Senior Portrait Guide for Parents

A Guide to Senior Portraits for Parents

For most parents, senior portraits are a distant memory. They have changed a lot over the last two decades, incorporating more creativity and individuality than ever before. At Karen Morgan Photography, senior pictures are an experience!

Seniors have a lot more options available to them, ranging from traditional sessions in a studio to trendy urban shoots. This is the perfect opportunity for them to showcase their unique talents, passions, and personality, while also creating a lasting memory.

However, with all the available options, portrait sessions can quickly become overwhelming for both parents and seniors. 

Here are a few quick tips to help you prepare for your child’s upcoming senior session.

Make a Note of the Yearbook Deadline

The public schools local to Karen Morgan Photography must use a specific photography business for the yearbook photo. Please check with your individual school to get all the details ahead of time.

Keep Your Senior’s Schedule in Mind

As a parent of a senior, you already know how frantic their schedules can be. Before you go ahead and schedule a session, sit down with your senior to discuss a good time. They should be just as involved in the planning as you are. Even the specific time of day matters when scheduling a senior session. Ideally, you want to take photos just after sunrise and just before sunset, as this is when the lighting’s the best. However, the right photographer can make any time of the day work. Midday should be a last resort though as the lighting is far too harsh. 

Compromise with Your Child

You may have a specific idea about the photos you would like to see, but this is about your child and what makes them feel confident and comfortable. Most senior sessions allow for several outfit changes, so use this as an opportunity to find a happy balance between what you want and what your senior wants. Be patient and hear them out before you brush off their ideas. Their portraits should represent who they are and what they love. 

Encourage Sharing

Prior to a senior session, get your child to open up about their passions, hopes, and dreams. This information will help guide the shoot and ensure the most authentic photos. Knowing what your senior wants these photos to represent will also guide their outfit and location choices. 

Don’t forget to include your senior in the search for a photographer – a photographer’s style needs to fit in with the images you hope to create. 

Which Season is Right for Your Senior Photos?

Hey there, friend! When it comes to scheduling your senior photo shoot, it's an important decision to make. Let's talk about the upsides and downsides of each season, so you can figure out which one suits you best.

Capturing the Season: Spring Senior Photos

With spring just around the corner, it's the perfect time to plan a photoshoot. Picture this – colorful flowers, lush greenery, and great weather for outdoor sessions. Just keep an eye out for surprise rain showers! To capture the spring vibes before the graduation chaos, try scheduling your session early in the season. Opt for floral outfits or pastel colors to match the seasonal mood. If you're still feeling the chill, rock some tights and boots with your shorts or skirts. And don't forget those light jackets for those unpredictable temperature swings. Let's make the most of this magical season!

Capturing the Season: Summer Senior Photos
Summer is the perfect time to snap those senior photos. With long sunny days, you'll get plenty of natural light for outdoor shoots without shivering in the cold. Think about the stunning backdrops you can find—fields filled with wildflowers or peaceful forest scenes make for some truly enchanting pictures.
And let's talk wardrobe - summer means you have so many options to play with! Whether you're aiming for a casual, chic look or something more funky and fun, there's a whole range of styles to rock. Plus, these photos are not just for your yearbook—they're awesome for college applications too.
So, whether you're rocking a breezy sundress, a trendy top, or something a bit more playful like a swimsuit or sporty shorts and tanks, the vibe is all about being carefree and vibrant. You'll add a pop of color to your images with some bold patterns and hues. And for that easy-breezy feel, swimsuits are perfect for some beach or poolside snaps.
No matter your style, summer senior photos are all about embracing the season and your individuality.

