You might see celebrities or friends who appear more photogenic than you, but we want you to know you are also photogenic! A simple pose, hand placement, or head tilt can make a huge difference in how your images come out. You are beautiful and we want you too can be photogenic with these 5 simple tips. 
Psst! There are many BONUS TIPS sprinkled in here, you don't want to miss them!

This is a little known secret! Movement can capture true emotion and often makes the pictures look more natural. Which is what we all want, right?! When you add movement into your pose, we might be able to capture a giggle or a soft smile that we might not have gotten in a still pose. Posing for the camera does not always mean sitting or standing still. You can twirl your hair, move your dress, hop back and forth, walk toward/away from the camera, or play with a jacket you might be wearing. Don’t worry you don't have to know what exactly to do, these are just ideas. Sarah Lindsay Photography will guide you through poses to capture the most beautiful images. All you need to know is that posing with some movement will photograph beautifully! Here's a helpful video from The Agency Arizona on how to pose with movement like a model.

Have you ever felt awkward in pictures because you don’t know what to do with your hands? You’re not alone! I used to wonder what my hands should be doing in pictures. I would stiffen my hands like I'm playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors" with myself and then feel self conscious about it. The most natural look for your senior pictures is to occupy your hands. This means you might be playing with your hair, hooking your thumb in your pocket, swinging your dress. If you get lost, don't worry! Sarah Lindsay Photography will help give you tips on what you can do with your hands in the photo so that you don’t feel awkward and that the position of the hands photograph well. 
While keeping those hands occupied is important, where they are positioned can also help you look more photogenic in photos. Here's a few things to keep in mind!  Place your hands near something that you love about yourself. Your arm and hand can act like a big ol' arrow directing attention towards it. This can help draw attention to the areas you are most confident about and away from an area that causes you to feel self conscious. For example, if you place your hand near your eyes, it draws attention to your gorgeous eyes! Here's a bonus tip- If you put your hand in your pocket or belt loop, you will want to leave a small gap between your arm and waist. This will help make your waist appear smaller in the images! 

Yes, you heard that right. Turtle! If you extend your neck and head toward the camera an inch or two, then tilt your nose slightly down, it can help elongate your face, neck, and eliminate any double chins. Lowering your shoulder will help too. I don't know about you, but when I get nervous, my shoulders inch their way up to my ears! These simple suggestions might feel weird to do but on camera, trust us, it creates the most beautiful photos! Bonus tip: You know how you can tell the difference between a real smile and a fake smile? It's all in the eyes! The corners of your eyes will crinkle a little when you genuinely smile. A fake smile can also be spotted in your photos so to ensure a real smile, think about someone you love, something funny, or your crush!

This might seem silly when talking about posing as you might be thinking, “well duh I need to have good posture”. But to be honest, this is a huge part of posing that people often forget about. Standing up straight with your shoulders back is a simple request, but can make all the difference in your specific pose. We know slouching might be what the cool kids are doing, but slouching makes you appear less confident and like you don't believe you look beautiful in this moment. Trust me, you do and you deserve to show off that confidence and beauty in your senior pictures! So, stand up tall, shoulders back, and believe in how beautiful you truly are.

Feeling confident and beautiful when standing in front of the camera will make you more photogenic. We're not kidding, it's true! Your emotions will show through your eyes and your body language and people will see that in your photos. So with all the tips you've read above, the most important thing is that we want you to feel comfortable in every pose. If you are in a pose that makes you uncomfortable or it just doesn’t feel like you, tell your photographer! We are happy to change change it up to help you feel the most confident. 
Looking for inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest can be really helpful too! You can save images that you like to show your photographer. (Disclaimer when saving inspo photos: your photos will not look exactly like the one you see. You have a different location, different lighting, different photographer, different outfit, etc. So just keep that in mind when looking for inspo!) When you are excited about a specific pose, that excitement often shows through in your photograph. Sarah Lindsay Photography is happy to try any pose that fits within your vision! We want your photoshoot to feel like it is all about you and you to feel your absolute best. 

