School is back in session and fall is the perfect time of year at our outdoor portrait park. Charlie had a great session. Take a look at some of our favorites.
What Clothes should I wear for my Senior Photos?
Sometimes, the hardest part about prepping for senior pictures is picking what you’re going to wear. The number one question we get when booking a senior session is, “what clothes should I wear for my senior photos?” We’ve seen lots of really great outfits and some not so great ones over the years. There are definitely guidelines that you can follow that will help you look your best, but at the end of the day, if you choose clothes that you’re comfortable in and that show off your personality, you’ll love your photos!
- Choose clothes that FIT. This is probably the number one guideline we can stress. Oversized clothing can be just as bad as clothes that are too small. Flowy dresses that have no waistline, loose tanks without the right undergarments, or loose pants are things we see often that end up making our clients look way larger than they actually are. We know that it’s tempting to choose loose and flowy clothing to cover up parts of your body that you may not be comfortable with, but structured, fitted clothes always look best in photos. Ladies, accentuate that waist, and fellas, if you have lots of loose pants, go for a more fitted pair for your photos.
- Choose muted colors. We find that super bright colors and bold patterns don’t photograph very well. On a sunny day, the color of your shirt can reflect onto your face, so if your shirt is a lime green or hot pink, you’ll see a hue of that color on your face in the photos. Not to mention, bright colors are just too distracting. If you want to wear pink, green, or purple, just stick to a more muted version of it. When it comes to patterns, try to wear smaller patterns as opposed to large ones.
- Bring options! You may only have 3 outfits to wear for your photos, but if you’re unsure of what looks best, bring a couple options and show your photographer! They will always steer you towards the outfit that photographs best.
- Bring a fun outfit. If you’ve got a few outfits to wear for your session, make one a fun, trendy outfit or bring a sports uniform/hobby outfit. Whether you’re on a sports team, a band, or even an artist – bring an outfit with props for some personalized, fun images of your senior year!
No matter what outfit you go with, if you bring a great smile and adventurous personality, your photos will be perfect! If you’re still wondering “what clothes should I wear for my senior photos?” then don’t hesitate to ask us!
To see more Senior Photos that we’ve done, click here.
Why You Should NEVER Take Photos on Train Tracks
Recently, we came across a story that we find incredibly important, and we’d like to share it with you, because it may save a life. When it comes to high school senior pictures, we try to personalize each photo session as much as possible, incorporating the ideas of the student and allowing them to tell us what they’d like. We got a call to our studio the other day, requesting information about a high school senior shoot this summer. They had a few ideas of what they wanted, including some trendy “train tracks” pictures. Photos of seniors on a set of train tracks have been a trend in photography for many years. Unfortunately, it’s also illegal and incredibly dangerous. Our studio absolutely does not allow any photos on or near train tracks, and in the video below, you’ll see why.
In the video below, you’ll see how amazingly close a train has to be in order for you to actually hear it when your back is turned to it. Many teens have lost their lives in attempting to get these types of pictures. I know I (Hope) have had my own experiences with these dangerous pictures. When I was in high school, there was a set of train tracks just off school property, and our photography teacher would allow us to go out there to take photos for class all the time. A few years later, once I had graduated, I heard about a boy who died on those same tracks. No photo is worth losing your life for, and we feel it’s very important to bring awareness to this with senior photo season quickly approaching. If you were thinking of taking photos or having your photos taken on a set of train tracks, we encourage you to think again. There are many other amazing options out there for senior pictures. Let the train tracks trend die.
What options are available for senior pictures?
Senior pictures are meant to reflect YOU. Each and every senior we photograph has a different personality, hobbies, interests, and passions. The more of these that you incorporate into your senior session, the more unique your photos will be, and the more you’ll love your photos! You might be wondering what options are available for senior pictures, and we’re here to help you personalize your session. One of the options for senior pictures is choosing how to express your personality in your photos. We can include sports, your car, your instrument, or your pet. We can take them in a rural nature setting, or an urban cityscape. We can even create a completely out-of-the-box, one-of-a-kind green screen image! Take a look at some examples below. These high school seniors wanted to make their photos all about THEM, and they helped us create some amazing images.
