So, your baby is going to be a Senior in high school. Congratulations! And how is that possible when you can still so clearly remember the photo you took of them on their first day of kindergarten? Believe it or not, this is happening. There is so much to think about when it comes to their senior year: order cap and gown, send out invitations, prom dress or tux, graduating party, order yearbook, and of course, senior pictures. It’s a pricey year, for sure, and with the technology built into cell phone cameras today, you might be tempted to spare the expense and DIY your child’s senior photos. It’s true, cell phone cameras do take nice, clear photos, but there’s so much more to it than taking a clear image. Here are five reasons to outsource this job to a professional photographer.
- The lens Any photographer will tell you that, while a high-quality camera is important, the quality that you see comes from a good lens. Your cell phone camera has the equivalent of a 26 mm lens. While this is a great landscape lens, it’s not the ideal lens for portrait photography. Photographers most often use a 50 or 85-mm lens. A good lens will mean the difference between a nice snapshot and a magazine-worthy image.
- Bokeh (bow-kuh) You might not know the word, but you know bokeh when you see it. It’s that creamy, dreamy, blurred background that makes your child stand out and creates that polished, professional looking photo. You can technically add background blur as an effect in your phone, but that’s what it is – an effect, similar to a filter. True, lovely bokeh comes from your camera settings and your lens (the better the lens, the better the bokeh.)
- Posing Guidance Most people are not that comfortable in front of the camera. A good photographer will give your child posing guidance that will be flattering and make them look natural and comfortable. And better yet, they will have an eye for capturing those candid moments between poses that will end up being your most treasured photographs.
- Better Composition Here’s what most people do – they point the camera at their subject and snap a picture (maybe a few pictures) and then move on to a different location or pose, never noticing the ugly trashcan in the background. A professional photographer will notice the details, choose a location that does not distract from the subject and that has even lighting, and they will snap that shutter button hundreds of times in a session. They will take close-ups, mid-length shots, full body shots, they will mix it up between portrait and landscape composition, and they will find creative angles and use leading lines. Your photographs will be soulful.
- The Editing We can’t ignore editing. You might say, “I don’t need any edits, I just want my pictures to look natural.” Even natural looking professional photos are edited to bring out the best highlights, shadows, colors, and contrast. The photographer will crop the photo for even better composition and without losing quality, as you would with your cell phone camera. They will edit out acne, flyaway hairs, and those small details that do not add value to the image.
Want to purchase senior photos for your child but concerned about the expense? I offer four packages to choose from:
- Traditional | $250
- 1 hour session
- 2 outfits
- 15 edited digital images delivered in a private online gallery
- Option to purchase additional images for $10/each or purchase the entire gallery for $150 (minimum of 50 images)
- Shared Session | $600
- 1.5-2 hour session
- Share a session time with 2-3 friends
- 2 outfits
- 10 edited digital images (per person) delivered in a private online gallery
- Option to purchase additional images for $10/each or purchase the entire gallery for $150 (minimum of 50 images)
- Mini Session | $150
- 20 min session
- 1 outfit
- 5 edited digital images delivered in a private online gallery
- Option to purchase additional images for $10/each or purchase the entire gallery for $75 (minimum of 20 images)