Your Guide to Perfect

Senior Photos

Class of 2027

This Is
Your Day

It's Gametime

Welcome to being a senior! I am so excited to be your senior photographer and cannot wait to begin planning out your senior photos!

I know how long you have been waiting to have your senior photos done and want this day to be absolutely perfect for you. To make sure that you're prepped for everything, I have gone ahead and put together this Senior Client HQ. Here you will find everything from where we will be meeting to questions you probably already have! Read through it all and you'll be ready to go for your senior photos!

We've also added tons of interactive elements to help you plan your session even better like our Personal Session Planner, Skin Tone Assessment and more!

This is your day and I can't wait to be a part of your senior year and get to planning your session!

- Elissa

Your Session Details

Meet me at our agreed-upon session location! Please arrive dressed and session-ready, with hair and makeup completed beforehand.

Location varies and will be confirmed with you before your session.

Your Session Type

I offer three senior session types: Golden, Platinum, and Silver. How many outfits to prepare depends on which one you booked!

Golden

Unlimited outfits and locations, up to 2.5 hours

Platinum

2–3 outfits, 2 locations, up to 1.5 hours

Silver

2 outfits, 1 location, up to 45 minutes

Golden and Platinum sessions include a complimentary 30-minute Family / BFF / Grad Session. You can include it with your senior session or schedule it separately before graduation.

How to Use the Client HQ

Session Planning Tool

In the Session Planning Tool, this will help you map out what you should be doing during which parts of your session prep process!

Skin Tone Assessment

The first step to making sure your photos look amazing is making sure you're wearing the right colors for your outfits. This will tell you all that!

What to Wear Guide

When putting together your outfits, it can be hard to know what outfits look best on camera. Check out the What to Wear section and my Boys' and Girls' Style Guides for help with this!

Session Checklist

Once you've completed the above steps, the final piece is the session checklist to ensure that you're not forgetting anything before your session.

What to Wear

Planning the perfect wardrobe is extremely important to the outcome of your photos. You want your outfits to reflect you and your personality, but you also want to make sure that they are tied together to help create portraits that you are going to love down the road.

For your wardrobe, the number of outfits depends on which of my three session types you booked. Honestly, if you can't decide, bring a few extra options. It is better to have too much than too little.

Avoid bringing clothes that are all white or black and make sure that you're bringing clothes that are different from one another. Even though it may be a white dress and a white top, when we photograph you, it will look like you're wearing the same outfit in a lot of the photos.

I love color, but not too much color. This means to avoid bringing clothes that are neon/fluorescent colored since this will reflect light in an unflattering way. If you're not sure what colors work best for you, use the skin tone guide below! When picking your outfits, try to follow this as closely as possible to make sure that you love your photos and everything translates perfectly on camera!

Every senior should bring these items: Dark wash jeans and shoes that are easy to walk in (flats). We will be walking a lot and dark wash jeans pair well with everything!

When you're done, please text me photos of your outfits laid out on a bed! You don't have to be wearing them since this is just to give an idea of how the colors will look with the locations. This helps pick and make sure that you have enough variety that we can create some amazing portraits!

What to Wear

Senior Style Guides

I put together a style guide for my girls and one for my guys. Pick yours for outfit ideas and session prep!

Open the Girls' Style Guide

On your phone? Tap the button to open the full guide.

Picking Out Your
Outfits & Locations

What to Do First

Don't worry - I have PLENTY of locations to choose from so your ONLY job is to follow the steps below! Click through to see how we work to plan the perfect outfits that match all of your wardrobe!

Follow These Steps for Your Outfits!

The first step is to think about the TYPE of location you want for your photos. Go through my Instagram (@elissabeanphotoseniors) and start looking at what you like. Is it fields? Water locations? Urban environments like bridges or rooftops? What are the general vibes that you're going for your senior portraits?

Now that you know the general vibe that you want, look through the What to Wear Guide above to get an idea for what types of looks will work well for that type of location. For example, a field you'd want a flowy dress or a more "naturey" outfit (no - super tight dresses and leather pants wouldn't work out...)