Bonus tip: You've probably heard people talk about having a ‘good side’. You might say that you don't have a preferred side or that you don’t know which side it is. Here’s a trick to tell which side you feel more photogenic on. Take a selfie and see which side of your face is more prevalent. Likely this is the side that you feel more confident being caught on camera. If when you take that selfie you feel confident on either side, then you probably have two ‘good sides’! You can also see which side your hair is parted on. Often times that indicates which side you prefer. Don't be afraid to tell your photographer which side of your face you prefer. They want to capture the authentic you!

Bonus tip! It can be helpful to practice posing in the mirror before your senior photoshoot. This can increase your confidence and can help you believe you ARE photogenic before the special day.  

The task of picking out clothing can be daunting on a day to day basis. It can be hard to find that outfit that makes you feel confident and speaks to your style for the occasion. Now thinking about having pictures that will commemorate your accomplishment and will be showcased through your home for years, you could say that is even more daunting. Having your senior photo shoot should be a fun, exciting time. You worked hard to get to this moment, we want your photoshoot to be a reward for your accomplishment. Not filled with anxious feelings about what to wear. Sarah Lindsay Photography will be with you every step of the way helping you solidify your outfits choices. For more information about the styling consultation, you can click here. In the meantime, however, here are some tips to help guide you through picking out outfit choices. 

The question “where do I even start?” is a very real question. Looking at your closet with a blank stare, not knowing what you are even looking for can be overwhelming. Having some ideas can help you narrow what your eyes are looking for in your closet or when shopping. It can be helpful to look at other girls' senior pictures. You can look at the color scheme, types of poses, types of clothing. If they were more formal or casual, if their clothing had movement, or if they used any props. Creating a vision of what you want your photos to be can be a helpful place to start. 

Sarah Lindsay Photography’s instagram page showcases the styles of each individual girl and captures each girl in their true beauty. Looking at this page can give you some ideas of what you are looking for in your senior portrait session. Another great place to look for some inspiration is, pinterest. Pinterest can provide you with general ideas, but if you narrow your search once you have an idea brewing, it can be helpful!! ​

If you have created a vision of what you want your photos to be, this part may seem easier. Your vision might include more day to day outfits that capture your everyday look. The vision might be much more formal wear such as a long, elegant dress. Maybe the vision includes both of these. Casual wear can bring a sense of normalcy to the shoot. You likely spend most of the time in casual outfits. Because of this, wearing more casual outfits can bring a sense of comfort and relaxation to you when you are in front of the camera. However, formal wear can be a confidence booster. You might really enjoy getting more dolled up and putting on that special dress for the shoot! Formal outfits tend to add more movement to pictures. Just know, both formal and casual will photograph beautifully.  

​When picking out what to wear there are a few small things to keep in mind. Small patterns often get lost in a photograph. Polka dots, thin stripes, small flowers can appear more like color blobs than what the actual pattern is. Solid shirts or larger prints are a better option for your photoshoot! Layering outfits photograph beautifully. Having multiple layers can create more movement in your images while also giving you a couple different looks with a single outfit. You can layer with a cardigan or jean jacket for example.

​Short answer is YES!! Oftentimes props can enhance the photoshoot and can tell your story on a deeper level. Props could include spikes/cleats, medals you are most proud of, your instrument, or flowers. Props can enhance your session. The use of props can help tell the story of you as a whole person. Including props in your session can capture what is most important to you and the accomplishments from your high school career. As an example, if you played a sport throughout high school, holding your cleats or spikes in a picture can be very meaningful. Or if you were in the band/orchestra, playing your instrument in a few pictures can be a beautiful addition to your photoshoot.

Written by Emma Musson

You have been waiting to be a senior for years. You might have even said that your junior year was the longest school year ever. I know I felt that way and couldn’t wait to be a senior! But then you reach that summer before your senior year and life begins to feel like you are in a time machine. Everything seems to start moving a million miles an hour and it can feel like everything you want to do, can’t be done in time. 

