Question: What poses should I do for my senior pictures? 

Answer: Short answer? Senior Picture poses should feel natural! Long answer? Your package should include a variety of poses, standing, seated, and with meaningful props. See more outlined below!

Senior Pictures are SPECIAL

Having your senior pictures taken is a special celebration – not just of what you’ve done as you’ve been on your educational journey, either. It’s a celebration of the magical human you’ve been along the way! And that means sometimes, it comes with pressure. I mean, if it’s such an important event, and you’re going to look back at the photos from your senior picture session for years, then you want them to be perfect, right?

That pressure shows up in things like choosing your wardrobe, choosing your locations for the photoshoot, and who’s going to be there with you on the day. Like other kinds of photo sessions that are pretty locked to a time in your life, and have things like “this is going in the yearbook” in their future… the whole thing can feel like a lot.

Posing for Photos can feel Stressful

And even once you’ve picked out the things you’re going to wear, decided whether your prom dress will be involved, selected locations that you’ll go to with your photographer, and the colors included in your session… there’s still more. Because even after all of that, there’s still the big problem of “what do I do with my hands??”

Which is where I come in!! (Hi, Jess, nice to meet you! *Imagine me waving, please*) When you’re in your senior picture session with Jessica Strobel Photography here in Minneapolis, our goal is to capture YOU. As you are. All magical and fun and chaotic and… well, you. And that means I’ve got to be an expert in making you feel comfy-cozy in front of the camera, and not to toot my own horn, but I like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years.

So while I don’t really do “stiff” posing, in the “okay so put your hand in your pocket and smile” kind of way – I will absolutely pose you casually and comfortably, so that you’re at your most natural during our session.

But you might be wondering what that actually looks like, which is fair! So I’ve broken it down into a few simple categories, that might even feel TOO simple when you read through them. But I promise, that these are definitely what we’re going to capture, and this is all you have to think about! I’m the one who worries about the details, and snapping that pic at the EXACT moment that will be so “you” you didn’t know you could be that “yourself” in a photo.

Yes, really.

1 – Standing Poses

The first kind of pose we’ll do in your senior photo session? Standing poses! Now, of course, there are exceptions here, if you experience mobility limitations – in which case, we will NOT do standing poses, if that’s not really your forté. That’s okay, it’s why we have other options!!

But unless that’s the case for you, we’re going to capture pictures of you standing. And they’re going to be super variable! You’ll stand by cool stuff. You’ll lean against murals. If we’re in the studio for your session, you’ll stand in sets created for your session there.

YOU get to think about standing. And then it’s my job to direct you so that the “standing” you’re doing looks natural and dynamic and like… you being you.

2 – Seated Poses

If you were underwhelmed with the category “standing poses” you’re not going to feel like this has gotten more complicated, with (you guessed it) the opposite of standing. Which is sitting.

During your session, we’re going to get photos of you sitting on things! Might be the ground. Might be steps. You might find yourself sitting in a prop chair in my studio, or a sofa in your home! But just like with the “standing” category… you don’t have to think about posing beyond “okay, I’m sitting on this thing”. I will make sure that if anything you’re doing looks awkward, we adjust! That’s what I’m there for.

3 – Poses with Props

This category is pretty dictated by you – because when you’re having your senior pictures taken, you might want to bring props! I’m not super big on props in things like family photo sessions, simply because a lot of the time, they come off cliché in your final images. But… there are exceptions to every rule! And senior photo sessions can absolutely include props, whether those are props like your diploma, your graduation gown, your cap – or something more along the lines of items related to your passion!

Big soccer player? We can work that in! Captain of the gymnastics team? We can make that a focus of your session. And those kinds of additions will mean that we photograph you with your props, and/or doing the thing you love. So during your session, if you choose to bring props, we’ll photograph you doing the thing it makes sense to do with that thing!

It might even be environmental, like some of these images you see taken in a local record shop. But no matter what, you don’t have to worry that the images with your props will feel overly posed or unnatural, we’ll work together to create poses that make sense for you.

Working with Jessica Strobel Photography, you’ll ALWAYS know what to do with your hands!

Because the way I see posing is about being YOU and not about being some kind of weird statue, you don’t have to worry that during your session you’ll feel unnatural or out of your depth. You won’t run into that section of the session where you feel like you don’t know where to put your hands, because if it seems like you need direction with that? I’ll step in, and do it.

So no worrying about hand placement – because you’re in good hands with me! (Okay that was definitely too cliché but I’m sticking with it.)

Still need to book Senior Pictures?

Hopefully, this breakdown (as simple as it was!) makes you feel a little more comfortable about your upcoming senior picture session – and if you don’t have one on the calendar already? It’s time for us to talk! Just reach out, and we can set up a session that highlights everything you’ve loved about getting to the graduation milestone – and all of the passions you’ve had along the way. But WITHOUT having to worry about where your hands go! Because all you have to think about when you’re posing, is whether you’re standing, or sitting, or doing something cool with a prop. And I take care of the rest!