A senior portrait kindles fond memories and nostalgia of high school years. This is the reason why a majority of students pay special attention to their appearance and go to a professional photo studio to have their senior portraits taken. While some students make use of this opportunity to showcase their talent by posing with props that reflect their talent, a majority of the students wear the traditional formal outfits for the senior portrait session. Here are some useful tips for the perfect senior portrait by Mr. Peter Young, an accomplished photographer who runs a senior portraits photography studio in Texas.

Tip#1: Ask The Student To Wear An Outfit In A Solid Color

Students should wear a solid color outfit for the photo session. Bright-colored outfits or those with distracting patterns or bold designs should be avoided. Acceptable colors like burgundy, hunter green plum or deep blue will flatter the skin tones of a majority of students.

Tip#2: Use Cosmetic Powder To Avoid Shine

Oily parts of the skin should be dabbed with powder to avoid a reflection or shine in the resulting image. Do not apply too much powder or the student’s face will look very artificial.

Tip#3: Choose A Suitable Backdrop

Choose a suitable backdrop for the photograph that will complement the student’s outfit and skin tone. Backdrops in solid, dark colors, not bold or bright patterns, work best for senior portraits. Choose backdrops with pleasant colors or designs as not to divert attention from the student in the photograph.  

Tip#4: Use The Aperture Priority Mode

Use the aperture priority mode in the digital camera when taking photographs. This mode is displayed as "Av" on a majority of cameras and allows you to control the exposure of the lens and adjust the sharpness of the image. To achieve a better focus on the student in the photograph, try blurring the background.

Tip#5: Use Reflector Panels To Get Rid Of Shadows

The reflector panels will ensure uniform brightness and get rid of any shadowed areas on the face. The reflector panels should be placed lower than the subject and point upwards towards the student’s face.

Tip#6: Keep Away From Flash

Use natural lighting instead of the flash in the photographs. Schedule the photo session in the golden hours of photography, i.e. within one hour of sunrise and sunset, in order to achieve the best lighting for the photographs.

Tip#7: Click Some Extra Photographs

Extra photographs of the student in the same pose should be shot to provide more choices for the student. This will help eliminate images with unwanted clutter, reflection or pose in them.

A senior portrait helps in bringing back nostalgic memories of school life and favorite hobbies. We thank Mr. Peter Young, who has established the best photography studio for contributing valuable tips in taking the perfect senior portrait.