You say… “that’s been done, that’s been that’s done, that’s been done”. You don’t want your high school senior pictures to look like everyone else’s? Here are five tips to make your shoot unique to you!

I LOVE that you come to me with your Pinterest boards. I LOVE that you feel inspired and excited. I also know that you’re curious and hopeful that your photoshoot will be different from everyone else’s.

I feel confident that it will be! How?
Because there will never be a re-creation of YOU! You are special, and like you, your session will be too! 

LOCATION AND PROPS

Let’s get creative about the places you want to go to and what you want to see in your backgrounds. Montana has so many gorgeous landscapes to offer for your senior picture session. Think back in your childhood to the spots where you had some of your best memories growing up. Maybe it’s a place that your family loves to travel to in the summer. 

• You could wear your grandpa’s hip waders at the fishing spot you two used to fish at. Or his spurs and chinks from when he was cowboying.
• A summer dress in a tire swing in your backyard that you spent hours on as a kid. 
• We could hike the trail that you loved to hike with your friends.
• How about bringing your horse to the old corral in the back 40 that you worked cattle in when you were young.
• Or let’s float in an inner tube with cut-off shorts and sunglasses in the river that you used to tube down. 

Adding props such as your grandpa’s old Jeep that he restored, or the baseball cap that you lived in your 8th-grade year can add a special touch that no one else has.
Locations and props that give you a sense of nostalgia or that inspire heartfelt memories. This can bring you to the present moment and help feel more relaxed during your photoshoot. When you feel comfortable, it shows in your pictures. Your favorite locations can feel like home. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get comfortable so you can really be present for your photos.

OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES

Part of getting high school senior pictures that truly look unique is taking stock of your wardrobe. Choose pieces that you feel most comfortable in. I will say this over and over! If you’re in love with what you are wearing and you feel at home in your location there is no way your pictures can look like anyone else’s.

Two of my high school senior girls shared the same shirt for their shoot and trust me, those pictures looked completely different. I would say it was the combination of their personality, theme, and location that made the images so different.

Another time I had a girl wear her old sweatshirt and baseball cap. We both felt like those were some of her best shots! She looked super cute because you could tell that she was feeling the most at home in her body. So clothing can have a HUGE impact! If you’re going to be wearing them in your shoot, I want you to be able to say “OMG I love these jeans!” and mean it!

TIME OF YEAR

All of these factors can change the mood of a photoshoot and that can have a strong effect on the uniqueness of the images. With the different seasons come different opportunities for incorporating different hobbies. 

• Skiing and snowmobiling are great winter activities to incorporate 
• Riding your barrel horse in the summer is consistent with the time of year you do the activity. 
• But why not mix it up a little and wear your prom dress for a winter sunset in the snow. 
• If you’re obsessed with jeans hang them all on the clothesline in the summer and pose with them.

WEATHER: A lot of kids are looking to schedule their pictures on a beautiful sunny seventy-degree day. Although this makes my job pretty easy, it also can lose its luster in the unique category. Some of my best images have happened just before or after a storm has rolled in. YES, there have been those times that I should have rescheduled and I didn’t. That day we ended up with three shots right before a monsoon hit. If you can be flexible and ok with some wind blowing your hair around, some really amazing photos can come out of it.

HOBBIES, ART, MUSIC, PETS, SPORTS, ETC

The activities that you love in high school are a part of who you are. They can represent your values and the things you hold dear. 

• The bond with your horses will never be able to be replicated. That bond will show in your pictures. 
• The way you express yourself through art or music will be unique to you.
• How you see yourself as an athlete is your own personal version of you.
• The love you have for your pets can not mirror another.

All these things are a part of who you are and how you see yourself. It’s what will make your senior pictures different and amazing!

GUILTY PLEASURES

I have them, you have them, we all have them! Whether it’s shopping, chocolate, how big the smoke cloud is behind your pickup, or how many pairs of jeans you own. Deciding what you REALLY love regardless of what anyone else thinks is what makes youYOUnique. We are not the same and our likes and interests are all different. Discovering those things about ourselves is the best way to validate that you are AMAZING and SPECIAL! Because you are!

I know what it’s like to want to be different from everyone else. When I discovered that we each have a very unique genetic blueprint, my life became so much more meaningful. In my mind, there is no way that two senior picture sessions could ever be alike. When you are focusing on all the distinct qualities that make up YOU, you can never go wrong! To learn more, visit my website Seven Diamond Creative.