the Price of Senior Portraits

Senior portraits were set up similarly to class photographs except that the subjects were required to be in formal attire: tuxedos for the men, and formal gown tops for the women. (A full body portrait would have revealed pure formality up top with jeans and open toes down below).

Students sat for multiple poses and angles, another enhancement from the standard one angle mug shot afforded the underclassmen.

Service was prompt and well organized, with the photographers arriving well before school started and set up with their cameras, lights, and background well before the students came for their session. Early morning was selected as ideal so that the students would look fresh (although in some cases, subjects did not appear fully awake in their sittings). The photographic team, a duo, worked the camera and coached each senior into a variety of poses: smiles, no smile, face-on, angle, torso turned, torso straight-on. Each individual was done within two minutes.

The results of the morning's work were were sent on a proof sheet to each student's home for review and selection approximately four weeks after the session. A variety of sizes and predefined effects were offered. The effects were mostly border treatments that were not attractive and in some cases downright silly. Purchaser could also select a variety of lettering treatments, including a school logo. In this reviewer's case, these effects would serve only to clutter the photograph and remind the viewer that this was a canned service and not a dedicated photo session. A variety of finishes ranging from glossy to a faux heavy-cloth matte were offered. As with the effects, most of these were dismissed immediately; the only two serious choices were the traditional gloss and matte papers. A dizzying array of size packages was offered, as well.

Delivery time was six to eight weeks, and the prints were perfect with no signs of retouch or postprocessing. Prints were delivered in a stiff envelope, well packed and protected.

Have the subject get a full night's sleep before sitting.

Be sure to remind to the student bring make up and any other touch ups to the session, as they're still not entirely together at this age.

Try to schedule in the morning, not after a half day's opportunity for fatigue or five o'clock shadow to set in.