Prep Guide FOR SENIORS

Thank you so much for booking with me and supporting my small business! I love what I do and it’s families like yours that make my heart sing! So, thank you! I am looking forward to working with you and documenting your story … in the making. All the emotion, your personality, your connection … your senior story. Please use this guide as your go-to resource to help you prepare for your session.

what to Expect with a lifestyle SENIOR session?

Lifestyle photography is a style of photography that mimics real life, but is very much planned, posed, and directed to achieve the preferred end result.

Usually I’ll start these sessions with the “mantelpiece” shots – those posed / formal portraits that you might decide to frame and put up on your mantelpiece.

Next, I’ll offer up some prompts to get you to move, laugh, etc. The whole idea behind this is to get you to forget me and my camera, so that you can just be yourself. (Pro tip: these also end up on people’s mantelpieces, because sometimes people prefer the candid-looking shots). Much of your photoshoot, we might explore the area and set up shots as we go.

If you’ve chosen to add in some extra time to incorporate some of your hobbies or sports I might ask you what a typical movement in that type of activity looks like. Then I’ll have you do some of those movements a couple of times so that I can figure out the best angles to capture it. It’s actually a fun activity and produces some really great images.

Timing

The absolute best time to take outdoor photos is during golden hour – either one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. I know that can be difficult with schedules, and I can for sure adjust a bit to accommodate, but the lighting becomes magical the closer to golden hour that we are. Having said that, we can always find some  shade and schedule earlier if necessary.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

We are so lucky to have the beauty that we do all around us. It’s not hard to find amazing locations with mountains and/or meadow views.

We can discuss your favorite location ahead of time, or if you need suggestions, I’ve traipsed about a good chunk of our trails and know some amazing spots for photos. I’m happy to travel locally or up into the mountains for good views!

I do hold an OSMP photography permit and happy to obtain other permits as necessary. I will follow all Open Space and Leave No Trace rules and expect my clients to respect that as well. (Sorry! No smoking on my watch!).

what to wear

I know figuring out what to wear for your session can be, … challenging (I have a whole wardrobe of pandemic-era yoga pants that I love and if that’s what you hang out in most days, I get it, because, same!), but for your session, I advise that you pull together some outfits that makes you feel good.

This can be a simple outfit that you will be comfortable and confident wearing (my favorite = jeans and a plain t-shirt or sweater), and represents who you are in this time of your life. Bottom line: comfort and confidence is key!

And if you want to see some ideas on what looks good together, I’ve created a whole Pinterest board for your perusal and inspiration (but don’t go too far down that rabbit hole – keep it simple!

Peruse my Pinterest Guide for Ideas
Relaxed senior portrait leaning against stone tunnel in natural light at Eben G. Fine Park

BELOW ARE SOME GOOD PRINCIPLES TO KEEP IN MIND . . .

~ DO ~

  • Dress to compliment, not to match: choose a color scheme and looseley fit all clothing into that scheme, mixing patterns and solids.
  • Layer your clothing. Layers photograph very well.
  • Err on the side of too much color.
  • Accessorize. Remember belts, jewelry, hats, hair accessories, etc.
  • Choose clothing you can sit on the ground in.
  • Vary textures, like denim, lace, chunky sweaters, etc.
  • Consider the color palette within your home and dress to complement those colors, if you plan on hanging a portrait in your home.
  • Wear lip balm or lip gloss.

~ DON’T ~

  • Choose clothes that are overly dressy.
  • Choose clothes that are overly casual.
  • Choose anything uncomfortable or that prevents free movement.
  • Choose a bright white shirt.
  • Choose too many prints or patterns that will detract or confuse your eye.
  • Wear character t-shirts, logos, emblems, or graphics on your clothes, as these can detract from the image.
  • Wear heavy makeup, as clumpy mascara or foundation is very hard to correct in post-processing. (A little color, however, cann be beautiful).
  • Get a fake tan within ~2 weeks of your session.

How to have the most success . . .

I like to have a lot of fun during my senior sessions. Here are a couple tips to keep things moving along:

  • For this to run smoothly, please arrive at least 5 – 10 minutes early, so you can make sure hair is combed and you’re all ready to go. Please give yourself plenty of time to park, walk to the location, and prep yourself (shake yourself off and relax!).
  • Please keep in mind that I schedule sessions around the available light (golden hour). If you are late, I cannot guarantee that we will get everything we need before the sun goes down. Please be on time!
  • Bringing along a snack and water is a great idea – especially if it’s something that won’t stain outfits, but will keep the hunger pangs at bay. Some wet wipes are always a good idea too, to clean up those crumbs.
  • Nervous about posing in front of the camera? Don’t be! Shake those nerves off, and if you need a boost of confidence, just watch Zoolander (blue-steel anyone?). Sort of kidding, but not really. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and envision yourself with the most confidence ever and the best, most calm visage on the planet. You’re gorgeous just the way you are, and my job is to capture that for you.
  • Careful on the makeup to those who wear it. I advise that you keep it simple and clean. Avoid glitter or sparkly makeup as that can look splotchy in photographs. A little coverage is okay; caked on coverage is nearly impossible to correct in post-processing. Don’t worry too much about a small acne breakout – this is actually pretty straightforward to fix during the editing stage. Bring lip balm!

what happens after the session?

After your session, I will select the best images — I promise at least 30 and usually deliver a couple more — and then will start the editing process. Your photos will be waiting for you in your online proofing gallery within 4 weeks of your session.

Remember, your proofing gallery is only available for 24 hours once you click the link, or until you purchase your Photo Collection – whichever comes first – but once you’ve selected and paid for your Collection, your gallery will be available for one month, pre-loaded with your print credit and set for you to download the number of files that corresponds with your Collection.

copyrights (and wrongs)

Once you’ve got your digital files in hand, you are free to print them when, where, and as often as you wish – you can use them to make holiday cards, share on your social media pages or personal blog, etc.

The only things you can’t do are related to the resale of your photos or use for commercial/business purposes. For instance, if you authored a book, you’d need additional permission to use one of the photos on the dust jacket, and you wouldn’t be able to enter one of the photos into a contest and win prize money for it. 

I believe in the power of print …

I strongly believe you should print your family images to share and enjoy. I’ve searched for the highest quality professional print labs the world over. I source the highest quality products and these are archival quality and will last a lifetime. So get excited and start thinking about what heirloom products you’d like to share with your family.

Not sure which products you might like the best? Let’s chat – I’m happy to help you select something that you will love. I also offer design services (think wall displays and album design) to my clients.

printing your images

While everything that I offer in my store is printed in professional labs and guaranteed to be beautiful, I also recognize that you may want to print your images yourself, and thanks to those digital files, you absolutely can!

I recommend artifactuprising.com for local online printing (they’re in Denver) or mpix.com. Both of these labs offer higher quality prints than some other popular consumer labs. Be sure to upload the original files you downloaded, not copies. The files you receive from me should allow you to print up to 20′ x 30″ at a minimum (but holler if you need help – I’m just a phone call away!).

CHECK OUT A SAMPLING OF WHAT’S IN MY ONLINE STORE

THANKS FOR CHOOSING ME for your session!

I know there are a lot of photographers out there and I do not take lightly the trust that you’ve placed in me. I look forward to working with you and creating gorgeous images of your senior year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions! 

The Blog

Because your life is a story worth telling.