Forget the Electric Guitar! Tips for Great Senior Portraits

Whether you like it or not, your mother will probably have one of your senior portraits on the mantle for the next twenty years of your life. Given that you want to be remembered as hot stuff during your high school years, looking good in your senior portraits is a must-do. Follow these tips and you won't be embarrassed when your kids point at your picture and say, "is that you?"

Keep Your Makeup and Hair Simple

For the Ladies: Lower eye makeup is highly discouraged in senior portraits. Use very little or you'll risk looking like you just stepped off the Twilight set. Use a matte foundation and avoid anything that is translucent or sparkles. Seal your foundation with loose powder and avoid using any mineral makeup products.

As for your hair, stick with simple, loose, flowing styles. If you have the extra cash, consider getting a blowout the day before your shoot to ensure that you won't have any stray, flyaway hairs. Do not get a perm or any other chemical or color treatment within two weeks of your senior portraits.

For the Guys: Guyliner is only cool on American Idol so lay off the black when prepping for your senior portraits. Make sure that you get your hair cut a week before the shoot in a style that actually allows the photographer to see your face.

Skip the Props
Yes, you really like to play tennis and are the most successful singles player in the school's history. Chances are, however, that you will definitely regret that in-studio shot of you swinging your racket in front of a green-screened background. If you want to include a sporting element in your pictures, consider wearing your letter jacket or your uniform in a few of the shots. Remember, senior portrait photographers are not hired to showoff your backhand.

Avoid Awkward Poses
Here's a good rule of thumb: if you wouldn't stand, sit, or lay that way in real life, don't do it in a photo. This means that you should probably skip the shot of you leaning over with both hands supporting your chin. You should also cross ?lying on your side with your head propped up by your hand? from your shot list. If any of your potential senior portrait photographers ask you to adopt these poses, consider hiring someone new.

Dress the Part
You may like to live in tee shirts and jeans, but your senior portraits aren't the place to display your oh-so-casual take on life. Ladies, avoid trends that will be out of style in six months, opting to wear classic cuts and colors that show off your features but don't detract from the most important part of the picture: you. Guys, dust off your tan slacks and collared shirts- you won't have to wear them again until graduation.

Avoid Fake Backgrounds Entirely
Unless you actually go to school in Paris, don't request that your potential senior portrait photographers Photo Shop in a background of the Eiffel Tower. Ask for a more natural setup when in the studio, using either black or blue backgrounds.

Take Your Lenses Out
If you wear glasses, bring an extra pair of frames without lenses to use for your senior portraits. Alternatively, you can ask your optometrist to pop your lenses out before your session.

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