tips for digital photography

Posted on: 4 August 2015

Gone are the days when seniors posed for their portraits in a studio with a plain background. It's time to get creative with your senior portrait. You want your senior portraits to encompass your personality, but that isn't something that's always easy to accomplish. Check out these senior portrait tips before you meet with your photographer so that you get senior portraits the show the real you.

What to Wear

When you arrive at the photo shoot for your senior portraits, you need to have at least three outfits with you. In fact, you might want to take four or five so that you have additional options if one outfit doesn't work out as expected. But, how do you decide what outfits to bring?

Casual clothing is appropriate for the majority of your photos, but you should have at least one classic outfit with you. Some seniors also take senior portraits in formal dresses or tuxes. In addition to a classic outfit, bring a few trendy outfits. 

Try to avoid outfits without busy patterns, logos, and bright colors because it draws the focus away from you. Instead, stick with options in solid prints so that you are the picture's main attraction. Also to keep the focus on you, limit the amount of jewelry you wear and keep you hair and makeup natural.

Don't forget to put a little bit of thought into the top you plan to wear for your close-up yearbook photo. Avoid shirts with broad necklines because they broaden your neck. Instead, choose a collared or v-neck shirt to thin your neck and frame your face. Also, long-sleeve or three-quarter sleeves look better in a close-up picture than sleeveless or short-sleeve shirts.

Bring Personal Props

The easiest way to bring out your personality in your senior portraits is to use personal props in your photos. For example, if you play football, bring a football. You could also include an instrument that you play, or items that represent your favorite hobby.

Practice Posing

You have a limited amount of time to get numerous good shots, and the last thing that you want are senior portraits that show you with a fake, cheesy grin. So, take some time to practice posing at home before the shoot. You want your smile to look as natural as possible, so practice smiling without squinting your eyes. 

Also, practice several different standing and sitting positions in the mirror to see what type of poses look the best with your body type. When you're practicing poses, watch your arms and legs. It's often best to have one arm or leg slightly bent. And make sure you are sitting up straight without looking stiff.

Your senior portraits are pictures that you'll remember forever. Take some time to plan your outfits, props, and poses before your photo shoot so that you get pictures that you love. For more tips, contact a professional photographer, like those at Monte Evans Photography.