8 tips to plan your Senior Photo Portraits

Senior Portraits are some of my FAVORITE experiences. It is a huge milestone in your life and I love to capture such a special time. If you’re stressing about your close-up here are some tips to help you look and feel your best on camera. 

1. CHOOSE THE PERFECT OUTFIT

All of my senior portrait session packages allow for a minimum of 2 outfits. One of my most recommended tip is having multiple outfits is one of the several ways to ensure variety to your portrait gallery.  No matter your style I’ve created a simple style guide to help you pick the looks that work best on camera. (I also recommend bringing a couple of extra options just in case.) 

Being in front of the camera can be very intimidating. I do my best to make you feel comfortable in front of my lens; however, there are things you can do on your end to make sure you’ll feel extra comfortable. 

You should feel very confident in your outfit – pick something you feel great in because expressions don’t lie. How you feel in the moment will show on camera. 

Choose an outfit that will complement the location we select. This can be the style, the colors, the kind of clothing, etc. You want to feel comfortable as well as look cohesive. For example, a highly dressed up outfit wouldn’t work in a natural location – instead pick a nice pair of jeans, sneakers, and textured fabrics with the seasonal colors if we go out in the mountains. 

Dressing with multiple layers adds dimension and automatically creates an interest within the image. It also adds options for different photos as we can add layers or remove them. 

2. AVOID SPRAY TANNING, WEARING TIGHT BRACELETS OR HAIR TIES

Spray tanning and indentations in the skin from hair-ties are some of the most difficult things to edit, so avoid wearing them before your photo session. I recommend you come as you are and allow your natural self to shine through for this once in a lifetime occasion. 

3. DO YOUR HAIR & MAKEUP

I always recommend for senior portraits to either go with professional hair and make up or if you are planning to do it yourself go minimal. As a tip, you will want to do the make up you wear on a regular basis and not go over the top. Don’t be concerned if your skin is not fully perfect (acne, etc.) as I will edit the photos and will photoshop them out! 

4. PRACTICE POSING

I will help guide you the day of your session on how to pose naturally. However, if you want excellent images it’s a great idea for you to practice in front of your mirror. You can use Pinterest or Instagram for you to find poses you love and try to recreate them. 

5. CONSIDER THE LOCATION

You have no idea where you would like your senior photos to be taken? Don’t worry! I have been doing extensive scouting and I will give you multiple options and tips of what I think will be best for your vision. Whether you are wanting an urban location, waterfall, mountains, canyons, deserts, etc. we can find all of them within an hour drive from Montrose, CO. That’s the plus of living in such a beautiful state! 

6. PERSONALIZE YOUR SESSION

You are unique, therefore your senior portraits session needs to showcase who you are. Let’s work together to photograph the most authentic version of yourself. If you’re an athlete, artist, nature lover or a thespian let’s show that through your photos during our session! Feel free to bring props such as your mountain bike, your musical instrument, your favorite sport accessories, or your artwork. 

7. BRING A FRIEND

You can absolutely bring a friend to your session, and I will always encourage it. I believe having support on location with us will help you relax but will also grant the ability for me to capture authentic, candid images of you. 

8. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

I cannot stress this enough! I want all of my seniors to get exactly what they want out of their portraits. Please feel free to communicate with me. You don’t like a pose? Tell me. You want to try something different? Show me. My number one goal is for you not only to have amazing and epic photos but for you to have the best experience possible while creating memories that you can relive each time you see your images.

Are you ready for your senior session? Send me a message and let’s talk about your dream photoshoot! I can’t wait to work with you! 

Julien