Today’s post comes from a wonderful photographer in Washington, the state! 🙂  Andrea of Andrea Starr Photography is a photographer who specializes in seniors and families.  I met Andrea at The Seniorologie Shoot Out in Vegas last year and she was so much fun!  We became fast friends and haven’t lost touch since (and I hope never do!).  Andrea has some awesome tips to share about how to AMP up your senior photo sessions!  Check it out and implement her tips today!!  Thanks Andrea!

5 Must-Do’s to Amp Up Your Senior Shoots

Every shoot has a distinct beginning, middle and end, but it’s the nuances in the process that make a shoot memorable or different. Take high school senior shoots, for example. They’re extra special and filled with nuances.

So where do you begin? Let’s break it down.

Think of a senior shoot as a five paragraph essay. Remember those from the English class days? There’s an intro, three supporting points, then a conclusion that wraps up everything with a nice bow. Or, in photoshoot terms, consider:

Meet, Greet and Bond

Plan of Attack

Positive Affirmations

Rock the Shoot

Image Adoration

Here’s what the Meet, Greet and Bond looks like:

A pre-shoot consultation is key when you’re shooting high school seniors. It gives you –and the client — an opportunity to put faces with names. Even more importantly, it makes that first 10 minutes of awkwardness at a shoot feel, well, less awkward.

Suggest a coffee shop for your meeting and insist on at least one of their parents attending.  After introductions, tell them a bit about yourself. Convey why you enjoy senior photography. Then start a discussion about makeup/hair (if female), wardrobe, shoot location(s) and their desires and dreams for what they want their images to convey (whispy/romantic? urban? country? rocker-chick?).

Offer advice in all of these areas, while still respecting their individuality. Assure them that your goal is to capture and enhance who they already are. You’re not interested in making them look or feel like someone they won’t recognize when they look at the images 10 or 20 years from now.

Leave the meet ‘n greet with commitments to correspond at least once or twice prior to the shoot date. Also, offer to give your opinion on their wardrobe as they begin their shopping extravaganza.

And this leads us into the main event – the photoshoot.

Plan of Attack

It’s always a plus if you can accompany your client to their hair/makeup appointment. It gives you another chance to chit-chat with them, but it’s also the perfect time for you to determine an order for their wardrobe.

As you’re looking at the outfits, consider the shoot location(s) and help them make selections that offer the best variety of looks. Once you have your plan of attack, tell them to enjoy the rest of their pampering, and head to the first location where you’ll be waiting for them.

Positive Affirmation

When your senior arrives at the shoot – tell them how awesome they look!  Make small talk and explain that it’ll take both of you a few minutes to get warmed up. Use this time to meander to your first spot and test lighting and exposure while you’re still talking with them. Giving the impression that the first several frames were just “practice” makes them shake off the jitters and get down to business.

Continue to praise them. Modeling isn’t their day job, so help them feel like they’re doing everything they should be doing. Phrases such as, “Yep, just like that!”…”Beautiful!”…or “Oh my gosh, I’ve died and gone to photography heaven!” will help them fall into natural positions and boost their confidence.

Rock the Shoot

Your senior feeds off of your energy. Be excited, be creative, and show that you’re having fun, too. But, you also need to keep things moving along so that you accomplish everything you want to in this shoot. It’s critical that you recall your meet ‘n greet and the discussion about what your senior wanted…and make it happen.

If you sense that you’ve gotten everything you can out of a current look, move on. A fresh outfit change can re-energize both you and the senior. And just like with the first look, shower them with compliments on the second look. Keep in mind that you’re not going for ingenuity. Every individual, every outfit, every location has a redeeming quality. It’s up to you to recognize it and point it out.

Once they’re in a new outfit, don’t be afraid to repeat certain spots and/or guide them into similar non-poses. You’ll be surprised at how easily they fall into these positions the second time around, and you’re more likely to capture an ease in their faces and posture that you didn’t see before.

It’s also wise to mention when you’re composing a shot that your senior specifically asked for at the first meeting. It demonstrates that you listened and that you care about their opinion.

As the shoot winds down, ask your senior how they’re doing. Spice up the banter with, “Did you know it was so much work to be a model? Imagine how those swimsuit models feel on a beach, in 50 degree water, with mosquitoes!” It’ll get a giggle every time.

And, finally, end the shoot with a hug or high-five. Show them how giddy you are to be a part of this special time in their lives! Recall funny moments, and then reiterate when you’ll be in touch with them to view the images. This is also the perfect time to set up what they can expect at the viewing. “Once your images are ready, we’ll set up a time for us to meet and view your images together. Popcorn? Check. Slideshow to fabulous music? Check. Bring your besties and parents — I can’t wait!”

Fast forward a couple of weeks…the images are ready, your client has arrived. Show time.

Image Adoration

Think about when you edited this senior session. Remember when you smiled to your screen? Or did you laugh to it? Did you actually feel inspired and awestruck by the change in your senior’s confidence between the first and last frames?

Take your feelings and multiply them by 10 — at least — because that’s what you’ll witness when your senior and their parents watch the slideshow of the shoot. It’s a feeling and time you don’t, and shouldn’t, want to miss. This, friends, is why you do in-person order sessions. You can see the smiles, the laughter and, hopefully, the TEARS!

Now, go out and sell yourself…and the experience of a photoshoot with you. Be witty, be charming, be you. Be amped.