Not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera. After years of taking senior pictures, we’re aware that not every student is going to come out of their shell during their session. For some, senior pictures are a wonderful way to express themselves and preserve the memories of their senior year. For others, they’re simply a mandatory part of appearing in the yearbook. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun or leave with pictures you love!
Whether you’re shy, uncomfortable, or simply not enjoying the summer heat, we’re here to help you relax and get through it. An earlier blog will tell you what to expect while taking senior pictures, but here are even more tips to help lower your anxiety and keep your session fun!
Pose Ideas
Figuring out how to pose for senior pictures can be challenging. Your C3 Photographer will know how to pose you to make sure you look your best, but it can still be stressful for those of us with anxiety of not knowing what to expect. Luckily, there are some super easy poses you can practice at home, so you come prepared feeling totally natural and confident.
The best way to get ideas of poses is look up popular senior photo poses. Make sure that you get some ideas for both indoors and outdoors, sitting and standing. Scroll through your Instagram and see what kind of pictures you post most often: are they full body pictures or close-up selfies? Do you tend to tilt your head one way or another? Are you usually laughing and smiling or more serious in pictures? Gathering this information will help you decide what pictures you like the best and what outfits to focus on. Even if you don’t come up with any specific ideas, you can tell your photographer what you usually like so we’re sure to incorporate your style and comfort into the pictures!
Try crossing and uncrossing your legs in full body pictures or moving a hand up to your hair for close ups! Sometimes it may feel silly to be posing in front of the camera, but these pictures often come out beautifully! And feel free to think outside the box, too! Do you love dancing? Show us some of your favorite moves! And don’t feel like you must do anything. While we’re always looking to see some full-teeth smiles, smiling with your lips closed or doing more of a pout will give you more variety and freedom!
Think About What You Love
I’m assuming that some (okay, most) of us are chronically online, and because of that, it’s also safe to assume that we’ve all heard of an aesthetic. The word aesthetic means concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty, but online it’s morphed into something meaning personal style. But not just about clothing. An aesthetic is how you want your life to look. There are phrases like “dark academia” (full of dark clothing and old books) and “cottage core” (plants, thrifted dresses, and the outdoors) and they help define what you like. Incorporating your own ‘aesthetic’ into your photos can create pictures that feel like you, as well as make you feel more comfortable, dressed, and surrounded by things that you love. You can accomplish this with props and accessories.
Usually, when we talk about props, the first thing that comes to mind are sports equipment and instruments. And while we do have a lot of athletes bringing in hockey sticks and baseball gloves, you shouldn’t feel limited. Recently, we had a senior come in with a stack of playbills from different shows and awards. We took some pictures with them and, captured with the rest of her pictures that included some dancing shots, really created a portfolio that encompassed who she is. We also had a senior wear a big floppy sun hat and paired with her floral dress, her outdoors pictures really felt like that cottage core aesthetic. These are simple things that you can do for your own senior pictures, to keep yourself feeling comfortable while also getting amazing photos!
Choose Your Session Wisely
While most seniors choose to do an indoor as well as an outdoor session, you do not have to do that if you’re not comfortable. While living in New England is wonderful most of the time, the heat and humidity in the summer is a killer combination. For me, I prefer to stay indoors (in the ac!). On the other hand, some people prefer the way outdoor pictures look. For those clients, we offer both Indoor-Only and Outdoor-Only sessions. In all cases, we’re completely flexible, and ultimately just want to give you pictures that you’re happy to hang onto forever. And, if you end up doing only indoors but love the session and feel up to booking an outdoors session, you can always come back!
If you want to go even further outside the box, you can pick an entirely different location. Read more at this previous blog I wrote: previous blog about the best locations for senior pictures,. While we have options at our studio in Salem, NH, we can always travel and do a photo shoot in your backyard, a favorite park, the beach, or where you spend the most time and feel the most like yourself.
No Reason to Be Nervous
Almost all seniors walk out of here saying something along the lines of, “Oh, that wasn’t so bad!” Trust your classmates. There is no reason to be nervous. I know that doesn’t take away the stress, but we’re here to give you the best experience and pictures possible. Senior pictures are just the start to a year of fun things, and why not jump into your last year of high school having a blast? So, take a deep breath and smile; we’ll do the rest.
