Planning Senior Portraits That are Uniquely You!

This post is both a Senior Spotlight as well as a message to encourage seniors and soon-to-be seniors, “Embrace who you are and bring that to your senior portrait session.”

Having had two seniors, I know firsthand that planning senior portraits can be yet one more stressful event for senior year.  There’s the pressure to choose the right clothes, to choose the right location, and then put it all together for gorgeous photos that don’t look like everyone else’s.  That can be hard to achieve when there are only so many places around Pittsburgh, and many are incredibly popular.

But I’m here to say that when you partner with your photographer, you work together to create images that are UNIQUELY YOU, even in the most popular of locations.  How? By embracing who you are.

I was so excited to photograph this young lady.  She wanted both flowers and architecture, so we decided on Hartwood Acres.  Hartwood is a popular location for senior portraits, but I always try to find my own spots and my own way of photographing my clients in those spots.  Through the course of planning, though, I learned that the mansion at Hartwood was booked for a wedding (Hartwood is not just popular for senior portraits), and so we needed to pivot.  Fortunately, Mellon Park provides a similar look to Hartwood Acres.  We decided to stick with the flower field and then visit Mellon Park.  Flexibility is always important with any portrait session.

Hartwood Acres Flower Field

On the day of her session, we started next at the flower fields, and I couldn’t resist this gorgeous little hollow.  The light with the mauvy-purple of the Joe Pye weed and greens was just beautiful.  While I loved her photos with the flowers, these allow her to really stand out.

It’s hard to go wrong with a white top and jeans, along with her simple jewelry choices.  She was comfortable, relaxed, and happy start this experience.

Next, we were ready to head to Mellon Park, but first, she wanted a few photos in her sari.

The Sari

That’s right.  She brought her gorgeous pink and teal sari, along with bracelets and her grandmother’s earrings, and looked simply beautiful with the sun setting behind her.  This is another instance where I didn’t want her outfit to compete with the flower.  With the golds and greens of the grasses behind her, she was the rainbow of color to focus on.

She only had it on for a short time, but these images are so special.  This is what I mean when I encourage my seniors to embrace all the parts ot themselves.  There are so many facets that make up who we are, and they change over time.  It’s special to document as many of them as we can at this milestone moment.

Mellon Park

For her next outfit, she chose this beautiful floral dress.

I loved how the greens in her dress played with the greens and deep reds in the brick and leaves around here.  And catch the gold of those shoes! This is why I like to know what my seniors are wearing.  It helps me to be able to put them in spots that will work with their outfits instead of fighting with the surroundings.

Finally, one more casual outfit.

She did such a great job of picking outfits, mixing dress and casual, and then her sari.  It was clear that she was comfortable during her session, and a big part of that comfort comes from outfit choices.

Whether you have a sari, a suit, or a sports jersey, you are more than the trends at the mall. Take the time to choose outfits that celebrate you in this moment.  For other outfit tips, check out this post.