If you are looking for creative ideas for your senior pictures, that’s what we are here for. Senior year is the best and most memorable time for most high school students. 

There are many reasons why the senior year is special – whether it’s because you learn to drive or get your first job, or something else. This year is also special since it is the year you are graduating from high school and will go to college or even move out of your parents’ home. 

One thing that most seniors do before their high school graduation day is a senior photoshoot. This photoshoot, in a way, symbolizes your stepping into adulthood. 

In recent years, senior pictures have become a staple for high school graduates. Seniors seem to strive for different and more unique photoshoots. Everyone wants pictures that will be different, and at the same time, highlight their personality in a unique way. 

Let’s discuss photoshoot ideas that will help you plan out the perfect senior photo session!

This post may include affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. [051]

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Equipment that I use: Cameras: Canon EOS R5; Canon EOS R6 
Lenses: Canon RF 85/1.2L; Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L; Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L
Light: Profoto B1 500 | Computer: Apple MacBook Pro | Photo by © Sergey Bidun

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

How to choose the right senior photographer for your photoshoot? The main thing to look for is the style of photography the artist has. Some clients love contrasty colors in their pictures, and some prefer the airy, more washed-out tones. Examine your favorite photographers’ work on their websites or Instagram accounts

If you love the type of portraits they produce, then you can expect similar style photographs from your own senior photoshoot. It’s easy to find a senior portrait photographer in our day and age with simple tools such as Google search or Instagram search (by using hashtags). 

If you are looking for a high school senior photographer in the Sacramento area, Bidun Studio Photography will gladly offer our services. Our photographers provide modern senior portraits that are magazine cover-worthy. See more of our portfolio here

Here is behind the scenes video from one of the senior photoshoots that I did in Old Sacramento, Northern California.

HOW TO GET READY FOR A SENIOR PHOTOSHOOT

Like every other photoshoot, senior photography requires preparation time. It’s important for the photographer and senior to meet up and plan out the photoshoot. 

Details such as the photoshoot location, time, outfits, and picture ideas need to be discussed beforehand. Having photographed many seniors before, we’ve learned what is essential for them. 

Once we sit down to meet the senior, we want to find out about their personality, likes, and dislikes. These little details help us custom-tailor a photoshoot that is specific to that individual. 

The most important thing in senior photography is that this photoshoot must represent an individual’s real personality, interests, and hobbies. By creating a mood board of senior’s character, interests, and inspiration images, we are making it easier for the client and the photographer to get ready for a photoshoot. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

WHEN TO TAKE SENIOR PICTURES

You might be wondering when is the best time to take senior pictures. Is it in the summer, in the fall, in winter, or the spring-time? It is really up to the senior and what type of scenery they prefer. 

Usually, seniors start to schedule their photoshoots in the spring-time of their junior year, summer before their senior year, or fall-time of their senior year of high school. 

Choosing the right season for picture taking really depends on the area that you live in. In California, where Bidun Studio Photography is based, we have very hot summers. The best time for senior photoshoots is usually in the spring or fall time when the weather is just perfect. However, if you are planning for a beach photoshoot, it’s best to do it in the summer for more creative pictures with the water. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOSHOOT

The ideal time for senior pictures and any other outdoor photoshoot is during the sunset time. Sunset time is also called the golden hour among photographers. This is the time when we get this warm sunset light with a glow, which is perfect for backlit portraits. Seniors love portraits with the sunset backlight highlighting them. 

Another excellent time for outdoor pictures is the sunrise. The lighting is best when the sun just rises above the horizon, providing beautiful and soft light. Early morning sunrise lighting is much more soft and pleasant for the pictures. 

If you live in an area where you get fog in the mornings, try to aim for a foggy morning photoshoot. You won’t be disappointed with your pictures! 

Early sunrise photoshoots can be possible during summer-time, or in the locations where you are trying to beat the crowds of tourists. 

The only drawback to outdoor photoshoots at sunrise is that you will have to get up way before the sunrise to get ready and get to the location. But if you are up for a little early-morning adventure, and your photographer is prepared for it too – I say go for it!

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

HOW TO CHOOSE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATIONS

The beauty of senior photoshoot is that you don’t need to book a venue or spend money on a photoshoot location. Of course, there are national parks or private properties that require you to purchase a permit to take pictures there. You should always consult with your photographer on which locations are free and which of them may require a license. Typically, most parks and recreation areas require just a daily parking fee.

