Styling Senior Photos - Outfits

If you're here, that means that you're a rising high school senior or a parent of a senior. First off--congratulations! That's a huge milestone in and of itself. Senior year is filled with so many firsts as well as lasts. It can be overwhelming, but I am here to take the stress out of your senior photos. One thing that most of my seniors stress over is their outfits. What to wear, what will photograph well, and what represents them. We'll discuss my go-to ways to style senior photos. Let's break down the outfits and the number of options that I recommend. When you're planning your senior outfits, I think it's important to plan for more outfits than you'll actually wear. I recommend 5-7 outfits for my high school girls and 3-5 for the guys. Why? Because not every outfit looks great in every location. Not every pose can be accomplished in the mini skirt. You also don't want to be photographed in your sweatpants in a formal setting. Matching the astestic of clothing to the location is important. The formality as well as the colors of the garments. I recommend that all my seniors have one look that is a bit dressier. This could be a suit jacket for the gentleman or a polo and a long dress for the girls. This is a timeless look and looks polished if you need a photo for college applications or a LinkedIn profile photo.

I also think that a basic outfit is necessary. A simple t-shirt and jeans or a sweater and skirt. Keep it simple though--no logos (unless it's your high school apparel). Look for plain clothes without tight weaves. This will prevent moiré--every photographer's worst nightmare! A basic outfit allows for a busier background in nature or a simple yet classy studio set-up.

After you get the shots for Mom and the basics, now is the time to have fun. Wear your prom dress, show off your sports, or just be uniquely you. Have fun with your session. Try a silly pose. Wear the funky kelly green corduroy jacket like I did in my own senior photos.

When you arrive at your session, we'll go over outfits and locations and make a gameplan. That way we can move quickly and efficiently and avoid 100 wardrobe changes. I have a pop-up tent for outfit changes on location. Some seniors opt to avoid a complete outfit change and dress in layers instead. Whatever your choice, I'll be there to capture it!