Preparing for Your Senior Portraits

with Jamie Escola Photography

 We’ve set the date….

And now it’s time to prepare for your senior portrait session. To help you do that, let me tell you a bit about what to expect.

We’ll choose a time to meet to make sure we’re getting the best light of the day. When we do, you can either come dressed in your first outfit, or you can change before we start to make sure it doesn’t get wrinkled in the car. I have a portable pop-up changing tent to make moving from one outfit to the next a lot easier.

We’ll spend about 20-25 minutes per outfit, working with the light and location to get a lot of variety for your proofing gallery. My job is to make you as comfortable as possible in front of the camera, and so I’ll be asking questions and giving prompts to help you relax and even have fun. So, please don’t be afraid to tell me a bit about yourself. There’s no need to stress about talking while I’m snapping away. Some of the best shots are the ones you didn’t know were coming, and my goal is to capture your authentic expressions and movement.

So, how should you prepare?

Prior to our session, we can absolutely touch base via phone call, text, e-mail, however you like, if you want to chat about your hopes for the session. You can also send screenshots of inspiration images if you’ve seen other senior portraits that really spoke to you. This is definitely not something that you need to do, as I always come with PLENTY of ideas. But if you have something specific that you are hoping for, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know!

Choosing what to wear

Your own personal style is going to be the star of this show, so keep that in mind with the following suggestions.

Scout Your Looks Online Before You Shop

Whether you’re shopping at the store, online or in your own closet, I recommend surfing a bit online to see what jumps out at you in senior portraits. I’m a BIG fan of Pinterest, and I recommend checking them out and typing in “Senior Portrait Outfits.” Go in with an open mind and see which outfits jump out at you. You’ll probably notice that clothing with texture and those that show a bit of movement really jump out at you. This will help give you some direction when it comes time to choose YOUR outfits.

Two to Four Outfits

For a Simple Senior Session, you’ll be bringing two outfits to your session, and I recommend choosing one that is casual and another that is a bit dressier. Start with the casual one and pull from classic styles that won’t date your images, like a classic pair of jeans and simple T-shirt, blouse or sweater. The dressy outfit brings things up a notch with a flowy dress, jumpsuit or pants & blouse for girls and a button-down, sweater or pullover for guys.

If you’ve chose to do the Deluxe Senior Experience, you have two more outfits to choose and can definitely have some fun with these. Think about layers and texture to add visual interest to your images. If you are part of a club or sport that has a uniform or jersey, that makes for a great outfit to capture a piece of what’s important to you.

Be sure to try your outfits on in their entirety before your session. And if a friend or family member can help you out, have them take a few photos of you in those outfits to make sure that you love the way they look!

Accessorize

Those two to four outfits can become even more if you bring along some favorite accessories that we can swap in and out for different poses. Maybe you have a favorite jacket, pair of sunglasses, hat or piece of jewelry. Bring them all along!! Even if we just pop them on for a few photos, you’ll be thrilled to have some extra variety and a chance to showcase more of your personality!

Earthy Colors & Jewel Tones

For most locations, colors that are earthy and neutral are going to work the most harmoniously with the backdrops in your photos. They won’t be distracting or competing for attention from the true subject of the photo - YOU! This doesn’t mean you can’t wear color. But when you do, instead of the primary versions of yellow, blue, purple and red, consider mustard, navy, eggplant, and maroon. If there’s anything you really want to avoid, it’s large pieces in fluorescent or neon colors, especially if they are close to the face. Again, if you are drawn to these colors, it doesn’t mean you can’t wear them at all. But I recommend limiting them to one outfit or to small designs on top of another color.

Glasses

Normal lenses in glasses will reflect light and leave a glare in photos, and it’s a difficult thing to avoid during a session, especially when we’re trying to capture a bit of movement or a laugh. There are anti-reflective or anti-glare lenses that you can put in frames, and they are pretty amazing. But if you don’t have these or the time to get them, you can also have your optometrist take the lenses out of your favorite frames and put them back in after the session. If these aren’t options for you, I’ll do my best to avoid the glare when taking the photos, as it’s not something I’m able to remove when editing.

Day of Your Session

  1. Be sure to iron or steam your outfits to get out the wrinkles, and bring them hanging, so that they won’t show folds in your photos.

  2. Your hands will be in the photos, so be sure to trim nails or remove old or chipping nail polish.

  3. If you are wearing dark colors, use a lint roller to get any little pieces of lint or hair off the fabric. Even small pieces will show up in photos and can be distracting.

  4. Bring along anything you might need to touch up between outfits. That could be makeup, lip balm, a hair brush, hair spray, etc.

  5. Consider bringing a friend or family member who can help with outfits, keep an eye on little details, chat and help keep things light and fun during the session. This is ESPECIALLY important if you are anxious about having your photo taken or even just not excited about it. A friend will help keep things light and fun and help us get REAL expressions!!

  6. Speak Up!!! This is important! I truly want to make sure that you get the absolute best senior portraits that I can give, and I am ALWAYS open to suggestions, ideas, etc. If I choose a spot or pose that doesn’t feel like YOU, I want to know so that we can move on and keep the session authentic to your personal style.

  7. Let’s chat. The easiest way for me to capture your authentic expressions is to talk as we work. I’ll have questions and posing prompts, and if you’re chatting, you’ll be able to relax more and give the expressions that your friends and family know are truly you.

Between Now & Then

Don’t be afraid to reach out with any questions you might have. OR, if you see a senior portrait that you like, send it my way! As I said before, I’m always open to suggestions, and anything that you send ahead of time helps give me an idea of your personal style. I LOVE senior sessions, and I want you to have fun with it, too!!

~ Jamie

330.806.4620

jmescola17@yahoo.com