Pick out your outfits. How many you'll need depends on the session you booked. If you want a variety of locations like urban and natural, I recommend having at least one look for each. When putting these together, follow the recommendations in the What to Wear Guide and on this page to make sure it's not all the same style, color and that way you have a variety to choose from.

Once your outfits are picked out, please TEXT me photos of them laid out on a bed (612-965-0434). From there, I'll take your outfits and pair those with the perfect locations that match. You don't have to do any location work - that's my job for you :)

Hair &
Makeup

Look Like You

The goal is to look like YOU! Keep hair and makeup natural and true to your everyday style. If you use a professional, I recommend doing a trial first.

For my guys, plan your haircut a few days before, tidy up facial hair and nails, and don't forget moisturizer and chapstick. A little prep goes a long way!

10 Portrait Perfect Face Must-Knows

Come Camera-Ready

Hair and makeup should be done before you arrive. Pack a small touch-up kit for quick fixes between outfits.

Get Plenty of Rest

A good night's sleep helps reduce puffiness and under-eye bags. Wake up puffy? Try placing cold tea bags over your eyes for a few minutes.

Avoid Tanning

Stay out of tanning beds and avoid intentional sun exposure for two weeks before your session. Redness and burns can be difficult to hide, while your natural skin tone photographs beautifully.

Keep Your Lips Smooth

During the week before your session, gently exfoliate your lips with a toothbrush and apply Vaseline or Mentholatum overnight. Smooth lips look great on camera, with or without lip color.

Save Inspiration Photos

Save a few hair and makeup looks you love. Pinterest boards, magazine photos, or examples from my work can help you plan your look. If you're using a professional, share them and do a trial first.

Exfoliate Ahead of Time

Use a gentle physical exfoliator at least two days before your session. This can help smooth dry patches and create a better base for makeup.

Start With Clean, Hydrated Skin

Wash your face thoroughly and apply a hydrating moisturizer before you start getting ready. Well-prepped skin looks great on camera and helps makeup apply more smoothly and evenly.

Avoid Salicylic Acid

Stop using products containing salicylic acid at least three days before your session. These products can sometimes cause dryness, redness, and patchiness.

Get Ready in an Easy-to-Remove Top

While you do your hair and makeup, wear a loose shirt with a wide neckline or a button-up. This makes changing into your first outfit easier without smudging anything.

Clean Up Your Brows Early

Make sure your brows are neatly groomed, but avoid waxing them during the week before your session. Waxing too close to your session can cause redness, swelling, or irritation.

How Many Outfits Should I Bring?

It depends on the session you booked! I offer three session types, and each one comes with a different number of outfits. If you can't decide between a few, bring the extras. It's better to have too many than too few.

What Happens If It Rains?

We'll make the final weather call 24–48 hours before your session. Rain, heavy fog, or severe wind may require rescheduling, while cloudy days are usually great for photos. If we need to reschedule, we can typically find a new date within a week.

Can I Bring a Friend or a Parent?

Yes! And it's encouraged!! It's always more fun when you're with your best friend, and parents are welcome too. We can even grab a couple photos of you together.

Do I Need Professional Hair & Makeup?

Nope! The goal is to look like YOU! Keep hair and makeup natural and true to your everyday style, and have it done before you arrive. If you use a professional, I recommend doing a trial first.

What Is the Family / BFF / Grad Session?

It comes with my Platinum and Golden sessions! You can use it along with your senior photo session, or as a separate 30-minute session before your graduation.

Can I Bring My Dog?

If your dog is joining your session, make sure they're groomed and walked beforehand, and bring treats too!

Got Questions?

Have any questions that this page didn't answer? Go ahead and send us a text or email and we'll make sure to answer that as soon as possible for you! We are here to help you out every step of the way!

This IsYour Day

What to Wear

Senior Style Guides

Picking Out YourOutfits & Locations

Hair &Makeup

Got Questions?

This Is
Your Day

Picking Out Your
Outfits & Locations

Hair &
Makeup