Last year was SUCH a magical year. I loved photographing each of my wonderful seniors. Each person brings their own personality to the session, so every session feels unique. The wildflower bloom was incredible. It felt like they went on forever! The whole year felt like magic. I could definitely do it again…
I can’t wait to see what this next summer brings!
Senior pictures are a big part of senior year, but how in the world do you prepare? Especially planning what to wear. I mean, don’t all 16-17 year old guys wear sweat pants and athletic wear? Is that appropriate for senior pictures?
Well, let me help you out there. Athletic leisure is my favorite too, but we might be able to throw just a little extra style into your senior year. Below are some ideas that you might want to incorporate into your photo session.
Get the most diversity out of your session by bringing 3-4 different outfit changes. If you want to keep it simple, I have a great cheat for you! Bring one pair of khakis or jeans that go with 3 different tops. That could include a sweater, hoody, and a few t-shirts or a couple fitted button downs. It is extremely easy to change out your top. Try different colors for a diverse look, don’t bring just all blue or all black tops.
This guy got a huge amount of diversity in his pictures and he only changed his tops.
If you want to wear that homecoming suit or sports jacket that you own but never wear, this is your chance! Wearing one dressy look can really give a fashion vibe to your senior photos and give great diversity to your end results. This has been a huge hit since I started recommending it a few years ago. Important Tip: Make sure it all fits 2-3 weeks before your session in case you need to change things up. Dressy clothes are not worn often and outgrown suits can be an issue.
I do not usually recommend a long sleeved dress shirt and tie without a jacket unless it’s specifically a dress shirt meant to be worn alone. Wearing a typical dress shirt (the kind that should be under a suit jacket) often photographs in a bulky way at the waist and show a lot of wrinkles. Tailored casual button downs are fine, but the typical dress shirt should be worn under a jacket, at least for your senior session. If you want to give it a try, pay special attention to how your shirt looks at your waist, or choose the kind of button down that does not to need to be tucked in.
Change up your look with a fun jacket!
Have a bomber jacket you love but never wear? Or a stylish fall coat? We can definitely include this in your session. Just like a suit jacket, this can give you a diverse look!
These are senior pictures, so definitely don’t forget to include your sports jerseys and equipment. If you’re not into school sports, feel free to include other hobby related items like bikes, skis, guitars, or your skateboard. These kinds of things will add that personal touch to your session. Don’t be afraid to bring them along.
These are your senior photos, don’t be afraid to express your hobbies, interest, and let your personality shine.
Before your session, you can take a few simple steps that will guarantee a successful photoshoot! Check out our other blog posts for clothing ideas and incorporating your hobbies.
Hair
Guys, make sure you get a haircut about 2 weeks before your session. It’s enough time for hair to grow back to a more comfortable length. If you rock the long hair, don’t be afraid to stylize it the day of your session by a professional. I know it sounds crazy but it can really help detour “hat hair.”
Girls, don’t do anything drastic before your photo session. Keep the short summer haircuts and crazy color in your hair for after your session. You want your photos to look like you. That said, don’t be afraid of professional hair and makeup for the day of your photo session. I can fix blemishes in photoshop, but you might be happier with your initial proofing gallery if you’ve had professional makeup done. You can get this done in a very natural way that doesn’t look like a ton of makeup was applied. Also, getting your hair done by a professional can be natural too–it just guarantees you have a good hair day. Contact me for recommendations!
Skin
Drink plenty of water and stay off the beach for a few days before your session. Red skin is not easy to deal with and sunburned peeling skin is even worse. If you are involved with sports, wear sunscreen for a few weeks before your session. Farmers tans are not very stylish and they do show up in photographs.
Facial Blemishes
We can take care of blemishes via photoshop, but make sure you are using a good cleaning regime every evening with a moisturizer afterwards. This also really helps even out your skin tone.
Facial Hair (for the guys)
Go with your personality, but beard or not, make sure your face is clean and neat looking. You don’t want that 5 o’clock shadow in your pictures for years to come. Be very careful not to cut yourself shaving right before your pictures.
Nails (for the girls)
If they are not professionally done, at least make sure they clean and free from chipped polish. This includes overlooked toenails!
Eye Glasses
If you wear glasses, make sure you are wearing non-glare glass. This is extremely important. If others can see reflections in your glasses, so can the camera. If you have transitionary glasses in your everyday, make sure to get something else for your photo session. Transitionary glasses cannot be photographed outside with the sun and a camera flash darkens them as well.
Clothing
Make sure your clothes are clean and wrinkle free. The camera captures details so this is very important. On the day of your session, hang your clothes in the car instead of throwing them in a bag. If you are planning on wearing something like khakis, linen pants, or cotton dresses, hang them until you are at your outdoor location. Anything that easily wrinkles will be ruined for photos if worn while driving in the car.
We live in Southeast Michigan. You might not know this, but this area is FULL of gorgeous parks. Those parks are full of gorgeous things likes big open lakes, beaches, and wildflowers.
Wildflowers have a season though and it’s important to plan ahead if you want to include them in your senior session. A lot of those flowers only have a 2-3 week window before they are totally gone. Below are the top hits and timelines for the most popular wildflowers.
Early May
Okay, it’s technically not a flower, but we have some gorgeous spring trees in Michigan. The blossoms are colorful and gorgeous. These can be white, purple, and pink. I swoon over these beauties.
Early to mid-June
This time of year has roses, daisies, and garden grown peonies. Easily overlooked but so gorgeous with a mix of colors.
End of June
Crownvetch is actually a pretty common flower that is easily overlooked. The last few weeks of June you can find it everywhere in roadside ditches to prevent soil erosion and can also be found in a few public parks. It’s a ground cover but often reaches a couple feet high. It’s like a warm hug in photos and gorgeous. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a few daisies in the area too.
Mid-July
Wild sunflowers that resemble tall black eyed susans. They grow along with purple bergamot, and the combination of the two can be really beautiful. These only have a 2 week window, so it is even more important to plan ahead!
End of July and August is actually kind of a dry time for wildflowers, but we can find some plants in small urban downtowns, like Fenton, Holly, Lake Orion, and Clarkston.
September
Goldenrod! Visually stunning and it can feel pretty magical. However, make sure you’re not allergic to it’s highly sniffly cousin ragweed…it grows right alongside it.
October
The goldenrod show is over, but of course we have the Fall color coming on. Early October can give you warmer weather, along with the vibrant red of vines and assorted shrubs. The fun magic of early October sessions is you can switch back into your pretty sundress for a green background in a different area!
End of October
Fall color in Michigan. Enough said. It’s gorgeous. Fair warning though—it can be rainy and cold during the photoshoot. It’s the one time of the year we might not reschedule due to a rainy drizzle. Because Fall color can disappear with a good wind, we take advantage of peak color when we get the chance. Don’t worry though, your photos are still going to be beautiful. I often think the cloudier the day in the Fall, the more colorful the trees look.
Winter
Don’t forget about our snowy winter. It’s often overlooked, but you can get SUCH unique photos from a winter session.
