#FashionPhotographyForSeniors #LifestyleMeetsFineArt #NotTheSameOldYearbookGuy

BEACH SENIOR PORTRAITS & CUSTOM SENIOR PICTURES

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY FOR COLLEGE & HIGH SCHOOL GRADS

You may wonder and ask the question:

How do Senior Portraits work?

We'll guide you through the answer with our top 10 list of considerations for

How to do Senior Pictures

1) Look for work you like.

In other words, start by "artist-shopping" versus strictly "price-shopping" or starting with a photographer "assigned" to you. Find the style of work that resonates with you, and someone you'd love to work with & whom you trust. When your senior is comfortable with their photographer, it will show in their expressions and body language. This first step helps you discover ideas and explore what direction to go. Search websites and Pinterest by using a variety of search terms that you'll keep refining as you decide what you like. Here are examples of how slight variations on senior portrait search terms will give you a lot of options to explore: Senior Photo Ideas for girls, Senior Picture Ideas for guys, Senior Photo Pose ideas, Grad Photos on the beach, etc.

2) If you have to keep within a certain budget, be careful what you compromise on.

If you find yourself needing to compromise, make sure it's on the right thing. Don't compromise on safety, quality, or style. Simply order fewer portraits if you have to, and have an open conversation with your top choice senior portrait photographer on what they can provide within your price range. Payment plans are a great option. It's better value to get impeccable service and a few unique, stunning senior portraits you're proud to share, versus a ton of 'ok'. I can bet your senior is no ordinary individual. Their senior portraits should reflect that.

3) Understand the difference between the yearbook photo vendor and your own heirloom senior portrait photographer.

In many cases, the high school has a contracted a large studio to mass-produce yearbook thumbnail photos for multiple high schools. Your senior portraits should be chosen with care based on your own diligent selection process and discriminating taste, not by what the high school district decided was most efficient for their production of thousands of yearbook thumbnail photos. (A good way to illustrate this is: think of school lunches versus what you prepare for yourself!) Look beyond the senior yearbook photo thumbnail photographer if they're not your first choice. If they are, then go for it! (We heart photography and our industry colleagues!)

4) Be open to new locations and ideas.

You may have the perfect spot in mind. However, you may also be planning a trip within the next year – be it a weekend sports event, a vacation, or a college tour. Keep in mind these are great opportunities to have some beautiful and unique portraits created, even if they're an addition to the "perfect spot" you've already identified. Be open to doing both! You'll never regret having more beautiful portraits.

5) Know your senior yearbook 'ad' deadline.

What's a senior ad? The senior ad is a fun 'ad' where parents usually purchase a spot in the back of the yearbook so they can post additional portraits and some encouraging words for their senior. This is a fun way to express their individuality and accomplishments. Share your deadlines with your photographer so they can deliver the finished products in time, and make sure you've still allowed yourself time to tinker with your senior ad and submit it according to your high school yearbook's guidelines.

6) Plan ahead for senior announcement cards, gifts, and the holidays.

Look at card designs now (What month is it now?!) and decide if you're likely to want a collage of portraits (if so, how many?), a landscape postcard, or a portrait orientation announcement with a front, inside, and back area for photos. Then you can give those guidelines to your photographer to ensure you end up with senior photos that meet your needs. This will also dictate how many outfits and locations you may want, and will guide little details like how the color scheme of outfits may tie together. Similarly, will you be wanting to gift portraits to grandparents or special people in your senior's life? Wall Art is a beautiful way to honor your child's transition into adulthood. Which leads to . . .

7) Think beyond High School!

I've found that parents love to have a precious collection of portraits of their young adult before they flee the nest. This one is for YOU. And later in their lives, it will be a precious milestone for your senior to share with their kids! I recommend parents and siblings get IN the portraits at the beginning or end of the senior's photoshoot. Or take advantage if your photographer offers VIP status for returning clients, and have your family portraits created one last time before your young adult is out on their own! Later, it can be really hard to get everyone together at the same time for portraits – and people change!

8) Book early!

To ensure you get the photographer, style, location, and dates you want, book your photographer as soon as you can. This also allows time for sourcing outfits, lining up hair and makeup appointments, etc.

9) Develop a plan with your senior portrait photographer.

Make a plan where both the parent and senior are happy. That means a little bit of compromising on things such as location, clothing, hair styling, shoes, mood, etc. This way both parents and seniors end up with portraits they will love to look at and share with family and friends. Both parents and the senior should have a say. (It generally backfires to force someone to look happy if they're not.)

