Eve was my first BIG furniture make-over (hence the name “Eve”…get it?). I had done a couple of small projects that just required a little paint or stain and loved transforming pieces to fit our style and home and was itching to do more. Also, we were in need of a dresser. My husband and I are in our 40’s and have never had proper bedroom furniture. It’s just never been a priority. But I decided it was time and that I wanted to refinish a piece and make it our own.
The first step is stalking the swap pages and facebook marketplace. I quickly learned that cheap and free things go FAST and it is really hard to snag them unless you are checking all day. I had almost given up hope and then…..HAPPY ACCIDENT! I was out checking out a new photography location for an upcoming shoot. I noticed this location had nice bike trails and there were a lot of people riding. Hmmmm, my kids had been pestering me to get a bike so we could ride together. Before I knew it I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace in search of a bike. That’s when I saw this beautiful piece of furniture pop up for FREE! Now I should stop right here for a minute and mention that although I’ve never been diagnosed, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a pretty good chance my son acquired his ADHD from me. I’m not sure it’s normal for most people to go check out a park, decide they need a bike and come home with a dresser but it’s really just another day for me. Anyway, I messaged them FAST because I knew it would be gone soon and hurried to grab it up and then returned home to a husband that was probably fairly surprised that I went to a park and came home with a dresser (he’s not surprised anymore when this happens).
BEFORE
So technically, Eve is a buffet, but we needed a dresser more than a buffet so that’s what we are calling her now. The piece was overall in pretty good shape but in order to get the end result I wanted I was going to have to do a lot of things I had never done before which was a little scary. Since this was the first time I was doing these things I did have to purchase some products, but hey…the furniture was free and I could use these things on future projects, so totally worth it!
The first step was sanding. A lot of sanding. I used hand sanders because I didn’t want to overdo it on this piece and because it didn’t need heavy sanding in most areas. It did have some scratches and someone’s name scratched into the top (why???) so I was able to work a little extra in those places. It also had some small but fairly deep gashes in the top so I filled those with a stainable wood filler. I knew I wanted the body painted blue and the top a dark walnut so after googling some options I chose Rust-oleum’s Coastal Blue Chalk Paint and Verathane Dark Walnut stain. The brass handles were very tarnished and I really wanted them to pop so thanks to the recommendation of a friend I purchased a bottle of Brasso to clean them up and make them POP against the blue. Brasso works great but does require a lot of elbow grease and patience (and is messy) so be prepared for that.
Before and after Brasso!
Once the paint and stain was finished I applied a good 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane on top letting it dry between each coat. The color of the wood turned out beautiful!
To finish it add some shine to the finish and details, I used a furniture wax by Behr (lots more elbow grease). We absolutely love this piece and I LOVE finally having a proper dresser! I instantly knew I needed a gold framed mirror to hang above her so back to Facebook Marketplace I went and found exactly what I wanted! So happy with the finished look!
According to Wikipedia, the word “photographer” means: A person who makes photographs. The word “professional” means: A member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activity. So according to this a “Professional Photographer” would be anyone who makes money “making photographs”. There are no requirements as far as obtaining any degrees or even certifications to become a Professional Photographer. So why do some photographers seem to charge so much while others are very cheap? This is a question I see all the time. Often on social media platforms like Facebook Swap pages I see people searching for photographers and it looks something like this: ISO (In search of- for those of you who don’t do the swap pages) Photographer that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. Actually I see these posts for all kinds of professions and I suppose the obvious response to any of them would be “you get what you pay for” but I get it. If there are two photographers and one is charging $50 for a session and the other is charging $400, how much more could you possibly be getting? The answer is: “More than you can probably even imagine”.
Experience- The more experience a photographer has the more they will most likely charge.
Quality
I have to preface by saying that everyone starts somewhere and just because a photographer is new does NOT necessarily mean that you shouldn’t give them a chance. New photographers are usually trying to build their portfolio and develop their style and skills and hopefully gain a loyal client-base along the way. This means that they may offer sessions at a cheaper price which can be a great way to update those frames or get grandma and grandpa off your back if they are asking for new photos of the grandkids. 😉 They may even be a great option for a small, casual wedding. However, if you are looking for consistently high quality work you might be better off to go with a photographer with a few more years under their belt. Experienced photographers will have a developed style that you can count on. They will have more knowledge of things like “what to wear”, locations to use, posing and how to get your kids to smile. They will have more editing skills to make your finished images look their best. Just like any profession, photographers with more experience are typically going to cost more. I certainly would never charge the same fee for photography from “beginner me” who started their photographer journey 14 years ago as I would for “current me”!
