Choosing a Location for Senior Portraits

Class of 2023EducationSeniors

Jul 25

One of the top questions I am asked when planning a senior session is, “What locations will we shoot at?”. The answer to that question depends on a few things. I always get to know my seniors before our session together so that I can select the right location, as I factor in personality, style, and the current season into my selections! Here are a few ways these items affect my decision on choosing a location for senior portraits.

01. Your Personality

When choosing a location for Senior Portraits, personality might not be something you’d think of as a consideration, but it is actually a major factor! For instance, if you are a nature girl at heart and want to be one with Mother Earth, I will select locations outside in the warm sun surrounded by greenery and blooms! We can frolic in the fields, pose in the posies, and walk the trails of tall grass! Basically, if you are a nature lover, we will be in nature so your photos better represent you!

On the flip side, If you’re more of a city girl, we’ll shoot your session in concrete jungles, by modern architecture, and downtown styles. Many of our clients prefer a bit of both, so we usually shoot in a variety of these locations. The point is that we want your session to be unique to you! Getting to know you and your personality is the first step in making sure you have a tailor made senior experience!

Choosing a Location for Senior Portraits: 3 Things to Consider

02. Your Style

The next consideration when choosing a location is your individual style. I love to match our clients’ outfits to the shoot locations for a cohesive look! If your outfit screams night out on the town, we’ll likely shoot in a more modern, downtown location. If you plan to wear a billowy maxi dress, then we will head to the fields where that dress will flow seamlessly with scenery. When it comes to style, I want to know what you feel most comfortable and confident wearing, and then match it with a location that makes sense!

How your style influences your senior portrait location

03. The Light

Finally, the last thing I take into consideration when it comes to choosing a location is the season we are shooting in and the times for the best light! You want your session to fall during the “golden hour”! It is one of the most important times during the day to get the best glowy light for those light and airy photos! “Golden hour” occurs when the light is about one hour from going down. Depending on the season, you will see me checking weather apps to get an accurate sunset time, so I know when our session window should be scheduled. During golden hour you’ll typically find us shooting in the tall grass with that perfect backlit rim on our subjects! Picking a location before sunset or the golden hour is heavily dependent upon how the light will fall on our subject! You have to watch the sun’s position to make sure there aren’t lots of shadows from buildings, trees, or even people that will distract from the photos.

Why the sun's light is an important factor in Choosing a Location for Senior Portraits

As you can see, we don’t choose locations lightly! Did you know that much detail went into deciding what locations to shoot at?!? At AGP, we really design our sessions around you! We would love to photograph YOU for our Class of 2023 senior session season!