Ahh yes....Back to School Time and that list of things that you have to do for students who are seniors seems double!  If you haven't already, now is the time to select the photographer for your senior.  Some things I would recommend anyone looking for a senior photographer consider. 

1.            First, you don’t need to spend a huge amount of money to get quality photos.  There is a lot of competition in the Senior Portrait field which is a good thing for anyone looking for a photog.  I’ve seen packages range all over the place but I can tell you quality portraits are available for affordable prices.  A base sitting of $300-$500 that doesn’t include any prints or images is TOO MUCH in my opinion. 

2.            Figure out what end product you are looking for when selecting a photog.  I recommend a mixture of prints and digital images which you can use for multiple purposes.  Professional photographers will usually have an outlet for professional photofinishing.  Receiving just the digital images may leave you disappointed when printing photographs. 

3.            Have your photographer shoot your senior in places that matter to your senior.  School grounds get overlooked a lot; family farms, childhood favorite places always make for great shoots.  Pick places which match your senior’s personality; urban, country etc. 

4.            Take a close look at the photog’s work you are considering.  A couple of simple things to check out; are faces blown out with too much light, are pictures in focus and fuzzy, are they too dark?  Sometimes it is easy to get distracted by the backdrop of a photo and you overlook the subject in the portrait.  If you know the person’s photos you are looking at; does the photo reflect the person you know?  This is just personal preference but I believe there is a tendency of some to “Over-Photoshop” images. 

5.            See if you photog is willing to perform other shoots.  An action shot of your sports player or photos shot during plays are always some of my most popular photo selections.  Senior year is important and you want someone who will be a part of your senior’s year, not someone who will want to collect a fee for a 2 hour shoot and move on to the next senior.   

6.            Without being an equipment snob, make sure that the person you hire has a variety of gear to capture the shots you would want.

7.            Be careful and make sure you check references of anyone you hire.  As mentioned, there are a lot of people shooting senior pics; I’ll just say be careful.

8.            Finally, above all else, make sure your photog has the personality that matches will with your senior and get them comfortable with their shoot.  

9.            The shoot should be about your senior; NOT your photog.  If through the selection process the photographer only wants to talk about how great they are and doesn't ask questions about your senior, move on!

10.           Make sure your senior photographer is going to create a fun experience for your senior.  This is one experience of the senior year that should be a nice memory for your senior.  

We hope this helps and hope everyone has awesome senior school years!!