Senior Photography Tips- what to wear, what to bring, where to go, and more!
What high school senior doesn’t want to look awesome in their photos? Often times we are asked what a senior should wear and what to bring along with them to their portrait session. We created a handy guide for seniors and their families so they know what we suggest.
1. What to Wear?
We recommend bringing several changes of clothes; you probably don’t want to have all your favorite photos in the same outfit! We recommend a minimum of 2-3 outfits, but usually not more than 5 or so. It gets tiring to change clothes all the time! A great way to make the same outfit go farther is to bring a jacket- you can wear it, or toss it over your shoulder for a different look. One thing we usually suggest is to bring clothes that you normally would wear. You probably shouldn’t change your style just for your senior photos; you want to be you, not somebody else. We also recommend bringing several varieties of clothes:
Formal or Semi-formal wear- A great way to start out, since these photos are usually going to be your traditional picks for sending to family and for hanging on the wall.
For men: we recommend a collared shirt or polo and nice slacks- don’t forget the belt and shoes. If you often rock the full suit- go for it!
For the ladies: most choose to bring 2 nice skirts or dresses and tops.
Sportswear: If you are on a sports team, bring along your uniform! Many seniors take just their jersey and skip the pads and other gear. Football jerseys look great with jeans! Don’t forget to bring along a ball, bat, glove, or whatever signifies your sport.
Casual clothes: Some seniors want photos that have them wearing their normal everyday clothes since that is how everyone knows them. These are great for giving out to friends as wallet-size photos.
Here are a few more suggestions on clothing:
Generally, it is best to wear colors that are found in nature, greens, blues, rose, purples, and browns work great. You might want to avoid overly busy shirts or ones that have lots of writing on them. They can be distracting and draw the eye away from you. Plus the writing can easily be partially obscured to where it becomes unreadable.
If you don’t want the camera to add a few pounds; we recommend avoiding horizontal lines and we suggest wearing long sleeves and darker colors.
Finally, we recommend wearing clothes that are not specifically summer or winter; this way your photos will always look current no matter what time of year they are shown.
2. How do I look?
Of course you always want to look your best in your photos. Here are some tips that will help you look confident!
Things not to worry about:
-A random blemish that pops us the day of your session: never fear, we always digitally de-emphasize any blemishes that might pop up.
-The camera adding 10 pounds? We know how to best photograph you to make you look your best! Follow the advice in the “what to wear’ section above then ask us about the secret chin-stretching move to reduce the possibility of having a double chin!
Ways to prepare:
-Avoid getting a new haircut right before your session- you want to look like you!
-Make sure your clothes are ironed and that they fit.
-Ladies: Apply makeup as you normally do- don’t overdo it.
-Guys: make sure you are freshly shaven or neatly trimmed.
-Try not to get sunburned right before your session.
3. What to Bring?
Other than clothes changes, you should bring any items that have special significance to you. This is one area that can truly make your photos unique to you! If you have a favorite hobby that can be transported- bring it along! Here are a few items that seniors bring along:
-Sports Gear: ball, glove, bat, helmet, skateboard, etc.
-Instruments: your guitar, flute, violin, etc.
-Your car or truck
-Class Ring or letter jacket
4. Where to go?
We recommend narrowing down the choice of where to go based on what type of environment you like:
City: Getting that urban feel to your photos is easy in Old Town Wichita. There are so many great brick and stone backdrops, benches and railings to sit or lean on, and it works great almost any season! Sports cars are especially cool in front of old buildings and alleyways.
Country: If you love the country, you will want to be out in the open- perhaps at your own place or a family member’s. Wheat fields, hay bales, and old barns are especially good settings for senior photos. Those who grew up on the farm might want to include some farming implements in their photos too- remember it’s about capturing who you are!
Park: Parks are great places to take photos. They usually have lots of trees and flowers that don’t grow naturally in Kansas- so there’s nowhere better to go if you want that extra color! Parks also usually have nice backdrops like limestone walls, ponds, and park buildings. Botanica in Wichita is one of the best places to go for beautiful landscaped backgrounds. The photo opportunities are endless!
Somewhere special to you: Maybe your house or school property is the perfect setting for you. If you play a sport, perhaps you want to be in your uniform out on the field. Some of our seniors have very specific ideas that make their portraits very unique! Feel free to suggest any location you like!
A mixture: There’s no reason you have to stick with just one area! Perhaps you want to start in the country then drive to Old Town- that’s an awesome way to add variety to your photos.
5. Unique ideas
The most memorable senior photos wow your friends and family the minute they see them. People go crazy commenting and ‘liking’ them on Facebook. Usually you get this response because they are unique, match your personality, and nobody has ever seen the concept before. Classic photos are great but if you have a really unique idea, just let us know your thoughts and we can make it happen!