2. Be Transparent About Your Timeline

Communicate your timeline upfront, especially if the yearbook submission deadline is a factor. This will help your photographer prioritize you accordingly. When this late in the game, phrases like, "I'm only price shopping" communicate to a photographer "This is not urgent, I'm not ready to make a decision." That's great if you have time, but photographers cannot plan for what you don't tell them.

3. Invest in a Professional Photographer

While beginner photographers offer lower rates, their lack of experience can compromise the quality of your senior portraits. A professional photographer with years of experience will provide full-service solutions and capture lasting memories you can count on. Remember, any photographer can get you a few good memories, but professionals deliver great portrait memories on luxury products that grow in value through the years. They won't waste your time with redos.

4. Include the Family

Your senior's graduation marks a significant milestone for your entire family. Consider scheduling a family portrait session alongside their senior photos. This is your last stage together with everyone under the same roof. It is always easier to kill two birds with one stone.

5. Embrace the Seasonality

If you missed the summer look you desperately wanted, that's okay! Rather than asking your photographer to seek out locations and ways to recreate it, embrace the beauty of the fall season and cooler temperatures. School starts in the fall. They are approaching the end of their K-12 experience. It fits, just go with it while there is still time.

Five slots remain in October. Contact us while there is still time to claim yours and we will do everything we can to help make this stress-free!

We often get the question “Which month is the best month for senior grad photos?” and we have some considerations here below to help you decide. The truth is that each senior grad has different goals for the location or season of their photo session. The key thing to know is summer is short. You need to talk about these goals with your senior grad in advance so you can book your portrait photographer at the correct time. The best senior grad portrait photographers always book up earlier than you might think, like weeks and months in advance.

Book grad photos now

We've been photographing since 2010 and this is the cycle we see year after year...

April (Junior year) - Some 11th-grade students begin researching and booking their photographer in anticipation of the coming senior year in order to ensure they get the choice weather and locations. This is also the only time of year to feature the spring blooms.

May (Junior year) - Many junior students will have their senior grad sessions before the end of their 11th year while sprig weather is at its best. May is usually cooler with fluffy clouds.
June - School is ending and summer grad portraits are getting busier. Last year's parents who were late booking a photographer are trying to get any dates still available before the school year ends. Though June has beautiful moments, it is generally a rainy month and many senior photo sessions will get bumped to July or opt for indoor portraits.
July - After the 4th of July, we begin receiving a steady stream of parents who are on top of their student’s portraits for summer. The weather is at its absolute best and things are really picking up with each passing day.
August - The parents who had a late start on the summer season are now trying to get any remaining session times. The days are hotter and the grass has the golden dry look that many grads desire. It is now a matter of weeks until school starts again.
September - Many parents of senior grads were not aware of the early yearbook deadline. and they just found out. They are now frantically calling to get any date they can. Dates are booked solid through the rest of the season.
October - Students who wanted to feature fall color already booked their dates back in July/August. Any remaining availability is extremely limited to last-minute cancellations if at all.
November - The yearbook deadlines have passed for all but a few remaining high schools. The first half of the month can still have the occasional nice weather day, but November generally is one of the rainiest months of the year.
December / January / February - The weather is generally too rainy or too cold for outdoor portraits and these sessions are usually bumped out for months before there is good enough weather again.
March - The weather starts getting nicer again, but the greenery has not yet returned to many plants. Students who missed the yearbook deadline are starting to book up spring dates.
April - Parents are now trying to book late-season portraits before the big grad year comes to a close.
May (End of senior year) - This is generally a stable weather month for outdoor portraits. Some parents missed the other milestones, but they still want images to remember the senior year. They are now frantic to book a portrait date before graduation. Also, next year’s seniors are already booking up those same dates.
June (After the senior year) - Grads who were too late to book earlier in the year are now trying to get whatever dates they can before they leave for college.

We’d love to help you and your senior grad with the most important photography of their life. Contact us ASAP for availability. It never hurts to be ahead of the game!

Book grad photos now

Not waiting until the last minute to secure your photographer is key!

The single comment I hear most often from parents of senior grads is, "I had no idea yearbook portraits were due so early!" Yes, it is true!! The deadline for most area high schools falls somewhere between September 15th to October 15th.

Check availability ASAP

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