You are officially in the home stretch of high school and life is about to get pretty exciting! Your senior photos are probably one of the first times you've been in front of the camera alone, unless you're a part-time model! It is totally normal to feel a little awkward about it. A big part of my job is to make your session comfortable and enjoyable and a huge part of that happens before we ever meet for your session! Below I have compiled my best tips for all seniors over the last few years to help you in preparing for your session:
Comfort over EVERYTHING: It's a known fact that if you aren't comfortable, you won't be confident and that is the opposite feeling you want to have during your senior session! If you aren't comfortable in tight clothing, leave it behind! Shoes should also be comfortable (and most times walkable) since you will be moving around quite a bit.
Plan your outfits: Your session include 2-3 outfits. Most seniors will go with a casual look and then opt for a more "dressy" one as well. Props can be pets, sports equipment, instruments, really any thing or activity that you participate in! I've had some crazy fun senior shoots so the sky is the limit! Aim for simple colors and prints and try to avoid neon colors, logos, or busy prints.
Don't be afraid to layer and accessorize: Nothing looks better than a great jacket or your favorite necklace and it will definitely level-up your look. Don't be afraid to think outside the box a little bit! Hats, jewelry, vests, scarves, whatever you like just make sure it doesn't take away from where the attention should be: YOU.
Hair and Make Up: This may seem a little extravagant but I can promise it is worth the little extra investment if you are into it. It will take stress off your plate during the day of your shoot and who doesn't love to be pampered a little?! Leave it to the professionals to do their thing and you will notice a difference in how it photographs compared to your everyday look.
Don't neglect the nails: Make sure your nails look how you want. Have your nails painted a neutral, non-distracting color (plain, light colors or French manicures photograph best). They will be in a lot of photos! If your session is during the summer, think about your toenails too.
Be YOU: The MOST important thing you can do is calm your nerves before your session (however you do that!) and show up as your authentic self. I never aim to create the same photos time after time, I want them to scream "I AM MY OWN UNIQUE, AWESOME PERSON" and I want you to love them. We don't do cookie-cutter around here. Be yourself and everything else will fall into place!
(Are you extra nervous about something? Let's talk about it! I'm always available to chat beforehand to ease any hesitations you have or bounce ideas around!)