Planning The Perfect Senior Session

It’s official – you’re a senior! You are about to embark upon a fun chapter finishing your high school journey and starting the next phase of life! This year is for making memories with friends and celebrating all you’ve accomplished so far! One of the most exciting things about being a senior is having your senior session! These special portraits celebrate everything that makes you unique. This includes your interests, sports, clubs, and all the other things that have made your high school experience special!

Senior clients tell me they loved the experience during their senior session because of how easy it was and how comfortable they felt. Here are the three ways that I make sure you have the best time during your senior portrait session.

Senior Session Preparation

Your session experience starts with booking and prepping for the big day. As an experienced Eugene senior photographer, I have a process that ensures all the details are thought through in advance. This ensures that the day of the photo session goes smoothly!

The three biggest decisions for prepping for your senior session are location, outfits, and props. We want to decide on a location that matches your style and personality. You’ll want to consider the season as well. The best time to book your senior session is during the summer before your senior year. The second best time is the early fall. Usually, yearbook photos are due after that and Oregon gets very dark, rainy, and brown (after all the leaves fall off the trees). Once you book your session, I’ll send over my senior session preparation guide and discuss different location options.

Once we’ve decided on your location, we’ll discuss your outfits. The number one priority for choosing outfits is finding one that makes you feel comfortable and confident. If you choose outfits that are uncomfortable or outside of what you typically wear, that can come across in photos. Remember, these images tell the story of you, so we want your clothing to match how you typically prefer to dress. I recommend preparing two or three outfits and having a casual option as well as a dressy option. This will give you plenty of variety in your final gallery. Lastly, we’ll discuss ways you can make your look special, like having your hair and makeup professionally done or purchasing special accessories. 

Have you seen other senior portraits that have confetti, balloons, or musical instruments? These unique props make each senior portrait session special. Together, we’ll make a list of must-have props (if you want to use them) that will help tell the story of your high school experience.

Senior session posing

The number one cause of feeling awkward during a session is not knowing how to pose. It can be daunting to stand in front of a camera and be expected to know how to stand or sit in a way that looks flattering. Don’t worry – you can leave the posing to me! I’ve done so many senior photo sessions and have a lot of poses I use that will feel effortless and ensure that your images are stunning! I’ll make sure you have plenty of options in your final gallery from beautiful standing poses to close-up detail shots. We’ll spend the first 10-15 minutes of your session warming up and I promise, by the end of your shoot, you’ll feel like a natural!

Senior session prints

Need to order prints for your graduation invitations? Or maybe you want to give a canvas of your favorite senior portrait to a grandparent? I make the print ordering process super easy and quick through my gallery! I can help you select images for all your printing needs, from albums to canvases, and you can be sure that anything you order will be high, professional quality!

See a senior photo session here.

Are you ready to book a photographer for your senior session? Fill out my contact form HERE and let’s start your senior session planning today!