Well, we don’t want that to happen with booking your senior pictures or having the special photoshoot. A professional image in the year book is one of those special privileges and is something you look forward to. With all of this in mind, knowing when you should take your senior pictures is important! There are four good questions to ask yourself when deciding when you should schedule that photoshoot.

It’s likely that your school has a deadline for submitting your image to be included in the yearbook. But, the big question is when is that deadline? Some schools have much earlier deadlines than others due to things such as how many students there are and how long it will take to get the hundreds of yearbooks published. Knowing this deadline gives you an idea of when you will need to have your senior photoshoot completed by. As a good general rule, most senior pictures occur the summer before your senior year or into the early parts of fall. This will give you ample time to have your photoshoot, pick out your favorite picture and submit it to the yearbook committee. It would be heartbreaking if the deadline was before you were able to have that special shoot! 

Click here to find out Sarah Lindsay’s availability to ensure you pick a date that aligns with your deadlines! 

If you have looked at instagram or pinterest you might have an idea of what type of background you want for in your images. Are you thinking more urban? Do you want water pictures? Is a nature background what you are looking for? If you have an idea of the location you want for pictures, it will be important to consider what it will look like during specific times of the year. If you are looking for a very green, floral, lush background then you will want to pick a location that has fields of grass and flowers blooming in the spring time. On the other hand, if you are looking for more fall colors in your senior pictures you will want to hold off on senior pictures until those colors start to pop. 

Any of these locations are great and it all depends on the look you are going for for your shoot. If you are not sure what location you are looking for, that's okay! During your design and wardrobe consultation, Sarah Lindsay will show you options of where to go for your photoshoot. 
Either way, make sure you consider what you want your background to look like when scheduling your photoshoot. 

It’s likely that you have heard someone talk about the golden hour before, even if you aren’t quite sure what it is. Or you might have already experienced the golden hour glow before and seen how spectacular the lightning is. Golden hour is one to two hours before the sun sets. During golden hour the sun is at a lower angle meaning the sunlight will not be so direct on you. This helps create a softer, warmer feel for your images. You will definitely want to stay away from direct sunlight when taking your photos. Direct sunlight provides harsh shadows and that glow is not as present. Golden hour gives you beautiful shadows, contrast, and a more natural feel for your images. For your senior pictures, shooting during golden hour is the way to go! So, plan on having your photoshoot take place one to two hours before the sun sets.  ​

We want your senior pictures to be a reward. It is important to us that this photoshoot to be like a celebratory event for your senior year. You are able to enjoy your day before getting your hair and makeup professionally done, that you will have time to eat before pictures, and that you are not rushed to get to the location on time. We want this day to be filled with happiness! Because this is our goal, we want you to pick a day that is the most convenient for you. It might be that you need a weekend because you work during the week or that you need it on a Monday night because you have sports practice the other evenings. Whatever it is, let’s make sure we find a day that will fit within your deadlines, with your vision of location or clothing, and with your daily life. ​

In short, you can take your senior pictures whenever you want! But, these four questions can guide you to finding that perfect date for your rewarding senior photoshoot. While Sarah Lindsay Photography tries to accommodate each of you beautiful girls, our schedule does fill up quickly during the summers.
We suggest you reach out sooner rather than later to schedule your senior pictures today! ​

Written by Emma Musson

Have you ever wondered why there is an emphasis on seniors in your school’s yearbook? Or what the importance of senior pictures is? Or wondered why you should look to have professional photographs taken?

As an underclassman, my favorite part of the yearbook was flipping through the full-color photographs in the senior section, a huge improvement from the “cheesy" black and white photos taken through the school.  I would admire the individuality of each person and I especially loved looking at each senior’s cute outfit and all the different settings and poses. For me, I’d imagine what my senior photos would be like - what outfit I’d wear, how I would style my hair or where I would have my photos taken. I didn’t really give much thought as to the importance of senior pictures, though. I just thought they were fun to look at and it was just something you did as a senior. As I reflect back on my senior photo session, I am now fully aware that having professional senior pictures taken is much bigger than the outfits, the hair, the fun poses or the location.

