tips for a successful senior portrait session
My biggest tip is to pick your photographer and book it early! You’ll want to start looking for a senior photographer towards the middle to end of your junior year, and when you decide who you want to book with, get on their schedule right away. It's never too early! Many photographers (myself included) are booking 2 or more months out for senior sessions and if you wait, you may not be able to get the date you want. I encourage my clients to secure their session date as far in advance as possible. If you know you want a fall session, I put you on my session list for the month of your choice and when the time gets closer then we pick the specific date. That way you know your spot is secured.
You should also think about sports and activities when deciding when to have your senior pictures taken. Lots of seniors like to have their session in the summer before their senior year because they aren’t super busy with sports and activities. Once school starts things get more hectic and it’s not always as easy to fit it in. If you play a sport and want to include your jersey in your session, but it's the off season, that's ok! Most coaches and schools are very accommodating, and if you ask in advance to borrow your jersey for your session they're usually more than happy to help you out.
Another thing to consider is what time your session will begin. If you have an outdoor session, I always begin about an hour and a half before sunset so we have the prettiest light. If professional hair and makeup is part of your session, that typically starts about 3 hours before your session, so when it starts getting dark earlier, hair and makeup can begin as early as 1:00 which means you will have to leave school early that day. If that's not ideal for you, you should definitely consider having your session before school starts, or towards the beginning of your senior year.
I hope you found this helpful! If you haven't chosen your senior photographer yet, and would like to chat about a senior session, just let me know!
xoxo,
Didi