Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overthink it.

That was basically the theme of this entire test shoot with Braden. I know how to light seniors in harsh midday sun. I know how to light seniors during golden hour. I know how to work with weird light during a regular senior session and still make it happen. So when I asked Braden and his mom, Holly, if they’d be willing to help me test some more dynamic athlete lighting, I didn’t think the time of day would matter that much.

Ha. It mattered.

We photographed at Arrowhead’s baseball field around midday, and when we started, there were absolutely no clouds. None. Just bright blue sky, full sun, and me immediately realizing this was going to be a very honest test session. And honestly, we did get some really cool blue sky images, but I also learned very quickly that this type of dynamic athlete lighting is different from the way I normally light senior portraits.

For the look I was going for, I needed my lights to really overpower the ambient light. I wanted the background darker, Braden shaped by flash, and that more dramatic sports-poster kind of feel. That is much harder in full midday sun

One of the most common questions I get before a senior session is:
“What should I wear?”

And honestly? Fair.

Because senior photo outfits can feel weirdly high-pressure.

You want to look like yourself, but also slightly more put together than your “I  wore this hoodie three days in a row” self - trust me, that's me in a nutshell. You want variety, but not chaos. You want something that photographs well, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re wearing a costume from the “senior pictures” aisle of Pinterest.

Very normal.
Very fixable.
Let’s make it less stressful.

Please do not panic-buy a personality or the most viral outfit from TikTok. Your senior photos should look like you. A slightly elevated, intentional version of you, sure. But still you.

If you live in jeans, we can use jeans.  If you love dresses, bring the dress. If you’re more casual, sporty, artsy, classic, edgy, soft, colorful, neutral, or somewhere between “I have a vision” and “my mom told me to be here,” we can work with that.

​The goal is not to dress like someone else. The goal is to create outfits that feel natural, photograph well, and give your final gallery enough variety.

When we’re planning outfits, I like to think about three things:

1. Does it feel like you, the senior?
2. Does it photograph well? * Because not all looks are flattering in a photo *
3. Does it give you variety?

Because you do not need five outfits that all say the exact same thing. If every outfit is jeans and a neutral top, that can be pretty, but its going to feel repetitive, especially when you're picking favorites for an album, for prints to hand out for family, or even for the grad party invite. If every outfit is wildly different, that can be fun, but it may feel disconnected.

We want a mix.

Usually, that means planning a few different silhouettes. If you aren't a dress girlie, you can wear pants/shorts and a top and have different silhouettes - flowy, form-fitting, flare, etc. We're not reinventing the wheel, we're just giving you options.

This is the outfit that feels easy.

The one you can move in. The one that feels natural. The one that helps you settle into the session.

This could be jeans and a cute top, a casual dress, a sweater, a button-up, a favorite jacket, or something simple that feels like their everyday style but cleaned up a bit/intentional. 

This outfit is great for the beginning of the session when everyone is still warming up.
Because yes, even confident people need a minute to get into the right mindset.

This is the outfit that feels a little more polished. Not prom-level. Not “business casual hostage situation.” Just elevated. 

For girls, this could be a dress, jumpsuit, skirt, tailored pants, or something with movement and shape.

For guys, this could be a button-up, jacket, nicer jeans or pants, layered pieces, or a look that feels sharp without being stiff.
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This outfit is usually great for portraits that parents tend to love, especially if we’re thinking about albums, wall art, gifts, or yearbook options.

This is where we get to bring in more of who you are. 
Sports uniform.
Dance outfit.
Theatre look.
Favorite band tee.
College sweatshirt.
Art smock/paint covered clothes, comfy drawing 'fit.
Vintage jacket.
Letterman jacket.
Fashion forward / trendy.

Something related to what you're interested in. For some, that's clothes, for others that's DND, not every outfit has to be 'walking the stage' worthy.

This does not have to be overly themed. It just needs to feel connected to who you are. For me, it was converse, jeans, and a sweater. 

Senior photos are not only about what you look like right now. They’re about who you are in this season.
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That matters.

A few general rules that help:
Solid colors usually photograph really well. Neons, however, do not. The colors tend to create weird bands and warping in camera, save those for the theme parties.

Texture adds interest. Different textures paired together also are interesting. The materials are going to interact with the lights and environment unique to them. That's why mixing a chrome, high-gloss, or shiny piece with something more matte (denim, lace, cotton) tends to work so well. 

