5 Tips to Get Great Senior Girls Portrait Photographs

For most girls, a senior portrait photo shoot is an important event and they will plan it down to the minutest detail.  Also, these portraits have a lot of significance for parents and grandparents as it captures the phase where their little girl grew into a young lady.  Here are some tips that will help you come up with some great senior girls’ portrait photographs.

Style:

When taking senior girls portrait photographs, keep in mind that these portraits will usually end up on the wall of the family home and remain there for the next 25 years or more.  Avoid trendy fads which would probably look ridiculous 20 years from now.  Instead focus on style.  Go with styling that your senior is comfortable with, can carry off well, and reflects her personality.

Outfits 

Simple rule, keep it casual.  Make sure the clothes are well fitting and flattering to the subject’s body type.  Well-fitting jeans with a stylish shirt or a well-cut dress look good on most girls.  As far as colors go, whenever possible, stick to solid colors.  White, blue, khaki and pastel shades generally work well in most backgrounds.  Dresses or tops with floral prints also look good, especially if you are shooting against a grassy or floral background.  Makeup should be age appropriate and highlight the features.  Girls generally carry a couple of changes to the shoot so you can have different looks in the portraits.
    

Shoes and accessories 

Shoes should be comfortable, match the outfit, and go well with the background.  Use minimal accessories to keep the focus on the face.
    

Hair 

Most senior girls’ portrait photographs look best with a haircut that suits their face and with the hair let down casually.  However you do not want untidy strands of hair across the face.  Try to use a background where there is not much breeze to mess up the hair.  If you do not have an option and end up shooting outdoors on a windy day, a simple solution would be to get your subject to face the wind so the hair gets blown back.
    

Use of props 

Props could add meaning to the portrait especially if it has significance in the subject’s life – a pet she has grown up with, a place with special memories, number of points she scored in a game, a special corner in the school or home, and so on.  Select a prop that is appropriate to the background and which goes with the theme of your picture.  A fresh flower tiara if your theme is flower princess inspired.  For sports-themed portraits, you can have your subject hold a basketball or have her pose on the track field or basketball court.  If shooting in a barn or farm, you could have your subject pose with a horse or dog, or even an old pickup.