Senior Portraits: Location

02 May Senior Portraits: Location

Now that you know what the steps are to have your senior pictures taken, let’s talk about location! Our studio in Salem is the perfect spot because we’re so close to everything. We have both indoor and outdoor spaces to assure that we accommodate any yearbook requests while also letting you personalize your session. For indoor sessions, we offer a variety of backdrops to compliment you, your makeup, your outfit, everything! For outdoor sessions, we have a large green space with rocks, trees, and tall grass. We love the way the pictures look. But, understandably, some seniors want a more unique or sentimental feel to their pictures. To accomplish that, we’re happy to travel locally, giving you the pictures that truly capture you.

It’s important to remember that weather here in New England is unpredictable. No worries though, because the earlier you book, the better chance you have to book a retake day. Most schools in the area require that pictures be submitted by October 1st, so if you want sunny, beautiful photos, I definitely recommend booking sooner rather than later.

If you know you want to do your pictures on location but aren’t sure where to start looking, have no fear! I compiled a list of eight of our go-to places to take pictures. I hope you can find some inspiration here.

1. Beaches

As we all know, the weather gets hot during the summer. Lucky for all of us, we’re close enough to some local beaches that we can go enjoy the (very!) cold water. Or take some pictures! Over the years, we’ve had plenty of students request beach sessions, and the pictures always come out great! If this is something you’re interested in, we highly recommend either Hampton or Salisbury beach. Both have access to the water, boardwalks, and some other beautiful areas. Beach sessions are a great place to wear light, flowy clothing. We often have seniors climb onto the rocks or walk around in the water to get extra unique poses.

2. Backyards

This may be the easiest option on the list as it requires no extra work from you. We love this option for students with big backyards full of trees and flowers. Plus, getting pictures taken at home means you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. Even better, if you have a family pet you adore, you can bring them outside for pictures too. We are a pet friendly studio, so if you get indoor and outdoor pictures taken with us, you can still bring your dogs, cats, turtles, anything, really! But getting pictures taken at home often means both you and your animal will be more comfortable with your surroundings. Not to mention how sentimental these pictures are. You and your family will treasure them forever and always remember the day you got a photoshoot done at your house!

3. Sports Fields

This one is the best for all of our student athletes. Last summer, we had a Salem High football player request to get indoors done at our studio, and outdoor images done at the high school’s football field. We were able to both satisfy the yearbook requirements, and get pictures of the student in his uniform, on his field, in action. We had him pose with equipment from the sports he played and made sure to capture pictures of him in his jersey. The result: a wide variety of pictures that he was happy with. For any of our Windham High seniors, we’d be more than happy to come to your school for pictures, too! Our advice is just to make sure that no one else needs the field that day, so that we truly have free roam to get all the pictures that you want.

4. Parks

If you want your pictures to be full of greenery, trees, flowers, or fields we’d recommend looking at some local parks. Luckily, our studio in Salem is close enough to the highway that it’s easy for us to access a ton of local parks. Greeley Park in Nashua and Benson’s Park in Hudson both come to mind. Both have a bunch of walking trails filled with pretty sights that will make for wonderful backdrops. Benson’s in particular is very interesting as it used to be a zoo. There are still some animal cages on the property, as well as a shoe-house, a big red barn, a playground, and a dog park. There are so many things to see, and we love taking pictures at these locations. Our photographer, Paul, has done plenty of sessions at both locations, so he knows the best places to go.

5. Local Forests

Last summer, we had a 2022 graduate request to have her pictures taken at the Salem Town Forest. We were more than happy to oblige. At the entrance of the Salem Town Forest there is a little bridge that we used to take so many pictures. We took so many that we didn’t even go any further into the woods. If we had, we would have found walking trails and little ponds that could be used as backdrops, as well as a ton of big rocks to climb on and benches to sit on. The forest is full of possibilities, and, depending on how you want your pictures to look, it can be pretty magical. Windham also has a town forest, but if you want to stay closer to Salem High, the Field of Dreams is right next to it. Behind the playground you’ll find a trail through the trees that also has a little bridge, some huge rocks, and some fields. For all of our nature lovers, we highly recommend getting a little adventurous with your pictures.

6. Near the Water

Being in New Hampshire, we’re lucky to be close to so many lakes and ponds. All the way at the end of our studio’s street (we’re located at 59 Stiles Road) is Hedgehog Pond. There’s a skate park and a little path through the trees bordering the pond, but more than that, there’s a huge green space and a tiny beach. It’s a very pretty place for pictures, and being so close to the studio, it’s very easy to get to. Another pretty place in Salem is Canobie lake. There’s a public access that will get you right against the water that can create some stunning views. If you’re ever lucky enough to drive by during a really nice sunset, you’ll get to see the lake glowing with all the colors! Though the space is small and there are sometimes people fishing, Canobie is a great place to get some pictures taken.

7. On the town

Though we’re a bit too far to take pictures in cities like Boston or Manchester there are still plenty of really cute towns around New Hampshire to get that urban feel. The first thing that pops into my mind is the new Tuscan Village in Salem. When the weather is warm, they host the farmer’s market there every Sunday. There’s a man-made pond behind L.L. Bean, a big patio with fire pits, and a lot of really pretty brick walls that you can pose against. Though it’s certainly not a true hustle and bustle city, looking for hidden gems like the village will add a unique feeling to your pictures. Any sort of interesting or unusual background will do, and getting to be outside during your sessions is so much fun.

8. Farms and Fields

This may be my favorite place on this list! Every year, pictures pop up all over social media with people in these gorgeous flower fields. How pretty would your senior pictures be if you were in a field surrounded by flowers? You should check out the Colby Farm Sunflower Field in Newbury if you’re willing to go for a drive, or, if you’d prefer to take your pictures closer to home, Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry. Both have sprawling fields and so many flowers that would be the perfect addition to any senior picture. If you have a different public garden near you, let us know. We love the way flowers look as backgrounds, and I think you’ll love it, too!

All of the places that I mentioned above are within forty minutes of our studio in Salem. We offer traveling farther, but the more we have to travel, the higher the session fee will be as it varies by distance. Don’t be afraid to ask us about a fee when you book, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible to let you know how much it will cost. If your location is out of budget, talk to us. We may be able to suggest a different, closer location that will still match what you’re looking for.

Do you have other great locations in mind? Please reach out and let us know! We’re so excited to see you all this summer. Let’s see where the year takes us!