Safety
When you think of scheduling a photo session, “danger” is not usually something that crosses your mind. Surprisingly though, experienced photographers keep many things in mind to make sure everyone stays safe during your session that inexperienced photographers may not be aware of. For instance, we have all seen great photos of people standing or even sitting on railroad tracks. Did you know that those photos are not only extremely dangerous but also illegal? Almost 600 people die each year from taking photos on railroad tracks. This includes both clients and photographers. Most people think they will hear or see a train coming in time to get out of the way but trains are moving fast and take a long time to stop and by the time you hear them it may be too late not to mention you could trip or get caught up on the tracks. An inexperienced photographer might also choose a location that could be dangerous to have young children around such as close to a busy road or body of water.
Another common photo that we have all seen is the adorable newborn baby laying propped up on it’s elbows with it’s little chin propped up on it’s fists. Experienced newborn photographers know that this pose should ONLY be done in editing. It is what is called a composition (or a combination of two separate images that are combined in post processing). An inexperienced photographer could seriously injure a newborn attempting this shot incorrectly.
Expenses- More than likely, photographers that charge more also offer and provide more. That means they have more expenses!
Website
With all of the social media platforms available, it is possible for photographers to get found without a full blown website. However, having a website not only makes it easier to find a photographer, but it also allows clients to much more easily see examples of the photographers work, find information like pricing and package options, check out examples of locations you might want to use, view and order photos after your session and so much more. While a website may not seem like a large expense, there are hosting fees, domain name fees, and added software fees just to name a few of the possible expenses associated with providing this feature to clients.
Business License
Like any business, photographers who are running a legal “professional business” are required to have a business license. Does this mean that all of them do? No. So that might be another expense that the photographer charging more has that cheap photographers don’t. What difference does this make to you as a client? Well maybe not that much other than you are dealing with someone who is not running a legal business. And if they aren’t handling this part of their business correctly it makes you wonder what else isn’t legit or going to be handled professionally.
Taxes
Ahhhh…taxes. We love taxes right? But we all have to pay them. Or maybe I should say we are all SUPPOSED to pay them. How can taxes be an expense that one photographer has and another doesn’t? Well, like I mentioned above, a lot of photographers start out by just charging a little and shooting for friends and family and gradually branching out. If they are doing well and decide to start a business hopefully they then take all of the steps needed to run a legit, legal business. Since photographers don’t need a brick and mortar storefront or even a business website though, many decide to continue their little “business” by just shooting their little hearts out and pocketing the money. As a legit business a photographer should be declaring their income and paying taxes on that, have personal property taxes on their business and if they offer any prints or products charging and paying sales tax.
Professional Printing Lab
Many professional photographers offer prints, albums, canvases or other products that you can purchase directly through their website after your session. This is a wonderful convenience for you as a client. Although professional labs don’t charge the photographer any kind of fee to use their services (other than paying cost for the products) they do typically require a sales tax ID so if they don’t have a legit business set up, this may be a luxury that they cannot offer you.
Permits
With the huge increase in “Photographers” in the past few years, there has also been a huge increase in people using and unfortunately in some cases, damaging popular photography locations. This has led to many “hot spots”requiring a permit to shoot there professionally. Permits can cost anywhere from $25 to $100 or even more. So chances are, unless they are informing you that you will be responsible for the permit fee, if you hire a photographer that is only charging around $100 or less for a session, they are not purchasing a permit. This will either A) drastically limit your location choices or B) they may choose to shoot there hoping that no one will ask to see their permit. This could result in not being able to obtain admittance into the location or being asked to leave in the middle of the session.
Insurance
Insurance is another “not-so-fun” expense that photographers may have, but it is an important one…for both the photographer and the client. Let’s say you hire a photographer for a family session in a rose garden. Your 4 year old wants to pose next to a statue. The next thing you know, CRASH! The statue topples over breaking into pieces. Who is responsible for the damages? This can get messy (and expensive) but a photographer who is insured should be covered. For this reason many locations require proof of insurance to obtain the permits mentioned above.
