​Senior Portraits: How to prepare for these timeless photos

Hey gals! ​I know school has just started, but it’s already time to begin thinking about senior portraits!

These pictures capture an important milestone in your life - your senior year, graduation from high school, and moving onto the next chapter in your life.

It’s hard to believe it now, but these will be pictures you’ll show your kids and possibly grandkids years and years from now. I remember oohing and ahhing at my parents’ and grandparents’ beautiful portraits on their walls and how much I enjoyed seeing them as young people. Some of these treasured photos now hang on a wall in my home! Pictures are so very important and these are among the few in your life that will stand out above the rest - like wedding photos.

Senior year is full of fun and time has a way of slipping by. I don’t want these very important keepsakes to be thrown together last minute in the spring, so I’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for all of you seniors girls and moms …

DO book your photographer, makeup artist and hair stylist early! Do not wait until spring when others are scrambling last minute. Also, Christmas will be here before you know it and this is a busy time for photographers, so keep that in mind.

DO research photographers and hire one that fits your look. Outdoor photos are very popular and beautiful, but I also recommend taking a traditional portrait at an inside studio, so consider a photographer that can do both indoor and outdoor. Senior portraits are timeless and an investment so take time to think about your shoot. Trust me, you do not want look back and think, “What in the world was I thinking?” or worse for us moms, “Mom, why did you let me do that?”

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DO communicate with your photographer, makeup artist and hair stylist team on the look you are going for. Sharing a picture or two of a look and location you like always helps your team to understand your vision. Also, if you have allergies to certain products or ingredients, please let your team know. We do not want a reaction or break-out the day of!

Also, I think it’s nice to change outfits and take pictures in a few options, so DO choose a photographer that will allow time for a wardrobe change. I always like it when seniors take some pictures in their sports or cheerleader uniforms to remember an activity they dedicated a lot of time to throughout their high school career.

DO start thinking about clothes early so you (and your mom) are not stressed out at the last-minute trying to buy the perfect outfit.

Along with clothes, hair and skin can really make or break a senior portrait session. DO focus on skincare.