When you are a kid, you always want to grow up. But, when you are older you wish you were younger. It's an interesting cycle. For me right now I love my age, though there are some things that I could tell my younger self. Don't get me wrong, everything I experienced so far in my life has made me who I am! And I couldn't be more thankful. But, theres a few things I wish I knew as a high school senior... and my hope is that you remember and apply these things too. 

I thought I had it hard in high school with comparisons, but man you guys have a whole new level. Social media is a catch 22. So much good comes from it, but so many more areas for you to compare yourself too. While things have changed, I wish my younger self knew that comparison is the thief of joy. You have your own likes/dislikes, your own style, your own level of comfort, your own interests, own goals. If you compare those to others you will forget what makes you happy and fills your cup. I wish I remembered to stay true to myself and that it was okay that I wasn't the same as someone I envied. That I am enough as I am. 

This one is still hard for me. I like to call myself a recovering people pleaser. Who else is a people pleaser? This tips for you.

​I used to always want others approval even if it didn't align with what I wanted. It was like what others wanted was more important or I would be more accepted if I had their approval. Maybe it worked in some cases, but in others my happiness suffered. I don't want that for you! So, if I could tell my high school senior something it would be that it's okay to say no to others, I don't need others approval, and my happiness is more important. 

Dreams are important. Pushing yourself to the next step isn't a bad thing either. But, life isn't a race. It doesn't always need to be whats next or how can I better myself. What if we are just enough in this moment? I wish in high school I let myself just be. That I loved myself how I was and that I wasn't on this race of what's next. I often forgot to enjoy each stage of my life! So, take my advice- Don't rush out of high school, enjoy where you are and love yourself through each part. 

This is a never ending thing I need to remind myself. Especially wish I told myself this throughout high school. I never felt like I was "enough". Social enough, skinny enough, loved enough, etc. It was a vicious cycle. Well, looking back I have always been enough. My self talk always told me otherwise. What I have learned is that if I repeat how enough I am, then I start to believe it. So, make a list that you can repeat to help you remember how enough you truly are! It will help, I promise. 

Think of senior pictures like this... its a day thats all about you! The day is full of pampering and is a celebration of your graduation! Now if you think about it like that, theres 5 things you will want to make sure you have for your senior pictures or have done prior to your senior pictures to ensure its a full day all about you! 

#1: Scheduling... 
      Summer gets busy real quick. You have all these things you want to do with your friends and family or maybe you are in the thick of your sport or maybe you are working full time! I get it, but my hope is that we can find a day that has nothing planned and schedule your senior pictures then! That ensures that theres no added stress or other time commitments on a day thats supposed to be about you. So tip #1, schedule on a day that is plan free! 

#2: Mani, pedi time! 
      Remember how I said its a day about pampering? Well lets add a mani and a pedi to your professional hair and makeup! You would be surprised how many pictures we ask you to use your hands in! Like for playing with your hair or dress or those up-close pictures that capture your gorgeous eyes. So you will want to make sure your nails are cleaned up and painted in a neutral, timeless color! And, then why not just treat yourself to a pedicure? Its a day all for you! 

#3: Outfits! 
      This might seem like a "duh", but its not just remembering to bring all your outfits. It comes down to remembering to bring the undergarments, the jewelry, the shoes. Its all of it! My suggestion is to lay out each outfit the night before as if it was the only thing you were going to wear for the day. That ensure you have literally everything you need and we make sure that there aren't any surprises during your shoot... Like I said, we want to eliminate any possible stressor for this special day! Lay those outfits out and pack EVERYTHING!! Better to have too much then not enough... 

#4: Things that showcase you! 
      I could ramble on and on about this one... but, for the sake of this blog, I'll leave you with this, add props that tell your story! Bring things you love, like flowers or your instrument, or something sentimental like your grandma's necklace, or your sports jersey to show your accomplishments in sports! Bringing things that are unique to you adds to your senior session, trust me. Click here for more ideas on how to customize your Senior VIP Experience. 

#5: Your people... 
​      Moms, you know what I mean when I say you don't want to miss anything. Your baby is growing too fast and you want to be a part of everything! So please come to the photoshoot! And girls, please bring the people closest to you. A best friend, grandparent, your dog... anything. It adds to the memory, increases your confidence, and creates gorgeous photos! Bring your people, please!! 

When you think about senior pictures, I am sure there's lots of questions that arise. I know a lot of them come down to the logistics... important, YES! But even more important is the question "what do I want my pictures to say about me in 1 year, 5 years, 20 years?" For you, that question might be more thought of in terms of the now and not for the years to come. It all comes from the same goal of capturing the person you are now and making sure those pictures remind everyone of who you were! 