Equipment
While I truly believe it’s not as much what kind of camera and equipment a photographer uses, as much as it is the ability of a photographer that makes great photographs…having the right equipment does help and often times is just downright necessary. A variety of lenses may be needed to achieve certain styles, in places where space is limited or to be able to get a large group into a shot. Artificial lighting is often needed in poorly lit areas or low light times of day and is a MUST for any photographer shooting weddings. A high-quality back up camera is so important for wedding photographers (what if one camera quits working in the middle of a ceremony?) but also is a great idea for any professional who may not be able to get a camera that is malfunctioning repaired prior to a shoot which would lead to cancellations or reschedules. Then there’s the memory cards, camera bags, tripods, backdrops, props and so many other “extras” that photographers need to be able to fulfill client’s needs. That adds up to several thousands of dollars!
Editing
In this time of digital photography, if photographers want to take their photos to their full potential, editing is a must. Even if they aren’t making a lot of big changes to a photo, most professional photographers shoot in RAW mode, which means the camera makes no changes to the photo at all so that they can start with a completely fresh image and slightly (or sometimes greatly) enhance it to their style. You can’t use RAW images for anything (prints, social media, etc.) so at the very least their images must be converted to another format in software like Lightroom or Photoshop. Many photographers us both. Software can be a fairly big expense on it’s own but there are a lot of additional expenses that a photographer might have to reach their full editing potential. Like taking great photos, learning how to edit them takes time…and sometimes some money. There are a lot of great courses, classes and workshops to help photographers learn the art of editing or specific editing skills. Some are free, but many are not. There are also add-ons called “presets or actions” that photographers can purchase for their software to make editing in certain styles or adding certain effects faster and easier. And obviously editing requires a decent computer and most likely a large external hard drive to store all of those images!
Studio
Most photographers choose to shoot “on location” utilizing the great outdoors, a client’s home, or maybe they have an in-home studio. But some photographers still have a brick and mortar photography studio which means rent or mortgage and utilities. This can be a great bonus to clients, especially in instances where you only have a specific time/date available so rescheduling due to bad weather is not an option. It also allows for sessions that can be hard to find a good indoor place for such as headshots or boudoir photography. Photographers with a studio most likely also have additional lighting and backdrop expenses to achieve the best studio photography look.
What are your memories worth?
Hopefully this has shed some light on the many expenses photographers have beyond the camera that you see them carry. Some photographers might be forking out a good portion of their hard earned session fees to provide all of these services (and a legal business). Others may be just starting out and getting by with the basics, while some fall somewhere in between. When choosing a photographer for your photo session, consider what your specific needs are for that session and then budget appropriately. A quick family session for a Christmas card photo might be a great time to look for a bargain, while once-in-a-lifetime events and milestones like weddings and senior photos might be worth saving up for the best. Just know that just because one photographer appears to be charging much more than another, they are probably giving that back to you in services and quality and not just trying to take all of your money…or your arms and legs.
So here we are. We have been living through a pandemic for around 6 months now. Who would have EVER thought?! I have to admit…in the beginning I took this whole thing on as an adventure. Obviously my heart went out to those who were sick or directly affected by this virus but I tried to make home/virtual schooling, mask wearing, staying home, etc. as positive and exciting as possible for our family. I told my kids how they were living through what would be a big moment in history that their kids and grandkids would learn about someday. We played outside, filled out time capsules about what life was like and how they felt about missing out on things. We ordered an air track (tumbling mat) and floor bars from the internet so my daughter could keep up with gymnastics as much as possible and I looked for ways to make silly little ordinary things more special and exciting like buying chocolate milk again (something I hadn’t done much since the kids were little). We took on “At Home School” as an opportunity to enjoy school in jammies, science experiments, virtual field trips, and learning about things we were interested in. Although it was an emotional roller coaster (fear, stress, worry, excitement, hope), the general feeling was one of coming together and caring for one another. People were putting teddy bears and rainbows in their windows to spread happiness and give kids something to do/look for when there was little else to do. Families and kids were getting outside and doing sidewalk chalk, and hiking trails, going for walks and playing together. Teachers were doing parades through neighborhoods to visit the kids that they missed and who missed them dearly and there were “birthday parades” to celebrate those who were missing out on typical birthday parties. Everyone was doing their best to support small businesses and making it a point to order carry-out from restaurants who could no longer keep their dining rooms open. People were donating to grocery/food drives and food banks like never before.
