A smiling young woman with long dark hair in a black dress stands among golden dried grasses and wildflowers backlit by warm sunset light.
Allen-Kent Photography A Field Guide

How to prepare for your senior portraits

Everything you need before we meet, plus a long list of things you can stop thinking about right now.

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Read this first

A two-minute read. No homework. No pressure. Just a peek inside how we work.

With a little planning, your senior portraits are going to be rad, and you'll learn fast that this is not something to stress about.

There are a few simple things we can all do to make the most of this. So consider this a quick look inside our brains: a list of stuff you genuinely don't need to worry about, and the small handful of things that get us all on the same page before the shutter ever clicks.

No one got time for that

Stuff you don't
need to worry about

i.

Stress

First and foremost, don't. We one-hundred-percent got you. You will leave with photos you love; you just have to show up and trust how we work.

ii.

Knowing how to pose

We guide you through the entire thing. You don't have to be a model. Nobody in our portfolio is. They're all real seniors, exactly like you.

iii.

Having perfect skin

Nah. Nobody does. Zits, cuts, and bruises come out without you asking, and that is where we stop. You'll look like you, on a good day.

iv.

Being someone you're not

The whole goal is to show your actual personality. Nobody is asking you to perform. Bring what you're into, talk about what you're into, and we build the session around that.

A smiling young woman with long dark hair wearing a sleeveless top sits against a brick wall in this black and white portrait photograph. Real seniors, no models
A woman in Scottish traditional dress walks across sandy beach dunes carrying bagpipes with forested hills visible in the misty background.
“
We're just going to hang out. We'll happen to have cameras on us.
How a session actually feels
Instead, focus on

What to wear

A young woman with long brown hair sits cross-legged against a brick wall wearing a burgundy sleeveless top and dark jeans, resting her chin on her hand with a gentle smile. wear
what feels
like you

Wardrobe is one of the biggest ways to show who you are. The right pieces do a few things at once:

  • Speak to who you actually are
  • Stay comfortable, you're going to move
  • Suit the weather we'll be in
  • Are something you genuinely want to be seen in

Pack extras. Bring one or two more outfits than we'll have time for, on purpose, so we can choose what works best for the spot we land in. Or, if there is one outfit you love and it says everything, one is plenty.

A few things that help the photos: soft, solid colors over big logos and busy patterns, and layers or texture over flat. Suggestions, not rules. Wear what feels like you.

Instead, focus on

Showing up in a
good headspace

Do your best to arrive in a good frame of mind. A few easy ones:

  • Get a good night's sleep the night before
  • Try not to come straight from something stressful, if you can help it
  • Throw on a favorite album for the drive over

Again, relax. We got you.

A woman in a white dress stands in a windswept field with evergreens, looking toward distant hills under a dramatic cloudy sky.
Instead, focus on

Who's coming with you

Who you bring matters as much as the rest. Bring anybody who makes you feel comfortable, safe, and happy, or nobody at all. Your call, every time.

Mom &/or Dad Grandparents A best friend A sibling Your dog 🐾 Keep it solo

That's it,
really.

Honestly, we got you on this. Once we dig in, it all makes sense, and it's way easier than you're probably expecting.

Can't wait to meet you.