Another option for your senior pictures is an indoor versus an outdoor session. We almost ALWAYS do an outdoor photo session for our high school seniors, but we’ve taken some beautiful and fashionable high school senior photos in our studio. These are usually edgy and use dramatic lighting for an editorial look. Usually, if you’d like some indoor studio photos taken, we do one outfit in the studio and another 1 or 2 outfits outdoors with natural light. You can see some examples below of in-studio photos, as well as more natural, outdoor photos.
Here are the in-studio pictures:
Here are the outdoor photos:
The last option we’d like to talk about is natural light versus flash/artificial light. We tend to mix this up, depending on the type of photos and the setting. As you can see above, many of the photos that revolve around sports and hobbies use artificial light for a very striking, dramatic look. We also like to give our clients a couple of flash-lit portraits for a distinctive look. If you lean towards a certain style, tell your photographer! Below, you can see some examples of both kinds of photography.
Here are images lit with flash:
Here are images lit with natural light:
We hope you enjoyed seeing what options are available for senior pictures. One of our favorite things about senior portraits is that they are always so unique. Every student has a different vision for what they’d like, and this is what makes these images so special! Check out our seniors page to see full senior galleries and to see more examples of different styles of photography.
Click here to inquire about booking a senior session with us!
When should I book senior photos?
If you have a senior graduating this year, you’re probably wondering, “when should I book senior photos?” We get asked this question a lot, so we’re here to help you know the best timeline for the best experience possible with little to no stress!
As a high school senior photographer, we encourage you to book early to ensure prime dates are still available. If you wait until August or September to book your senior pictures, chances are, there are only a few slots left through October! It’s not too early to call the studio in April or May to book a session for June just after graduation. This is helpful for you, as you can work around your vacations and plans, and it’s helpful for the photographer, as they get a better idea of their calendar for the season.
Occasionally we’ll get a call to our studio and ask if they can book a photo session for later that same day! While few people are this prepared, you do need to leave yourself some time between booking and the date of your student’s photo session. There are resources we send to you, such as location options, outfit suggestions, and sports or hobby questionnaires. This information helps us customize the photo session around the senior, and gets them photos that they feel truly represents who they are, instead of a completely generic photo shoot. You’ll need a few weeks to prep outfits, pets, props, etc., so be sure to leave yourself time to prepare for the shoot properly!
After your student’s photo session, our studio needs 2-4 days to process your photos and edit the color and contrast. We go through each photo and make sure it looks its best! You don’t want to see any hair in their eyes or an odd shadow across their face, so we fix all that and make sure the images are perfect. By the time you come to the studio to view the pictures and pick out what products you want, it takes an average of 3-4 weeks to get all the products that you ordered printed. Framed items tend to have the longest turn around time.
Keep in mind: this will be your child’s last professional photo experience while living at home. This is a huge milestone in your child’s life, and it deserves to be commemorated and celebrated as such! If you’re considering skipping senior pictures because they take a lot of selfies… don’t! You’ll treasure these photos, and one day, your grandchildren will love seeing these images. There’s nothing like having a beautiful, striking portrait of your student hanging on your wall while they’re away at college. Getting senior pictures done is not only a fun experience for your student, it’s a chance for you to remember them just as they are as they enter the world as an adult.
When you book senior portraits early, you get the most flexibility for scheduling by far! When you wait until the summer to book, your options for dates dramatically decreases. If you book a session in June, and should you need to reschedule their photo session for any reason, whether it’s bad weather or an illness, chances are that you can get another photo shoot in a few days. If you need to reschedule a shoot in September or October, our next opening may be several weeks away.
Portrait studios often provide discounts and promotions for those who book in the off-season or early on in the summer to help them get a jump start on their calendar. Taking advantage of the beautiful June flowers and sunshine may also save you money! For example, our studio is running a promotion for $25 senior sessions in June! While our session fee for our peak season is usually $395, those who book early and get their senior session done in June see amazing savings, and the photos are just as beautiful! It pays to be early… literally!
We provide:
- senior photos in Lake Orion
- senior photos in Oxford
- senior photos in Rochester
- senior photos in Rochester Hills
- senior photos in Birmingham
- senior photos in Oakland Township
- senior photos in Troy
- senior photos in Bloomfield
- senior photos in Bloomfield Hills
- senior photos in West Bloomfield
- senior photos in many more locations!
To inquire with our studio about booking a high school senior photo session, click here!
