For nearly all your life, you’ve worked hard to get through school. From the early sight words of kindergarten to the piles of history essays senior year, you’ve devoted a lot of time to your education. Now, it’s finally time to celebrate the end of the chapter! Your senior pictures should be an outlet that lets you express the person you are becoming. You can incorporate your hobbies, show off some of your favorite people, and tell the story of all your hard work. If you could use a little guidance for your Mercer Island High School pictures, I would love to give you some tips on how to personalize your senior session. With these ideas, you can have portraits that let you express yourself!
7 Tips For Planning The Perfect Mercer Island High School Senior Pictures
Variety of Outfits
First off, you have to think about outfits that make you feel most like yourself. Look. All the love to your mom, but you don’t just want to stick with the outfits she picked out for your session. Mix it up. Show off your style. Add in accessories. And bring several outfits. If you want to have a more traditional, parent-approved option, you can bring one. If you have a favorite dress that makes you feel gorgeous, we’ll incorporate it! I love it when my Mercer Island High School clients bring along pieces that clearly mean something to them.
I had a recent session with a nonbinary student where they brought along a hand-stitched denim jacket with a patch reading “Gender Who?” For another session for a football player, he wore his varsity jacket. Both of these sessions gave these students the chance to tell their stories instantly. My one major piece of advice through all of this is to make sure you’re comfortable! No one wants to be walking from location to location in high heels that sink like golf tees.
Locations
We can talk ahead of time and decide on locations, but there are several things to consider. Think about the vibes you want for your Mercer Island High School senior portraits. Are you a total nature girlie who adores exploring the woods? Do you like to check out art in the city on the weekends? Let’s work it in! Places like botanical gardens give you a variety of backdrops, such as fields, forests, and flowers. If you prefer things a bit more urban, we can head to spots like Pike Place or Seattle Center. Your high school is a fantastic location since it lets you show off the space where you’ve spent a lot of hours. We can also incorporate your favorite places to hang out, such as coffee shops or bookstores.
Props
Let’s be honest. Pictures can be a little awkward! While I work hard to make it feel natural and organic, it’s easy to feel a bit stiff. How do you stand? Where do you look? What are you supposed to do with your hands? Props give you a natural way to pose and let you feel more relaxed. We’ll talk more about incorporating your hobbies in a second, but let’s chat about other props you may not have considered. If you love coffee, you can have a full mug. Have a collection? Bring your favorite piece from it. You can also add in things like your favorite food, your favorite book, or your emotional support water bottle.
Incorporating Your Hobbies/Mercer Island High School Extracurriculars
Incorporating your hobbies and Mercer Island High School extracurriculars is one of the best ways to bring some personality to your session! If you’ve spent the past years playing sports, bring along some equipment! Grab your lacrosse stick or show off the football you learned to throw with. Do you love making music? Bring your instrument! We can take some pictures with you in your element, playing your favorite songs. You can also bring along objects such as your skateboard, your hiking shoes, the art you’ve made yourself, or a t-shirt from your favorite band. If you need more help, just think about the way you prefer to spend most of your time, and we’ll find a way to include it.
Pets
If you have a pet, I would be more than happy to take some pictures with them. Chances are, that critter has meant a lot to you over the past few years, and you’re dreading leaving them for college. Let’s make some memories with them! If you want to incorporate your pet into your session, let me know ahead of time, and I can help you find pet-friendly locations and create a schedule so we can include them without making them feel too overwhelmed.
Posing – Have FUN!
We talked a little already about posing, but this one can feel seriously intimidating, so let’s discuss it more. People just have a hard time feeling natural around a camera. As a Mercer Island High School photographer, I’ve spent a lot of time working with people to get them to have confidence, and I’ll make sure you feel affirmed every step of the way. But I’ll let you in on a secret right now: posing is easy when you’re having fun. Don’t take yourself so seriously during this!
Between pictures, tell me your favorite jokes. Let’s talk about your favorite song, or tell me about a TikTok that’s been making you laugh all day. You can also bring along your favorite people for your session. Your bestie can be there on the sidelines cheering you on, or your parents can hang out throughout it. We can even incorporate them for a few pics! The biggest piece of advice I can offer you is to put your shoulders back, keep your chin up, and let your arms rest close to your side. For everything else, just focus on enjoying yourself!
Cap and Gown
Your cap and gown is your crowning achievement. It’s your biggest prop. If you have it in time for your session, let’s use it! We can find backgrounds that perfectly match the colors so you can show off your school pride. We can also work together to style it so you can incorporate it while still looking refined.
Let’s Have Some Fun With Your Dream Mercer Island High School Senior Photos
Your senior portraits should be a celebration of who you are and what you’ve done! I would love to work with you to find other ways so you can bring your own personal touches. And if you’re still looking for a photographer, let’s chat! I adore working with families all across the Seattle area, and I would love to be here for your Mercer Island High School senior portraits. Contact me today so we can get it planned!
