Tips for Senior Girls
Girls...want your senior pix to look their best? Well, here’s some tips from an expert...My name is Laur, I am usually the one helping in the camera room during senior season, I’ve seen it all and then some. So, take my advise, if you want the best looking senior pictures you can possibly have...listen up!
First, make-up. Whether you wear it or not, here’s some guidelines.
More is not necessarily better. A little goes a long way, heavy make-up or a “make-up line” on the jaw will not photo well. My advice is - if you wear makeup, wear what you normally do, but bring your powder & blush with you for touch ups. If you are not a make-up kinda girl, wear a light dusting of powder that matches your skin tone, a touch of blush & mascara. Either way, remember your lip gloss - clear, colored - it doesn’t matter, but a little shine to the lips photos great. AVOID GLITTER - it leaves little white spots on your pix. Oh yeah...about zits, don’t worry, we can retouch those, just don’t try to hide them under heavy concealer.
Nail polish, manicures & pedicures
Often overlooked, but a fresh coat of appropriately colored polish on the fingers & toes is really pretty. Pick a neutral color that will compliment (not insult) all of your outfits - french manicure still looks great. Even if nail polish isn’t your thing, a coat of clear polish adds a bit of sparkle to your pix. One other note about the manicure, if you don’t normally wear “nails” sometimes artificial nails will become more of a bother than an enhancement - think trying to get dressed if you are not used to them.
next...Tan lines
If you can see them, so will the camera & they are difficult to cover up, as is a sunburn. A little color is great, but if you are overly tanned, your skin tone could appear a bit on the orange side - not pretty. This is the same for natural or tanning bed tans. A note about self tanners...even though they have come a long way - be careful, especially on your elbows, knees & ankles - too much of a good thing can lead to that awful orange color under our camera room lights, and remember to wash your hands after applying or it can stain your fingers.
Tats & piercings
OK, even though you have one, does Grandma really want it in her pix? Let us include those things tastefully in some of your images, & take some without them showing. Its a win-win situation for both you & your parents. Hey, even plan a shot or outfit to showcase it.
Hairstyles
Not the time for a new do! Trim your hair a couple of weeks prior to your appointment so you have time to get used to it. This is also not the time to experiment with a perm, new color or highlights - both of which grow out rather quickly, leaving unsightly roots. Wear your hair naturally. If you wear it both curly & straight given the mood, by all means plan for it, but lets do those sessions separate. Do one session with one style & come back for another session for the other style, it will be easier on you & quicker. Remember to bring your curling iron or straightener for touch-ups, along with any products you will need. If you want a really fun, wild wet-head shot, we can plan for that at the end - just let us know ahead of time. The same goes with pony tails, if you want some shots with your hair up, we will plan for that at the end.
Clothing & Shoes & Stuff
Hey we want great pix of you and every girl knows a great pix starts with an awesome outfit, so here’s a couple of clothing tips.
Bring an assortment - Variety is the spice of pix
Take advantage of your 4-8 outfits. By assortment I mean different fabrics, textures & colors. DON’T bring all one style, one fabric or one color. The better assortment of clothing, the better variety of pix. Any question as to how it will photograph, just ask.
Trendy stuff
Ok, this is tricky. Keep in mind these pix are going to be around for a long time, especially the one hanging on the living-room wall. So, classic styles photograph better for close-ups or formal shots - think long sleeve & solid colored. Now - for the tricky part. Trendy clothing makes FUN FUN FUN images, especially when paired with the urbanscapes (brick walls, stairways), but...just because it’s a trend doesn’t mean it works for everyone. So - again, variety - bring a bit of each, BUT make sure you feel good in it.
Wear it well - how it fits
Please DON’T be tearing off tags when you get here. Try it on, wear it a bit. Sit, stand, bend & lay down in it - because that’s what you will be doing here. If it feels bad or fits funny, it won’t photo well. So, don’t waste your money & camera time on a bad outfit.
Stuff showing - Exposing yourself
If you don’t want your belly (or back or cleavage) to show, cover it up, not by tugging on your outfit, but by wearing something that will. Enough said (and yes, I am a Mom). If you see it, so can the camera, and so will everyone else.