During the client’s pre-consultation meeting, when we are discussing photoshoot ideas, we also talk about choosing the location. As a photographer, I may suggest my favorite local photoshoot locations. However, it’s up to the senior to pick a location that complements them the most. 

Here are some of the most popular senior photography location ideas: local park, urban/city spot, at a ranch, by a river, on a beach, in a woodsy area, on a flower field, or in the studio. Based on your preferences and likes, we can choose a location that fits you completely. 

Your parents, relatives, or a friend might own a unique private property or a ranch that would create a spectacular backdrop for your senior pictures. Consider these ideas when settling on a photoshoot location.

As photographers, we know that senior guys and senior girls will have a totally different taste in photoshoot locations. Guys prefer more urban places, in the studio, or out in the sports field. All these details must be considered during the photoshoot planning process. I’m sure that every photographer’s goal is to have satisfied clients who love their images.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Equipment that I use: Cameras: Canon EOS R5; Canon EOS R6 
Lenses: Canon RF 85/1.2L; Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L; Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L
Light: Profoto B1 500 | Computer: Apple MacBook Pro | Photo by © Sergey Bidun

SENIOR GIRL OUTFITS FOR PICTURES

Once the photoshoot time and location are finalized, you must start deciding which outfits to bring to the photoshoot. I’m sure that you probably have a favorite outfit in mind which you want to wear to this special photo session. That is very good, but also don’t forget to bring a few more outfits for more variety. 

It’s a good idea to choose clothing in a few different tones, just stay within the pastel-like color range. Don’t pick bright-colored outfits, anything with wording, or busy patterns. These types of outfits may look distracting and take away attention from the main subject – yourself. 

Different outfits work better in specific photography locations. Consult with your photographer about senior girl outfit ideas that would complement your personality. 

I recommend you to see my detailed ideas on how to pick outfits for senior girl pictures.

When putting together looks, don’t forget about the shoes that you are going to wear. Make sure they are clean, comfortable, and coordinate well with your outfits. If the photoshoot location requires some walking, bring along a pair of walking shoes as well.

Tastefully picked out jewelry and accessories help to create more authentic senior pictures. If you have a cute hat, glasses, or a unique piece of jewelry – you can include it in your photoshoot. Such items will help to personalize your senior pictures. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

SENIOR PICTURE IDEAS FOR GIRLS 

Coming into the senior photoshoot with your own set of picture ideas is always a good thing. You can find great inspirational visuals on Pinterest or social media platforms such as Instagram

Let’s look through some senior picture ideas that you may want to include in your photoshoot. 

PICTURES IN CAP AND GOWN

If it’s possible, try to take some photos in the graduation cap and gown. It might not be your favorite picture at the moment, but down the road, this type of photo will bring lots of amazing memories to you and your parents. 

PERSONALIZED SIGNS OR BANNERS

Bring a personalized sign or a banner with your graduation year written on it. Some senior girls choose to bring mylar balloons with graduation year numbers. These are some cool props that you can personalize according to your taste and photoshoot theme. 

BEACH PHOTOSHOOT

Beach photoshoots are ideal if you want to take photos with the water. It doesn’t just add lots of fun and creative pictures to your senior album, but also is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

COLORED SMOKE GRENADE

Color smoke grenades have recently become one of the seniors’ favorite picture ideas. You can even grab a few different colors of smoke grenades for more variety of images. 

COFFEE SHOP

Go to a coffee shop or another senior’s favorite hang-out spot. Choose a coffee shop that has an outdoor seating area, where you can get beautiful natural light in your pictures. A lot of students like to spend time studying in different coffee shops, and these pictures will be especially meaningful for them. 

PICTURES IN THE RAIN

Probably the most brave and adventurous seniors would want to go for pictures in the rain. Don’t be afraid of getting a little wet, because with professional photographer your pictures will look unlike any of your senior friends’! Get a cute clear umbrella for some very creative senior portraits.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

LIBRARY OR BOOKSTORE

A library or a bookstore is another excellent spot for creative senior pictures. Senior year is usually the hardest and busiest for the graduates, so it will be a significant location for them. Find out if they allow taking photos in the library before you dive into the photoshoot. 