​So, if you have ever ever wondered what the importance is, here is your answer!

You always deserve to be celebrated and see that you are a beautiful, strong, unique girl; but, this milestone deserves its own form of celebration. For twelve school years you have worked hard toward this milestone- in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, through the hard times and the good times, etc. Every experience you had through these years has led you to this moment and senior pictures are an opportunity to celebrate how far you have come. After all, your high school experience is uniquely yours and your hard work to graduate is a big deal and needs to be celebrated! ​

Senior pictures should be a fun, exciting experience. As a senior, you have grown into an amazing young woman through the years of school. You deserve a reward to capture that moment in time. You deserve to have your makeup done, your hair done, and a professional photographer capture your uniqueness. For some, it may feel very intimidating to be in front of the camera. Whereas others may feel very natural. Either way, Sarah Lindsay Photography will ease those worries, working to create a fun environment to reward all that you have accomplished. 

​As parents, it’s a reward for you, too! You have played an instrumental role in your daughter’s life that has helped them reach this milestone. From the car rides to after school activities, helping with homework and always providing the support your daughter needed is a huge part of their success and your hard work also deserves to be rewarded! Senior pictures capture the role you played in your daughter's life in a unique way. As a parent you are always proud of your child, but seeing your child achieve this huge milestone marks a big transition in your life as well.  A beautiful photograph captures this time and reminds you to celebrate and be proud of yourself, too!

As a parent, you probably remember your child’s preschool or kindergarten portrait. You can so clearly see their personality through the single image. That little girl you would be looking at may have had a more tilted head, messy hair, a sassy little smile. Those pictures likely captured your daughter how you would have seen them at home. Then as she  progressed through school, the school portraits became more and more of the same. The images had the standard pose, the same strange colored backgrounds and the uniqueness of your daughter got lost. It became harder to see that amazing, vibrant personality of your little girl anymore. 

A senior portrait session is meant to capture your daughter’s personality in this milestone year. There is so much you want to remember and one picture often doesn’t do the trick. You will want multiple pictures that capture all dimensions of her. Those dimensions are showcased through wardrobe, expressions, movement, or location in her senior photos. By doing a senior portrait session, we are able to capture your daughter as a whole person. To showcase her personality, her likes, her accomplishments, we want to make sure we capture the most authentic version of herself. 

As the senior, you might feel intimidated by being in front of the camera. You likely want your photos to be “perfect”. The good news is, your photos will always be perfect if they capture you, the authentic YOU, that you are in this moment. Remember, you are you and that is ALWAYS enough, even when you are behind the camera.  

Now, once you have all of those stunning pictures, you might be asking what should I do with them? Not only is the experience of having senior pictures taken important, but creating mementos is just as important. Creating wall art, a custom album, and receiving the prints to remember this time is equally as important. Senior pictures can provide unique gifts for family members. Likely, your extended family is as impressed by this accomplishment and would love to remember you in this moment as well. Small albums, prints, and announcements can be a fun way to share this experience with your family. 

By doing senior pictures you will have a large selection of beautiful photos to choose from and you will be able to pick one that captures who you are and how you want to be remembered for your yearbook. A professional senior portrait session will ensure that you have a high quality picture to submit that will be showcased in the yearbook for all to see and admire.

The idea of professional senior photographs may seem unnecessary, frivolous and maybe even overwhelming. Senior year is a transition year where your child is caught between adulthood and still being “your baby”. It is important to celebrate this time, reward their hard work, capture an important milestone in life (for both the senior and the parent!) and have something to look back on when they’ve left the house for college to help you remember such a special time.  Senior pictures can freeze this moment in time and create lasting memories of how far you/your child have come, and where you/your child is headed. 

Trust me, I no longer question the importance of professional senior photographs! I see my photos proudly displayed in my parent’s home and I am reminded of my uniqueness, beauty, and how much they love me.