Photog With a Blog

I have senior photos from my graduation.

And while I’d love to tell you I was rocking a classic, timeless look… that would be a lie.

Picture a sleeveless dress.

A neck scarf that I was absolutely convinced made me look sophisticated.

A decorative column wrapped in fake ivy.

A mottled gray studio backdrop.

And a pose that said, “I’ve got my whole life figured out.”

Reader, I did not.

I was wrong.

Very wrong.

Now, every time I look at those photos, I laugh.

Not because the photos are bad.

The photos did exactly what they were supposed to do.

They captured who I was at that moment in time.

The problem is that I spent a lot of effort trying to look like everyone else instead of looking like myself.

And that’s the lesson I want every senior to learn before their session.

The Goal Isn’t to Look Trendy

I know this sounds strange coming from a photographer.

But the goal of senior photos isn’t to look trendy.

The goal is to look like you.

Because trends have a funny way of coming and going.

And then coming back.

And then going away again.

Apparently giant jeans have decided they deserve another chance.

I’m not here to argue with fashion.

I’ve lived long enough to know fashion doesn’t care about my opinion.

What I do know is that the seniors who love their photos years later are usually the ones who chose outfits that reflected their personality, not whatever social media was telling them to wear that week.

If You’re Not Comfortable, We Can Tell

You know that feeling when you’re wearing something that doesn’t quite fit right?

Maybe it’s too tight.

Maybe it keeps sliding around.

Maybe you’ve never worn it before and you’re suddenly very aware of every inch of fabric touching your body.

That feeling shows up in photos.

Every. single. time.

You don’t have to wear sweatpants to your senior session.

But you should wear clothes that feel like you.

The best outfit is often the one that makes you feel confident the second you put it on.

Because if you’re uncomfortable in your clothes, it usually ends up written all over your face.

Buying a Whole New Wardrobe Usually Isn’t the Answer

One of the biggest mistakes I see seniors make is deciding they need an entirely new identity for their photo session.

Suddenly they’re shopping for clothes they would never wear anywhere else.

If your friends saw you walking down the hallway wearing the outfit and immediately asked, “Who are you?” that might be a clue.

I’m all for adding a new piece or two.

I’m all for dressing things up a bit.

But your senior photos should feel like the best version of you, not a completely different person.

Dress for the Location

This one sounds obvious.

Yet somehow it gets ignored all the time.

Picture a flowy dress in a field of wildflowers.

Makes sense.

Picture a sharp urban outfit downtown.

Also makes sense.

Now picture hiking through a creek in something that absolutely should not be near water.

Not ideal.

The location and the outfit should work together.

They don’t have to match perfectly, but they should feel like they’re telling the same story.

Please Iron Your Clothes

I say this with love.

And experience.

And the memories of zooming in on photos and finding wrinkles that suddenly became the star of the image.

Wrinkled clothes are surprisingly distracting.

Nobody notices them when they’re getting dressed.

Everybody notices them later.

Future You will thank Present You for taking ten extra minutes with a steamer.

Trust me on this one.

The Question I Hear More Than Any Other

Do you know what seniors ask me more than anything else?

“What should I wear?”

Not:

“Where should we go?”

Not:

“What if I blink?”

Not even:

“What do I do with my hands?”

It’s always:

“What should I wear?”

That’s exactly why I spend time helping my seniors before their session.

We talk through outfits.

We discuss locations.

We figure out what works.

Because choosing outfits shouldn’t feel like a stressful guessing game.

The Photos That Age Best

When I look back at senior photos that still feel timeless years later, they almost always have one thing in common.

The senior looks comfortable.

Not perfect.

Not trendy.

Comfortable.

Confident.

Authentic.

The outfit supports the person instead of stealing the spotlight.

And that’s really what great senior photos are all about.

One Final Thought

Will there be things from 2027 that make all of us laugh someday?

Absolutely.

That’s part of the fun.

But if you choose outfits that reflect your personality, fit well, and make you feel confident, your photos won’t be remembered because of what you wore.

They’ll be remembered because they captured who you were.

And that’s a whole lot more important than whether your jeans were in style.