Senior Session Styling Guide

The Ultimate Styling Guide for Your Grad Photoshoot

Your senior photos are a celebration of your hard work and the exciting journey ahead! Whether you're finishing high school or college, the right outfit, accessories, and styling can make your photos feel timeless and truly represent who you are. From classic and polished to trendy and bold, this guide will help you choose the perfect look to feel confident and shine in front of the camera!

High School Seniors

Your senior photos mark the end of an important chapter and the start of a new adventure! Whether you want a classic, timeless look or something that reflects your personality, choosing the right outfit can make all the difference. Typically high school seniors take their photos off-campus so keep the location in mind while styling! Stick with styles that make you feel confident and comfortable while showcasing your unique personality.

For Girls:

• Outfits: Flowy dresses, jeans with a stylish top, school spirit gear (letterman jacket, senior shirt), future college t-shirt(s) (bring multiple if you’re still undecided)

• Cap & gown (of course!)

• Colors: Soft pastels, neutral tones, or bold colors that complement your skin tone.

• Accessories: Minimal jewelry, a cute hat, or a sentimental piece (class ring, necklace).

• Shoes: Sandals, sneakers, cowgirl boots, ankle boots depending on the outfit.

• Hair & Makeup: Natural makeup with defined eyes and lips; hair styled in waves, curls, or a sleek ponytail.

• Props: smoke bombs, awards, sports and school-related memorabilia, baby photos, confetti, confetti poppers, books, college acceptance poster, etc

For Guys:

• Outfits: Button-down shirts with jeans, polos with khakis, or a fitted blazer, future college t-shirt(s) (bring multiple if you’re still undecided)

• Cap & gown (of course!)

• Colors: Earth tones, navy, black, or your school colors.

• Accessories: Watch, minimal jewelry, class ring, or school-related items.

• Shoes: Clean sneakers, loafers, or dress shoes. cowboy boots

• Grooming: Clean shave or well-groomed beard; styled fresh-cut hair with a polished finish.

• Props: smoke bombs, awards, sports and school-related memorabilia, baby photos, college acceptance poster, etc

College Seniors

Graduating college is a HUGE achievement, and your photos should reflect not only your personal style but also your academic success and future career. Whether you prefer a sophisticated, professional look (double your shoot for LinkedIn photos too!) or something more casual and fun - or maybe something cultural, your outfit can highlight your personality while complementing your graduation attire. Remember you can even mix a bit of all depending on how many outfits you bring and your package type!

For Women:

• Outfits: Chic mini/midi dresses, classy jumpsuits, jeans with a stylish blazer, pant suits, skirts, etc

• Cap & gown (of course!)

• Colors: White (for a classic look), neutrals, jewel tones, or school colors. - When in doubt, white dress it out!!

• Accessories: Graduation stoles,/chords simple earrings, or layered necklaces.

• Shoes: Block heels, pumps, strappy heels, cowgirl boots

• Hair & Makeup: Elevated or soft glam—soft curls, sleek straight hair, or a polished bun.

• Props: CHAMPAGNE!!, confetti popper, smoke bombs, trendy props, career-related props, college-related memorabilia, flowers, makeup (trust the process), etc

• For Men:

  • Outfits: Business casual (button-up with slacks), a well-fitted suit, or a polished polo.

  • Cap & gown (of course!)

  • Colors: Monochromatic tones, dark shades, or school colors.

  • Accessories: Watch, rings, and graduation stoles/chords

  • Shoes: Dress shoes, loafers, stylish sneakers, cowboy boots

  • Grooming: Trimmed facial hair and freshly cut styled hair for a refined appearance.

  • Props: CHAMPAGNE!!, confetti popper, smoke bombs, shades, career-related props, college-related memorabilia, etc

What will you wear?

Your senior photos are a reflection of your personality, achievements, and the exciting path ahead. Whether you choose a timeless, classic look or something bold and trendy, the key is to wear what makes you feel confident and comfortable. Don’t be afraid to add personal touches—whether it's a meaningful accessory, school spirit gear, or a fun prop—to make your photos truly unique. Now that you have the styling guide, it’s time to decide—what will you wear?

