After test prep, prom-posals, and college or job applications, you deserve to celebrate the end of your high school accomplishments. What better way to capture this milestone than with professional senior portraits? Once you’ve booked a session with an accomplished photographer, use the following three pointers to produce photos you’re proud to show off.

3 Tips for Your Senior Portrait Shoot

1. Take Care of Your Skin

While acne can be uncontrollable, it’s easy to retouch these individual spots out of your picture. Sunburns, on the other hand, involve all-over discoloration and can be hard for a photographer to work around.

Wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher whenever going outside, and make sure to focus on your face, neck, and shoulders. If you’ll be wearing a sleeveless shirt or dress in your senior portrait, avoid catching rays in T-shirts—it will leave noticeable tan lines.

2. Try Out Your Hairstyle in Advance

Not only do you want to feel comfortable during your photo shoot, but you also want to look back on your senior portraits with pride years down the road. Therefore, it might not be wise to try out a new hairstyle on portrait day.

Avoid bold dye jobs, significant differences in length, or texturizing treatments like perms. Whether you like to style your crew cut with gel or rock your natural waves, wear your hair in a way that you’ve had time to get used to, so you don’t end up with a spontaneous “bad hair day” the morning of the shoot.

3. Bring the Essentials

In addition to preparing during the days and hours leading up to your shoot, you’ll want to bring some reinforcements with you. Bring a couple of different outfits, so if one makes you look washed-out on camera, you don’t have to waste shots trying to make it work. 

Also, multiple looks will give you options to choose from during the selection and editing process. Bring a bag with your makeup and styling products for touchups as well as any props that highlight your personality—such as an antique film camera or soccer ball.

If you’re looking for standout senior portraits to say goodbye to high school, reach out to K Thaemert Photography of Saint Charles, MO. Karen Thaemert photographs subjects of all ages, from newborns to golden anniversary couples. Whether you want to capture your baby’s growth, sell a property, or impress employers with a professional headshot, rely on her unrivaled skills to highlight the best features. To learn more about this St. Louis photographer, visit her website. Call (636) 947-5956 to schedule a photo shoot before graduation approaches.