THE SHP
Senior Experience
We get it—senior photos might not be the thing you’re most excited about this year. Being in front of the camera can feel awkward or like something you’re just checking off the list. But trust us…we’re going to make this fun, easy, and totally stress-free.
You’ve worked so hard to get here, and you deserve to be celebrated with images you’ll be proud of for years to come. After photographing seniors for nearly a decade, our goal is simple: make your session feel like YOU and give you photos you’re excited to share.
Take a few minutes to read through this guide—it has everything you need to feel prepared. Want an epic location? Want to bring your car, your dog, or your best friend? We’re all for it.
We can’t wait to create something awesome with you!
Sincerely,
Hope and Sara
What to expect
Now that you are booked and things are officially official - let’s talk through the entire senior experience, step-by-step! Your senior experience starts NOW, and I want you to know what’s around every corner as you begin to prep for your shoot day!
01
Alongside this style guide, you are going to receive a senior questionnaire to complete. This questionnaire will help me to get to know you, your style and your preferences so that I can create the best possible senior experience for you! Please take the time to fill it out thoroughly after reading this guide - the more info you give me, the more I can customize your experience and be sure your images reflect YOU! But, finish reading this guide first…there’s helpful stuff in here!
the style guide & questionaire
02
the week before
As we get closer to the day of your shoot, you can expect to hear from me with our meeting time, location and final check-in! I photograph senior portraits at “golden hour” - 2 hours before sunset. This time of day will have the most amazing, glowy light, cooler temperatures and less crowds at popular locations. Because of this, I like to wait until we are 1-2 weeks from your shoot date to lock in an exact meeting time based on the time of the sunset. If there are clouds or rain storms in the forecast, this also allows me to plan around the weather to ensure we get the best lighting possible! So, if we planned for around 6pm…it may end up that 5:30pm or 6:30pm is actually the best time to meet. That is super normal!
03
the shoot day!
This section of the style guide could be its own book in itself! SO many fun things to talk about on the day of your shoot! Your shoot will be approximately 1.5 hours in total. Let’s dive into what to expect each minute of your senior session:
The importance of being on time
First things first: being on time for your shoot is VITAL. And I don’t just say that because of my time…I say that because we are on the SUN’S time. Since we plan your shoot around the ideal time for golden lighting…being late means that you lose that time off of your shoot. Even being 15 minutes late means that we’ve lost 15 minutes of light. Once the sun goes down…we can’t shoot anymore! So, try to plan to be 10-15 minutes early for your session. That way, even if you hit traffic or a delay…it doesn’t eat into your shooting time! If you are more than 30 minutes late for your session, we will have to reschedule for my soonest available date (which is typically 2-3 months out).
the first 15 minutes
When you arrive at your shoot, the first thing we are going to do is look through your outfits together! Even if you send me photos beforehand (and I hope you do!), we will run through them together on the day-of to map out exactly where we will photograph each look and when you will change. This helps us to go in with a game plan and decide which outfit will look best in which location. Sometimes there will be flowers in bloom that coordinate with a specific dress or a prop that we want to use at a specific spot…so there’s some strategy that goes into this!
Changing Outfits + Locations
I frequently get asked where my seniors will change outfits on their shoot day…and the answer is almost always in your car! Typically, the locations that we shoot don’t have public bathrooms…which isn’t ideal. But, you can take a break in your car for some heat or air conditioning in between each outfit! If you’d prefer to have a bathroom to change, just let me know ahead of time and I will be sure to select locations that have this option.
Posing + Shooting
The BIGGEST and most important thing that I want you to know about your shoot day is this: I am going to tell you what to do the ENTIRE time! You do NOT need to have any posing or modeling experience. I’ve actually never photographed a real model in my entire 7+ years of being a photographer! Part of your investment in your senior portraits is my experience and ability to pose you and make you look (and feel!) your absolute best. So, there’s no reason to be nervous at all! I will guide you through every single pose and I promise the BIGGEST compliment I get from seniors is that I make it so easy. It’s going to be a blast!
After we look through your outfits together, we will start shooting! We typically spend 20-30 minutes photographing each outfit before changing and moving to the next spot. I try to always save the BEST outfit for last…so keep that in mind when planning your faves!
