Senior year pictures are one of the best ways to capture memories from this milestone in your life and keep them with you forever.
Graduating from high school, college, or grad school is a HUGE accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated!
Here are some fantastic ideas for your senior pictures to give you the perfect starting place to plan your shoot with your photographer.
But before we jump into it...let's discuss something really important when planning any photography sessions.
Choose the Perfect Photographer!
It's so important to find and select the perfect photographer for your senior photos.
Just because someone is a professional photographer, doesn’t mean they take the type of photos that you will love.
Even within the niche of senior and graduation photography, you should take a look at the portfolios of multiple photographers. Every artist will have a different method of capturing pictures and editing style, so make sure you find one that you share the same vibes with throughout the process.
Plan Your Outfits
If you are planning to include your friends among the pictures, then coordinate.
What better than matching your dresses with you forever friends? Nothing, right?
Identical clothes give an insight of your friendship and the bond you share.
Long petite maxi dresses with some sequins and embellishing are the top favorite choice of every girl in the senior year. It not only looks ever classic but also portrays a smart long heightened look.
For the boys, it is always the suits. Something no one can argue about. A black suit with a bow tie will make you stand out in the pictures as the ever-charming guy.
You also might want to keep some extra outfits for the shoot day, just in case.
Quirky Hairdos
For a perfect picture, you need a perfect outfit and the hair. You know the girls' problems. When it comes to hair, they need to be stellar and unexampled, considering it really affects the mood too.
If long hair, then what else do you need? Front tie with back hair opened, some loose curls, and multiple hair accessories. The dreamy hair you have always wanted? Now is the time to experiment.
Short hair, no issue. Give your hair a nice blow dry or maybe some waves, and you are good.
A little gel or a blow-dry for boys will work well.
A Perfect Garden
Prefer to take the photos in the daylight, that's where the camera works its magic- the most.
A garden can add all the right aesthetics to your pictures. Greenery and flowers are really an amazing add on for the photos.
The Campus You Practically Grew Up In
Can there be any other ideal location than the campus itself for the photos? Well, probably not. School or college campus is where you have studied for a long.
It will transfer the nostalgia to the photos. Staircase, or maybe in front of your respective department, will help you remember all the cherished memories from the past and the time spent there.
Indoor Shoot
The lighting isn’t cooperating out there? No worries. You can always plan shoots inside too. A library can be a perfect place too. You don’t believe it? Then try it for yourself. If you are a nerd and were always the number in the class, there is no better place than the library itself.
A Coffee shop can turn out to be yet another place for your photos. The ambiance and the aesthetics most of the coffee shops supports can be reflected through the photos. You won't believe this, but sometimes the dim, dull lights are also really upright for the photos. You just need the right person with the right camera.
Group Photos Are a Must
Taking pictures with the whole squad is always a good idea. It could either be the friends' group or the whole batch. It will remind you of all the people you have spent your student life with.
Props Are a Win-Win
Show Your Skills
If you have done a degree in music, then hold up a guitar. What's the best time to show off a guitar your parents recently gifted you on your birthday?
Are you interested in cooking? Reflect that through the photos. A cooking cap with the spatula in hand, and you are good for the photos or maybe a flour splash. It will give a nice illusion to the pictures.
A sportsperson? Take your favorite sport with you for the pictures. A basketball or a cricket bat, it can be anything you like to play. You can always wear your favorite sports team jersey too for the photo-shoot, which is definitely a new idea to try out.
Sign Boards
Holding signs can appraise the message of the picture or the purpose. A board with the tagline of “class of 2021” or “I have graduated” can really be a nice plugin for the final year pictures.
You can always make signs out of your hands too. The ever famous heart sign made out of the fingers cans how your love for the campus and the time you have passed there.
A V-sign can also be made with the two fingers. They either mean peace- which will mean peace out. Or it will mean- the victory that you have made it till here. Aren’t these ideas super easy yet amazing?
Flowers
Grabbing a flower while taking the photos is always a safe idea to stick to, isn't it? If you are somewhere around the flowers, you know what your next pose will be.
Pose With a Pet
Love your cat or dog so much? No problem, bring them on the shoot day. Pose with them while playing or maybe take a photo like a family portrait. Pets extend the cuteness of the photo.
Lean against Something
Slight leaning against the wall or nearby tree will be a different pose to make for the pictures from the normal posing.
Face or Don’t Face the Camera
Facing the camera for the picture is always a good idea but can be becoming boring too. Do you need your photos to be monotonous? Of course not, hence, try something new. By not looking in the lens of the camera. Side poses are all the rave this time. Try that. Pictures from the back can be an amazing plan too.
Wear a Cap and Gown
Pictures in the cap and gown always take you down the memory lane whenever you see them a year later. It gives pride to how long you have come so far. The whole journey can be revisited with these pictures you might not agree to take at that moment, but you will surely cherish them later.
Hold the Smoke Grenades/ Bombs
Don't worry; they aren't the actual bombs but can surely turn your pictures into one. Smoke grenades are all the hype this year, and there is no harm in using them in the pictures.
Hold any colored smoked grenade while taking the photos, and it will add on to the variety of pictures you will be getting clicked.
Finish Your Shoot Look with Accessories
Wondering what kind of accessories? Well, easy.
For the boys or the girls' hats, wear a hat is always the safest accessory to go with. Screwed hair? Wear a hat. A new pimple on the forehead? Wear a hat. You just cannot go wrong with the hat.
One of the many reasons why outdoor shoots are fun because you can wear sunglasses. You can blindly rely on sunglasses for good pictures always.
Conclusion
There are numerous ideas you can bring on the table for your senior year pictures. You can always think of out the box and show creativity with everything. With the clothes, the hair, the props, or can be the location.
With the passing years and changing trends, senior year pictures have become a staple need. So if you want to stay updated with these trends, follow the ideas mentioned above all the rave this year and get some really exciting photos.
Share your graduation pics and ideas with us! Send any submissions to social@turbrands.com and we will feature the best ones on our Instagram page!