Layers are your friend. Not only does it allow for easy outfit transitions, it keeps that one outfit interesting and gives you more room for posing. Wearing a jacket, then holding it on your shoulder, having it drape over your shoulders, pulled down off your shoulders, with these slight changes, you just had 4 variations in one outfit. For me, that's easily 20 photos, if not more.

Movement is great, especially for dresses, skirts, jackets, and flowy pieces. These are great for seniors that want a documentary-style/candid feeling to their photos. Pieces that move help tell more parts of the story - oh, there's wind, oh they're walking, they're showing confidence, we're seeing more angles of the look. Suddenly you're able to spin, dip, throw a skirt or dress and have that elegant or dramatic flare. That's something you can't get with jean shorts and a tank top.

Clothes should fit well enough that you're not constantly adjusting them. DO NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF! Nothing is more frustrating to my senior clients than constantly having to make the elastic puffy sleeve sit in place when we're doing dynamic poses that require arm bending or moving. I've had some seniors wear strapless tops, that's totally fine, just know you're going to be pulling it up the entire time. Same goes for clothes that are too big or too tight. In both instances, they're falling down, and they're not flattering. Overly baggy looks like you're drowning in fabric, and overly tight is going to make fabric pucker or jut out in unnatural ways.

And please, for the love of all things good in this world, make sure you can sit, walk, and most importantly: breathe.

If an outfit only works while standing completely still and thinking skinny thoughts, it is not our winner.

Avoid anything you, the senior, hates. That sounds obvious, but it needs to be said. If you feel uncomfortable, it will show.

Again, be careful with tiny busy patterns, neon colors, large logos, overly trendy pieces that you already feel unsure about, and again, anything that requires constant fixing.

Also, if the outfit only looks good from one angle in one mirror under one very specific lightbulb? Maybe not.

Outfits and locations should work together.

If we’re shooting in downtown Milwaukee, the Third Ward, Bay View, or an urban setting, structured pieces, denim, jackets, boots, and editorial-inspired outfits can look amazing.

If we’re in a nature setting around Oak Creek, Franklin, Greendale, South Milwaukee, or one of the parks in Southeast Wisconsin, softer textures, earth tones, flowy pieces, and layers can fit beautifully.

If we’re doing a mix, even better.
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That gives the gallery variety without making the whole session feel random.

This is the part I need parents and seniors to hear:
You are not expected to show up with perfectly styled outfits and a complete creative direction already done.

That is part of the planning process.  I help walk through outfit options, talk through what makes sense for the locations, and think about the final result before we ever start photographing.  Because senior photos are not just about grabbing cute outfits.
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They’re about creating images that feel like your senior and still make sense years from now.

The best senior photo outfits are not the ones that scream “I found this on Pinterest.”
They are the ones that make your senior feel comfortable, confident, and dare I say, the outfits that when you look in the mirror you think, "damn, I look GOOD." That's what we want.

A little elevated? Yes.

A little intentional? Absolutely.

But still You.

And if you’re staring at the closet thinking, “We have no idea what we’re doing,” that is exactly why this process exists.
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You do not have to figure it all out before reaching out.
We’ll walk through it together.

Senior photos are one of those things that feel like they’re very much a “future you” problem.
Until suddenly they’re not.

One minute your kid is finishing junior year and senior photos feel like something you can figure out later. Then school starts, fall dates are full, sports schedules are chaotic, yearbook deadlines are weirdly soon, and everyone’s standing in a bedroom saying, “Wait, what are you wearing?”

So. Let’s make this easier.

If you’re wondering when you should start planning senior photos, the answer is:
Earlier than September.

Not because you need to panic.
Not because you need every single detail figured out.
But because starting earlier gives you more options, less stress, and a much better chance of creating a session that actually feels like your senior.

A lot of families wait until senior year officially starts before they think about senior pictures.
I get it. Senior year feels more real once school starts.

The problem is that once school starts, everything starts.

Sports. Work. Band. Theater. Homecoming. Homework. College applications. Family schedules. Weather being annoying. Yearbook deadlines. All of it. So the thing that felt like, “Oh, we’ll deal with that later,” turns into one more thing you’re trying to cram into an already packed calendar.

Waiting doesn’t usually make senior photos easier.

It usually just gives you fewer choices. Fewer dates. Less flexibility. Less time for outfits. Less room for weather issues. More pressure around yearbook deadlines. And honestly, senior photos don’t need to be a last-minute scramble.