Showing lines - undergarments
Again, if you can see it, so will the camera. Watch bra straps & panty lines (color too). Light colored tops & bottoms can become quite sheer in the camera room lighting. And, a quick note about bra straps showing, I know the trend, but really...will it be the trend 5 years from now - doubtful. You get the idea, I don’t think I need to say any more...do you?
Shoes or no Shoes
I know flip flops are still a big deal, so if you want to wear them in a picture make sure they are clean - tops & bottoms. Also, barefoot is great, most of our indoor shots are taken barefoot but check the bottoms of your feet, dirty flip flops can leave dirt on the bottoms of your feet, if we take a tummy shot & your feet are up, we will see the bottoms...get the idea? Outside, we prefer you wear shoes, more for your safety then anything else. If you want to be barefoot somewhere, just drop the shoes right before the shot. One last note...Bring shoes for each outfit, remember your tennies for sports/cheerleading, dress shoes for your formal outfit if you want a full length - when in doubt BRING IT!
Accessorizing & other stuff!
Hey, every girl needs a bit of the shiny pretty to sparkle up an outfit, so keep a couple of things in mind.
Jewelry
First, what are we photographing...You or the jewelry. By all means, bring necklaces, earrings & bracelets to match, just remember, the first thing we want to notice is your pretty face. To keep track of what jewelry goes with what outfit, I suggest grouping it all together, placing it in a zip lock baggy & attaching it to the hanger of the outfit it goes with. That will keep everything organized - no searching for it in the dressing room & it will remind you to change accessories with each outfit. Don’t forget your class ring and any other jewelry that has special meaning.
Belts - scarves, headbands, caps
What ever your style, make sure you group it with your outfit so you don’t forget it. If you are wearing anything to alter your hairstyle, let us know so we can plan that at the end of your session so your hairstyle is not ruined.
Glasses or contacts - to see or not to see!
Either way - cool. If you wear glasses you will probably have glare, the best way to eliminate that is to have your eye doctor pop out your lenses or provide you with blank frames. This is especially important if your lenses are uv sensitive or have a protective coating on them. If you wear contact, bring some eye drops. Sometimes the lights can dry out your eyes, we don’t want them to become tired or red. Sunglasses - can be a great accessory for your outdoor outfits, don’t forget to include them. Otherwise keep them handy for going outdoors.
About your session - what to expect
Your senior pix can be a very nerve racking experience for a lot of girls, but it doesn’t have to be, so here’s a couple of things to expect once you get to the studio.
What to bring - if in doubt bring it
Bring more than you need, we can always eliminate outfits, but we can’t “add in” the belt or shoes you forgot at home - nor will you have the time to run back home to get it. Remember props are welcome - cars, trucks, bikes & pets are great additions to your images, just make sure we know what you are bringing so we can be ready for it.
Stay organized
This is the key to a wonderful session experience. The more time you spent in the dressing room searching for stuff, the less time we have to shoot awesome pix. Keep your outfits & all it’s stuff together so you don’t have to search for stuff in the dressing room. Don’t forget to pack all of your extras you want to be photographed with, sports equipment, awards, stuffed animals, favorite books, dvd’s & cd’s.
Where we start
Once you arrive - on time - at the studio, you will be escorted to your private dressing room. This is your space for the duration of your session time. Your camera room assistant will help organize your outfits in the order we will take them, discussing background options, colors & locations. Most of the time, we will begin your session with your indoor formal outfit - don’t worry about having to wear your first outfit to the studio, you will have plenty of time to change, but do have your hair & makeup camera ready.
Your input
Hey, these are your pix, so let us know what YOU want. Bring pictures you like, of friends & out of magazines so we can see how you expect your images to look. We will take a variety of shots with each outfit, including images for Mom & Dad & images for you. Need more ideas...check out our website, or arrive a few minutes early to look at our display boards & books.
Set the tone
What to rock in the camera room - no problem, all music styles are welcome, so please, bring your cd’s, we will gladly play the during your session.
Having an audience
Bringing friends and family to your session is always welcome, but keep in mind, too much of a good thing can be a distraction. This is your session & we want you to be as comfortable during it as possible. Sometimes the chatter from extra people - or all eyes on you can become a bit overwhelming, so we suggest keeping the extras to a minimum. If you do have extra people with you, we have plenty of space in our lobby for them to wait it out. Remember, we will have an assistant in the camera room with the photographer to help with your session.
