Let’s talk about bringing your car to your senior pictures.

Because when I ask seniors what they might want to include in their session, I’ll sometimes hear:

“Could I bring my car?”

YES.

Your car can absolutely be part of your senior pictures.

And no, that does not mean we’re spending an hour taking pictures of you awkwardly leaning against the hood like you’re trying to sell it on Facebook Marketplace. 😂

A car, truck or Jeep can add a ton of personality to your senior portraits.

But here’s the important part:

It should be part of your story. Not the whole story.

It Doesn’t Have to Be a “Cool” Car

This might be my favorite thing about including cars in senior pictures.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

It doesn’t have to be perfectly restored.

It doesn’t have to be something other people would consider impressive.

It just needs to mean something to you.

Maybe it’s the first car you bought with your own money.

Maybe you and your dad have spent countless hours working on it.

Maybe it’s Grandpa’s truck.

Maybe it’s the Jeep you’ve wanted forever.

Or maybe it’s the slightly questionable vehicle that’s gotten you to school, practice, work and approximately 4,782 trips through the drive-thru.

That’s enough.

Sometimes it’s not about a car.

It’s about that car.

And that’s exactly the kind of thing I want to know when we’re planning your senior session.

The Location Matters

If we’re going to include your vehicle, we need to think about where we’re photographing it.

A truck might look incredible in a field or on a gravel road.

A sports car might fit an urban location.

A Jeep might make perfect sense somewhere a little more rugged.

But there aren’t hard-and-fast rules.

The goal is to find a location where you + your clothes + your vehicle all make sense together.

And that’s one of the reasons we plan your senior session ahead of time instead of meeting in a random park and hoping for the best.

Your Outfit Should Work With the Whole Look

No, I am not going to make you match your shirt to your car.

Please don’t buy a red shirt simply because you drive a red car. 😂

But we will think about the overall look.

Is your vehicle rugged?

Classic?

Sporty?

Bright?

Dark?

Then we’ll choose an outfit that feels like you and also works with the location and the vehicle.

And remember, this is only one part of your senior session.

You can absolutely change clothes afterward and create a completely different look.

Actually…

I want you to.

We Aren’t Taking 47 Pictures of You Leaning Against Your Car

This is where senior pictures with a car can go wrong.

Car.

Senior stands beside car.

Senior leans on car.

Senior sits on car.

Senior crosses arms beside car.

Senior looks very serious beside car.

We get it.

There’s a car. 😂

Instead, I want variety.

Maybe we start with a few photographs where the vehicle is a big part of the image.

Then we move closer and let it become part of the background.

We photograph some details.

We change angles.

And then?

We move on.

Because your senior session should still be about you.

Some of My Favorite Photos Might Not Show the Whole Car

This is where things get fun.

A steering wheel.

A reflection in a mirror.

Headlights.

A hand on the door.

Sitting inside.

A favorite detail you’ve customized.

Sometimes showing just a little bit of something tells the story better than showing all of it.

Those images also work really well when we’re designing an album because they add little pieces of your personality throughout the story of your session.

Your car doesn’t have to be the subject of every photograph to be part of the story.

And Then We’ll Take Pictures Without It

Yep.

Even if the car is the thing you’re MOST excited about.

We’re still going to walk away from it.

Because I want you to have variety.

Your senior portraits should be able to show different sides of who you are.

Maybe that’s your car.

But maybe it’s also baseball.

Your dog.

A killer dress.

Your guitar.

A downtown location.

The sweatshirt from the college you’re headed to next year.

Or simply a portrait where there’s absolutely nothing competing for attention and you are the whole photograph.

That’s the beauty of planning a senior session around a person instead of a formula.

This Goes for More Than Cars

Here’s the bigger point.

If something matters to you, tell me.

It doesn’t have to be something you’d traditionally think belongs in senior pictures.

I’ve photographed seniors with sports equipment, animals, instruments, vehicles and in places that were meaningful specifically to their family.

And those are often the things that make a session impossible to duplicate.

Because we’re not adding props just to add props.

We’re adding pieces of your life.

There is a difference.

Don’t Bring Something Just Because Pinterest Told You To

This is probably worth saying.

You do not need a car in your senior pictures because you saw someone else’s car pictures and thought they looked cool.

You don’t need a guitar if you played for six months in seventh grade.

You don’t need a basketball because you played freshman year.

And please don’t borrow someone’s dog because you think puppies make cute pictures.

Actually, I might be willing to negotiate on that last one.

I do love dogs. 😂

But you get the idea.

Your senior pictures don’t need more stuff to make them interesting.

The things we include should help tell your story.

The Best Senior Pictures Aren’t About the Stuff Anyway

Here’s what I hope you notice when you look back at your senior pictures years from now.

Yes, you’ll see your car.

You’ll remember your sport.

You’ll see the clothes you loved and probably question at least one fashion decision.

But more than any of that, I hope you see yourself.

Who you were at 17 or 18.

What you loved.

What mattered to you.

What life looked like right before everything started changing.

The car might eventually be sold.

The uniform gets packed away.

The guitar ends up in a closet.

And your dog will definitely steal the show if you bring them.

But the photographs?

They keep all those pieces of this season together.

And that’s why I want your senior session to include the things that matter.

Not because they make a cool picture.

Because they’re part of your story.

If you’re looking for a Blue Springs senior photographer serving the Kansas City area and you have an idea that might be a little different, tell me.

There’s a pretty good chance I’ll say:

Let’s figure out how to make it happen.

Ready to start planning your senior session? Let’s talk.

Keep Planning Your Senior Experience

Senior Photo Ideas: Ways to Make Your Senior Pictures Feel Like You
More ideas for incorporating your personality, hobbies, favorite places and everything that makes you you.

What to Wear for Senior Pictures
Let’s make sure your clothes work with your locations, personality and everything else we’re planning.

What to Expect at Your Senior Portrait Session
Wondering how all of this actually comes together? Here’s what happens before, during and after your session.