This is one of the big reasons I tell families not to wait too long. The yearbook photo isn’t always due at the end of the year. A lot of schools have deadlines that sneak up fast, and every school seems to have its own rules. Some want a certain crop. Some have specific file requirements. Some have earlier deadlines than families expect.

And before you can submit anything, you still need to:

• Schedule the session.
• Plan outfits.
• Choose a location.
• Actually take the photos.
• Have the images edited.
• Choose the yearbook photo.
• Submit it correctly.

That’s not really something you want to start figuring out the night before the deadline.
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Could we probably figure something out if you’re late? Maybe.

Do I recommend making that the plan? Absolutely not.

Summer and fall are popular for senior photos for a reason. The weather’s usually better, the light is pretty, and schedules are usually a little easier before school gets fully chaotic. And listen, I know a lot of girls around here want to wait until they’re at the level of tan they want before their session.

Totally fine. I get it. (I was that person...)

But that doesn’t mean you wait until July or August, once you’ve hit the perfect tan level, to finally reach out. That means you reach out early, we get you on the calendar for peak summer, and by the time your session rolls around, you’re ready to go.

Because those summer dates do not stay open forever.

If your senior plays a sport, works, does theater, has band, has a packed social life, or generally has a calendar that looks like a color-coded crime scene, you’ll want more than two random dates to choose from. Planning earlier gives you breathing room. And breathing room is the whole point.

This is one of the biggest things parents and seniors overthink. You don’t need to come to me with the perfect location already picked out. Actually, please don’t stress yourself out doing that.

Location planning is part of what I help with.

Instead of starting with a giant list of pretty places, we start with the senior. Do they want something more natural? More urban? More editorial? More relaxed? Do they want water, fields, flowers, architecture, sports, their dog, their car, prom attire, or something totally different?
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The best location isn’t always the most popular location.
The best location is the one that actually fits your senior.
That’s something we figure out together.

Outfits are another reason not to wait until the last second. And no, this does not mean you need to buy an entirely new wardrobe. It just means we want a plan. 

The goal is variety. Not chaos.
A strong outfit plan usually thinks through things like:

• Casual vs dressy.
• What colors photograph well.
• What works with the location.
• What actually feels like your senior.
• Whether we want to include sports, hobbies, prom attire, or something personal.
• How many outfit changes actually make sense.

Waiting until the night before usually leads to panic-shopping, overpacking, or bringing five outfits that all have the same exact vibe.

And then everyone’s stressed.
Let’s not.

Outdoor senior photos mean we have to deal with weather. 

Sometimes it rains.
Sometimes it’s cloudy.
Sometimes it’s humid in a way that feels personally aggressive.
Sometimes the forecast is dramatic and then nothing happens.

Planning earlier gives us more flexibility if we need to adjust.

If you wait until the last possible moment before a yearbook deadline, we don’t have much room to work around rain, heat, wind, or whatever nonsense the Midwest decides to offer that day (let's be very serious). Planning ahead doesn’t make the weather behave. It just gives us options.

This is probably the biggest thing I want parents to know. You don’t need to know:

• Where you want to go.
• What your senior should wear.
• What products you want.
• How many images you’ll need.
• What your wall art situation is.
• Which photo will be for yearbook.
• Whether your senior will magically know how to pose.

​That’s literally what the planning process is for.

My job isn’t just to show up with a camera and hope everyone knows what to do. I help with the pieces that usually make families feel overwhelmed.

Locations. Outfits. Timing. Posing. Yearbook. Ordering. All of it. We figure it out together.

Ideally, start thinking about senior photos during junior year or early summer before senior year. That gives you time to:

• Choose from better dates.
• Plan around sports, work, and activities.
• Think through locations.
• Pull outfits together without panic.
• Leave room for weather.
• Make sure yearbook deadlines are handled.
• Create a session that feels like your senior instead of whatever was available last-minute.

You don’t need a perfect plan.
​You just need to start the conversation.

Senior year moves fast. Like, annoyingly fast.

So if senior photos are still sitting on the “we should probably figure that out” list, this is your sign to start.

Not panic.
Start.

The earlier we get the conversation going, the more room we have to make the session feel personal, relaxed, and actually useful instead of rushed and stressful.

And if you have no idea where to start, that’s fine.
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That’s literally why I’m here. :)