Dos and Don’ts for Senior Pictures

Senior pictures are a time to celebrate and enjoy the time you have before graduation. If you’ve never had pictures taken by a professional photographer before, it can seem scary. More so if you’ve never had pictures taken of just you and no one else. There are certainly some dos and don’ts for senior pictures. But fret not, my friend, we’re here to walk you through them.

Do - Choose Clothes You Feel Good In For Senior Pictures

When choosing what to wear for your senior pictures, chances are you already have your go-to outfits already in your closet. Don’t try to get fancy with some ultra-trendy outfit that you’ve never tried on before. If you feel awkward in your clothing choice, guess how your images will look? 

Don’t - Bring Outfits With Words, Designs, or Pictures

When taking your senior pictures, your images should be timeless. This means that they should still look good 20 or 30 years in the future. Your images will look dated if your outfit contains trendy words, as well as designs or pictures that make reference to something specific to the time your pictures were taken. Avoiding these types of clothing will help you achieve that timeless and classic look that will still feel amazing well into the future.

Don’t - Bring Too Many Outfits

A change or two of outfits is encouraged for your senior session so that you can get the a variety of images and looks. Take care not to bring too many outfits though as doing so can take away precious time from your session. Factor in how long an outfit change will take so that you can make the most of your time at your session.

Do - Dress in Layers

This is especially important in cooler weather.  Not only will this keep you from freezing during your portrait session, it will also help add some variety to your pics. There are lots of poses that look great with sweaters, jackets, etc. If the weather starts to warm up during your session, you always have the option to remove some articles of clothing. Keeping your options open during your senior portrait session is key!

Don’t - Forget to Get Wrinkles Out of Clothing

Steam or iron your clothes the night before, and bring them on hangars to your session. Wrinkles are difficult, if not impossible, to remove in post-production so it’s best to avoid them if possible. You may also want to consider bringing some wrinkle spray with you to your session as a backup option.

Do - Wear Clothes That Look Good Sitting or Standing

Some of the poses will have you standing, leaning, sitting, or squatting in different kinds of environments. While those poofy shorts may look nice standing up, your senior pictures will not look good when it feels like a parachute went off.

Don’t - Stress Over Choices

While it may be nice to make a special shopping trip to look for an outfit, don’t feel like it’s a must to get your senior portraits done. Chances are you’ll already have some great looking outfits tucked away in your closet. Whatever you decide, be comfortable with your choices and make sure your clothing fits your style.

Do - Add Accessories

Feel free to add a hat, bracelets, rings, scarves, etc. Some well placed accessories can compliment an outfit and add some flair to your already awesome senior pics. However….

Don’t - Overdo Jewelry

There is such a thing as having too much of a good thing. Putting on too many bracelets, or wearing enough rings for twenty people will be distracting to say the least.

Do - Have a Professional Do Your Hair and Makeup

While you may have plenty of experience applying your own makeup everyday, that is very different from when it comes to having senior portraits done. A professional who does hair and makeup for a living will be able to help you look your best by giving recommendations based on your style and you want the images to come out. While not a requirement for sure, it does take a lot of the weight off your shoulders and into the very capable hands of a pro.

Don’t - Use Glittery or Shiny Makeup, or Makeup With Oil Foundations

These types of makeup are highly reflective and will cause lots of light to bounce back into the camera. The results will not be pretty, and dare we say impossible to fix while editing the images.

Don’t - Use Too Much Gel or Hairspray

For the same reason as using too much glitter or shiny makeup, go easy on the gel or hairspray. 

Do - Stick With Neutral Tones

While bright pastel colors may be trendy for eye shadow, it’s best to stick with neutral tones such as browns or greys. Avoid glitter whenever possible.

Don’t - Go Crazy With Tanning

Tan lines will be HIGHLY visible in a photo, especially with sleeveless tops or backless tops. Avoid spray tan sessions before your portrait session. Heavy tans will cause your skin to look overly orange, and will not be something your photographer will be able to fix while editing.

Do - Shave Face, Underarms, or Legs

For guys, shave or trim any facial hair. The camera WILL see it all. For ladies, some poses may require you to lift your arms which will expose your underarms. Shave the underarm areas as needed. If you are planning on wearing a dress or skirt, the shaving applies there as well.

Do - Bring Someone to Encourage You During Your Session

We all need a hype person to psych us up at some point. Senior portrait session can be awkward at first as you get to know the photographer and/or their team, so having someone in your corner to cheer you on will help. This can include a parent or parents, friends, siblings, etc. While we’re on that subject….

Don’t - Bring the Whole Pack

While you may be thinking it will be no big deal to invite all your immediate family, cousins, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, neighbors, their dogs, etc, having too many people can be a distraction. Having a small circus travelling with you will place demands on your attention that take away from the photographer who is there to take pictures of YOU.

Do - Print Your Photos

Sharing your awesome senior pics on social media can be fun. We know, we do it all the time. There is something in printing out the images from your senior session that you cannot get viewing them from a phone screen. Having an album or wall print hung in your house allows you to share and draw in closer to others that you cannot get hitting the like button online.

Don’t - Let Your Senior Pictures Sit Unused on a Hard Drive

Too often we hear from past clients, “I’ve been meaning to get those pictures printed, I just haven’t had the time.” While we understand life gets crazy sometimes, it does a disservice to your family and friends to have your images tucked away somewhere on a hard drive never to be seen again. Printing your images allows you to easily pull them out and share them, unlike storing them on a hard drive that’s harder to get to.

Do - Avoid Glare With Your Glasses

Glare from your glasses can be tricky at best to get rid of when editing your senior pictures. The best way to handle glare is to avoid it when possible. If you normally wear glasses, leave them on during your session. You may have to lower your chin so that the glare is not visible to the camera. Another option is to have the lenses removed from your frames during the shoot. Your optometrist's office or local eyewear store should be able to help with this.

Do - Make Hands and Nails Look Presentable

Trim and clean your nails. Retouch or redo any manicures, nail polishes, etc. Chipped nail polish will show up on your pictures. Avoid trendy colors and stick with neutral colors when possible. Light to mid pink is a good choice.

Do - Bring Props To Make Your Senior Pictures POP!

If you play any sports, bring your uniforms, balls, and any other equipment you use to play. Do you have any hobbies, or participate in any extracurricular activities? Bringing props to your senior session will create images that are truly unique, and will let others see the real you. 

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