If I had a dollar for every senior who told me…

“I hate having my picture taken.”

Well, I probably wouldn’t stop being a photographer.

But I might have some really nice new camera gear. 😂

I hear it ALL the time.

“I don’t know how to pose.”

“I look weird in pictures.”

“I don’t know what to do with my hands.”

“I’m awkward.”

“I’m not photogenic.”

And my answer is usually some version of:

Good. You don’t need to know how to do any of that.

That’s my job.

You Are Not Supposed to Know How to Pose

Unless you’ve secretly been modeling on the weekends, I’m not expecting you to show up knowing what to do in front of a camera.

Actually, I’d rather you didn’t.

Because my job isn’t to put you in a pose and hope you can hold it while looking natural.

I’m watching the little things.

Your hands.

Your shoulders.

Where you’re putting your weight.

What your hair is doing.

Whether an outfit needs adjusted.

And yes, sometimes I’ll tell you exactly what to do with that hand that suddenly feels like it has never belonged to your body before. 😂

You don’t have to figure any of it out.

I’ll guide you.

“Photogenic” Isn’t a Requirement

I wish we could retire this word.

People tend to think there are two kinds of humans:

People who are photogenic.

And people who aren’t.

I don’t buy it.

Most of the time, when someone tells me they’re “not photogenic,” what they really mean is:

“I don’t usually like pictures of myself.”

Those aren’t the same thing.

A phone snapshot taken at a weird angle, in terrible lighting, when you weren’t ready isn’t exactly a fair assessment of what you look like in photographs.

Good portraits involve lighting, posing, expression, angles and someone behind the camera paying attention to all of it.

That’s a very different experience.

You Don’t Have to Be Confident Before You Get Here

This one is important.

You don’t need to walk into your senior session feeling like you’re about to grace the cover of Vogue.

You can be nervous.

You can feel awkward.

You can tell me you’re not sure about any of this.

That’s completely normal.

Confidence doesn’t have to be something you bring to the session.

Sometimes it’s something that shows up during the session.

There’s usually a moment when I show a senior the back of my camera and I get:

“WAIT. That’s me?!”

Yep.

That’s you.

The First Few Minutes Might Feel Weird

Can we just admit this?

Having someone point a giant camera at you isn’t something most people do every Tuesday.

So yes, the first few minutes might feel a little strange.

That’s okay.

We’re going to talk.

We’re going to move around.

I’ll give you things to do instead of asking you to stand there and magically “look natural.”

And somewhere along the way, you’ll stop thinking quite so much about the camera.

That’s usually when the really good stuff starts happening.

You Don’t Need to Practice a Smile

Please don’t spend the week before your session standing in front of the bathroom mirror practicing your senior-picture smile.

I want your actual smile.

The one your mom recognizes.

The one your friends see.

The one that happens right before you start laughing.

Sometimes that means I’ll say something ridiculous.

Sometimes I’ll make you move.

Sometimes the perfectly posed smile is beautiful.

And sometimes the photograph everyone loves is the one right after it.

That’s why I’m paying attention to both.

Your Session Doesn’t Have to Look Like Anyone Else’s

Maybe you’re outgoing and ready to try anything.

Great.

Maybe you’re quieter and the idea of dancing in the middle of downtown sounds like your personal nightmare.

Also great. 😂

I’m not trying to turn every senior into the same person for an hour.

Your personality determines a lot about how I’ll photograph you.

That’s one reason we plan before your session.

I want to know who you are before I start deciding what your senior pictures should look like.

Tell Me What You’re Worried About

Seriously.

If there’s something you’re nervous about, tell me.

Maybe you don’t love your smile.

Maybe you’re worried about your skin.

Maybe you have absolutely no idea what to wear.

Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with pictures before.

I’d much rather know what’s making you nervous than have you spend the entire session quietly worrying about it.

We can talk about it.

And most of the time, we can make a plan for it.

Here’s What I Want You to Bring to Your Senior Session

Not posing skills.

Not modeling experience.

Not a practiced smile.

Not a Pinterest board filled with 87 poses you think you’re supposed to recreate.

Just bring you.

I’ll take care of the lighting.

I’ll help with posing.

I’ll watch the details.

I’ll help bring out real expressions.

And I’ll make sure you never have to wonder what you’re supposed to do next.

Because you aren’t hiring a senior photographer because you’re already great at being photographed.

You’re hiring one because they should be great at photographing you.

You Might Actually Have Fun

I know.

Wild concept.

But one of my favorite things is watching someone go from:

“I really don’t like pictures.”

to…

“Wait, can we try one over there?”

That’s the goal.

Not to turn you into a model.

Not to make you act like someone you’re not.

Just to get you comfortable enough that I can photograph the person everyone else already gets to see.

You Don’t Have to Be Good at Pictures

If you’re a Class of 2027 senior putting off senior pictures because you think you’re awkward in front of the camera, here’s what I want you to know:

You don’t have to be good at this.

That’s why I’m here.

I’m a Blue Springs senior photographer serving seniors throughout the Kansas City area, and creating photographs that actually feel like the person in them is one of the most important parts of what I do.

So bring the awkward.

Bring the nerves.

Bring the “I hate having my picture taken.”

We can work with that. 😉

Ready to see what your senior session could look like? Let’s talk.

Keep Planning Your Senior Experience

What to Expect at Your Senior Portrait Session
A step-by-step look at what happens before, during and after your session.

Senior Photo Ideas: Ways to Make Your Senior Pictures Feel Like You
Ideas for locations, outfits, hobbies and all the things that can make your session personal.

When Should You Take Senior Pictures?
Summer, fall, winter or spring? Here’s how to choose the season that’s right for you.