Senior Portraits by Merrick Photography

Dear 2011 Senior,

What an exciting time it's going to be for your senior year at high school! Twelve years of school are almost over, and you're now at the point where it all comes together — graduation year!

Senior portraits are a wonderful tradition to celebrate this time in your life, but why should everyone's photographs all have to look the same when we're all clearly different and unique, each with our own personalities, likes and dislikes?

The short answer is: They don't!

There are many great photographers out there creating senior portraits in their studios, but the one observation I hear all the time from my clients is that studio portraits often tend to look alike. I know your school may have a contract with a studio to take photographs for the yearbook and, for that purpose, it's a good thing to have consistency in the images.

But, you're not obliged to have all of your senior portraits taken in that same studio — by that I mean the portraits you will want to display proudly on the wall, or share with your friends and family. Do you really want an enlarged version of your yearbook photograph hanging on the wall?

Do you know that more people will see your senior portraits than any other photographs you take? It's true — more than will probably see your wedding photographs. I know that there are few things more disappointing to a graduating senior than not liking the way he or she looks in their finished senior photographs; portraits that all his or her friends and family will see. This is the reason why we need to make sure your senior photographs are the best we can possibly make them.

So, how do we do that?

The answer to that depends on one simple statement:

You are unique.

There really is only one "you". Because I only photograph one or two sessions a day, unlike high-volume studios, we're more able to get to know each other better and I can really focus on your positive, unique characteristics.

Here's a great example of choosing an appropriate location and proper clothing... Tim loves the ocean and also has a passion for Vineyard Vines clothes, so we photographed him on location at a marina in Florida while on vacation to produce a portrait that he is really pleased with and proud to own.

Tip # 1 — Proper Clothing Choice:

Ignoring this tip has probably ruined more senior portraits than anything else! Most seniors are not professional models, and don't really know the types of clothes that photograph the best.

In some cases, wearing the wrong clothes can add as much as 44 pounds to the way you look in the portrait — 44 pounds! I'm sure most seniors would not be too happy to look any heavier than they actually are!

It's my job to know which clothes are going to look the very best in your photograph, and we will help you choose just the right combination to make sure you look your very best.

This doesn't mean that your clothes have to be boring or plain, not at all! It does mean that we can assess your clothing choice together to come up with a good lighting and posing plan to make you look amazing.

Tip # 2 — Posing and Hair Lighting:

Very few people have had professional modeling experience, so it's very natural to feel unnatural in front of the camera. You might be concerned about how to sit, stand and pose for your photographs, but I make this very easy for you by eliminating stiff poses from your portraits.

We're looking to create beautiful, natural-looking images for you, which simply means being yourself. I will guide you through the whole process, maybe making simple adjustments and refinements, but the main idea is for you to sit, stand or pose in a way that feels natural to you.

Now, a word or two about hair… We all have bad hair days! But you don't want your senior portrait to be a permanent bad hair day on your wall, right? The way to ensure that doesn't happen is to make certain your photographer understands proper hair lighting and how to make it stand out from the background. There are some very specific lighting techniques I can use to really make your hair look wonderful, without it blending in too much with the background or being too dominant in the final photograph.

Tip # 4 — Avoid Unnecessary Props:

Senior portraits are about one thing only — you! So, I'm not sure why it is that we see so many senior portraits where the senior is surrounded by large numbers of props and number blocks that spell out '2011' or whatever year they happen to graduate.

To create a stunning portrait of anyone, I believe we should concentrate solely on the subject, and not have too many distractions or cheesy objects in the photograph, which only take attention away from the subject, when the focus of the photograph should be on you.

Less is more in this instance!

There are exceptions to this rule, of course — when using a sporting theme, for example, it's a good idea to include some elements of the sport in the portrait as long as they don't dominate the image.

This is one of my favorite images from this portrait session! It is the perfect example of a natural pose - in actual fact, Jessica was not even aware that I took this photograph until she saw it later.

When I processed the final portrait, I was looking for a reflective and very personal image with this one, and the black and white finish adds to the atmosphere.