Instagram is Shifting its Gears... What Does This Mean for Photographers and Small Businesses?

Visual and photographs provided by Y.O. Photos.

Instagram is Not What it Used to be

Instagram, a formerly known photo-sharing app originally designed to fulfill founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom's love for photography, has drifted drastically since its initial debut back in 2010. From app logo changes to new features being added overnight, it comes as no surprise that Instagram has undergone some distinct changes over time. In a highly competitive and extremely volatile market such as social media, every step must be taken meticulously to stay on top of competitors. As of recent headlines, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri publicly announced that Instagram would be shifting its gears to focus primarily on video format going forward. This announcement brought many photographers to a sense of panic. A platform whose purpose was to be a place to share photos is now prioritizing video-sharing. Feeling estranged, fearful photographers have fled to other platforms like Twitter to save their businesses in response to Mosseri's statement. Though this decision greatly affected photographers, it also has an impact on small businesses that solely use Instagram's photo-sharing features. As a photographer who prioritizes Instagram for their business, the question must be asked: how do we stay afloat?

Visual and photographs provided by Y.O. Photos.

Ways to Stay Relevant

Instagram's new direction does not mean it is now useless for photographers. This is an opportunity to share content in new and exciting ways for our businesses. To optimize the app, it is important to understand the features that have been introduced to us within recent years.

Stories

Instagram Story is a feature that was added in response to app competitor, Snapchat. This is a concept where users post videos and photos and it will appear for 24 hours for friends and followers to see until it is then deleted. This is a useful tool as users are able to post unlimited content without having to worry about taking up unnecessary space on their feed. Stories also allow users to repost posts that they like and even their own content on their story. This is great for photographers and other businesses as they are able to highlight their posts, informing followers when there is new content on their page. Flyers, updates, and endless ideas are great things to post on your Story.

Reels

Instagram Reels is a feature introduced in 2020 in response to the growing popularity of the video-sharing app, TikTok. Reels offers users to post short video clips that can be seen on their main feed or reels feed. Almost identical to TikTok, Reels allows you to attach sounds to your video that can often help boost the reach of the post. Reels have an algorithm that helps get your video out to the right people. It makes it easier for people to stumble across your page as they are swiping through hundreds of different short videos, consuming content at a faster rate. Great applications for Reels could be posting behind-the-scenes videos or Questions and Answers.

Live

Following the footsteps of their sister company, Facebook, Instagram introduced its broadcasting feature back in November 2016. This allows users to live stream whatever they would like. This is a great feature for photographers and businesses as they are able to interact in real-time with their followers. Live typically has a more casual environment as users feel liberated to broadcast content that is loosely related to their page or what they do outside their craft. Going live is the fastest way to deliver information to your followers.

What's Next?

Though Instagram stated they were going in a new direction, this does not mean they getting rid of their photo-sharing capabilities. Instagram was never a social media app strictly for photography, it was a photo-sharing platform. This shift may have caught some off-guard, but it is not the end-all-be-all for photographers. Optimizing the earlier mentioned features to their fullest capacity and with creativity, Instagram remains to be an amazing app for photographers. There are countless ways to remain relevant so as long as you adapt to the changes.

Sources:

Murphy, K. (2021, July 2). Instagram alienates photography community after CEO's recent statement. DPReview. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.dpreview.com/news/1468763598/instagram-alienates-photography-community-after-ceo-s-recent-statement. 

Day, Andy, and Follow Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fai. “If Instagram Is No Longer a Photo-Sharing App, Should You Ditch It and Use Twitter Instead?” Fstoppers, 9 July 2021, https://fstoppers.com/social-media/if-instagram-no-longer-photo-sharing-app-should-ditch-it-and-use-twitter-instead-570065. 

Clark, M. (2021, June 30). Head of Instagram says Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app. The Verge. Retrieved December 7, 2021, from https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557942/instagram-no-longer-photo-app-video-entertainment-focus.