Ugh, I may end up showing my age by this post.
High school senior portrait photography has changed a lot since I began doing photography more than 30 years ago. I graduated from photography school at (take a deep breath to say this) Willmar Area Vocational Technical Institute. That’s a mouthful. It is now called Ridgewater College. After graduation, I worked at a large photography studio in Mankato that photographed a lot of high school seniors each year. We also photographed lots of families, children, weddings and more. Most of the photography at that time (other than weddings) was done inside the studio. During busy season, I photographed multiple high school seniors every day. Sometimes, the seniors wanted pictures outside, which we offered for an extra charge. But, overall we probably photographed one or two seniors outdoors for every 10 we’d do inside.
I think we used to show seniors 10 to 20 pictures. Nothing was online of course. All the photographs were very much posed and taken inside the studio, some using props we had or props the students brought.
When I had the chance to photograph a high school senior outside, I was thrilled. It was very fun. Even outside though, we’d shoot only about a dozen photographs. Remember at that time, every picture taken cost money. The film had to be developed and 4×5-inch paper proofs were made of each one. Of course, now, everything is shown online. There are no direct expenses relating to the number of pictures I take like there used to be.
I think the industry has changed for the better and digital technology has helped to provide a higher degree of creativity for me and a lot of added value for the senior. As a high school senior photographer, I’m not afraid to experiment with shots. We can try different lighting, exposures or poses and see how they work out.
The photos are more casual and informal. Seniors’ personalities shine through, and I think seniors are more relaxed when we do their photos outside. With this blog, I’ve provided a few samples below of my favorites since moving to digital for high school photography in the mid-2000s up to today.
Besides shooting everything digital now, I also do all of my high school senior photography outdoors. Clients don’t have to pay an extra charge, and I get to photograph seniors in the great outdoors in some of my favorite locations. Usually, I do the senior photography in Northfield, but I have also photographed clients in other communities, including Randolph, Cannon Falls, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville and others. There are many great locations around Northfield that are perfect for senior pictures.
It won’t be too long and it will be outdoor senior photography season. If you need a photographer for your senior portraits, please connect with me and let’s talk. I love photographing seniors outside and you will enjoy both the process and the end results.