Planning your senior pictures doesn’t mean you need to show up with a car full of props or have every pose mapped out before we start. But there are a few things that can make your session feel more personal, give us more variety, and help your photos actually look like you.
After photographing high school seniors for years, these are the top three things I recommend bringing to your senior photo session.
If you're just starting to plan yours, you can also take a look at my Senior Portrait Experience to see more about how I help seniors plan their session from beginning to end.
1. Something Personal to Your High School Experience
This is always one of my favorite recommendations because senior pictures shouldn’t just document what you looked like your senior year. They can also tell a little bit of the story of who you were during it.
That might mean bringing a letterman jacket, sports equipment, an instrument, dance shoes, something connected to a club or organization—or, in Lauren’s case, a very special four-legged friend.
Lauren is a senior at Allen High School and serves as Vice President of FFA. Through her involvement in FFA, she has also been raising and training Opus through Canine Companions.
Canine Companions provides highly trained service dogs to people with disabilities, and volunteer puppy raisers play an important role in preparing those dogs for their future work. Opus is nearing the end of this stage of his training with Lauren and will graduate in November before moving on to more intensive professional training.
So when we started planning Lauren’s senior photos, including Opus was an easy decision.
We chose Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve in Plano because it gave us plenty of open space to work with. Plano’s largest park covers roughly 800 acres, which made it a great fit for a session where Lauren and Opus needed room to walk, interact and move naturally together.
Instead of trying to make every image perfectly posed, Lauren and Opus could walk together, run through the field and just be themselves.
Those images became more than cute photos with a dog. They document something Lauren has devoted a huge part of her high school career to—and a chapter that is about to change.
That is exactly the kind of thing I want my seniors to think about when planning their session.
What has been important to you during high school? What will immediately take you back to this season of your life five or ten years from now?
Bring that.
Lauren is also part of my Senior Model Team, where we focus on creating sessions and experiences that feel different from a traditional once-a-year school portrait.
2. More Outfit Ideas Than You Think You'll Need
When it comes to senior photo outfits, I would much rather have you overplan than underplan.
You don't necessarily need to wear every outfit you bring. Having options simply gives us the ability to make decisions based on the location, lighting and overall look we’re creating.
I usually recommend choosing outfits that feel different from one another rather than bringing several versions of basically the same thing.
For example, you might bring:
- Something casual that feels like your everyday style
- A dressier outfit
- One outfit with more texture, layers or movement
- Something connected to your school, sport or activity
Accessories can help too. Jackets, hats, boots, jewelry and different shoes can completely change an outfit without requiring another full wardrobe change.
And don't be afraid to bring something you're unsure about.
Sometimes an outfit you weren't convinced would photograph well ends up being one of my favorites once we pair it with the right location.
This is also why planning your senior session ahead of time matters. My seniors receive guidance before their session so we can talk through outfits, locations and the overall feel they're wanting instead of trying to figure everything out once we arrive.
Overplanning gives us choices. Choices give us variety.
If you're looking for more inspiration while planning, browse through my Senior Portfolio and pay attention to how different outfits work with different locations.
3. An Open Mind About Movement
You don't need to know how to pose before your senior session.
Actually, I'd rather you didn't come in thinking you need to hit a certain pose every time the camera comes up.
A huge part of my senior sessions involves movement.
We might walk, spin, sit, run, play with your hair, adjust a jacket, interact with something you brought or move from one spot to another while I'm photographing you.
With Lauren and Opus, movement was especially important. Having a large field at Oak Point gave them room to interact naturally instead of constantly asking a dog to sit perfectly beside her and stare at the camera.
And the same idea applies even when you aren't bringing a dog to your senior pictures.
Movement helps take away that feeling of standing in front of a camera wondering, What am I supposed to do with my hands?
I'll guide you through it.
Some moments will be more posed. Others might happen in between poses when you're laughing, fixing your hair or walking to the next spot.
Those in-between moments are often some of the best ones.
Your Senior Session Should Tell Your Story
The best senior photo sessions aren't created by copying someone else's Pinterest board exactly.
They happen when we take inspiration, add the things that are important to you, and leave enough room for the session to unfold naturally.
Bring the personal things.
Bring more outfit options than you think you'll need.
And come ready to move, laugh and try things that might feel a little different at first.
We'll take care of the rest.
Lauren's session with Opus is such a perfect example of why I encourage seniors to personalize their photos. Years from now, she'll have beautiful senior portraits—but she'll also have photographs documenting this very specific chapter of her high school experience before Opus moves on to his next adventure.
And that's exactly what senior photos should do.
If you're looking for an Allen, Plano or McKinney senior photographer and want senior pictures that feel personal, relaxed and completely your own, I'd love to start planning with you.
Ready to start planning your senior session? Contact Mary Hickman Photography to get on the calendar.