10) Relax and enjoy the process!

Just about everyone is somewhat uncomfortable in front of a camera, myself included, and parents are rightly concerned with safety, quality, and value. From my experience, the few seniors who go into this without an abundance of enthusiasm come away raving about the experience even more than their parents. With the right photographer, parents will trust their senior is in great hands, and the senior will have a fun, memorable photoshoot experience where they are the center of attention and – in their finished portraits – can see themselves as you've proudly seen them all along. Gift your child a graduation experience that allows their self esteem to soar. It's their time to shine. So shine on! Congrats grads!!

*Hopefully you found this senior portrait guide helpful. If you wish to share any part of it, please link back to this page vs copying.

Start planning out your senior photo shoot today!

Based around the San Diego / La Jolla / Carlsbad beaches and coastline, our focus is on creating unique Southern California fashion-inspired senior portraits & headshots for a select number of young women and young men, which results in unique elegant organic magazine style stunning California senior portraits unlike all others.

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15th Street Photography™ offers personal consultations that work around your busy schedules ♥ styling consultations ♥ location scouting ♥ flattering posing guidance ♥ use of studio wardrobe & ongoing consultation on outfit choices ♥ professional hair and makeup artistry from industry leaders in the fashion and wedding industry ♥ professional photoshoots on location from a degreed artist ♥ time intensive artistic edits ♥ flattering and never 'overdone' professional retouching ♥ gallery preview meetings ♥ the best heirloom products curated from around the world ♥ consultation on your wall art placement and heirloom product choices ♥ framing ♥ installation in your home ♥ returning VIP status for your family or other portrait needs ♥ destination packages ♥ exceptional personalized service

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Send us an email / book a senior photoshoot / ask a question HERE

Visit our amazing senior picture/ grad photo portfolio to get inspiration:

SENIOR PORTRAIT & BEACH HEADSHOT POSE IDEAS

We create elegant unique portraits incorporated into large-scale California beach, ranch, or city landscapes.

We also create closely cropped head shots. You can even get both from the same senior photo or headshot photo shoot.

We are not a high-volume studio. We book a select number of commissions and YOU are our PRIORITY

Guy Senior Picture San Diego TPHS Senior Photo Torrey Pines Venice Beach

We are not 'everyone's' senior portrait photographer, and that's exactly how we want it!

We offer unique California senior portrait destination packages in Venice Beach, Palm Desert, Trendy LA spots, and beyond.

Guy Senior Picture San Diego TPHS Senior Photo Torrey Pines Venice Beach
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"Monica photographed my son for his senior portraits this summer. The portraits are spectacular.

We're from WI and were visiting the LA area -- Monica knew just where to go and the settings that were perfect for 'G's' photos.

We opted for a package that provided both digital images and printed portraits and I'm so glad we did.

Monica's eye for the right shot and the printing quality are a combination that can't be beat. I'll always cherish these photos.

Thank you Monica!" -T.J.

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"Thank you Monica for the great senior pictures of 'P'!

You captured some great shots in unique spots!

For anyone looking for a photographer I recommend 15th Street Photography!

Monica was very accommodating with our busy schedules and took great photos of my senior!

It was fun and easy! Thanks Monica!" -M.K.

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"First of all, I LOVE these pictures!!! Wow, you did such a great job.

Thanks for keeping things upbeat and casual for 'N'

She's not crazy about having her picture taken, and uncomfortable about it in general.

You'd never know from the pictures. The looks so relaxed and natural :)

I went though and picked out my favorites - not an easy task! I think they're fantastic." -M.C.

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YOU CAN TRUST US
Bring your dog, bring your favorite clothes, bring your ideas! Book today so we can start the fun!

San Diego Los Angeles Del Mar La Jolla Laguna Newport Beach California Unique Beach Girl Senior Picture Pose Headshot Fashion Art Portrait Photographer Monica Kane Stewart 15th Street Photography Guy Senior Picture San Diego TPHS Senior Photo Torrey Pines Venice Beach

Serving areas of La Jolla, Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach & all the way up the California coast.

Schedule your beach senior photos & personal branding portraits while you're on your weekend, Spring Break, Summer, or holiday trip!

Need us to travel to you? We travel throughout California and beyond for senior photos, fashion-inspired headshots, & family portraits.

Keane Studios Keane Seniors Studio M La Jolla

Monica Kane Stewart – 15th Street Photography™ – San Diego, CA