Five tips for the most epic senior pictures

Senior photography isn’t just a regular photo shoot. It’s a fantastic opportunity to make a statement – to show the world, your family and friends a glimpse of who you’ve been these last few years of high school and who you’re on your way to become. And unlike what you might think – your senior photoshoot does NOT have to be exhausting, stressful or a hassle to plan. Here’s a few tips to help you on your journey!

FIND THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER

This one might seem obvious, especially if you’re here on my blog READING about this (Hiiii! Eeek I’m so excited you’re here!) but the right photographer isn’t the most expensive, the most popular or the best trending on google. It’s actually the photographer you most can see yourself hanging out with. A photographer whose jokes make you smile, who’s interesting to you, and seems like someone you’d really enjoy being friends with. Because let me tell you – we can photoshop the odd pimple, the random fire hydrant, or a person crossing the street, we can adjust the light, we can change the tones, but YOU CANNOT PHOTOSHOP CONNECTION. Real authentic connection, natural smiles, genuine energy – that’s stuff that you either have or you don’t.

KNOW YOUR VIBE

Are you a light and airy kind of person or do you love the dark and moody look? Do you like more industrial backdrops or would you be happier in nature? Are you all about an open field of flowers, or more of a sandy beach person? Do you like a certain style of photography? Are there famous photos that speak to you? Or art that inspires you? Are you artistic? Sporty? It’s okay if you can’t answer ALL these questions, but having a strong sense of direction goes a long way. The style that your portraits are shot in helps tell your story – make sure your story is told well! That’s why I chat with all my seniors about who THEY are – if I know them well, I’m more equipped to bring their vision to life.

MAKE YOUR OUTFITS WORK FOR YOU

I always tell my seniors to not stress about what to wear – choose pieces that fit you well, make you feel comfortable and free to move around and consider how each outfit compliments the location you choose. My advice is to prepare more than one look, three is generally ideal! These looks can be casual or elegant, it’s really up to you! They should be flattering to your skin tone ( think about when you got the most compliments in a certain color). One thing we do over here is we’ll chat over zoom about looks or sometimes seniors will send me photos of the pieces they want to wear and I’m more than happy to help coordinate. I also have an EXTENSIVE client closet that’s available to all my clients to use for any shoot!

GATHER INSPIRATION FROM ALL AROUND

If you are someone that just wants to show up and ride on vibes alone, kiddo, boy do I relate. hahaha Samesies. But if you love to be prepared, consider sending over a Pinterest board or just screenshoot some images you love, photos that speak to you and your vision. The more insight I have into your creative brain, the better we’ll work together. Some people love to have lots of input in the artistic direction and others (me) love to just show up. Whatever way makes most sense, I’m here to support you.

THE TIME OF DAY MATTERS

If you want that gold epic light, you’re gonna wanna be out there shooting a little before sunset. Want crispy bright light, go early in the morning. There’s also the matter of when in the year you shoot! If you do your session in the summertime, the days are long and the sun sets late in the evening. In the fall, with shorter days, you want to go late afternoon. A good photographer will know how to use light, shadows and composition to bring out your best self. If you want to see how I shoot in various lighting scenarios, check out my blog on how I do it!

BONUS:

One more thought on how to make the best of your senior session and have amazing senior photos. For years I specialized in empowerment work and learned posing for all bodies from the greats in the photography industry. I learned how to flatter plus size bodies, tall bodies, shorter bodies, shy clients and rambunctious ones too – and one thing I can tell you without a doubt is that NOBODY shows up to a photoshoot free of doubts or insecurities. EVERYONE has stuff to work thru. In fact, time after time it shocked the hell out of me that some of my most devastatingly beautiful clients were the HARDEST to convince of their beauty. So TRUST ME when I tell you this:

“You deserve to have beautiful photographs. You deserve to feel beautiful and badass and empowered. This season in your life will never come around again and it would be a dang shame if you robbed yourself of your time in the sun. Show up, even if you have insecurities, even if you’re nervous, even if you feel clumsy and awkward – because the secret that no one says out loud is that we ALL FEEL THAT WAY.”

I promise you, one day you’re going to find these photos of yourself and you’re going to see yourself thru kinder eyes. And you will be SO happy you did this for yourself. I know it because I felt it.

LOVE,

Irina

Irina Negrean is a high school senior photographer based out of Vancouver, WA. Her sessions are fun, lighthearted and relaxed, using primarily natural light and a lot of movement. She loves to work outdoors and in studio and is always down for creative wild ideas! To book your own session visit her booking site. Need wardrobe help? Check out Irina’s extensive client closet for indoor shoots as well as on location.