2019 Seniors are you on the hunt for your Senior Photographer but are slightly overwhelmed?! Don’t worry- I get it! There are a lot of artists to choose from these days, so I am here to help you through some of the most important things to consider when choosing your senior photographer!

The top 5 things to keep in mind when searching for YOUR senior photographer

Style

It is very common for seniors and their parents to shop based off price and price alone. While I understand the importance of your hard earned dollar my advice to you is DON’T! I know that sounds harsh but hear me out! Photographers are like thumbprints- we are all unique in our own way and that absolutely includes our styles. It is very common that you get what you pay for, so you won’t be able to select a photographer and ask them to change their specific style to match what you have envisioned. So with that being said, shop around! Find a photographer that matches what you envision your senior images looking like in your home for years or that has an editing style that appeals to you. Do you like light and airy images? Clean and vibrant images? You won’t get a photographer who has a dark and moody style to be able to convert to something completely different so finding a senior photographer who’s style resonates with you is VERY important! If you select someone with a style in mind that is different from the one they display in their portfolio you are guaranteed to be unhappy with your senior portraits and while you will be brokenhearted that photographer will as well because in the end we all want you to love your final result! These are an investment for you so make it worth your time, effort and resources! Consultations with SMP are complimentary and the concept of style preference is so important that I discuss it there as well! If our styles don’t match- that’s ok! Ill gently direct you toward other senior photographers I know that have something more of what you are looking for!

Experience

While personal style is unique to every person, experience is as well! What kind of experience are you wanting your senior photos to be? Are you excited about the potential of having a fully involved and catered experience?! Are you looking for the experience to be minimal because you just have so much going on this year and want to be sure to mark it off the list? All photographers provide experiences unique to their business so seeing what kind of offerings they have is important. If you are looking to have the full treatment and soak up every second of the luxury experience but you photographer provides a more minimal and simplistic experience you aren’t likely to have convert that into your dream session. On the other side, if you would just like to have a simple session, selecting a photographer who only provides extensive high-end treatments isn’t likely to satisfy you either. While you are searching for a senior photographer be sure that you find out what they do and do not offer.

Here at SMP I aim to be somewhere right in the middle! All sessions come with complimentary consultations to plan out your custom session, location, ideal package types, time frames and wardrobe selections! Sessions range from simple and local to meet your need all the way through destination sessions with a custom gown and wardrobe arrangements.

Locations

Most photographers, including myself, tend to do their photoshoots on location. If you are wanting a studio look be sure that the photographer you select has those actually images in their portfolio because we don’t all photograph the same! Don’t be afraid to ask questions either! This is a great time to help set the sage for your vision and the location is a big part of that. Talk with the photographer and see what they have or recommend based off of your needs. The location is important to obtaining the experience you are looking for so be sure to do your research and see what that photographer has to offer.

Product Offerings

This item is important as well because this is all about your final product which is your end goal! What are you hoping to get from your session? Do you and your family want prints and products like albums, canvases and signing boards? Or do you just want to keep it simple and have your digitals? Again, each photographer has a different style, offers a different experience and as a result of that their final products can differ as well. If you know that you want a signature album of your session be sure that the photographer, you select has the capability to offer you just that!

At SMP I offer a variety of physical products and prints to display your investment along with digital images! Each package comes with a select variety of digitals and depending on which session package you choose print credits are available as well! A large portion of this process is digital, so your gallery can be sent to distance friends and family for ordering as well.

Personality

While this one is listed last it is most certainly NOT least! The personality of your photographer should match a style of you and your parents to really get the most out of senior portrait session. You want to see if you get along, if it’s a good relationship and if between the group you guys are capable of making the session exactly what you are looking for. You want a senior photographer to understand what vision you truly have so meshing is crucial. MEET WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! Consultations are complimentary here at SMP and while I much prefer to meet in person, so you can get an idea of exactly who I am, sometimes they are just to hard to make happen so that’s where phone consultations come in! This is a great opportunity to ask questions of any kind, chit chat a bit and get an overall feel of what working together will be like. If your photographer doesn’t offer consultations do you best to be sure you can engage in some sort of conversation at a minimum like email or text.

There is so much that goes into creating your perfect session that you want to be sure that you have picked the perfect photographer for you! These suggestions only scratch the surface and only you can really determine what works for you and what doesn’t so hopefully this gives you a few tools to be able to do just that!