big outfit changes possible. I always suggest to my seniors have a t-shirt and shorts on under their outfit so they can change anywhere.

5. Bring a friend. It can be intimidating to have someone pointing a big camera with a long lens at you if that’s not something you’ve done before. Having a friend there always helps bring out smiles and laughs that always work!