Northern Virginia Photographer | How to Plan Your Senior Session
As Northern Virginia photographers, we understand a senior session may seem daunting. Especially if you’ve never had your picture taken professionally before, but don’t sweat it, we are going to make sure you look and feel good to ensure you enjoy your session to the max!
Before your session, we’ll send you a questionnaire. We want to get to know you – your hobbies and plans after graduation and what makes you – you. We ask these questions to help figure out the perfect location and setting for your photographs to best reflect your personality.
There are a few things we definitely want you to consider and keep in mind for your session
Senior Session | Consider Your Location
When it comes time to decide where to have your senior session, we recommend picking a place that has some significant meaning to you. Whether it’s your favorite park, basketball court, or even at your school. These photos are symbolic of your time in high school, and the decision on where to have them is really up to you! Please do remember that for some locations we might need to plan ahead – whether it’s asking for permission or scheduling a time where there will be fewer crowds of people. If you need some ideas for locations in Northern Virginia, some of our favorite places include Meadowlark Botanical Garden, Old Town Alexandria, and Occoquan.
Think about Your Outfit
For your senior session, we don’t want you scrambling the night before to make sure your favorite pair of jeans are washed, so try to have your outfit laid out a few days in advance. Make sure you try your outfit and shoes on, are you comfortable? Does everything fit alright? Does your outfit make sense with your location? If you’re getting a new outfit, try it outside of the dressing room – there’s nothing wrong with changing your mind, just give yourself enough time to prepare. Some favorites of ours are Asos, Lulu’s, Express and some local boutiques like Urban Posh Boutique!
Be Your Best Self
Whether it’s a new hair color, a new haircut, or a new outfit we want you to shine through each and every photo taken for your senior session. If you’re getting anything cut, dyed, waxed, or plucked – give yourself a few days’ grace to avoid any irritation, rashes or reactions. If you’re looking to hire a makeup artist, we recommend going with a natural, timeless look – trends come and go, and you’ll want to be recognizable as well as unembarrassed by the way you look at your 10-year reunion.
Embrace Your Authenticity
Maybe you love biking and want to get some photos on the trail, or maybe you want to get some images with your Grandmother’s piano that you learned to play at 3 years old – whatever your personality is, we want you to embrace it, and be proud of it! There is no such thing as cheesy, or awkward with us. Feel free to bring your cap and gown, favorite instrument or other important items you want to showcase, but at the same time our job is to get you comfortable enough that you’re okay with letting your true self out.
If you’re looking for experienced photographers to capture your day in DC, Maryland, Virginia or beyond, fill out our contact form. You can also learn more about us or check out our portrait experience page.