Capturing the Season: Fall Senior Photos

As we gear up for the autumn season, get ready for a visual treat as the leaves transform into vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, creating stunning landscapes perfect for photography. With the arrival of cooler temperatures, it's time to break out those cozy sweaters and boots for a comfortably stylish look. Don't forget to take advantage of the enchanting golden hour light, as it adds a magical glow to your fall photos, enhancing their beauty.
As the fall season unfolds, your schedule may become more hectic. Therefore, it's essential to plan ahead to ensure you have ample time for your photography ventures.
When it comes to wardrobe choices for your photo sessions, consider embracing darker colors such as burgundy, mustard, and hunter green, as they complement the autumn scenery exquisitely. Additionally, outfits featuring plaid flannels, cardigans, scarves, and cute ankle or knee-high boots can create a cozy and picturesque fall aesthetic. For a classic autumn vibe, opt for jeans and sweaters, or showcase school colors and jerseys for sports-themed photoshoots.
Lastly, don't forget to bring along a light jacket for those crisp fall mornings and evenings to stay comfortable and stylish throughout your photography endeavors.
Embrace the beauty of fall and make the most of the season's picturesque charm in your photography!

At the end of the day, choose what feels right for you! I'm here if you need any other tips for an amazing senior photoshoot. Wishing you a fun experience capturing memories to cherish. Let me know if you need any other outfit ideas for each season!

Why Hire a Professional Photographer for Your Senior Photos?

Your senior year is fast approaching! That means senior photos are just around the corner! There are a plenty of options when it comes choosing a photographer to capture such an important time in your life, but there are a many things that only a professional photographer can provide that your friend with a camera cannot.

High Quality Images!

I don’t know how to break this to you... but images taken on your iPhone or an entry level digital camera aren’t of fantastic quality. Have you ever looked back at images you took on your phone years ago? Most likely they are low quality, a little grainy, and just not great. This is because the digital industry is evolving every year and what we thought was amazing a few years ago is laughable now.

That’s why hiring a pro with a professional camera is the best way to ensure that your images will be of the best quality for years to come! Professional photographers invest in top level equipment to make sure that they can produce high quality images that can be printed in large format products (like canvases and wall prints) and stand the test of time.

Professional Editing

Photoshop is the number one editing software for professional photographers. We can remove blemishes while retaining skin texture, perfect exposure while maintaining beautiful colors, and bring out the best features of the image while staying true to natural tones. Non-professionals usually use iPhone apps or other consumer level software that can actually destroy the underlying image and manipulate the details that make it so naturally beautiful. Hiring a pro will ensure that your images are edited with the utmost care and that you will look like you on your best day.

Professional Posing

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself and said, “Yikes! That is NOT the best angle!” Professional photographers know how to use angles to make you look your best in photos. We also know how to pose you so that your best features are front and center! Non-professionals don’t understand how lens choice can manipulate your width of features, how to instruct you to look natural in your pictures, or how to best flatter you with specific posing knowledge. Hiring a professional photographer can mean a difference of night and day in how much you love the way you look in your photographs!

Once in a Lifetime Experience!

Senior portraits are such a HUGE part of your senior year and you may not realize it yet, but think about it... when is the next time you will have the opportunity for something like this? Believe it or not, it will most likely be your wedding day. WOAH! Can you believe that? You will NEVER be an 18 year old on the edge of adulthood with the rest of your life ahead of you as you are now. Now is the time to capture this incredible moment in your life! Senior portraits are a rite of passage!

A Professional is Committed to YOU!

When you hire a professional photographer for your senior portraits, you enter into a contract between yourself and a business owner. This means that your photographer is committed to providing you with professional portraits that you will absolutely love and cherish forever!

Non-professional photographers don’t have contracts and consequently are not legally bound to provide you with what they promise. That can be really scary when it comes to documenting such an important time in your life! Entrusting your memories with a contracted professional is the only way to go!

Here at KMP, we don’t take your senior photos lightly! We’re ready to wow you from the very first time you contact us to the delivery of your custom portrait art!

Visit our website for more info and ou rcontact form to reserve your session date! We’ll take it from there!

Western Maryland Senior Portraits | Emily

It was a beautiful sunny day for Emily’s session! She was incredibly sweet and an absolute natural in front of the camera!

This stunning senior is graduating from Fort Hill High School incredibly soon (where did the year fly?!) and will be attending Potomac State before transferring to West Virginia University. She wants to be a nurse and has wanted to be a nurse since she was five years old - talk about dedication!

