Hey y’all, I’m Jason! I’m a Missouri City, Texas (Sienna) senior photographer obsessed with making young people feel confident in their skin.
I know what it feels like to struggle with making sure you are doing everything you can to make these teen years special. Having three of my own, I’ve tried to find ways to document special moments in their lives. I’ve also tried to instill in them a sense of self-worth and to embrace what makes them who they are. I understand their needs to fit in while also trying to stand out and that as a dad, you want them to hold on to each stage so you can look back on these memories.
That’s why I specialize in photographing teens. They are all so unique and deserve to celebrate it!
Check out these top 8 tips to pick the perfect senior photographer and make sure they are exactly what you are looking for!
Tip #1: Location, location, location
Something that the seniors that I’ve worked with have told me time and time again is that they love having a variety of locations and that none of their backgrounds look the same as other people’s photos.
When looking for your senior photographer, keep in mind that locations are important. If you’re looking for a natural or city vibe, make sure that your photographer has locations available to fit this look. Also, make sure that if you want your photos in different locations than your friends that your photographer can provide unique locations for your shoot!
Tip #2: Consistency is key
Sometimes photographers will only put one or two of their best photos from the session on Instagram and not show the other photos that aren’t so good… Look on your prospective photographer’s website and make sure that they have a full featured session in their portfolio! This will be an entire senior session that you can see and make sure that the photographer is producing quality work that you’re happy with. Don’t make the mistake of ending up with just one or two photos that you like!
Tip #3: Editing style
This is a big one. Look for a photographer whose editing style you like. If you like photos that are beautiful and sunny, making sure that you’re hiring a photographer who fits that style is important. One of the biggest things is also making sure that your photographer doesn’t over edit your images and that you still look like yourself in the images! Make sure that you can still see the skin texture and that they look natural. You don’t want to look like someone else in your photos because your photographer over edits your photos.
Did you know . . . Every image from me is hand edited. No presets and no filters! This means you get images that are individually edited to make sure all of your images look incredible!
Tip #4: Making the headlines
What’s another way to tell if the photographer you’re hiring is legit? See if they have been published and featured! Photographers that are published and featured are the ones whose work is setting the standard throughout the photography industry and making sure that you’re getting the best possible photos!
My images and seniors have been nationally and internationally published and featured many times in magazines and by social media influencers, such as Senior Year Magazine, SeniorSzn Magazine, TeenSzn Magazine, Senior Guys Style, and Senior Images.
Tip #5: Custom archive quality photo products
I’ll never forget the moment a senior told me that they’re so glad that I don’t just hand over a CD of images and make them print them on their own.
While getting digital files is awesome for posting to Instagram and Twitter, I have had seniors tell me that they love getting archive quality photo products that are only available to them in addition to their digitals.
Make sure that you have the option of beautiful products (and I’m not talking about what you get at Walgreens or CVS….) in addition to the digital files for sharing on Instagram.
Tip #6: Raves and reviews
What’s the first thing you do when you’re trying to find a new place to eat? You ask your friends! The same is especially true for your senior photographer. Make sure that once you’ve found a photographer whose work you like to ask them about past client testimonials. This should be on their website or senior magazine they give you when inquiring. This will tell you a lot about what other people have to say about working with them.
Tip #7: Make sure they’re legal and have a contract
If the photographer you’re booking doesn’t have a contract, chances are you’re going to get burned. The contract is in place to protect both you and the photographer. What happens if you pay them before the session and they never show up? It’s happened and I don’t want that happening to you. That’s why a contract is so important.
Tip #8: Don’t procrastinate
Once you’ve found the senior photographer that you want to work with, it’s time to book them!
Don’t wait!
A lot of senior photographers book up quickly especially the in-demand photographers.
I typically recommend having your senior photos booked by the beginning of June to August to make sure you get the photographer you want and the perfect session date. Plus, don’t forget that we get a lot of rain in the Houston area and booking a session early helps to ensure plenty of future dates to reschedule.
Hey, thank you so much for reading this blog post! If you have any questions or would like to book your senior session with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am here for you, just ask!
~ Jason
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