How to Choose the Right Photographer for Your Senior Pictures
Senior year goes by incredibly fast. Between the last first day of school, college applications, football games, homecoming, prom and graduation, there are so many moments that mark the transition between childhood and whatever comes next.
Senior pictures are one of the few opportunities to intentionally document who your senior is right now.
If you're searching for a senior photographer in St. Louis, Missouri, you probably already know there are a lot of photographers to choose from. So how do you know which one is right for your senior?
Here are a few things I think every family should consider before booking.
1. Look Beyond the Portfolio and Read the Reviews
Beautiful photographs matter, but they don't tell you everything about what it's actually like to work with someone.
Before hiring a photographer, read their reviews.
Pay attention to what previous clients consistently say about their experience. Was the photographer easy to communicate with? Did they make their client feel comfortable? Did they provide direction? Did the session feel rushed or relaxed? Were they happy with the finished gallery?
This is especially important with senior photography because most high school seniors aren't professional models. They shouldn't be expected to arrive knowing exactly what to do in front of the camera.
One of my favorite things about reading my own Google reviews is seeing clients talk about how comfortable they felt while I photographed them. That's incredibly important to me!
2. Find Someone Who Knows How to Make Your Senior Comfortable
“I’m awkward in pictures.”
I hear some version of this all. the. time.
And that's okay!!
Being photogenic isn't a prerequisite for having beautiful senior pictures.
A good senior photographer should know how to give direction without making every photograph feel overly posed. Your senior shouldn't be standing there wondering, What do I do with my hands? Where am I supposed to look? Am I smiling weird?
That's my job, not theirs.
I guide my seniors throughout their session while also giving them room to move, laugh and settle into being themselves. Usually, the more comfortable someone becomes, the more their personality starts showing through.
Those are the photographs I'm looking for.
It also SERIOUSLY helps if we plan an intentional photoshoot where your senior FEELS comfortable. How do we do that? We incorporate what they love.
3. Choose a Photography Style You Actually Love
Photography is art, and every photographer sees and edits things differently.
Before booking your senior session, look through more than a handful of Instagram posts. Spend some time on the photographer's website and portfolio.
Are their images bright and airy? Dark and moody? Colorful? Editorial? Natural? Heavily posed?
More importantly: Can you picture your senior in those photographs?
My work is colorful, romantic and true to the way I see people. I love beautiful light and polished portraits, but I also want personality. Your gallery shouldn't feel like we took the same five poses I've used for every other senior.
It should feel like you.
4. Look for Someone Who Can Help You Choose the Right St. Louis Location
One of the best things about taking senior pictures in St. Louis is the amount of variety we have.
We can create completely different sessions depending on the senior. St. Louis offers beautiful parks, wildflowers, historic architecture, urban streets, college campuses and plenty of less obvious locations throughout St. Louis and St. Charles County.
The location shouldn't just be pretty. It should fit the person being photographed.
Someone who loves nature might feel completely at home in a field at sunset. Another senior might look incredible surrounded by architecture and city streets. An athlete, dancer, musician or artist may want to incorporate a location connected to something that has defined their high school years.
I help my seniors choose locations based on the look they want instead of simply sending everyone to the exact same place.
5. Ask How Much Guidance You'll Receive Before the Session
The senior photography experience should start before your photographer picks up the camera.
Ask what happens after you book.
Will they help you choose outfits? Will they recommend locations? Can you tell them what you're envisioning? Do they have a plan if you have absolutely no idea what you want?
You shouldn't have to figure everything out yourself.
When you book a senior session with me, I send a questionnaire so I can learn more about you before we ever start shooting. We can plan around your personality, style, interests and the way you want your senior portraits to feel.
6. Understand Exactly What You're Paying For
Senior photography pricing can vary considerably, so don't compare photographers based only on the session price.
Find out what's actually included.
How long is the session? How many outfits can you bring? Are digital images included? How many finished images will you receive? Will you have printing rights? Is there an online gallery? Are professional prints available afterward?
A lower session fee isn't necessarily less expensive if you later discover that digital images aren't included.
My senior sessions range from quick mini sessions to full senior experiences, which means families can choose an option based on the amount of variety and time they want.
Explore my St. Louis senior photography packages here
7. Make Sure Their Portfolio Shows Personality, Not Just Pretty Pictures
Of course you want beautiful senior portraits.
But twenty years from now, I think you'll want something else too.
You'll want to remember them.
Their real smile. Their confidence. Their style. The things they loved. Maybe even a little bit of the personality that drove you crazy during their teenage years.
Senior portraits shouldn't be about turning your teenager into someone else for an hour. They're about documenting this incredibly short season between childhood and adulthood.
That's why I encourage seniors to bring pieces of themselves into their session, whether that's a favorite outfit, instrument, sport, car, hobby or simply choosing a location that feels like them.
8. Choose the Photographer Your Senior Connects With
Parents are often the ones researching and booking senior pictures, but don't forget who is going to be standing in front of the camera.
Let your senior look through the photographer's work too.
If they're excited about the photographs and feel like they could be themselves around the person taking them, that's a very good sign.
Because ultimately, choosing the right St. Louis senior photographer isn't just about finding someone who owns a great camera.
You're choosing the person you're trusting to document the end of your child's childhood.
That's worth being intentional about.
Looking for a Senior Photographer in St. Louis, Missouri?
I've been photographing people for more than a decade, and one of the things I love most about senior sessions is getting to create something completely different for each person who steps in front of my camera.
Whether you're dreaming about golden summer light, fall color, wildflowers, downtown architecture or something completely personal to your senior, we'll build the session around them.
If you're looking for senior pictures in St. Louis, St. Charles or the surrounding Missouri area, I'd love for you to explore my senior portfolio, read what past clients have said about their experience and see whether Jewels Photo Co. feels like the right fit for you.
