High School Senior Portrait Season is Coming

In this article I hope to explain the myths surrounding high school senior portraits and what every family should know to prepare themselves and their rising senior for their portrait session.

First of all, when are senior portraits generally taken? Most of the time it is in the summer before their senior year. Many photographers start to advertise in the spring to announce there upcoming services. In Georgia, the last day of school is May 23. The busy senior portrait season is in summer months between the last day of school and the first day of school in the fall. It is a short season so if you wait until the summer to book your appointment be prepared for time slots that may not be convenient for you. Many photographers offer specials if you make your appointment before summer. Teens do not change that much in one or two months, so if you can swing getting in earlier, you could save money.

The choices for senior photographers vary in the state that you live in. If you live in a contract state (Georgia is one of them), the schools have a contract with a photography studio. It is mandatory to see them for yearbook pictures but optional for more casual poses. In this case you will need to see the school photographer for the head-shot in either the tuxedo (guys) or the drape (gals) for the yearbook. You may have them take casual photos or you may go to another photography studio.

If you live in a contract state you have three choices:

1) Go to the school photographer for all the photos
2) Go to the school photographer for the head-shot and another photographer for the casual photos.
3) Do nothing at all except for the head-shot

Your school photographer will start to send postcards to you approximately one month before school gets out, so keep an eye out for it. Book with them, as soon as you can even if it is only for a head-shot because the wait tends to get long. If you can book with them before the last day of school you will be ahead of the game.

If you do not live in a contract state you can choose any portrait photographer in your area. You will most likely be flooded with postcards beginning in April.

What should you look for when choosing a photographer for senior portraits? I have been photographing high school seniors for over 10 years and feel that uniqueness and creativity are essential. Look at websites of photographers in your area for poses and styles that you like. I also think that choices and options are important. You can ask the photographer the following questions:

1) How many clothing changes can I have?
2) Do you use any outdoor locations
3) How many pictures do you take?
4) Do your prices include retouching
5) What type of enhancements do you provide?
6) How long is the session?
7) Is a session fee required in advance and what is your cancellation policy?
8) Do you offer a senior ambassador program where I can receive discounts?

Not all photographers are created equally. The senior milestone is monumental and very important. Look for a photographer that will create an experience and not just take boring pictures. I always encourage my clients to meet me in advance of the session. That way we will have already reached the comfort zone by the time we have the session.

Pricing is also an important element in choosing a photographer. The average price industry wide in the country last year was $800 including the session fee and the portraits. It may go down slightly this year because of the recession, however senior portraits is a big business. It is the 2nd largest event for photographers next to weddings. It is not just about taking a few pictures and printing a few 8 x 10's and 5 x 7's anymore. The digital revolution has spawned many new exciting products that are all done in Photoshop. Collages, multiple exposures, digital backgrounds, borders with swirls are just some of the newer products available.

Why are senior portraits so expensive? Just like most photography, you are not paying for a piece of photographic paper. The value is in the image, the artistic creativity of the photographer and the heirloom value of the image. It will last forever (or at least for the rest of your life) to enjoy and cherish. That is why it is so important to know and trust the photographer you are working with. Whoever you use, make sure you are offered a 100% money back guarantee in case you are not satisfied.

You will probably find smaller studios more pleasant to work with. There is more consistency in working with one or two people in a studio than a larger staff. Lastly, many studios offer senior ambassador roles as models and spokespersons for them. These promotions generally start early in the spring before the senior season begins to help jump-start the season. This is a good way to save money, as discounts are generally applied.

Besides being a professional photographer I am also a mother of two children ages 17 & 21. I know first hand how quickly the time goes and how soon they grow from childhood to adolescents to young adults. Our children's senior portraits are a constant reminder of the tapestry of our lives. It is our personal artwork that has meaning.