We began her session with a few softball photos! She wanted to document all of the years she had played - thirteen!

Emily has been into athletics most of her life, and in fact she once pitched a no hitter! That sounds amazing, Emily!

During the second portion of her senior session, a group of 5 or 6 deer ran behind her and scared us all! It was certainly a memorable moment as we laughed and laughed afterwards.

Covid caused Emily to miss out on so much, especially when it came to her friends her sports. She didn’t mind virtual learning but she would have preferred face to face interactions with her teachers. On the plus side, she completed three college classes during the first semester! Way to go, Emily!

During her fun water portion, we saw a turtle! I was a little concerned it might be a snapping turtle but Emily and I kept our eyes peeled for the duration of her session!

“Always strive to do your best! Life may not always be easy but you have a great support system to back you up.”

— Troy & Trista Crawford

I had a blast getting to know this soon to be graduating senior! She is obviously caring and we were both laughing the majority of her session!

Looking for a senior portrait photographer? Look no further! KMP has you covered!

Senior Portrait Session near Cumberland, MD | Ryann

It’s hard to believe that graduate is right around the corner, but would you look at that! Here it is! Ryann was a blast to photograph and we even had a storm we needed to outrun. It left us wildly laughing and we enjoyed every bit of her session!

This Fort Hill High School senior wants to be a doctor when she heads off to college in the fall; she wants to study Kinesiology.

Covid changed Ryann’s senior year in many ways. Though it was a hard adjustment to online learning, there were some positives ways Covid impacted her life. With the cancellation of school and sports, Ryann found herself with a lot of free time. She focused her thoughts on the future - which brought her an athetlic scholarship to James Madison University! That’s so exciting, Ryann! Congratulations!

This kindhearted spirit also had time in September to start a fundraiser to raise awareness for for childhood cancer with her sister. They were very successful with this fundraiser! They made many candy bouquets and raffled them off.

This determine, quiet, and kind senior loves hanging out with friends and family, drawing and working out! She’s also involved with two sports, volleyball and track and field. She’s been playing both since she was in the seventh grade.

“Never stop learning.”

— Jason & Sarah Bennett

Though there have been many negative effects of Covid, Ryann prefers to focus on the good. The experience was challenging, but overall she felt she became more mature and learned to take things slower and enjoy them while they last! I think that’s such a positive outlook on life, Ryann!

Ryann, thank you for choosing Karen Morgan Photography as your high school senior photographer!

Karen Morgan Photography is a senior and family photographer located in Cumberland, Maryland. She is currently booking senior portraits for the Class of 2022!

Cumberland, Maryland Senior Photography | Katie

I had the pleasure of meeting Katie after I met and photographed her older brother for his senior photos. She was a delight to work with, absolutely kind and also beautiful! It was also a gorgeous day.

We visited the sunflower patch for a few amazing images. Used wildflowers to make a bouquet.

As I do with most of my sessions, I incorporated lots of movement...walking toward me, twirling around, etc. I love what I do and I will make your senior portraits special with different posing and prompts!

Covid really put a damper on Katie’s senior year at Allegany High. She was supposed to play soccer but that wasn’t doable with pandemic. Her daily life used to consist of school, practices, and games; now it’s Netflix and social media.

When she graduates, she’s looking forward to playing soccer in college, a sport she’s played for 12 years (and softball for 10, and basketball for 8! She’s a sporty young woman, that’s for sure!)

How cool are her sports attire?! That letterman jacket is to die for!

“Dream big! Hard work pays off!”

— Julie Wilhelm

Congrats, Katie, Class of 2021!

Cumberland, MD Senior Portraits | Emily S.

What a wonder, Emily was! I had an absolute blast with this 2021 senior! After she graduates in May from Allegany High, she plans on attending college to study theatre and musical theatre and vocal performance; eventually she wants to transfer to a performing arts school!

Look at this sweet young woman! It’s a good thing I had my long lens cause she aimed for me when I joked with her to try to splash me! ! But that’s okay, it made for a great shot.