Who to bring with you
I request that at least one parent or guardian joins us for your senior session. But, whether they join us for the entire shoot or wait in the car is totally up to you. The most important thing to think about is what will make you feel the most COMFORTABLE in front of the camera. If you tend to be more shy and will feel awkward having your mom or dad watching the entire time…we can ask them to wait in the car. If you LOVE having a hype squad and want everyone to follow us as we shoot…let’s do it! I just ask that we are still able to keep your images as the top priority with minimal distractions. Bringing a large group of friends can sometimes mean that you get distracted while in front of the camera…and that can mean you don’t get as many images or time is taken away from shooting. So, I recommend only bringing 1-2 people along…this ensures it won’t take away from your focus as we shoot!
Another frequently asked question is “who do I bring with me!?” And this has a two-part answer!
Deciding who you want to be PHOTOGRAPHED with! One of my favorite additions to any senior session is your favorite people. If you want to have your best friend(s), significant other, parents, pet or anyone else join in your photos…they are more than welcome! I just request that they wait to meet us until the last 25-30 minutes of your shoot. This way, we can make YOU the focus for the majority of the session with minimal distractions…and still capture photos with your favorite people as the grand finale! More on this later in the guide!
PART 1:
PART 2:
LET's talk locations...
are they a big deal?
Aside from choosing your outfits (which we are diving into next, don’t worry!) - choosing your LOCATIONS is a huge part of what will determine the overall style and aesthetic of your images. It also takes a little bit of logistical planning to map out where we will shoot and the travel time between locations. Overall, there are a few things to keep in mind when picking where to shoot:
It’s actually not the location that matters most…it’s the LIGHT!
YEP. This is hard to understand if you aren’t a photographer but hear me out: if you have the most beautiful garden location in mind with tons of fluffy flowers and manicured walkways…but it’s in the DIRECT sunlight all day long…it’s actually not an ideal place to shoot. It would be better to have the session in a random field on the side of the highway with gorgeous back-light coming through the trees…because the LIGHT is what makes the biggest difference in the whole world! Trust me on this one!!
Try to think of an overall “feel” or “vibe” for your shoot…and let this guide your location choices!
While the location of your shoot totally matters…it may not matter quite as much as you think. Several of the images in your final gallery will be close-up images…meaning you can’t see a whole lot of the background. What you CAN see is the colors, light and overall “feel” of the location. Think about what reflects your interests and your personality, as well as what will add diversity to your final gallery. Don’t get so caught-up and stressed over one specific location. Choose a “vibe” that you want and I can help you pick spots that will make that happen!
I have one request: pretty please TRUST me on this part!
When I tell you that some of my FAVORITE images have been created in the weirdest locations…I mean it! I’ve asked my seniors to crawl into random bushes and sit in crazy positions to get the right angle. I’ve even had clients walk out on big rocks in the middle of the water for an amazing shot! And they all got some of the BEST work I’ve ever created because they TRUSTED me as their photographer. I may have an idea or location suggestion that sounds crazy…but it’s because I have experience finding the lighting and composition that will create stellar images. Even if it sounds insane! So, my biggest request is that you trust me even if I sound crazy…I promise you’ll always be glad you did!!
This part can be SUPER overwhelming - I know! So, let's break it down to be really easy. Typically, for my guys I recommend only 1-2 outfits for a mini session or 3-4 for a full session. But, most opt for a mini! To get the MOST variety possible, I recommend doing one casual look (shorts and a collared shirt, for example) and one more formal (a blazer + bow tie). You can also opt to have one of those outfits be a sports uniform or college tee - or throw those on at the end for a few quick shots! The next few pages are some general tips to help guide your choices.
WHAT TO WEAR
1. be comfortable + Be Yourself
The NUMBER ONE, most important thing to remember when planning your outfits: if it’s not comfortable to wear in real life, it won’t make you feel confident on camera! If you aren't someone who likes to dress up or ever wear a suit jacket...I don't recommend doing it now. In order to make the pictures look MOST like you...they should be a slightly elevated version of an outfit you would normally wear. Don't try to push yourself too far outside your comfort zone! A suit can be a great option for LinkedIn profile pictures and professional head shots...but it's not a necessity!
