Congratulations on reaching the last year of your high school career! Graduation is a huge moment in any student’s life. Whether you’re preparing to head off to college or start your career, or even if you’re taking a gap year, this moment marks a huge milestone both in your life and the lives of your parents, and it deserves to be celebrated.

Senior portraits are a perfect way to capture your transition into adult life, but getting in front of the camera can be a little nerve-wracking for some. You may not know how to pose or what expression to have on your face. Do you smile should you be serious? Do you face the camera or look away? What time of year should you have your photos taken? What time a day is good for pictures?

Well, we’re here to answer all your questions. In fact, that’s why we put together this list of tips for getting the most out of your senior session and getting images you’ll love. And if you still have questions after reading these tips, feel free to ask!

Trust Your Photographer

This is the number one tip for any type of photo shoot. You hired a professional to ensure you get images you love and will want to share with family and friends, so trust their expertise. This is why it is important to do your research on what senior photographer you choose.  If you’ve never worked with a photographer before, assured that they will guide you through poses, making sure they get the best possible shots. When you choose a senior photographer who specializes in senior portraits, sports pictures and lighting, you get to work with someone who has years of experience taking just the type of senior photos you’re looking for and who is sure to provide you with photos you’ll love to share and will cherish for years to come

Be Fully Present

You probably hear a lot about mindfulness these days, but one of the best ways to truly enjoy your senior session and feel more comfortable is to simply be in the moment. Don’t stress about your hair or makeup or how you’re standing. Going back to the point above, if you trust your photographer allow them to work their magic.  Just focus on relaxing and being your genuine self. Talk to your photographer, interact with them, and chances are they’ll encourage a smile or laugh out of you. These small, fun moments are so much more authentic than carefully posed and staged portraits and will allow your true personality to show through your photos.

Have Fun

Speaking of showing off your personality, don’t be afraid to look silly, act goofy, or make a funny face. Sometimes a ridiculous pose is just the thing you need to loosen up! Dance around, wave your arms, go frolicking through a field—your senior session is all about you, from the things you love to your high school accomplishments. The more you let yourself relax and have fun, the more you show off who you are, which is exactly what everyone wants to see.  If you are doing a sports portrait session be who you are on the field.  You will love seeing that intense personality and how it comes across in your sports portraits.

Plan Out Your Outfits

When it comes to choosing what to wear for your session, be sure to think ahead. Choose outfits you love and pieces that make you feel good. If you buy anything new, be sure to wear it and try it out before your session. The last thing you want is to be uncomfortable. And don’t forget to take your undergarments into consideration! You don’t want bright underwear showing through your flowing white dress or bra straps peeking out of a cute blouse. Plan your whole outfit down to your accessories to make sure everything goes together.

Get Your Makeup and Hair Professionally Done

You may be a pro at makeup, but the skills of a licensed makeup artist can ensure that you look perfect in every photo. A professional can also help make sure your makeup doesn’t run or smear during your session. The same goes for a professional hair stylist, who can style your hair in a way that looks amazing on you and holds through all your posing and outfit changes.  We work with some of the best make-up artist in the Coachella Valley, so if you don’t know who to call please let us know.

Only Bring People Who Make you Feel at Ease

You don’t want a crowd at your photo session, so be sure to only invite along people who bring out the best in you and let you be your true self. It’s natural to bring a parent along (chances are they’re probably footing the bill for your session), but only include other friends or family members if you feel comfortable around them. If someone is there who makes you feel awkward, your images will come out inauthentic, and we want the real you to shine through!  We all have that one friend that can make us crack up and lighten up the mood… invite them along.

The post 6 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Senior Session first appeared on Wedding Photography Quinceanera.

Denise is a class of 2020 senior that attends Desert Hot Springs high school.  She was the winner of our big senior portrait session giveaway we did earlier this year.  Denise plays volleyball and is planning on attending college after her high school senior year.  

When Denise came in she was a bit shy but quickly warmed up.  Denise’s session was lots of fun taking her senior portraits.  We especially had fun taking the diving pictures.  We had to do it a few times to get it right.  Denise’s mom was helping to throw the volleyball towards her so that she could dive and hit it before it hit the ground.  For a while, the ball hit her face, neck and every area except her hands J.  The outtakes from her senior portraits are hilarious!  We were all laughing and having a great time! 

Denise was able to borrow a volleyball from her school which is awesome because the schools usually have custom balls made with the school logo and or school colors.  This helps to make for some unique senior portraits.  We always recommend adding anything that helps personalize your senior portraits which is why we have all of our seniors complete our senior questionnaire. 

One thing to note about Denise’s senior portraits that may help others schedule their session.  We are sometimes at the mercy of the team.  We wanted to do the senior portraits earlier in the year but we had to wait for the season to start so that Denise could get her jerseys.  That being said, if you plan on taking senior portraits with a school uniform you may have to talk to the coach about letting us borrow the team jerseys. 

Lisandro Rivera Photography

The post Winner of Our Free Senior Portrait Session first appeared on Wedding Photography Quinceanera.

I’d like for your son/daughter to prepare for their high school senior sports shoot the same way they would prepare for a game. Bring all the equipment (including balls) you would typically need at a game and then some. What do I mean by “and then some”? Well, for instance… you may not like to use eye black in a game, however, for your pictures eye black can give your pictures a great look.  Being prepared will provide you with the best senior pictures.

For a boy I would also bring a suit or some nice pants/jeans with a dress shirt and tie, I like to mix in different looks. For girls, the same is true, bring a dress, depending on the situation it may be fun to add in a different look. Adding these different looks can show you are more than just an athlete. We also offer packages that include an on-location lifestyle high school senior session as well as a sports senior shoot.

Don’t Forget Your Jersey

If your high school senior is a multiple sport athlete, bring all the gear for the different sports. Also, if the sport is in season you should have the jersey/s. If, however, your sport is not in season it will be important to talk to the coach and explain you have a scheduled a high school senior pictures for your son/daughter and would like to borrow a jersey for the shoot. Try and get the jersey/number your daughter/son likes to wear; this makes them feel better about the shoot.

Our senior sports shoots are done on a green screen. We will add the background in post-production. Once the images are ready I will present them to you and you will select your favorite images.   I will work on creating the background for those images and you will then be invited to our office for the reveal.

Prior to the reveal, I ask that you please send me pictures of any walls you think you would like to hang up your wall art. You can take the pictures with your phone and send them to me (I will provide you with more information after the shoot).

On the day of the reveal, you will have the opportunity to purchase any images you like.

This is their high school senior year, let’s create something that will blow everyone away!

Click here to see our gallery for more ideas or join our facebook group.

Respectfully,

Lisandro Rivera
(310) 629-5575 / www.leeriveraphotography.com
IG: @lisandroriveraphotography

The post How to get Great High School Senior Sports Pictures first appeared on Wedding Photography Quinceanera.