Summer is the perfect season for your senior pictures!

I have no idea how we’ve ended up in summer already, but we have, and that means one very specific thing. It’s time to think about Senior Pictures! Well, honestly it’s pretty much always a good time to think about Senior Pictures, but the summer before your final year of school is the BEST time, if I was going to pick a best time. And that applies whether you’re graduating from high school, college, or a post-graduate program, too!

It might feel a little early to consider your graduation photos, but I promise you, it’s not. Thinking about them now means you have time to plan, pick your senior photo wardrobe, secure locations (if you want senior pictures taken anywhere other than your home or your photographer’s studio) and also… to get excited about the session!! Plus, if there are going to be slideshow images at your graduation, or images in the program, or your school lets you submit a custom photo for the yearbook, having them ahead of time helps you make that happen. So… now is the time!!

It’s Totally Normal To Have Questions.

So it’s clear now is the time to get seriously thinking about your senior photos. But what should you be thinking about, like, specifically?? Where do you even start? I get it, it’s a lot to get your head around, especially if this is the first time you’ve scheduled pictures to celebrate something in your life. But since you’re ahead of the game, and getting yourself organized now instead of the day before your yearbook photo needs submitted, you’ve got time to consider all the details.

Things for You To Think About:

What to wear

What you wear for your senior pictures (or graduation pictures, if you’re in college!) is going to follow you around for a while. And by a while, I mean years, and years, and years. These are going to be pictures you pull out later to show family, to reminisce – and to celebrate everything you’ve done during these years. So it’s kinda obvious that what you wear for these photos is pretty important.

The key to picking clothes that you’ll still be happy with twenty years from now? It’s not about following trends, or picking a specific color, or everyone’s senior pictures would look the same. It’s about being YOU. Unique with your own personal attitude and style! You need to look like who YOU ARE in your senior pictures, and the only way to do that is to pick clothes that you truly love. If you want a little more help though, I have a wardrobe selection guide for senior picture sessions that you can take a look at to get even more details.

Whether or not to bring props

Another topic you should give a little thought before your Minneapolis Senior Pictures, is whether you’re going to bring props with you. Now, some photographers will work with you to create a set in their studio that pulls in parts of your personality, but it depends who you work with! I’m always up for making something unique happen in my studio space, but there are also tons of props I have available for use there anyway.

But when it comes to bringing props with you, that can be anything from bringing your diploma or your graduation cap and gown, to bringing instruments you play, items from sports you’re involved in… the possibilities are endless.

How many images you need

Before you pick a photographer to work with for your senior pictures, you should spend a little time reflecting on how many photos you actually need in your package. Some photographers have separate fees for the time you spend with them to capture images, and the actual pictures themselves are charged separately. Other photographers let you pick your favorites, included in your initial fee, and then you get access to those as prints or digitals (or both!)

At the end of the day, there are only so many pictures you’ll actually want to do things with from your session, even if you’re including more than one on something like your graduation announcement, for example. But when you’re picking who you’re going to work with, make sure you take a look at the packages they offer, how many images are included, and compare that to how many photos you actually, practically, REALLY need coming away from your session. I’m all about gallery upgrades, and working with me you can upgrade your gallery to include as many images as you want – but… quality over quantity, right?

What season you want your session in

If you want to have your senior picture session in your photographer’s studio, then you’re not going to have to worry about season too much. Indoors is indoors! But if you want to have some of your photos taken in or around Minneapolis, then the season is going to be a much bigger deal. So, while you’re in this little planning stretch, take a moment to think about whether you want seasonal elements in your photo session!

Do you want gorgeous autumn leaves in the background? What about snow? Maybe bright summer flowers? Depending on what you’re going for, picking the season for your session might make a huge difference in the look and feel (and wardrobe choices!) of your session once you get your final senior photos.

How are you going to use your photos?

Then of course, there’s the question of how you’re going to use your pictures once you have them! Because sometimes, that’s gonna have a huge impact on things like what you wear, and when you schedule your session for. If you need a handful of pictures to celebrate with… that’s a totally different situation from wanting to make sure you have a photo you can submit for the yearbook! And not just because it changes the timing – some schools have guidelines for what you can wear in pictures that will be in yearbooks. So you might need to make sure you adjust your wardrobe choices to follow those guidelines, if you’re going to use your pictures that way. Same thing if you’re using one (or a few!) for your graduation announcements. You’ll need to make sure you’re happy with your friends and family seeing a few of them! 

Or, if you’re graduating from technical school or with a graduate degree, you might want to make sure you have a couple images that you can include on applications for jobs post-graduation, or use on your LinkedIn profile – those kinds of things! And for images you’ll use that way, you’re also going to want to make some pretty specific choices about the clothes you wear, the setting, and whether you do or don’t include props. Since you’ve got time… think about those details!

I have the answers to ANYthing you want to ask

If these don’t go through all of the questions you have before your senior picture session, don’t worry. I’ve also got an ultimate senior session guide you can take a look at that covers things like preparing for your session, and a whole archive of other resources for senior picture sessions that answer TONS of questions you might have.

But if the answers aren’t in any of those places either, or you’re straight up just ready to book your senior picture session, you can always reach out! I’m more than happy to answer anything you’ve got on your mind before booking, and also to get you on the schedule if you’re ready to go. Graduating is a big deal, so… get ready to celebrate!