Hello high school senior and/or family of a high school senior! :o)
I am so glad you are planning to document this special time in your lives! Senior portraits are so much more than just a photo for the yearbook, and I am honored to be able to capture them for my clients.
This is where you'll find information from when to schedule, how to prep, and what to bring to your session! This page is designed to answer most of the questions that seniors & their families have when they reach out to me, so I hope it answers all of yours! :o)
After you've reviewed these details, I'd love to chat with you!
A video call can be a great way to connect before the session!
Choosing Your Session's Date & Time
As a natural light photographer, I can photograph a senior session during any of the daylight hours. But the light in the early morning or late afternoon to evening is the best light to work with. Photographing at those times will give us the best light to work with and the most flexibility in almost every location.
If your senior session is taking place during the summer months, when most senior sessions are photographed, then that often means 7:00 am to 9:00 am start time in the mornings and a 5:00 pm to 7:00pm start time in the evenings. When you book your session date we will select a start time based on the location & exact day we are photographing!
Evening sessions often fill up faster, which I understand as a person who loves to sleep in! But early morning sessions have beautiful light as well and might make it easier to get on the schedule sooner.
I generally book sessions Monday through Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I also like to book a backup day just in case we run into weather!
Lastly, be sure to take the yearbook deadline into account for your session! We need enough time between your session & your school's deadline for all post session workflow to be completed, as well as time for you to choose your yearbook photo! I recommend at least three weeks.
Choosing Your Session's Location
Locations are up to you & your senior! I shoot natural light so I prefer for us to be outdoors, in an area where we can walk around freely. Places with structures & shade give us more flexibility about the hours we can photograph. In an open field, we really need the light to be just so to get great portraits.
If you are looking for a more natural backdrop (trees, stone, grass, etc), I love parks, creek spaces, etc. If you are looking for a more urban backdrop (concrete, windows, buildings, etc), I love downtown Denver, the DTC, and even libraries, or just inside your neighborhood.
I've done sessions in the open spaces near my client's houses, as well as at more specific locations like Cherry Creek state park, the Highlands Ranch Manor, the DTC, downtown Denver, & the Highlands. We can find multiple backgrounds at almost any location, so just think about the feeling you want for your photos, more urban or more natural.
If you have a specific location you want to use, all we need to do is check to make sure we can freely photograph there, as some places require us to purchase a permit* and some places simply do not allow professional photography :o)
*Acquiring permits to photograph in special locations can take several business days and will be subject to additional fees. Please know that we will need to plan ahead if you wish to use a location that requires a permit.
Feel free to think outside the box for your location!
Do you have access to a special location that isn't open to the public?
Know someone with a spectacular house or backyard?
I'd love to hear your ideas for your session location!
Clothing & Props
The outfits you wear are entirely up to you!
Most clients choose two or three outfits and I think it's most important to pick outfits that represent their style. My best recommendation is to be careful about heavy patterns on clothes as they can be distracting in photos, and make sure that we are following the yearbook rules/dress codes with at least one outfit. We want to be sure to know what outfits follow school dress code so that we have plenty of options for choosing the yearbook photo.
Some clients like to bring props such as instruments, a letter jacket, a photo of them as a little kid, or even a pet! Also, feel free to get your hair styled or your make up done for the session if you'd like to!
It helps me to see the yearbook guidelines from your senior's school before the session so I know exactly what they are looking for.
How the session flows
Time: The length of a session is really flexible, it depends on how far we walk to find locations, how quickly we get into a comfortable rhythm, how many outfit changes are desired, and how long one can stand to have their picture taken :) I've had senior sessions that wrapped in less than a 1/2 hour, and I have had some that took 90 minutes, but the average is about 45 minutes.
I always plan to have two hours of my time to shoot just in case we run into weather, one or both of us are delayed arriving, or we are just having fun and want to keep going. I always suggest clients do the same :)
Who attends the session: I leave that up to you! I have photographed seniors who really want a sibling or a parent there for moral support or to check their hair/outfits, etc and I've worked with kids who specifically didn't bring family members because they are too nervous in front of them.
I do ask that we keep the party small so that we don't get distracted!
Double the session, double the fun!
