You May Be Wondering….

The summer after your junior year is when senior picture season officially starts, and my schedule is open for booking now! Contrary to what your parents think, senior portraits are generally NOT taken in your senior year; Because the deadline for submitting the yearbook portraits is in the fall, most seniors are photographed in the summer before they begin their senior year.

June and July are some of the best months for senior portraits for several reasons:

  • Greater availability for appointments since the you’re out of school for the summer.
  • Gorgeous weather…most of our rain has ended by this point, but the heat of late summer hasn’t yet arrived.
  • Outdoor locations are beautiful with lots of green grass, blossoming flowers and trees full of leaves.
  • You beat the rush and don’t need to stress about finding a last-minute appointment or doing your session when school is in session.

August and September are probably the most popular months for getting photos done.

  • That warm, golden glow of late summer evenings simply can’t be beat.
  • Outdoor locations still look beautiful. Many wildflowers are gone by now, but there are definitely still options for blooms. If you’re wanting a rustic, golden field this is the time to do it.
  • It can be quite warm, so be prepared if you’re sensitive to heat.
  • Be aware, during these months appointment spaces fill very quickly, especially for weekends. It is not unusual for my August and September calendar to be fully booked by mid May, so if you’re wanting a session during this time BOOK EARLY.

October and beyond can still work for senior pictures, but keep in mind some important things:

  • Be sure you know your yearbook deadline. From planning to final viewing/purchasing typically takes 4-5 weeks, so you’ll want to schedule your shoot at least a month before your school’s cutoff for submitting images.
  • Due to less daylight hours we are forced to schedule all outside appointments earlier than in the summer.
  • Fall colors can be gorgeous, and there are many wonderful spots around the area I love to use during this time.
  • Along with cooler weather this time of year, rain is often increasing as well. We will always reserve a backup date for sessions scheduled in October, simply because there is a good chance of getting rained out.

No matter when you decide to schedule your senior pictures, it’s important to get on the calendar as soon as you’re able. Because I am a boutique studio, I’m not able to accept a high volume of seniors each fall and still deliver the service I’m known for. So contact me to get dibs on your date now!

Definitely! I love to see what my clients have in mind!  You can bring inspiration photos that you love to your planning session, and we can talk about how to include similar things in your shoot. However I will not copy an exact shot from another local photographer.  And keep in mind that different lighting conditions, location and clothing can affect how closely I can replicate something you’ve seen online. I’ll do my absolute best to make sure your photos reflect the style you love while still being unique to YOU!

If we’re in the city, I’ll typically have you duck into a Starbucks..we can grab a drink and you can use their bathroom to change and touchup your hair and makeup. If we’re someplace where there isn’t a coffeeshop on every corner, I’ll have my large pop-up changing tent. It’s about the size of a phone booth, and we can set it up virtually anywhere. 

I know you’re super excited to get a preview before your ordering appointment, so a few days after our session, I will post a sneak peek of from our shoot on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 2-4 weeks later you’ll be sent a private link to your online proof gallery. This gallery will have initial editing done on the photos, and you will then select the included number of digital images in your package for me to complete final edits to.  For example, in the Premium Package, I’ll show you 100-150 initial proofs, and you’ll select 75 of those for me to retouch and send you as your final photos to keep.  

I do! It’s included in your session fee, and I know the technical specifications for submitting yearbook pictures for all of the area high schools. Check with your school for your specific yearbook deadline; typically they are due between September and November of senior year. Getting each and every student’s yearbook picture delivered on time and to the right person, is my primary concern. You will be provided with confirmation once your photo has been submitted.

I understand that sometimes unexpected emergencies arise that will prevent you from keeping your original scheduled appointment (such as illness, travel issues, or other emergency situations). If this happens, I ask that you email the studio a minimum of 24 hours prior to the scheduled date in order to reschedule. 

I am able to provide a one-time reschedule if you notify me a minimum of 24 hours prior to your appointment. Additional reschedules will require a fee of $150 per occurrence, and are subject to schedule availability.

Your session retainer is non-refundable, however you may apply it towards your rescheduled date if completed within 6 months of the original date.

I will watch the weather closely as your session approaches.  If it looks like rain, we’ll reschedule to a day/time as soon as possible. For sessions booked in October or after, the chance of bad weather is increased, so we will schedule a back-up rain date when you book your session. If we’re getting really close and you need photos right away, we can always do a quick shoot in the studio to get your yearbook pic, then do your full session on a dry day.

Of course!  I encourage you to bring someone that will help you relax and have fun, and to help with your things.  I’m even happy to include a friend or parent in a couple of images at the end of your session if you’d like, so tell them to come camera-ready! 

Pets are like family and can be a huge part of your life, I am happy to include them in some of your portraits. Past clients have brought dogs, cats, birds…even a pet snake! I just ask that you have someone that will be responsible for the pet when we are not working with it.

Let me know any worries or insecurities at your planning session…many times something you see as a flaw are not obvious to everyone else but I definitely want to understand your concerns. I want you to love your photos and have a variety of posing and retouching options that will address almost every issue and be super flattering.

Every senior portrait is professionally retouched unless requested otherwise.  I keep retouching to a minimum because I want you to look like yourself, and not have photos with plastic-looking skin or glowing alien eyes. And if you have had professional hair and makeup done, you will be looking pretty flawless already!

Signature retouching is included with each image. This includes touching up blemishes, prominent stray hairs, eyeglasses glare, etc., as well as overall color/density adjustments. Additional retouching may be possible for an additional charge for significant alteration of the image (removing tan lines or bra straps, changing clothing color, braces removal, dramatic body shaping or facial thinning, etc).

Of course! Social media is an awesome place to share photos!  Please feel free to use any photos I put on Facebook or Instagram (I’ll tag you) for your profile picture or wall. I just ask that you don’t crop out my watermark/copyright. If posting your purchased digital files to social media, you may not use filters of any kind and it’s awesome if you give me a shout out using the hashtag: #mppseniors and/or tagging @mariephamphotography. 

Any other questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me!