High School Senior Portrait Photography Tips
1. Location/Background
Look for structural elements (or other leading lines in nature if you aren’t near any architecture) to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject. Find beams, staircases, walkways, paths, lines of a building, to create leading lines to your subject.
2. Lenses
Choose an appropriate length lens (50mm or above) to avoid distortion when shooting close ups.
You don’t want heads or hips to look larger than they are in real life! I usually shoot with a 70mm or above. The longer the lens length, the more compressed your background will look, which creates that soft, creamy look behind the subject that we all love!
3. Light
Work with the light you are given during the day of your session, not against it.
Stay away from direct, glaring sunlight and speckled light from the trees.
Try the shaded side of the building where there is even lighting. Be ready to change your plan, look for something that will work best for the lighting situation you are given. Bad light can easily ruin a good location!
4. Poses
Choose poses that flatter your subject, look natural, and emphasize their personality. No stiff looking poses. Keep it moving and loose.
Avoid shooting straight on, shoulder’s square to the camera, or arms directly by their side. Rather, create a soft bend in the arm, turn hips slightly for a more natural look. Also be aware of hunched shoulders …… keep shoulders back.
For girls, be aware of their hips and how to best flatter them. Shifting weight to the back leg slims the hip closest to the camera.
For boys, create masculine poses. Folded arms or clasped hands make for a more masculine look.
Chin down to open up the eyes.
5. Angles
Do an occasional shot from above if you have double chin problems.
6. Expression
A big cheesy grin can sometimes look superficial. Try for a soft smile, or no smile for a more dramatic look. If you have made a connection with your seniors you’ll be more successful at getting natural expressions.
7. Keep It Fun
Crack jokes, be playful, get them to loosen up and have fun!
8. Framing
Use hands to frame the face or to give more visual appeal. Strive for graceful and elegant looking hands for girls and strong/masculine hands for boys. Watch for broken wrists and clenched fingers (relax the bends).
There’s a delicate balance between making senior girls look sweet vs. sexy. Their mothers will thank you later if you can aim for the sweet!
9. Be Creative!
Seniors love these creative shots because they make their session unique and tells a story about their personality. I usually do the more creative and fun posing at the end when they are tired of smiling and posing. I want to end on a fun note so they remember the shoot as a positive experience!
Seniors are so much fun to work with and will generally do whatever you tell them to! Do your homework before the session. Think about clothing, posing, lighting and location so you are ready to rock it and have fun!
So what are you waiting for?
