Since she had never had professional photos, Carabeth was looking for a photographer who could help with photoshoot ideas, wardrobe advice and ways to show her personality!

After scouring the internet and checking out her friend's Instagrams, Carabeth decided to contact me for her senior session. She filled out the contact page of my website and we immediately started planning her session.

Check out Instagram, Pinterest and your friends' senior pictures for ideas and inspiration. Bring your personality!

LOCATION

Location is important.

Decide what vibe you want to portray in your photos. Do you like an urban location with buildings? Would you like a rustic location with tall grass? Some people prefer the beach or the mountains. Others like to have their session on campus.

In all honesty, we can take pictures anywhere. I am a people centered photographer so the location is important, but what is more important is that I capture YOU and your personality. (I can't tell you the number of times I have taken a picture of someone in a parking lot, near an air conditioner, or even a dumpster! I can make you look good wherever lol!)

Carabeth decided that she wanted to do her graduation pictures on campus at Cal State University, Fullerton. She, and about 200 other graduates, decided to do the photos the week before graduation! It was very busy that day, but we were able to maneuver around all of the other graduates and make it look like we were the only ones on campus! (Pro Tip: Try to arrange your photo day way before graduation if possible to have an easier time of not having people in your backgrounds. Yes, I know that you are waiting for a cap and gown, but maybe you can purchase yours early or borrow one so you can take photos earlier!)

Your wardrobe is a very personal choice.

You have lots of options.

I have a 49 page style guide that I will share with you that gives you lots of tips and suggestions for picking out an outfit that will bring out your personality and make you look your best. I do not dictate what you wear. I do make suggestions based on my experiences and how certain things photograph.

Since CSUF is so green, Carabeth opted for a crisp white dress so she would stand out amongst the lush greenery on campus. She also wore some seriously cute high heels! High heels are so cute in a senior picture session since they elongate legs and make a great picture as you hold them and walk barefoot! But Converse, Doc Martens and flip flops are also cool and show your personality!! You don't have to have a lot of outfits. If you are doing a cap and gown photo with me, then your outfit and your gown are technically two outfits! You can definitely do more outfits, but often, people are so happy just having one outfit along with the gown!

I love to take a bunch of different poses at your session. We take closeups, wide angle shots, and lots of moving shots.

What I love to do is showcase your personality! There are so many fun things that you can do at your session to display your personality!

Just off of the top of my head, I have had sessions with champagne, sparkling water, confetti, Cheetos, Sour Patch Kids, skateboards, saxophones, cars, whiskey, picnics, ribbon twirling, tattoos, significant others, families, pompoms, fountains, oceans, birds, dogs, horses, pumpkin heads, flowers, and the list continues to grow the more sessions I do! I really am up to photograph your vision. These little extras bring genuine smiles and a lot of laughs!

Thank you, Carabeth for such a fun session! College graduation photo sessions are some of my favorites and I am so happy that you trusted me with yours!