SPORTS ATTIRE

If you played sports during high school, it’s only natural to want to include that in a senior photoshoot. Bring in your athletic outfit and gear, and the photographer will capture some photos of you in your full sports gear. You can get creative and write out your graduation year on a soccer ball or a tennis ball. Just an idea for more personalized senior pictures. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

BALLET DANCE PICTURES

There are quite a few ballet dancers among graduating seniors. I think it’s such a great idea when they bring their dance outfit and pointe shoes. Just a few ballet dance images can help you remember all the years that you’ve spent perfecting this artistic dance. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

COLLEGE / SCHOOL CAMPUS

Why not take pictures on your school campus? You’ve spent four years of your life at this school; it’s only natural to include your school in the photos. Put on your graduation gown for more impactful pictures. 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

If you play a musical instrument that you can bring to the photoshoot, I say do that! The instrument is one of the things that make up your real identity. Include your instrument during the senior portrait session, since this may be the only professional pictures you will have with it. 

PICTURES IN THE SNOW

Want to have a completely different senior photoshoot? Consider taking pictures in the snow. You can get really creative photos out of your winter senior photoshoot, and especially with the falling snow.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

PICTURES IN A VINEYARD

Take pictures in a vineyard during a sunset. Wearing light and airy dress in the luscious vineyards will provide you with gorgeous senior pictures both in full-height and up-close portraits. The golden hour sunset light will highlight you most stunningly. 

PARKING GARAGE

Parking garage can offer a great photography spot for seniors. A lot of big cities have cool parking garages where you have access to the rooftop for some amazing and unusual pictures. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Equipment that I use: Cameras: Canon EOS R5; Canon EOS R6 
Lenses: Canon RF 85/1.2L; Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L; Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L
Light: Profoto B1 500 | Computer: Apple MacBook Pro | Photo by © Sergey Bidun

PICTURES WITH A PET

Include your dog or another pet in the photoshoot. When taking pictures with your pet, be yourself, and act natural. Enjoy the time in front of the camera, and your stunning photos will prove to be worthy. 

PHOTOS WITH A HORSE

If you have a passion for horses and horseback riding, it’s a wonderful idea to include that in the photoshoot. Your senior pictures will be very different and unique, and you will probably make many of your friends jealous of your creative senior pictures.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

SILHOUETTE SHOTS

Go for a silhouette shot during the sunset time. Silhouettes are not that easy to capture, so ask your photographer beforehand if he/she can take those pictures for you. 

PICTURES WITH MOM OR SISTER

If you came to the photoshoot with your mom, sister, or a friend – have them jump in to take a few pictures with you. Don’t worry if they may be not dressed for the occasion; it’s the memories that count! 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

SENIOR GIRLS POSING IDEAS 

We know that the senior session is probably your first-ever professional photoshoot. But don’t worry or over-think the poses too much. If you’ve already done pre-consultation with your senior photographer, then you probably know their personality a bit. 

You can trust your photographer to guide you through simple but cute poses for most authentic pictures. 

A lot of times photography posing depends on the person who is in front of the camera. Photographers usually start with simple poses, such as sitting down or standing straight. Once the senior is seemingly more comfortable with picture taking, we proceed to more creative poses. 

One of our go-to poses during any senior photoshoot is the walking pose. Walking works especially well at outdoor nature locations such as a vineyard, open field, flower field, or even a beach. It’s important to not look into the camera during walking shots, but rather interacting with the surroundings and nature. 

For a more magical touch to your photos, try doing the walking shots during the sunset time. Better yet, ask the photographer if he can take some silhouette shots of you at this location. 

Some people are more comfortable in front of the camera than others, and that is ok. If you like to pose and model – that’s definitely a plus. But if you are more reserved, there’s nothing wrong with it either. A professional photographer knows ways of achieving a perfect result in any senior photoshoot.

There are certain effects that proper posing can help to achieve through portrait photography. Taking pictures from a slightly higher angle will create a slimming effect while accentuating the face. Positioning the upper body sideways to the camera will also give a slimming effect. 

Posing the arms, hands, and legs at the right angles is very important as well. Find out all of our tips and portrait photography posing ideas in this guide

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

SENIOR PICTURE IDEAS FOR GUYS

Senior pictures for guys require a slightly different approach. The main difference between senior girl pictures and senior guy pictures would be the location choice and posing. 

Guys like to go for rural or urban locations, and also in the studio. Pretty much any urban location with a neutral background will work great for senior guys. Let’s go over some of the most commonly used guy picture ideas. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

PICTURES WITH A CAR

Use senior’s car as a prop for creative and modern male portraits. You can take pictures by leaning on the car, squatting by it, or even behind the wheel. The possibilities are endless! 