But I don’t think at the time anyone could really imagine this lasting more than a couple of months. As time went on things changed. It was becoming obvious things would not be returning to normal anytime soon. The list of things that people were missing out on and cancellations was growing. Everyone started growing restless, stressed out and angry. Political and equal rights issues added to the division and anger in everyone and suddenly things like wearing a mask were enormous issues of controversy and arguments.
This new anger and hate became the most widespread and toxic symptom of Covid 19 in many ways. I know I have been feeling it. It’s like we are going through the motions of life and new routines but everything is watered down and lacking joy. It also feels like you can’t count on or look forward to anything because of the uncertainty of whether it will actually happen or not. Then one day I was at the store with my daughter waiting to check out (with masks on, 6 feet behind the people in front of us…our new “normal”). I glanced over at the line next to us to see this adorable baby probably somewhere between 6-8 months old. I always smile at babies and they always seem to give me a huge smile back (which is helpful as a photographer). So even though my mask was on, I smiled hoping she could tell by my eyes and she started smiling back and giggling. Then I looked around the store and it hit me. Every single person with masks on. Everything getting wiped down and sanitized. This has been this baby’s entire life. It’s all she knew. How is this going to leave our children? Even older children who have lived a normal life up until now. Childhood is so short and 6 months is already a good chunk of that. We may not be able to make this virus go away, but you can change the negativity, anger, hatred, etc. that is poisoning their environment and all of our lives. How?
Take Care of YOU!
If you are struggling, your family and friends will feel it too. You can take control of your personal environment by removing many of the toxic things in your life that make you feel angry, stressed, worried, etc. Replace those with things that bring you joy. Make a list of both the toxic things and joyful things if you need to and refer to it daily to see where you are spending your time. Here are some specific ways to make positive changes:
Deep Clean Your Social Media. This can be hard because some of the people who post things that get our blood going are people we genuinely like in real life, but it is soooo important. Social media is such a part of our lives and for many of us, businesses so it can be difficult to take a break from it altogether. You can control what pops into your feed and your LIFE every day though. Think about how a post makes you feel and if the person posting it makes these kind of posts often. Maybe it’s time to take a break from them on social media. You don’t have to “unfriend” them but social media platforms like Facebook have options to “snooze” people for 30 days, or unfollow them. The people won’t know you have done this, but you won’t see their posts anymore. If you want to see what they have been up to later you can always go to their page or follow them again. I recommend this over “unfriending” people (unless you decide you really just don’t like the person and have no interest in ever communicating with them again) for several reasons. Unfriending feels like something done out of anger and like a “take that” kind of move, which isn’t what we are going for. You are doing this for you and as a positive move for your life, not to be spiteful. Also, although people won’t see that you unfriended them, you will probably eventually pop up again as a “recommended friend” and they will then know that you unfriended them at some point. For me, my deep cleaning means I now “unfollow” anyone who is posting:
Conspiracy Theories
Inaccurate or unproven information (regarding anything Covid, Political related or otherwise) Most people are too lazy to take the time to make sure what they are posting is 100% accurate and true (if that is even really possible to do anyway) and it is VERY irresponsible to share information just because it supports your personal opinion.
Attack photos (photo taken and shared with only the intent to make someone look bad or hypocritical and no other purpose or value).
Constant negative opinions about things going on.
Memes or “articles” that are posted with no intent other than to get people who may see things differently than you do angry or fired up. Keep in mind these are often disguised as “sharing information” but unless the person posting it is an expert on the topic it is really just them sharing their OPINION because you can find information to support your own agenda no matter what it is if you just look.
