Pssst!... I'm back in Las Vegas! Let's get creative with your Senior Photos session - anything your heart desires... and for 50% off the PRO package for a limited time only!
Hi, I'm Jay Soriano, Photographer. A specialist in portraiture, I can help get you senior photos you love, guaranteed.
Senior photos are kinda my jam. Working 1-on-1 with someone is what I truly love to do.
Photography has always been my passion and I’m happy that I get paid for what I love to do, but it’s not about the money. That’s why I have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee*, I’ll show you your photos throughout our session and if you don’t like what you see, you won’t have to pay me. No questions asked. I stand by my work & I want to deliver photos that you’ll love.
*Psst – this page of my portfolio page features mostly senior photos, For my individual portraits, and to learn a little bit more about me, please see my homepage – JaySoriano.com, and for the latest images, checkout my Instagram @jaysoriano.
You'll only have one set of senior photos, let's capture it right.
If you’re reading this, congratulations are in order. This is your year — you’ve grown and matured so much in the last two decades of essays, science projects and P.E. — and now it’s finally time to carve a path for yourself. A lifetime of exciting adventures awaits you!
But before you go off on your way and start planning exactly just how you’re going to conquer the world, let’s talk about your upcoming senior photo session. It doesn’t matter if you’re my client or not, these tips should be really useful for your senior photos! And if you’re looking to hire me, checkout my solo portraits portfolio for my pricing and package details. In this post, we’ll cover tips for your senior photos (whether they’re with me or not):
- How to deal with nerves for your senior photos
- How many outfits should you bring for senior photos?
- Ideas for senior pictures
- Ideal locations for senior photos
- Prepping for a senior photo shoot
Senior photos let you commemorate this very moment and celebrate everything you’ve achieved so far. For most people, senior portraits mark a special milestone in their lives. These pictures are a great way to capture your personality and youthful self today; something you’ll definitely appreciate by the time you’ve put some years into this “adulting” thing.
Anyway, let’s take a quick run through on some tips that’ll help you nail your senior photo session and come out with gorgeous portraits you’ll cherish forever!
7 Tips for the Perfect Senior Photos
1. It’s Perfectly Okay to Feel a Little Nervous
Here’s a little secret. Majority of the folks your age hasn’t gone through a professional portrait session ever, so it’s 100% normal for most people to feel a little stressed out at the start of the shoot.
But don’t worry! Great photos are usually result of just having fun and good direction from a photographer. I’ll ease you into the session, we’ll chat, laugh, and get your real smile. I’ll guide you through the poses so you’ll never have to worry about where you’d put your hands — at the end of the day I just make sure you’re comfortable and having a good time!… because with that, beautiful photos tend to follow!
2. How many outfits for senior pictures?
It depends on the package, my most popular are Mini sessions, which are 30-minutes. It’s best to go into the shoot with at least a second outfit (for a total of two) prepared so you can get a bit of variety with your portraits.
Most shoots with me are done on one of Maui’s beautiful beaches, so pick an outfit that best represents your personality and fits within the scene. At the end of the day, you’ll want to pick something that makes you feel good and look good. It’s easy to overthink this so just remember to have fun with it!
A popular option with seniors that I work with is a beach-y casual outfit and a swimwear outfit.
Checkout my latest senior photo sets on Instagram:
3. Senior Photos Ideas – Look to Instagram and Pinterest for Inspiration
Another super easy thing that can help you with your confidence and outfit selection is Instagram and Pinterest. A quick #seniorportraits search on Instagram alone will pull thousands of photos that’ll give you tons of outfit and posing ideas.
Browsing through these sites will allow you to figure out which poses you’d want to go for days before the session, giving you enough time to “rehearse” and build up your confidence. You might also find pictures of seniors posing with their guitar or on their bike — that’s something you can absolutely do as well if you want to bring a prop to the shoot.
Remember, your senior photos are all about celebrating you so feel free to bring something (a musical instrument, hobby or sporting gear, even your pet!) that’ll give your portraits more of your personality!
4. Senior Photos With “Stopping Power”
Don’t be afraid to break the mold. Senior photos rarely have strict requirements, yet new seniors just look at the yearbook to see what everyone else did. Don’t be afraid to set a new bar, and have photos with true stopping power, checkout this YouTube video by TIME for examples…
5. Senior Photos Locations
In Maui, 98% of my clients choose the beach, but if you want shots in the mountains or the studio, those are options as well!
6. Up Your Self-Care Game the Week Before the Senior Portrait Session
Look. Photoshop is a powerful tool. But nothing beats that natural glow a well-rested, properly hydrated guy or gal effortlessly brings to the shoot. Make sure to get enough sleep the entire week leading to your senior portrait session so your eyes and skin will look their best!
Ladies, get your manicure done the night before the shoot to avoid chipped nail polish creeping up on your photos. Guys, get your haircut, and if necessary, shave a day before the shoot so you won’t have to worry about any redness or razor burns during the session.
It’s probably cliché at this point, but try to just have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. The best tip I can give you is to come into the session with an open mind and a kick-ass attitude to trust yourself enough that you’ll grow more and more confident as the shoot progresses.
7. You Can Bring a Friend!
If you like, you can ask a friend (or your mom, that’s fine too!) to tag along in the shoot so you’ll feel a lot more comfortable. Bring someone you love being around with to give yourself an extra boost in confidence! Aside from moral support, your friend can help with quick touch ups and outfit changes for the shoot as well. Aren’t friends great?
Note that I (and most photographers) have different pricing packages for family photos, groups, etc. Adding a quick shot with your family is no big deal, but if you want to do a little more than, I have a 15-minute add-on for families.
That’s it! I hope we’ve covered some of the most important things for you to keep in mind going into a shoot.
It helped when you mentioned that senior photos are also a celebration of everything you have achieved so far. My cousin mentioned to me last night about having a senior photo and asked if I have any idea what is the best option to do. Thanks to this informative article and I’ll be sure to tell him that he should consult a trusted photographer service as they can answer all his inquiries.
Glad I can help!