How To Take Those Perfect Senior Portrait Photos

For most American teens, senior portraits are considered a rite of passage. The smile of a 16 or 17-year-old girl or boy in his or her senior portrait gives off the aura that he or she is ready to take those final transitional steps into young adulthood. Additionally, as is the case with newborn photos, the first day of school photos, and the first day of high school photos, senior portraits capture a very special milestone in an individual’s journey through childhood and are sure to make for some nostalgic moments years down the road.

But as is the case with most things in photography (and in life), there’s a specific art to getting that perfect set of photos.

Here are a few tips our team of professionals at Tumbleston Photography recommends to ensure that you do so.

Pick your background in advance

Selecting your background in advance is a universal tip within the world of photography, at least whenever possible. But this tip is delivered with even more emphasis than usual with senior portraits, as this is a true once-in-a-lifetime situation- so you’d really like to get it right. The goal here is to select a background that best enhances your personality and looks the best, and the way to know you’ve successfully done so is to test them out. Feel free to experiment with different colored backgrounds, or even pose in different areas of your backyard or hometown. The bottom line is that something that’s going to be live on in a scrapbook forever requires time, effort, and careful planning.

Be happy!

It may seem like this should be a given, and if being genuinely happy for your senior portrait comes naturally to you, then great! However, some people genuinely do not like having their pictures taken. For others, it may seem like a waste of time, or that there’s something else they’d rather be doing. Yet regardless of how you feel about having your senior portraits taken at that moment, chances are that one day, you’re going to want to look back at them for some reason or another. So if you’re one of those who happen to not enjoy the endeavor, try to keep that in mind. If you’re still having trouble producing a genuine smile, try to think of something that makes you happy- your favorite memory, or your favorite sport, or your favorite vacation, or whatever it may be.

Variety is your friend

Not only does the adage “shoot more than you need” hold true in terms of the simple number of pictures snapped, but it also holds true in terms of what, exactly, the camera is grabbing. Be sure to get pictures of yourself in different poses, looking at different angles, and even doing different things in different locations if possible. Feel free to experiment with poses that capture the essence of your high school years; for example, if you play football, try a few poses with a football in your hand, or if you’re a musician, try a pose or two with your favorite instrument.