Political negativity. This one is going to get worse as we get closer to election time. I don’t want to see posts attacking EITHER candidate. Politicians aren’t great people for the most part. We already know this. Show me the good. Show me why I should vote for someone and what they will do to make things better. Even if you already 100% know how you will vote (which I am guessing is true for most), seeing negative stuff still fuels your mind with negativity even if you agree with it! Better yet, don’t post it at all and show me pictures of your kids, pets, hobbies or what you are having for dinner. Your Meme isn’t going to change my mind on election day.
People who leave you feeling yucky. Maybe you casually know someone in real life and run into them from time to time at the gym, or at your child’s sport activities, school, etc. and you get along with them there and enjoy talking to them enough but their posts on social media always annoy and frustrate you even though you can’t exactly put your finger on the reason why. Maybe they are constantly bragging about something, seem too preachy or like they are better than everyone, post hateful or hypocritical things or just generally annoy you and leave you feeling yucky. There often are two versions of people: The “in-person” version and the “social media” version. You don’t have to be friends with both. Unfollow them.
Connect With Positive People Whether it’s “in person” or on social media, find people who are positive and enjoy some of the same uplifting activities that you do. Maybe it’s a church group, book club, fitness group, or a group for a specific hobby. We all are looking for interaction with others right now and finding people who are ready and willing to interact with others about things not controversial is a treasure!
Busy Yourself With New Hobbies/Projects Even though for the most part this whole year has been, well…crappy, there have been a lot of positive things to come out of it. One of them is time. Prior to all of this I remember feeling like there just weren’t enough hours in the day and it was almost impossible to get everything that HAD to be done completed, let alone anything I wanted to do for enjoyment or satisfaction. I have taken advantage of the extra time we have had to spend more time on my hobbies, take up some new ones, exercise more, complete projects and updates around the house. You know what? I realized how essential it is for your happiness to take time for these things. Spending your entire day running from one place to the next just trying to stay on schedule is exhausting and doesn’t bring much joy. It’s so important to throw in something you enjoy or that brings you a sense of accomplishment or pride!
Read Reading is something I seldom have time for anymore, so it’s one of the things I have used our newfound “extra” time to do. Reading is so great because it takes all of your focus and attention which can take you away on a mental vacation for a little while. Whether it’s fiction or maybe an uplifting or motivational book, reading is a great way to choose what you put into your mind and day.
Health I know it sounds preachy but taking care of your health is also an important part of taking care of your mind. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Whether you take a nice walk or run in the evenings, take up a new sport or exercise as a hobby or set a goal for yourself to achieve a record lifting weights or lose a few pounds, it will feel great to get out and burn off some negative energy and feel the accomplishment of a great workout. Good foods also play a part in your mood. Putting things into your body that fuel it and give you energy instead of eating things that make you feel stuffed and bloated is so important for not only a healthy body, but a healthy mind.
Take“Spa Time” For Your Mind Whether it’s making time for prayer, meditation, reading daily devotions or inspirational quotes, take some time to shut down from everything going on around you and fill your mind with positive every day. Here are some great resources for that:
Be Kind There are Facebook Groups popping up all over the country called “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Spirits” or something similar. You can most likely find one of these groups for your local area. The idea is to spread some joy and positivity during these times. You simply join the group and share your address and members of the group deliver goody baskets filled with treats, trinkets and usually alcohol to your door. It has been so much fun and the best part is that members of the group are enjoying the giving more than the receiving. Some of these people are seriously addicted and have shelves full of goodies in their home ready to put together for their next round of deliveries! Why?! Because it feels good to make someone happy. What a super power that is really! YOU have the ability to make someone happy. To bring joy into someone’s life! That’s crazy to think about really because it’s so easy to do yet how often do we think to do it? And not only does it bring joy to others but in return it will bring joy to you as well. Why wouldn’t we want to do that all the time? Instead we so often choose to spread “opinions” and hate which is toxic for everyone. Think about your actions throughout the day- especially before you hit “post” on social media (I go back to this a lot because I truly believe this is where the true pandemic of hate and division is spreading like wildfire). What is your purpose (do you really think you are accomplishing anything?) and how are you making others and yourself feel by posting? Go to Starbucks and buy someone’s coffee for them instead! Or paint some rocks with positive messages on them and leave them for others to find and enjoy!
