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At Sarah Lindsay Photography we strive to empower each of you to believe in your beauty and to empower you to be a strong, independent, confident young woman. The constant TV commercials, ads on your phone, social media in the palm of your hands make comparisons that much easier to do. You might see classmates out on a lake day and wonder why you weren’t invited, if you aren’t good enough for them. Or you see ads for swimwear and order the suit and it doesn’t make you feel as beautiful as how you viewed the model. Nowadays most women have been there, I know I still fall into the trap. I want to be good enough for everyone. Do you feel that too? 

If you have had or continue to have these feelings, this post is for you. Senior pictures are meant to capture the real you. The you that smiles uncontrollably at a corny joke, or the you that holds your kindergarten self to see remember how much you've grown, or the you that feels the most beautiful in athletic clothes. But it can be hard to let yourself be fully you in front of the camera for a number of reasons. One being the societal pressure of having the perfect picture. Below are some tips to help you stay true to who you are and have a senior portrait session that captures the authentic you.

Society likes to tell us what we should think, wear, how to act through social media. From what we see then we like to tell ourselves “oh we should be wearing those jeans.” or “oh I should be most outgoing.” All these ‘shoulds’ become exhausting and take you away from thinking (and doing) things for yourself. When picking out your outfits for your senior photoshoot, take note of what your inner voice is saying. You might have friends or parents who offer their opinion, however, don’t let their opinions dictate what you wear. I get it. It's much easier to listen to others opinions, but you know yourself best, right? If there is a little voice telling you that the other jeans make you feel more confident, but your entourage says differently… please trust that voice and listen to what you need. When you feel the most confident and beautiful, your images will shine that much more. 

When the day of your shoot comes and you are out in the field in front of the camera, make sure you listen to your inner thoughts. If you don’t feel confident in the pose you are in, then communicate with the photographer. If you don’t feel like your hair is laying how you like it, ask for a mirror to make sure it fits how you want it. Listening to that voice can be hard. Once you start to trust that voice, you will find in all areas of your life you are much happier. That might be because you are following what you want/need, not what society is pressuring you into. ​

When it comes to your senior portrait session you might look at others images for ideas. This is a great idea to come up with what you want your vision to include, but don’t put pressure on yourself to look exactly like the image. I know easier said than done, but you are you and we want to capture YOU. A little tip, when looking at others, look at the locations, general outfit ideas, poses you like. But other than that don’t try to replicate it exactly. You will get caught up in what they did and find yourself comparing all your images to theirs. Your images are beautiful because you are the center of them. We want you to truly believe that as well. 

As an example, you might really like the outfits someone in their shoot is wearing. I challenge you though to do some reflection. Are those colors you would normally wear? Do you like to layer outfits? Do you feel confident in high rise jeans and a cropped tank top? Is that an outfit you would pick out for yourself if you hadn’t seen it on someone else and went shopping? Take a moment (or few) and really assess if these outfits capture you as the high school senior you are.

This is easier said than done. I am a queen at overthinking! But, the more time you spend thinking about something, the more time you have to talk yourself into or out of something. Stick with your first instinct and once you decide, put the outfit or accessories away. If you spend a lot of time trying on the outfits and looking at them, you might start to pick it apart. You might start to think that it makes your legs look too long or that the colors wash you. If your initial reaction is that you love it, hold onto that. This happened to me when I picked out my high school senior picture. I looked at the one I loved so much I started not to like how white my eyes looked and how tilted my shoulder was. But now, I regret not using that picture because I truly did love it and spent too much time analyzing it and overthinking it. Stick with your gut and try not to overthink your outfit or your images once you get them back! ​

Every once and awhile we get inquiries from girls from outside of the Denver-metro area. Not often, but we do and when we do, it's amazing. Are you from out of town looking for a photographer in Denver? Well, if you are… Welcome! We are Sarah Lindsay Photography. We are so excited to share our love for this great city and to convince you to come down to the Denver-metro area for your senior photoshoot with us. If you are already here in town, maybe you just need a little more convincing as to why you should have your photoshoot here. ;) Either way, here are 3 reasons why the Denver-metro area is the best backdrop for your senior portrait session! ​

When I was in college out of state I remember people always knowing Colorado as a super snowy and cold state. Little did they know how beautiful and always changing it is. It wasn’t until I had some friends visit in the fall and the summer did they realize that we aren’t just a snowy wonderland! 

The Denver-metro area gets all four seasons that each bring their own beauty. The summer brings warm weather and evening showers that provide stunning sunsets. Fall here provides us with the prettiest colors you’ve seen and weather that you just can’t beat. Winter brings the snow and cold, but the snow can be a fun addition to your shoot if you are brave! And then the spring… all the blossoming flowers and a new season of warm weather. If you want to have an option for what season to take your pictures, the Denver-metro area is the spot.  

If you are from Colorado, maybe where you are, the seasons aren’t as prevalent. For example, if you are from Grand Junction to see the beautiful fall colors you have to drive east towards Denver for about an hour. If having a senior shoot with the trees changing colors is important to you, but you also want some urban shots... Come down to the Denver-metro area! This area can bring all your wishes to life for your senior pictures. 

If you think of Colorado, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, it's the mountains. I feel like Colorado is mostly known for our skiing and mountains. Yes, we have great mountains and skiing, but we have SO much more. If you're from here, back me up! 

The Denver-metro area can have backdrops of the big mountains or it can also showcase the Flatirons if you pick the right spot. Not all mountains look the same, so if you want more rocky, reddish tint mountains, maybe the flatirons in your background is the way to go (peep below for an example of the difference). Or you might not even want any mountains in your pictures. Your vision could be a lush, green, grassy field with water in the background or super urban look like downtown Denver. You’re in luck! The Denver-metro area has locations to fit these wants too! Here’s a link to some of our favorite locations to shoot at if you need some images and more description to really see what we have to offer.  ​

I am sure you want your senior pictures to stand out from the rest. In the yearbook it will probably be the picture that sparks memories of you for others down the road as others pictures will do the same for you. So getting that extra special picture is of the utmost importance, right? 

One way you could have an extra special image would be going to a location that likely none, or hardly any, of your classmates have gone to for their photoshoot. If you do your senior shoot in your hometown, the locations that are used for pictures get put on repeat and the backgrounds can all start to blend together. If you came down to the Denver-metro area, the locations you could choose from will all be different from those handful of spots other seniors are using for their senior photos. This will help your photo stand out a little extra and will ensure your images are different from the others.

If you are interested in working with Sarah Lindsay Photography at a location here in the Denver-metro area, please contact us here! 

When we started Shelby's shoot at Davidson Mesa, the clouds were dark blue and looked like they were about to tear open with rain at any minute. Rain would've definitely put a damper on the day. Luckily the clouds passed over us in typical Colorado fashion and surprised us with the most beautiful rainbow and colorful sky for the end of her shoot. 

Shelby was shy at first and worried she wasn't photogenic, but don't worry we changed that with one thing! I was able to show her one of the shots from the back of my camera and that helped increase her confidence. After that she opened up and we got to see the full Shelby! It was the best! 

For her pictures, Shelby brought 4 different outfits to choose from, but there was one that surprised us! It was her last outfit. It was a beautiful blue dress that set off her eyes and beautiful features. I'm not sure I have ever seen that blue of eyes before this! So beautiful. 

Shelby, you are beautiful! Remind yourself often of how gorgeous, smart, and enough you are. Keep dreaming big and I can't wait to see what you accomplish as you study astrophysics in college. Thank you for choosing me to take your pictures!