2. consider using color
On camera, solid black + white can make skin tones look washed out and a little unflattering. When choosing outfits for your senior session, try to choose colors that make a statement and that compliment your hair + skin tones! Primary colors like royal blue and yellow photograph beautifully, as well as jewel tones (like a lot of the blues that you see in this guide!)
3. Have Some Variety
Like I mentioned above, you want to feel and look like yourself...but you don't want all of your photos to look the same. So, even if you don't dress up and don't want pictures in a jacket or suit...try to think of at least two outfit options to bring along with you. Even if it's just a change of your shirt!
4. Empty Your Pockets!
I will do my best to remind you of this on the day of our shoot, too...but don't keep anything in your pockets during photos! Your phone, keys, wallet, etc. will all show up in your pictures as a random square in your pocket...and we don't want that!
Consider bringing along a watch or two, a belt, cuff links if you are wearing a jacket, a hat if you are wearing your sports gear...think outside the box a bit! Bringing along additional pieces like this allows us to get a lot of variety in your photos in a short time, and make them feel more like YOU!
5. Accessories aren't Just For the ladies
other ways to prep:
Aside from your outfits, there are a few other quick things you can do to look your absolute BEST and be super prepared for your senior session!
1. Plan a haircut a few days (up to a week) beforehand!
This is something that is super easy to forget until it's too late! You likely don't want a haircut the day before or day-of, just in case it's a little short immediately after. Getting a haircut about a week in advance is typically the perfect amount of time for it to look natural + like YOU, but without it begin overgrown or too long!
2. Shave or manicure facial hair the morning of
Another important element! If you are someone who likes a clean shave, be sure to do this the MORNING OF your session. Not the day before...we'll see a little bit of shadow if you do it too far in advance. If you have a beard or any facial hair, just be sure to trim it up and manicure it the day-of, too!
3. Moisturize + chapstick
Listen, I'm not here to tell you that you need a 5-step skincare routine...but pretty please be sure your skin + lips are moisturized and not dry or flaky. This can be super hard to edit out and appear natural, and it's super easy to avoid!
Make it feel like YOU!
This is clearly a theme of this entire guide! The goal of adding in props or accessories is to make the shoot feel even more like YOU. Try to think creatively about the things that make you who you are. What are your hobbies? Favorite colors and styles? Extracurricular activities? Are you an athlete with medals and trophies that you want to highlight? Do you already know your plans for college and want to have celebratory images to share about your next steps? Let’s do all the things!!!
Bow Ties + Watches + Cuff Links
One of the best parts about bringing extra options for props is that it gives us VARIETY. I already mentioned this once in this guide, but the little details matter! Think about ways you can add elements to your outfits that are sentimental or a little more attention to detail than your typical day-today. This will add a lot to your photos, I promise!
We talked earlier about how to decide WHO to bring with you at your shoot...and I just wanted to encourage you one more time to include the people that matter most to you! If you have a pet, a friend, a significant other or a family member that is a huge part of your life...they should be featured in your photos! You'll be so glad you did when you look back at your images 10 years from now. If you plan to bring a pup or a pet, I just ask that you bring someone along that can watch them for us when we aren't taking pictures with them!
PROPS & ACCESSORIES
Now that we have a better idea of the overall style for your session based on your outfits and locations, let’s add in the pretty details! First, let me clarify: this part is TOTALLY optional! If you don’t want to add any props or accessories to your shoot… you don’t have to! All we need is YOU to make your shoot amazing. But, if you want to personalize your shoot even further and add in some fun “extras”... this section of the guide is going to help you!
Your people...
SPORTS + HOBBIES
One of the easiest + best ways to customize your senior experience is to add in some of your favorite things that you do every day! I've had seniors want to highlight the sport they play, their favorite foods, their love for reading, music or hiking... The sky is the limit! Use this section of the guide to start brainstorming ways we can creatively incorporate what makes you YOU!