The Kids
I can’t even wrap my mind around what this is like for all of the kids growing up and trying to enjoy childhood through all of this. Just think about how short childhood really is and every canceled event or activity is a really big deal for them! As parents and adults we need to set the mood in our homes and their lives and do our best to produce happy activities and memories for them. Besides taking care of yourself in all the ways listed above, here are some other things you can do:
Find some normalcy…even if it’s a “new” normal. Kids are used to routines and schedules. Although it’s nice to have a break from a busy schedule sometimes, I think it’s important to have something you can count on and look forward to and many of their normal activities don’t provide that for them right now. Maybe it’s dessert night, game night, movie night, family field trip days, or whatever will give your family something to look forward to regularly.
Chores/Allowance. I know this one doesn’t sound fun or exciting for kids but I think it’s so important for their mental health and happiness. School and sports bring responsibility and accomplishments into their lives. With those things either not happening or looking a lot different, they are missing that whether they realize it or not. It’s a great time to start a chore routine if they don’t already have one (or maybe add to it if they already do)! Maybe reward them with the promise of something fun or an allowance for keeping up with their chores.
Get Away. We all really need to just take some time to “get away” from it all at some point I think. We are trying to live our normal lives in a world and time where everything is very abnormal and it’s exhausting. Getting away whether it’s for a mini vacation or even just a fun day and forgetting about everything is great for the whole family. Go camping, boating, hiking, or for a road trip and leave the world behind.
Be Positive and “Go with the flow”! Your worry= their worry. Your kids pick up on your stress or worry and that makes them worried too. Think back to when you were a kid and how safe your parents made you feel. As long as they seemed like everything was ok, everything seemed ok. It’s important to talk to your kids about what’s going on and the seriousness of it all, but also ensure them that you are doing everything you can to stay safe and get through this and teach them what they can do as well. It’s super stressful trying to navigate through the choices of how to do school this year and what everything will look like, but try and reassure them that no matter what choices you make, everyone is going through the same thing and they will be taken care of. If you come across as frustrated and hopeless, they will feel the same thing.
Say Yes! Ok, maybe not to EVERYTHING, but right now the world is saying “no” to these kiddos and awful lot. No sports, no school, no parties, no festivals and carnivals, and on and on. So when my kids come to me asking for something or if we can do something I am saying “yes” as often as I can. We are now the proud owners of a baby bearded dragon as a result of this. 🙂
Talk to them. In all of the chaos of trying to navigate our way through everything, it can be easy to overlook how kids must be feeling from day to day. Ask them. Most likely if you ask a kid how they are feeling you are going to get the response “fine” so maybe ask specific questions. What are they most sad to have missed out on? What are they worried about missing in the future? What is something they would really like to do right now? Are they worried about themselves or a loved one getting sick? More than anything it’s just a good way for them to get any worries or frustrations out and also know that you care about their feelings but you might also be able to use this information to help create some fun ideas to make up for things they miss out on.
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If you are a High School Senior or the parent of a Senior, you are probably a little overwhelmed at how fast the time has gone and all of the events, activities and things to do during that last year of high school and in preparation for college. Luckily, with just a little planning, your Senior photos don’t need to be a stressful part of that. Many Seniors (and/or their parents) don’t know where to start with this process though and have no idea how to figure out what they want their senior photos to even look like. Here are some tips to make everything run smoothly and not only create perfect senior portraits, but have a fun experience doing it!
Research
Go on Pinterest, check out your friends’ senior photos, get an idea of what you like and don’t like.
What Season do you want to do them in? Fall is a popular time because it is cooler and if you live in a a place where the colors change with the season you might have beautiful backdrops to choose from. But having a summer or spring session can offer some great backgrounds too.
What “look” or “feeling” do you want? This will help you narrow down your location. Do you want a nature background or the urban feel of brick, steel, and graffiti? Maybe a manicured park with a rose garden for something in between or better yet…somewhere personal to you. A special family or personal location ads meaning to your photos whether it is a favorite ice cream shop, family farm, or a baseball field you played on for years. Obviously your high school is a great place to capture the “Senior You” too!
Keep your locations in mind when planning your outfits and vice-versa. If you are going to shoot in a green place like a park or woods, consider a color that will contrast and stand out. If you want to use something busy like graffiti in the background, plan an outfit with solid colors instead of prints. Sometimes it’s fun to use outfits that are complete opposite of your location as far as style, like a prom dress in an urban alley.
