March 28, 2024
10 Tips For Taking the Perfect Senior Pictures

10 Tips For Taking the Perfect Senior Pictures

Every year, high school seniors across the country get ready for their senior pictures. These pictures are shared among friends and family.

Since senior portraits are so critical in capturing memories of the final year in high school, seniors should be as prepared as possible for the big photoshoot. Whether you’re working with a professional photographer or are just shooting with a friend/relative, here are ten tips that will help you take perfect senior pictures:

1. Bring A Change Of Clothes

Every photographer and studio has different rules and prices for outfit changes, but you should bring several options to your session. Make sure to bring a couple of different styles, from formal to fun. Make sure to bring the appropriate accessories, shoes, etc., to go with each outfit as well.

2. Keep Clothing Simple

While you’re choosing your outfits, try to keep things simple. Avoid clothes with words, erratic designs, or pictures on them. The uniform from your sports team or something with the school’s logo could be an exception. The pictures should be of you without distraction.

3. Don’t Overdo The Makeup

It may feel like special pictures require special makeup. Senior pictures aren’t the same as glam sessions. You want to only wear makeup that you would normally wear. That means your pictures will look like you and not some stranger with the same name.

4. No Major Changes

Even if you’re planning on getting a radical haircut, a facial piercing, a new makeup style, or anything else that alters your appearance, it’s best to wait until after your photoshoot. The last thing you want is a botched haircut to ruin the pictures that will hang on your grandma’s wall for the rest of your life.

5. Get a Fresh Shave

Guys should make sure to shave the morning of the photoshoot, and beards/mustaches should be trimmed neatly. Girls may also want to shave their armpits or legs, depending on what will show in the pictures. Be careful, though. You don’t want razor burns or cuts getting in the way of your perfect senior pictures.

6. Lose The Lenses

Students who wear glasses can still get great senior pictures without the glare that normally comes from your lenses. The easiest thing to do is to find similar frames to yours and just remove the lenses. Your optician will often do this for you as well at no charge.

7. Practice Poses

Your photographer should help you build different poses that match your body and style. It helps to practice a few poses in the mirror, so you know how they look. Look at different senior pictures online and practiced the poses you like best. If you’re not sure, at least cover the basics: seated, standing/leaning in a relaxed way, leaning against a doorway or tree, etc. This practice will help the shoot go much smoother.

8. This About Props

One way to personalize your senior pictures is to include props. These items could be anything from sports or music equipment, something from your favorite hobby, or even a pet. This kind of personalization will build better memories of your time in school.

9. Don’t Stress Over Blemishes

It’s not uncommon for a new pimple, rash, or other blemishes to pop up right before your photoshoot. Keep in mind that most of these kinds of things are unnoticeable to others, even if they seem huge to you. You can talk to your photographer about retouching. A skilled editor can remove blemishes, stray hairs, and even braces upon request. There may be additional fees for this work, but it is often well worth the price.

10. Have Fun

Your senior pictures are a celebration of your time in high school. Be proud and enjoy feeling like a celebrity for the afternoon. Make a playlist to blast during the shoot, and bring a friend who can help cheer you on. You’ve worked hard for this, so enjoy it.

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