Your Top Senior Photo Session Questions Answered

A senior photo shoot should be fun! It's an opportunity to celebrate an incredible milestone and get a lifelong snapshot of who your teen was at this point in their life. If you want this day to be as enjoyable and low-stress as possible, it's all about planning. To help you make the most of your teen's senior photo session, I'm answering the top senior portrait questions my clients ask.

When Should I Book My Teen's Senior Portraits?

Generally, you want your teen's senior photo session to take place in the spring of their junior year or in the summer after their junior year, although some teens opt for the fall of their junior or senior year. Don't wait until then to start shopping for photographers, though. Remember that all the seniors in the area are having their pictures taken during the same window, so photographers can book up as early as months in advance, so aim to book your photographer a few months in advance.

What Should My Teen Wear for Their Senior Photos?

I allow clients to have two outfit changes during a senior photo session. As you're planning outfits with your teen, I encourage you to think about where their photos will be taken and what colors and looks will fit that aesthetic. For instance, senior portraits in a park or flower garden will call for bright and sunny warm-weather clothes while urban portraits might call for more of a trendy look.

It's also important to find out about any rules for their yearbook photo. They might need to have a top of a certain color or there might be certain necklines that are prohibited.

I'll give you more detailed advice while we plan your teen's session, but here are some good rules of thumb:

• Avoid overly busy patterns and instead stick to solids and simple patterns
• Choose clothing that makes them feel comfortable - not something that makes them feel the need to suck in their belly or something that doesn't feel like their style
• Select items that don’t wrinkle easily because removing wrinkles is too time-consuming to do during a photo session
• Bring a few more outfits than you need in case an item breaks or gets a stain, and so I can help you decide what will photograph best 

What Should I Bring to a Senior Photo Session?

A core aspect of many teens' senior photos is their choice of props to bring. They might want portraits that feature items of significance to them, like their jersey from their favorite sport, medals or awards they've won, musical instruments they plan, and so on.

Along with those props, you'll also want to bring:

• Hair tools and makeup for touch-ups, including makeup remover to fix mistakes
• Multiple options for jewelry and accessories
• A small towel to blot sweat if the weather is hot, along with water to stay hydrated
• Comfortably walking shoes to wear between locations
• A lint roller
• Blotting papers for facial oil

Start Planning Your Senior Photo Session

Now is the time to start getting excited about your teen’s senior photo session! I’m thrilled to create these once-in-a-lifetime memories for you and make it a low-stress process too. Contact Heidi Houser Photography to Book your Hickory, NC senior photos.