Athletics + Sports
If you play a sport that is a huge part of your high school career...we need to highlight it! You can bring along your uniform + equipment (volleyball, lacrosse stick, etc.) for some really fun photos. You can also consider adding in any medals, trophies or letters you have to highlight.
Hobbies + Artists
As a photographer and creative myself, I love finding creative ways to highlight your talent! If you're a musician, a hunter, or a photographer yourself, let's show that off! We can find some really fun ways to highlight this, and I would love to have you bring along any pieces you are proud of to incorporate in your images!
Favorite Things
Incorporating your favorite things into your pictures can be really creative...and also really funny! Have a Chick-Fil-A obsession? In love with your car, 4-wheeler, or motorcycle? Let's brainstorm together to find some fun ways to highlight these things at your shoot!
I've got you covered!
Now, for the slightly less fun part...let's address a few quick things that could go wrong at your session. These are some frequently asked questions that I get about common problems that can pop up...and I want you to feel as prepared as possible! I've been doing this for almost awhile....so nothing scares me! And I'm confident that we will get you amazing images no matter what gets thrown our way!
frequently asked questions:
Here are some questions that I get often, and what to do if anything goes wrong leading up to your shoot date!
Click to view the answers to each FAQ.
This is by far the most asked question I get about things that could go wrong, which makes total sense...because bad weather happens all the time! If there is bad weather in the forecast for your shoot, rest assured that you have options and I am MORE than happy to reschedule! I typically wait until we are 24 hours out from the session to make a final decision about weather because it changes so often.
If there is a 50% chance of rain or LESS: It is TOTALLY up to you whether you want to move forward with trying to shoot, or if you'd prefer to reschedule to another date. If we shoot and it DOES rain...we will have to finish the session despite the weather (we can't do two shoots if you decide to move forward but the weather doesn't cooperate). But we can make some REALLY cute photos happen in the rain!!! However, if you have your heart set on glowing light and bright images...I'd recommend rescheduling to be safe.
If there is a 50% chance of rain or MORE: My professional recommendation in these scenarios is to reschedule. Even if it doesn't end up raining, it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you are really excited about bright, sunset light in your photos!
Wind: There has only been one time I've had to reschedule a session for bad wind...and it was CRAZINESS! Typically, we can shoot despite the wind if we are strategic with WHERE we shoot. But if there are crazy gusts and you would prefer to move to a day when we know your hair won't have flyaways... we can make that happen!
Fog: Typically, fog is only an issue with sunrise shoots.... but I've had it happen! If there is severely thick fog, it will impact your images because they will be cloudy and grey...which is not my typical shooting style that you booked me for.
Cloudy: I have a lot of seniors who get worried about cloudy days because they think their images won't be as bright and beautiful...but rest assured, that's not true!! Cloudy days are actually AMAZING for photographers...because it means there are no harsh shadows!! Unless it is a seriously grey day with heavy fog or severe storm clouds...cloudy days are our friend!! AND they aren't as hot!!
That is COMPLETELY okay! We will make the final call 24 hours before your session. Part of the reason I only take 3 senior sessions per week is to leave TONS of room open for rescheduling if we need to for reasons outside of our control (i.e. sickness, weather, emergencies). Typically, you won't have to wait longer than two weeks if we have to move your date!*
*This does NOT include needing to reschedule because of poor planning, running late or any other reason.
My skin is breaking out like crazy...HELP!
We've ALL been there! Don't worry one bit. I am happy to remove any large blemishes in Photoshop - you won't even know it happened! Promise!
Where am I going to change my clothes?
I mentioned this briefly earlier in the guide...but it's a question I get a lot! Typically, my seniors choose to change their outfits in the car. A lot of the time, we are photographing at locations that do not offer public bathrooms, so it's the quickest option! I recommend trying to organize your outfits + accessories ahead of time to make this process super quick and easy. If you would feel more comfortable changing in a bathroom, just let me know ahead of time - I'm happy to select your locations based around which ones have public bathrooms!