Tip # 5 — Meet The Photographer:

Everyone is nervous in front of the camera, especially if they've never met the photographer before. So many seniors are apprehensive when they walk into the studios contracted by their school. This invariably shows in the finished photographs as wrinkles and worry lines, or in fake smiles.

Because I'm not a high-volume photographer, I make sure to take the time to meet with all of my clients ahead of the photography session to talk about everything to do with creating the portraits. We discuss the location, time of day, clothing choices, lighting and any creative ideas we might have about highlighting the senior's personality. We chat about your interests, sports and anything else that might contribute to creating a better photograph of you.

This means we already know each other on the day we create the photographs, and are not strangers any more. Because of this, you will feel more confident and relaxed in front of the camera. What you won't see in the photographs are any signs that you were tense or nervous.

Tip # 6 — Session Length:

The key word in 'senior portrait' is 'portrait'. We're creating a lasting photograph for you that you and your family will treasure for a lifetime. This is not a snapshot and certainly shouldn't be hurried.

If you have only 15 minutes to work with the photographer to create your portraits, do you think the final images are going to look their best when compared to those where we spent two hours with you? Probably not.

For this reason, I limit the number of sessions I do in a week to no more than 2 per day. This means we get to spend an entire morning or afternoon to create some of the best portraits you will ever have created. You will remember the session as something that was fun and exciting, not a necessary evil!

Tip # 7 — Appointment Flexibility:

What if you wake up on the day of your scheduled senior portraits and you just don't feel good, or it doesn't feel like the 'best day' for you? With most studios, you won't be able to reschedule your session without paying an additional fee.

I believe that's unfair. I'm here to create the best possible photographs of you that I can. That relies partly on you feeling your best as well looking your best. If, for whatever reason, you feel the need to reschedule your session, simply call and let me know. There's no hidden fee for that, and no hard feelings. We'll simply select another date that's convenient for you.

Tip # 8 — Projection Viewing:

What happens after we take the photographs and you want to see the finished images? How are you going to see them?

In this modern age of technology and the Internet, it's tempting for a lot of photographers to simply post the images online for you to see at your leisure. Sounds good… or does it?

Your photographer is an artist and an expert in their field. That means they put everything they can into producing the most flattering, beautifully composed, sensitively lit photographs for you.

Why do they then take those gorgeous images and post them as tiny thumbnails to be viewed on a computer where the color may not look 100% correct, or it's hard to see all the details of your face and expression? Sure, it's quick and easy, but you are not going to see them looking the way they should.

Not only that but, as the artist, I have a responsibility to advise you on the best way to display the images, the kinds of products we can offer etc.

By far, the very best way to view your finished senior portraits is at the studio, projected onto canvas, so that you see them at an appropriate size under the best conditions possible. Only then will you be able to make the proper assessment of what would look good hanging in your home.

We will book a date and time for your private view-and-order session at the end of the photography session. That way, you have the whole studio to yourselves and can see all your portraits in comfort. It's a lot of fun and just like going to the movies!

Tip # 9 — Guarantee:

What happens if you don't like your portraits, or they don't match up to your expectations? Many studios deal with this by offering a reduced-rate repeat session, but I believe that isn't fair to you. I really don't think you should have to pay twice for me to get it right.

This is where the value of a solid guarantee comes in. Ask your photographer about their guarantee and what happens if you aren't thrilled with the results. You may be shocked at some of the answers you hear!

I am very proud of my work, and love my profession intensely. Because of that, I want all of my clients to be absolutely thrilled with everything I do, or they don't pay me. There are never any repeat session fees, and I will do everything I can to make sure you are thrilled, or I will refund all your money in full.

Tip # 10 — Ask Questions:

Don't be afraid to ask questions! By now, you know many of the things most seniors are unaware of when preparing for their senior portraits, so you know a lot of the questions you should be asking.

Talk to your prospective photographer about location, creative ideas, their guarantee etc. and you will come away with all the information you need to make the proper decision of who should be your senior portrait artist.