She loves to sing, dance, act, play guitar, and piano! She’s a very well rounded girl who plays parts in musicals and also sings in choir. I love how versatile she is!

Four our second location, I took Emily to my outdoor studio location where I have an old porch swing and a smaller tree swing for use! Here is where we squeezed in a couple best friend shots as well with her bestie, Karlee!

Our third location was a wide open field! The property owner came out during our session and gave us a couple large sunflowers to use in this session! I am so glad she did! The sunflower added a nice bit of color. Emily is a huge music fan and oh so talented! She brought along her guitar. She also sings! What an amazing voice. Her mom found an old time microphone to use in the field for a few singing photos!

Although it’s been hard with the loss of her senior musical, Emily has enjoyed distance learning and feels that the teachers have a better understanding and lenience given everything going on.

“Believe in yourself; be resilient, even when things don’t go as you’ve planned.”

— Daphne Synder

I had the pleasure of photographing Emily a couple more times. We did an amazing fall shoot at Casselman Bridge in Garrett County and a winter shoot in Allegany County. Both sessions were just fabulous! Be sure to check them out!

Emily now helps me out from time to time as my assistant on other senior sessions! She also captures behind the scenes video too!

Senior Portrait Session near Cumberland, MD | Juliette

It was a beautiful summer day for Juliette’s session (helloooooo golden hour!). Not only was it a beautiful summer day, but I had a beautiful gorgeous senior with a perfect smile! Not to mention her clothing choices were spot on.

Juliette attends Fort Hill High School and will be graduating in May. She plans on attending West Virginia University to become a labor and delivery nurse. How special is that?!

Our session began in a grassy field with Queen Anne’s Lace around her. Her yellow dress with the lace jacket was perfect for this setting. We found a few yellow flowers and created a wildflower bouquet for her!

I love how open and free Juliette was during our session. She really was within her element and didn’t seem to have any shyness in front of the camera!

Of course we headed to the creek where her burgundy dress was perfect among the flowers and water!

“Follow your dreams, work hard, and never give up on your goals in life.”

— Laurie Wilson

Congratulations, Juliette, Class of 2021!

Western Maryland Senior Portraits | Mark

I just have to start out with that this was an amazing session! It took place on the Mark’s family’s property! This Fort Hill High School student is graduating in May of this year and I know he can’t wait. He plans to attend Frostburg to pursue the graphic arts.

As you can tell, Mark is quite the sports player and loves to play soccer! He also plays the violin and loves to swim.

As we wandered the property, Mark’s mom, Devina, told me stories about childhood events that happened there.

The hike to get to these massive boulders was like an obstacle course. Devina kept encouraging me and telling me it wasn’t too far but it felt like she was just trying to keep me motivated. She didn’t have to try though, as soon as I saw where were headed, I was in love all over again! I’m always up for a little adventure!

Although Mark was initially quiet, he was the absolute sweetest and was ready to try any pose I suggested. Thanks for being a willing participant, Mark!

“Put God first and everything else will fall into place.”

— Devina Greise

I’m obsessed with this tree!

Congratulations, Mark and best of luck in your future endeavors!

Downtown Cumberland, MD Senior Portrait Session | Chloe

Chloe is a 2021 Senior graduating from Fort Hill High school in May. She’ll be attending college to study business in the fall.

Chloe’s session began in Downtown, Cumberland. We ventured through the streets and found several great locations for photos.

I’m a sucker for reflections! I just love the way Chloe looks with this pose!

We also found an amazing alley for several cool shots before moving on with a SHOPPING CART!

Yeah you read (and see that) right! A SHOPPING CART! We had a ball with this unplanned prop. She got in it for several of her portraits and then I had her push it down the alley and jump on the back of it!

After our Downtown blast of fun, we went to the second location for some creek photos! It was quite cool outside but that didn’t stop this awesome 2021 senior from getting in the water! I absolutely LOVE these shots.

“Dream big & never give up.”

— Stacey Smith