20 Questions

It's all about asking the right questions and picking out the photographer that serves your needs for high school senior photos.

First ask some questions of yourself when considering who to hire for your senior photos.

• Do I need a yearbook and what are the requirements and deadlines?
• Do I want digital files, prints, or both?
• What will I do with the digital files, prints, or both? (Where will the prints hang or display, will the digital files need to be printed at some point?)
• What style of photography for senior pictures do I like?
• What is my budget?  
• Is my budget for senior pictures realistic? What should I expect to pay for senior pictures?

To help you ask them about a budget, here are some typical items that are included in senior picture orders. Which ones are important to you?

• Something for the wall (consider the quality of print that you will want hanging in the family home for generations to come).
• Something to give to relatives (if there are grandparents living, they usually are ordered a 5x7 or 8x10, sometimes larger).
• Something to give to friends (do you want some wallets to hand to your social circle, or are you going to rely solely on Instagram or other social media to share your photos? Wallets last and are kept typically through college and sometimes beyond, where social media shares are typically up for a day or two).
• Something to invite friends and family to your graduation party. (Decide whether you want digital files to do this on your own, or if you are interested in the photographer designing the card for you).
• Something to remember the entire session, that can be archived for a lifetime and beyond. We call these "proof sets", and they are a collection of your favorites from the session.  Some photographers deal solely in entire cds of your experience, and nothing more. At The Imagery, an experience cd of the entire senior session is only one of many options to order.  We also have other proof offerings from as simple as 5x7 spiral bound favs, to designer coffee table albums and books of your senior photos.  When you are offered the option of a proof set in printed form, this will be an heirloom piece to hand down, generation to generation.

Then prepare the questions to ask potential photographers.

• Do you have a studio that can fulfill my yearbook requirements and make the deadline? How will you deliver the yearbook? To me or to the school?
• Do you sell digital files, prints, or both?
• How do you prepare and deliver your finished products (digital, prints, or both)? What are my options for ordering?
• Can you match the style of some pictures I put together on a Pinterest Board of what I like? Can you do {xyz photo} that was done for my sibling?
• Can you stay within my budget range of...(xyz) What do clients typically spend for the list of {fill in the blank} that I'd like to order?

Here are some additional things to consider when researching your photographer.

• How long have they been in business and is this their full time business or a part time gig? --- This may determine your comfort level in knowing that they have expertise in lighting, posing, customer service, and being reachable down the road should you want to order more photos in the future.
• Do they have reviews online? Are there recommendations from peers available?
• Do they have a website, Facebook page, Instagram? How digitally relevant are they? --- This may demonstrate their commitment to being a professional and serving you as a professional.
• Do they have a physical address and business phone number and email? -- How easy will it be for you to track them down? Where are the photos going to be taken? Do you have options?
• How long did it take for them to get back to you? Did they offer a free, no obligation consultation?

Steps in order that they occur when looking for a high school senior photographer.

1) Figure out what you want. Answer all the questions in this article, and have those solid in your mind before calling different potential photographers.

2) Research online a list of digitally relevant photographers. Check out their reviews. If they don't exist online, they probably aren't serious enough about their business to be trusted with your photos.

3) Call and ask them questions.

4) Schedule a consultation or tour with your finalists.

5) Book your appointment.

6) Prepare for your appointment. (we have lots of tips available in our book, "Prepare for Your Perfect Portrait" available on Amazon.

Follow our blog for future posts on what to expect at a session and during the ordering phase of your appointment.

You are on your way to finding the perfect photographer and getting the high school photos of your dreams!