What props will you bring. Props aren’t absolutely necessary for your Senior Session, but can add a personal touch to your photos and help tell your story. They also often help with posing and figuring out “what to do with your hands”! Even if you are unsure about bringing props or how they would work in your session, bring anything that might represent you and who you are at this time in your life. I’ve had seniors bring sports equipment, uniforms, trophies and medals, class rings and letter jackets, poetry books, musical instruments, paint brushes and sketch books, cupcakes, a Bible, and even a HORSE!
What to Wear
I usually tell my clients to wear whatever feels like “them” and who they want to show off in their photos. Even if that version of them isn’t one they get to be often (dressed up, etc.). If your session allows time for outfit changes (which I recommend), a good rule of thumb is to bring 1 casual outfit, 1 dressy and 1 personal (uniform, prom dress, cap and gown, etc.).
Choosing a Photographer
Now that you have an idea of what you want your photos to look like, it’s time to find the right photographer to accomplish that. With more photographers in the industry than ever before to choose from, how do you decide? Here are some factors that I call “The Three P’s” to consider:
Packages Available~ Look at what packages each photographer offers and if they will work with your vision. Are there multiple session lengths available? Can you choose multiple locations and outfit changes? What is included in the packages? Do you get digital images or can you purchase them separately? Can prints and other products be ordered directly through them? Will you get printing rights to print elsewhere?
Price~ Obviously price is a consideration for most people. When comparing prices of photographers though, make sure you are also comparing packages and everything mentioned above. A one hour session with one photographer may be more expensive than another photographer, but you may get a lot more for that money and not have to spend as much on the back end when it comes times to order prints, etc.
Portfolio ~ Check out the photographer’s work on their website and other social media platforms. Spend some time on this. Just because you see a few photos that you like doesn’t mean you should stop looking. Look at many examples of their work. Any photographer can have a good session or two but you want to make sure their work consistently meets your needs and desired style. How is the lighting? Do you love their “editing” style and is it consistent? You want to make sure you know that you can expect the same level of quality for your session. Have they worked with a lot of High School Seniors?
What will you do with your Images?
I saved what might be the best and most important tip for last, but you probably should start with this question when planning your High School Senior Session. What are you going to do with your images afterwards? Do you want wallets to hand out at your graduation party? Maybe a large print or canvas for the wall? Graduation Announcements and party invites? What about an album or small coffee table book to keep out or save for a keepsake. Maybe you want to order a variety of prints for yourself and other family members. Thinking about this question can help you decide everything above. Picture those portraits on the wall or those wallets you are handing out to friends. What are you wearing in them? What does the background look like? Does it match the decor in your home? Will you look back on them many years from now and remember everything you loved about your senior year and who you were then?
If you are in the Kansas City area I would LOVE to be a part of your High School Senior Photo Experience! www.heathernealphotography.com
Beautiful and affordable canvases to showcase your photos:
What prompted this “gymnastics photography” session? I wear many hats. The ones I am most proud of are the ones my children have placed on my head and end in the word “mom”. As a “gymnastics mom”, I was so sad to see this competition season cut short. These girls practice year-round, some for as many as 30 hours a week. They leave school early, miss extra curricular activities, parties, and events. They have calluses and “rips” (the skin actually rips off of their hands) and bruises. For all of this they get typically less than 10 meets a year where they get to show off and (hopefully) be rewarded for their hard work and amazing achievements.
This year that was only 4 meets. I’m a “fixer”. As soon as a problem or disappointment presents itself, my brain starts working overtime trying to figure out how I can fix it, or at least make it a little better. I couldn’t fix this but as a photographer I could give them a day in the spotlight. I could show the world (or as many people as social media will allow) how beautiful and amazing they are. It was hot and the day was long, but there was a lot of laughter and fun. I photographed girls doing what they loved more than anything. I photographed sisters, friends, teammates, role models…family. We had fun and created and captured some happy memories from this crazy year. This was one of the most fun and rewarding sessions I have ever done. Maybe “gymnastics photography” will become my new thing.Â
You can also learn to take your own great photos with my FREE photography tutorials found right in this blog. Here’s a link to lesson 1: Lesson 1, Composition
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