GRAFFITI WALL

If you are an artistic person, it could be a great idea to take pictures by a graffiti wall. Grab some paints and brushes to use as props at such a location.

SPORTS PICTURES

Take pictures in sports uniform if you were in a high school sports team. Bring all your gear and equipment for the full effect. You can try writing out your graduation year on the football or basketball, and take some photos showing off that ball. 

PICTURES WITH YOUR TWIN

I know that this idea won’t apply to everyone, but if you have a twin brother or sister definitely take some photos of both of you together. Twins have an indescribable bond, and it’s important to capture that through artistic senior portraits.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

SKATEBOARD

If you love skateboarding, definitely bring your skateboard with you. It’s a really great idea to get some action shots with the skateboard during the senior photoshoot. 

PICTURES WITH A DOG

Have a dog? Consider bringing him to the senior portrait photoshoot. You can take pictures of walking your dog, playing fetch, and just having a great time with your pet friend. So many creative photos can be made with a dog or another personal pet.

PHOTOS ON THE STEPS

Take pictures by sitting on the steps in an urban location. City steps make for cool backdrops for guys senior pictures. 

ABANDONED BUILDINGS

Consider taking pictures by abandoned buildings or antique walls. These types of locations look super cool for male portraits. 

WEAR A HAT

A lot of guys love wearing baseball caps. Why not bring it to your senior photoshoot? Different hats such as a baseball cap, cowboy hat, or homburg hat can add a personal touch to your senior portraits. 

SENIOR GUYS POSING IDEAS

The most important tip for posing guys is to portray them as confident, strong, and masculine individuals. Shooting from a slightly lower angle will make the senior appear bigger in the upper body – thus creating an empowering pose. 

Any pose where the senior is leaning on the wall, fence, or a car – is an excellent pose for guys. It will help you look relaxed and comfortable with photo taking. 

Sitting poses are also great for guys, but photographers need to be careful at which angle they are photographing. It’s a great idea to review male model photography for inspirations on new sitting poses. 

A lot of times, seniors don’t know what to do with their hands and where to put them during a photoshoot. My best posing tip for you is to put one hand in a pocket, and the other one down. 

In some cases, you can even put both hands in your pockets. It will be better than seeing awkward hands and fingers in the majority of the picture gallery. 

Crossed-arms is another great idea on how to pose the arms. Crossing arms gives you a dominant pose that is very suitable for senior guy’s pictures.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Equipment that I use: Cameras: Canon EOS R5; Canon EOS R6 
Lenses: Canon RF 85/1.2L; Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L; Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L
Light: Profoto B1 500 | Computer: Apple MacBook Pro | Photo by © Sergey Bidun

SENIOR PORTRAITS OUTDOORS

Most of the senior portraits take place outdoors. Seniors love the lifestyle photojournalistic approach to their pictures. Outdoor locations offer lots of possibilities for creative senior portraits with natural light. 

Depending on the location choice, you can have a variety of different backdrops in your senior pictures. Sometimes it’s even possible to hit two different outdoor locations if they are within a short distance from each other. 

If there is a unique location where you want to take senior portraits, run it through your photographer. It’s always a great idea to take professional pictures at a place that is meaningful for you.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PORTRAITS IN STUDIO

Seniors are usually required to take their yearbook photos in specific studios – every high school graduate knows that. Creative magazine-cover senior portraits are quite different from that. 

When we photograph in the studio, we use high-quality canvas backdrops that match the senior’s look the best. Adding a few props can make a big difference too. 

Studio portraits are often a top choice for senior guys or graduates who are having a winter photoshoot and don’t want to take pictures outdoors. 

Photographing in the studio has many advantages at any time of year. During hot summer days, you won’t have to sweat through a two-hour long outdoor photoshoot. In the short winter days, we can photograph in the studio at any time of day – rain or snow. 

Studio lights allow taking photos at any time of day or evening, which is a big bonus for busy families. If you are into the modern, magazine-style portraits – you should definitely consider a studio senior photoshoot. 

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

CONCLUSION 

Senior year of high school can be a stressful time for many, with all the graduation exams and college applications. We want to make it easier for you as you are getting ready to have your senior portraits taken.

I hope that you found our tips helpful, and by now, you have some ideas for your senior portrait photoshoot. 

Check out more of our senior portrait ideas, and start putting together your mood board today!