Like I said above, senior pictures are meant to capture you! Your style, personality, likes, accomplishments, etc. Your pictures should tell the story of who you are! With that being said, you will want to think about how you want others to remember those things. To help you think through what you want your pictures to showcase, here's a list of 5 things to consider! 

1. What's my style? 
    Are you someone that likes to dress up or do you like the more casual look? Both are fun for pictures, but wearing what you normally wear will give you confidence in front of the camera and will capture your style! If you like a combination of casual and formal, add an outfit of both! In your 2 hour shoot, we recommend changing 4-5 times, so don't worry we will get pictures in all your outfit choices! 

2. What's my natural smile? 
    This is a hard one to explain... You know when you look at someone who is truly happy and you can see it in their eyes and cheeks? That's the kind of smile we are looking for. We want your eyes to smile just as much! If you are most comfortable with the soft, no teeth smile, then we will roll with that! If you like the full smile, then we will have fun with that too! Likely while we are shooting, you'll give a combination of both! We want your pictures down the road to showcase your natural beauty and a true smile! 

​3. What do I want people to remember about my high school years? 
    This one I want you to think about your extracurricular. For example, if you were in the orchestra through high school and that's really important to you, then we should include your instrument or your concert dresses in pictures! Or if you played sports, we should include your uniform/sports equipment! Or if you just really liked cars, we should include that as well! Think about the things that were important to you throughout your years and make sure we include them! 

4. Who are the people I want to remember me and how can I include them in my photoshoot? 
    Forgive me, I feel like this feels harsh! But, my point is who are the people that meant the most to you through these past 4 years and how can we include them in the shoot. For example, your family. How can we include them in the shoot and add to their memories of you? You could bring them to your shoot, we can take pictures with them! They can purchase those pictures that remind them of the beautiful girl you are becoming. Or maybe its your friend... Its hard to think about leaving high school and not being with your friends everyday anymore. Why not add them to the shoot so you have that memory?! I want all those people who you want to this memory with to be included! 

5. When people look back in the yearbook, what do I want my picture to say about me? 
    Yearbooks can provide so many memories! Think about what you want that one picture to say about you for the years to come. Do you want it to showcase your style more? Or you accomplishments? Maybe your likes? Or maybe just your personality. As you think about your senior picture photoshoot, think about how you want others to remember you and plan some pictures around those thoughts and your idea of your one yearbook photo. It's how other's will be reminded of who you were in 5, 10, 50 years! (seems crazy to think about now, I know, time goes by fast...) Now, here's the catch... that one picture idea might change! You might have this idea and then fall in love with a different picture at the end, allow that to happen! You'd be surprised at the number of natural, authentic pictures we get! 

So, at the end of the day, the main question to consider is "How do I want to be remembered and how can I make that happen?" It's a big question, but it will add so much to your senior pictures. Trust me. As always, if you have any questions or help pinpointing your answers to these, I am here to help! Just reach out to me here! 

I feel like a lot of times we just assume everything knows everything. Like as a society, we expect others to either know or to figure it out for themselves. I wish we could go back to teaching and learning more from others, accepting as many questions as possible! So here I am taking a lesson from my own book... Some of you might not know the in's and out's of senior picture. And that's okay! Below is basic outline of what senior pictures are and why you need them... 

As this school year ends, parents you might be wondering how your daughter could possibly be a senior already! Or you seniors might be questions all the things you are supposed to do as a senior. Its a lot! I am sure there are lots of emotions surrounding this milestone and a lengthy list of to-dos. Not to add to your to-do list, but senior pictures should be a top priority! 

So, what are senior pictures exactly? In a simple statement, its a picture that gets put in the year book that celebrates this accomplishment! But, senior pictures are so much more. They offer you the chance to go anywhere, wear what you feel comfortable in, and for us to capture the person you are this year. You get a picture that is different than those same old headshots that you've had the past 11 years. You get to pick your favorite picture to put into the yearbook! A picture that truly represents you! Not only are they for the yearbook, but they can be used for graduation announcements, decorations (parents you know what I'm talking about), college applications, or just for enjoyment! My hope is that you will use your senior pictures for all of the above! 

There's SO many reasons why. You deserve to be celebrated. You deserve to have a day thats full of pampering that's all about you. You deserve to have a unique senior picture in the yearbook. And this accomplishments deserves to be captured on camera! 

I will leave you with that, sometimes less words are more powerful. I believe every senior deserves senior pictures and I could ramble on and on about this. Can't you tell it's my passion?! If you want to hear some of this ramble, click here for a blog post all about this...

Did I answer your question?! If not, PLEASE reach out! I want to answer any and all questions. Click here to get in touch!