Having your senior pictures taken is a big deal! It’s a big deal for you, your friends and especially your mom! You’ve made it to your last year of high school! Everything you’ve worked so hard for is within reach. This is the time you want to have fun and make tons of memories that will last a lifetime! Your senior pictures should be no different.

Here are a few tips that will help your senior session run smoothly.

1. Be on time. I can’t stress this enough!! There is only so much light in the day. If your session is close to sunset and you are running behind, this will cut into your portrait time and your gallery may not have the amount of images you had hoped for. And nobody wants to rush through a session! That’s no fun!

2. Choose your outfits wisely. If you look amazing in blue, wear it! Just because your friends are wearing baby pink, or bright red, but you don’t like how you look in those colors, skip them! Wear what you feel confident in! The same goes for comfort. This does not mean you show up to your session in your slouchy shorts and pajama top. Flattering clothes will always translate on camera as confidence! Flowy dresses, pressed shirts, crisp pants and cute strappy sandals are always in fashion! If you have a shirt, dress, or pants, that are too snug or too short, and you are constantly tugging or pulling at your clothes, this will show on camera. And the camera picks up everything! Especially wrinkles! I’m self conscious of my tummy area. I purposely skip tops or dresses that are snug through the middle. I’m just going to be hyper aware and tugging the entire time. If you are self conscious about your arms, skip the spaghetti straps and go for something more flattering, such as three-quarter sleeves, a flowy kimono or cute cardigan. Watch your undergarments. Supportive bras are your best friend! Colored or patterned bras and panties will show through your clothes. And lace bras will give you unflattering texturing on your shirts. Make sure to choose a smooth fit. Pick solid nude shades instead.

3. Makeup. You may want to invest in having professional makeup done for your session. Even if you’ve never worn make-up, colored gloss, such as light pink, coral or berry look great on all skin tones. A few coats of black mascara will make your eyes pop! If professional makeup isn’t something that you can get done before your session, go a little bit heavier on the mascara, blush and lip color. And if you’ve never tried out magnetic lashes, they are wonderful! They sell them at your local drugstore, ULTA and Sephora. Just make sure you give them a trial run or two!

4. Skip the spray tan! No matter how professional your spray tan looks, there are always spots where you can see the color pooling, such as in between the fingers & toes and sometimes around the neck. On hot summer days, the humidity can make the air sticky. Having your picture taken with orange streaks on your arms and legs is no fun. Plus, your natural skin color always looks best! And please…stay away from tanning beds!

5. Hair. You never know how the weather could change once you arrive at your session. What started out as just a slight breeze may turn into stronger wind gusts. The humidity may be high causing frizz or styles to fall flat. Here are some ways you can help your hair hold it’s shape & not turn into a flyaway mess. A little extra hairspray goes a long way. A trim is great, but don’t try out a new hair cut or color days before your session. Natural is always best. Adding curl to straight hair will give it shape and frame your face. If you have naturally curly hair and are worried about frizz, use products that help minimize frizz, but be careful not to overdo it! I’ve been there, done that, and LITERALLY have the pictures to prove it! Sadly, they are MY senior pictures!!

HAVE FUN! I remember my senior year of high school flying by in the blink of an eye! Enjoy this time you have. Soak in all the fun, memories and time spent with friends and family. It’s going to be a GREAT year!!