Senior Session Prep Guide

YAY YOU’VE MADE IT!

It’s finally your senior year of high school, LET’S HAVE SOME FUN! We’re going to celebrate your final and BEST year yet, with some top notch senior photos to show off to your family and friends! Before your senior session date arrives, let me fill you in on all of my BEST tips and tricks for a smooth session and an awesome experience! Hopefully you find this senior session prep guide useful!

LET’S DO THIS!

unique senior photography. high school senior sitting with his arms resting on white board and hands on shoulders. he has a light blue dress shirt on and the backdrop is all white.

milwaukee premium senior photography. high school girl wearing bright pink dress is sitting on white cube with her hands on it, behind her. she has silver heels on and is dangling her legs. she has long hair, and is smiling. the backdrop are fun colors and lights of pink and blue.

Location

Location matters! What best suits your personality, and fulfills the vision you have for your session? Maybe it’s running through a wide open field of flowers, or perhaps you’re more of a city kind of senior? First things first. You’ll want to check out my location guide, and decide where you want to go! Or if there is a special place or idea you have that that isn’t on my list, don’t hesitate to ask to meet at a different location!

Wardrobe

Wardrobe is a big choice for your senior photo session. Let’s first think about time of the year, and location! You want your clothing to flow with the environment and season. Here are a few DO’S when it comes to wardrobe –

DO bring along a few outfits! Bringing a few outfits along gives you more options to choose from when deciding on your final images to keep. Depending on your session location, you might have to change in your car.

Do dress for the season! If it’s summer, wear lighter fabrics and colors to stay cool! Flowing dresses for girls is a must, and shorts with a button up shirt and casual shoes for guys is great! For fall sessions, let’s layer it up! A dress with a jean jacket or sweater works great together. Guys can do a button up shirt with a sweater or blazer and jeans as well!

DO dress for the environment! If your session is at the beach, wear some sandals and lighter fabrics that will flow in the breeze! Avoid overly tight jeans, or heavy boots/shoes. If your session is in downtown Milwaukee wearing jeans and boots or a leather jacket to accessorize is great! Sometimes juxtaposition is fun too, if we’re in a city environment and you want a few shots with a fancy gown or suit on…LET’S DO IT!

DO accessorize! Bringing a fun hat that you love can be used as a prop as well! Or wearing bracelet’s or belts on your dresses ladies is a good way to break up outfits and make your photos pop!

Do wear what you’re comfortable in! Make sure you can move around in it, squat, bend, sit for a variety of poses!

DO dress up! Have a good mix of some dressy clothes, even if it’s your favorite prom/homecoming dress and some casual outfits!

Of course there are dont’s that come with wardrobe as well. Here are some things to avoid!

DON’T wear huge brand logos! As popular as Nike is, you don’t need to endorse them! Staying away from overly large brand logos is a good idea, it is a distraction in the final images.

DON’T show undergarments (ladies!) Make sure what you have on under your outfits blends with them and doesn’t stick out! Editing bra straps is not part of my standard process, so please make sure all undergarments are hidden!

DON’T wear shoes that your dog chewed on! Yes, your shoes will be in the images! Avoiding shoes that your dog chewed on, or ones you ran through a mud puddle with is best! Don’t get me wrong, there is no need to buy brand new shoes for your session, but excessively worn out shoes is a no go.

Avoid neon colors, unless it’s in very small amounts. As much as I love neons, very vivid colors can create color casts onto your skin. Editing this out is not part of my standard process, so please avoid doing this! If you have questions on colors, just ask!
DON’T have a 4 week old manicure! Please pay attention to your finger nails! No nail polish is better than chipping nail polish on your fingers!

For a great resource on wardrobe please click HERE for guys and HERE for girls to visit my Pinterest wardrobe idea page!

milwaukee senior pictures Franklin senior. high school guy standing with hands in his pockets and wearing a white dress shirt. he's in downtown milwaukee with river and old metal train bridge behind him.

What To Bring

Let’s personalize this! I love tailoring senior sessions to each awesome personality. If you are involved in clubs, sports, or music and want to bring any items with PLEASE DO just let me know ahead of time! Whether it’s a tennis racket, golf clubs, or a tuba, incorporating what seniors love into their session is SO much fun! School or club jerseys, shirts, or hoodies is always encouraged for a few quick shots as well.

Make sure you have all of your outfit pieces with you.

Extra lipgloss/makeup for girls if you need to do any touchups, or even a hairbrush is a good idea.

Things To Keep In Mind

Fun in the sun! We love spending those summer days at the beach, but sunburns and harsh tan lines are NOT pretty in senior portraits. Try to avoid the sun for a few days before your session so you don’t accidentally get burnt!

Hairstyles! Guys, getting a fresh cut before your session is a great idea! Or if you love how your hair looks two weeks after your cut, please scheduling accordingly!

Please avoid having cell phones in pockets, or hair ties on your wrists!

PHEW…. Let me know if you have ANY questions! I’m always here to help. I can’t wait to work with you!!

high school senior photographer. senior girl standing on racine beach with sun setting behind her. the hair and beach grass is lite up with golden sun. she has a pink and purple swirl dress on.