Clients sometimes request to book a similar session time as a friend, to bring a sibling along for sibling photos, or even to add on a family mini session to their senior session! If this is something you'd like to do, I am more than happy to send over more details about how that works!
Just let me know when you contact me about your session!
After your session
You can expect your photos to be delivered within a week of the session! I will email a link to the password protected gallery where you can see all of your proofs, order prints if you wish, and share the images with friends & family.
If you pre-purchase your digital files you get a pin number to download the files immediately and you can share that information with whoever you wish. There is no limit on downloads.
Your gallery will be live for 30 days. I always recommend clients back up their photos in at least two places before it expires :) While I never delete client files, I cannot guarantee always keeping a copy of your files.
I strongly encourage you to print your photos. They are meant to be seen, enjoyed, and tangible. Not just as a short term profile picture or as a one time social media post. If you need help ordering prints or would like a consultation on how to select which photos to order, I'd be happy to help just drop me a line.
Investment
The session fee is $550, that covers the shoot, editing, & one digital photo file for you & your senior to submit for the yearbook. This is due prior to your session.
If you are interested in digitals, I offer ALL of the images from the session for $200 and you get both the full resolution size and a social media/email size that is ready to share. I also have an a la carte price list for individual digitals, prints, albums, canvases, print boxes, etc. I can send more complete pricing for anything you are interested in.
Clients often purchase the session & the digitals, then print on their own, which you are welcome to do if you wish. I can also help facilitate ordering photographs if you'd like :) I order from a professional photography lab and their quality is incredible. They make photo boxes, albums, metal prints, and canvases, most of which I have samples of if you want to see those options :)
You can also book the session and then decide what other information you are interested in. Many clients book just the session, and then once they have seen the gallery then they purchase the full gallery of digitals :)
Almost all of my clients opt to book the session & purchase all the digitals.
That total, $750, is due prior to the date of the session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many images do we get?
While I don't promise a certain number of images, generally my delivered galleries are upwards of 50 photographs. One of my favorite shoots last season I delivered 225 photographs from the session.
This number depends, in part, on how excited the senior is to have their photo taken. How much energy they have for photos, how many outfits they wish to do, and how much variety we have at the location. The longer we shoot, the more images we will have.
I also like to "shoot through" the moment, which results in a several facial expressions in each pose. I deliver all of these so that you can choose for yourself which facial expression you like the best.
The smile I might like best in a pose might be different than your favorite smile from that series, or the smile you want on your graduation announcement. I prefer to leave the choice up to you!
If you'd like to see a sample gallery, please click here.
How long is the session?
Sessions can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 60 minutes.
Again, this depends on the individual senior. I have had seniors who want to "just get this done" and we've gotten great images in 15 to 20 minutes. I had a senior session last season where we had barely 15 minutes to get their yearbook shot and they had more than 50 photos in their gallery.
I've also had seniors who wanted to use the full 60 minutes to create as many images as possible. If your student wants more than 60 minutes of shooting time, we can book a more extensive custom session for them!
Can I use my digital images for printing, graduation announcements, etc?
You may use your images in any non-commercial way that you wish. They are yours!
I offer two options when you download your gallery, the full size images & social media sized images. Just be use to use the full size images in any prints or designs you create.
Social media images are just that, images that have been resized smaller so that they are perfect for social media sharing.
If you do need help designing & ordering graduations announcements, etc, I am happy to help.
What about prints or albums, etc?
Knowing that your photographs are printed and tangible in your lives is such a joy for me.
My commitment is to making sure that professionally printed images are accessible for all my clients. While I cannot match the prices of consumer printers, I keep my print pricing to what will cover my costs & time only.
To see my most commonly requested print size price list, please click here.
If you prefer to print your images on your own or at the consumer lab of your choosing, you are of course welcome to do so!
Next Steps!
Ready to get started?
Use the buttons below to start filling out your forms & book your date & time.
Prefer to schedule a little video chat first? Click here to book your 20 minute Meet & Greet call.
Client Questionnaire
Just some getting to know you questions! Also where I can hear all the ideas you have for the session!
Model Release
If over 18, the senior needs to fill this out. If under 18, a parent or guardian needs to fill this out.
Book Your Session
Ready to get on my calendar? Click to see when I am available and request your session date!
all content copyright Rather Poetic © 2009 - 2023
Terms of Use | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy