Senior portraits have become a supreme part of the SENIOR YEAR EXPERIENCE.
You have worked hard, played harder and now it is time to really celebrate you. Booking a session with SMP means that you will have a unique photoshoot, personalized, affordable, and styled for exactly who you are at this moment in your life! I am so excited to be working with you to capture this special once in a lifetime moment.
Whatever vibes you are feeling, outdoor dreaming, dapper professional, elite athletic, genius creative, or some combination – Let's capture the real YOU!
If you have not done so already please be sure to complete the student info sheet so I can plan an amazing session just for you. Click here to complete it now. I offer a complimentary consultation where we can meet in person or over the phone to discuss locations, props, clothing, and more. It is not required but if you would like to book one it should be done a couple of weeks prior to your session. You can book it now by clicking the red book a session button on the home page, just pick an available time to get on my calendar.
A part of feeling confident and relaxed at your session is planning ahead of time. Here are some tips that will help you plan for your session.
Props:
I defiantly encourage you to bring props. Anything that will help showcase your personality, hobbies, and interest.
CLOTHING:
Bring clothing that makes you feel confident and that you feel comfortable in. To achieve a diverse portfolio of images, bring a variety of clothing styles; casual, dressy, trendy, sporty, etc. and also a variety of colors will help make your images look unique. No matter what session you choose I suggest you bring a couple of changes of clothing to give you more options. If you have a cap and gown bring these two and we will get a couple "traditional" shots too. All freshly pressed of course.
Colors: Don't be afraid to play with colors you love and look good in. Not sure what to pick? Black, white, and grey are a good safe bet, but other colors that work well include navy, burgundy, and green, particularly if shooting outdoors against earthy tones.
Some things to avoid: shirts with busy patterns or with large logos, you don't want anything to distract from you. Unless it is a part of the look you want. For example, love superman and want to do a graphic t-shirt under a button-down for a fun shot? Awesome, let's do it. Also, ladies, thin straps, and sleeveless tops tend to make your shoulders look wider then they are, even if they look great in person you may not love the look in your photos. I would suggest to not wear a lot of white, it’s hard to photograph and get the colors to show well. The same goes for neon colors, those as well don’t photograph well and don’t stay true to color in photos.
Most importantly ~ If you don’t love it…do not wear it. Let me repeat. If you don’t love it don’t wear it!
An important tip to talk about now because you don't want to regret it later, consider your undergarments. Ladies make sure your bra has your boobs where they should be and the straps do not show in your outfit choices. If you are wearing white consider flesh-colored undergarments. Guys you too need to be aware of your choices, boxers that bunch or peek out over the waistband are not a good look.
Select your clothing options and accessories to wear during your photoshoot and put them in a bag the day before your session, so you're not stressing to find and assemble them the day of. Don't worry about bringing too much, bring the band uniform, the sports gear, the formal outfit, your jersey, your camping backpack. Whatever you think will show off who you are right now.
Want more ideas? I got you. Click on my Pinterest link to see great clothing combinations. (What to wear senior photos board). If you would love someone on one help with colors, clothing, or accessories, Maria with Draxler Impressions is beyond amazing. She offers personal styling, color consultations, and even personal shopping. She offers my clients a special discount so please reach out to her and learn more about what she can do to help you feel beyond ready for your shoot. Click here to visit her website.
JEWELRY:
This is a personal taste thing. I find that simple jewelry is best, studs, or small rings for the ears if you choose a necklace choose a thin chain, which often gives the best look. You do not want your accessories to take the focus away from you but they can be a fun way to show off personality, culture, or traditions.
GLASSES:
If you wear glasses every day you should wear them for your session. With glasses, there are a couple of common problems we need to avoid and that is a transition lens, that does not photograph well and glare. The easiest solution is to remove the lens for your session. You may be able to visit your optician and either borrow a pair of blank frames or get them to remove your lenses for the shoot. As we can have problems with reflection and refraction. Invariably we’ll shoot some shots with and without glasses. You might like to bring along a couple of pairs of frames.
SKIN:
If you can, drink plenty of water in the week prior to your session, as this will keep your skin plump, smooth, and clear. Try to eat healthy foods, as fried and salty foods cause bloating and water retention. Also avoid sun exposure, which can make you look tired and leave your skin irritated. Get plenty of sleep to avoid dark circles under your eyes!
Men: it’s important that you’ve mastered your facial hair look before your session. Whether you’re clean-shaven or prefer to keep your facial hair, it’s necessary that it is well maintained.
Women: go light on the makeup, naturally tends to be best for photos.
HAIR:
I recommend that if you are going to have a haircut for your new headshot, have it a couple of days before as sometimes it takes a couple of days to settle in.
Men: go light on the hair gel.
Women: Clean, well-groomed and neatly styled is perfect. Avoid excessive hair decorations.
I recommend wearing it the way you most often do but you may choose to have it done professionally the day of to be sure it looks just right. If you need recommendations or would like me to arrange this please let me know, given enough notice I am happy to set this up for you.
NAILS (Yes, Nails!):
Your hands may end up in some of our shots, so get a manicure for your nails. For women choose a neutral, skin tone polish, or a clear coat, so as not to distract from your face. For men, a clean trim is enough. Unless of course, you have other color ideas, the main point is to make sure they look good because they will be in many shots.
SLEEP:
A good night's sleep will promote healthy skin and eyes, you know you want to look fresh! If you can avoid alcohol the night before that is also helpful!
TEETH:
It is not a bad idea to brush your pearly whites right before your shoot. Try to avoid food and drinks that can stain teeth prior to your shoot, coffee, red wine etc.
SUN TANNING
Sunburns are nearly impossible to fix or retouch • Suntan lines are also tricky so you should vary your shirt sleeves and bathing suit tops when tanning to avoid lines • Don’t spray tan before a session, it may photograph orange and it could be blotchy, darker in the knees, elbows, hairline, and other dry areas • It’s best not to over tan even if you do your tanning in the sun.
Some extra tips:
Practice your awesome smile. Take some time in front of the mirror and practice moving your face around. (You will be surprised how most people forget how to move their face as soon as a camera is looking at them). Watch what your face does have fun with it. Do you have a favorite side (I might ask)?
Above all relax and enjoy. Do not sweat this stuff, as I will be coaching you through so that we can really get you feeling confident in front of the camera.
I am located in Thornton but serving all over Colorado to include Thornton, Brighton, Northglenn, Longmont, Westminster, Boulder, Firestone, Loveland, Superior, and Broomfield, just to name a few! If you know someone who needs their senior pictures done, please consider referring them to me.