GALLERY DELIVERY
YAY! It takes 3-4 weeks to edit your senior images, then you'll get an email with the link to your full gallery - AH!!! This is where you will be able to download, share and print all of your high resolution digital images. You can download individual images or the entire gallery at once. You can also individually save photos to your phone to start sharing on social media! The next few pages of the guide will walk you through how to use your gallery and the best ways to print and display your new favorite photos. Be sure to come back and reference this after your session!
After your shoot, my favorite part of the process is sharing your sneak peeks! I truly get just as excited about your images as you do…and I go home straight from your shoot and begin to edit a handful of my favorites and get them in your hands ASAP! You can expect a professionally curated blog post within 48 hours of your shoot, plus fun Instagram stories and BTS posts highlighting all the fun we had together!
The Sneak Peeks
Editing your final gallery typically takes 2 weeks, and gallery delivery day is THE MOST EXCITING!!! I will send you the link to your final gallery in an email. This gallery is where you can easily download, share and print all of your high resolution digital files. Your gallery is SO easy to use, and my hope is that it makes sharing your images easy. Here’s a peek into what it will look like:
The Gallery Delivery
You will be prompted to log into your gallery with your name and email. This is for your safety and my records! This way, I know exactly who is viewing your gallery and downloading your images...and you know that random people can't get access to it without us knowing! Additionally, you can favorite images and I can see them on my end...which makes it easy for me to help you order prints and products!
Logging In
The top of your gallery will have a section called "The Highlights". These images are what I think are the BEST of the best...my personal favorites from your entire shoot. Whether it is an epic location, the perfect gust of wind-blown hair, a beautiful pose or a shot where your eyes look AMAZING...you'll start off your gallery experience scrolling through the best of the best! From there, the rest of your gallery will be in chronological order.
"The Highlights"
There are quite a few ways to download + save your digital images! When you are looking at your full gallery, you can click this button (the cloud with the down arrow) to open the download menu
DOWNLOADING YOUR IMAGES
It will open this menu where you can download a folder of ALL of your images, or just the highlights!
Lastly, you can click on an individual photo to download them one at a time!
printing your images
I truly believe so deeply in the power of printing your images and displaying them in your home. There is something so special about having a physical copy of these memories to cherish and pass down to other family someday. I have physical photo books of my engagement photos, anniversary pictures, family pictures... and I flip through them ALL the time! You took the time to invest so much money into your senior session...why not print the images and have a physical way to cherish them and share them?
As you know, I do not have any purchase minimums or requirements in terms of printing your images. They are yours to share and print from whenever you prefer! But there is the option to purchase professional-quality prints and products through your online gallery. This is the ONLY printing option that I personally and professionally recommend in terms of quality and durability. If you print somewhere else, I can NOT guarantee that the quality of the images will look the same as they do online, or that the products and prints themselves will be durable.
My honest suggestion is this: if you want to print your images larger than a 4x6…the professional printer through your online gallery is the best way to go.
In the next few pages, I am going to walk you through the "shop" portion of your senior gallery. This is where you can find prints, photo books, canvases, graduation cards and more directly through my professional printer!
Photo Books
Prints & Canvases
Grad Cards
accessing the shop
When you are inside your full gallery, you will see two options at the top: "GALLERY" and "SHOP". You can toggle between the two SUPER easily!
When you open up the shop, it should look like this! You will find all of the product options here. You can purchase prints, canvases, photo books, grad cards and more! I'll walk you through how to design each type of product over the next few pages!
When ordering prints, you will see all of the print TYPES in the right-hand column and all of the SIZES on the righthand column. Depending on which size you select, it will likely prompt you to "adjust crop" for each image.
It will open up a window that looks like this so you can customize the crop and be sure nothing important is getting cut off! I recommend centering the people in the photo for the best cropping.
ALBUMS + PHOTO BOOKS
One of my personal favorite ways to print senior images is in an album or photo book. I have one of these of our engagement photos and absolutely LOVE having it on our coffee table to show guests! They are also the most customizable option - you can pick the cover material + color, plus you get to design all of the pages inside!
These make AMAZING gifts for family members, too!
GRADUATION CARDS
Want a super fun way to announce your graduation or invite people to a grad party? These graduation cards are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the professional print quality means your images will look incredible featured on each card! There are TONS of amazing design options for these!
