Senior Girls Prep

GX2 Photography, LLC
1130 Faulkner Lane
Danville, KY 40422
859-319-3545
Preparing For Your Senior Portrait Session – GIRLS EDITION
Here are a few tips and pointers that I have learned over the years. Please look this over with your parents a
few weeks in advance of your shoot and call me with any questions.
1) Outfits
 There is no limit to the number of outfits that you may bring. Based on time and location we may or may not use
all of your outfits.
 Be sure to select outfits that are appropriate for the season. A long sleeved sweater in July or a short sundress
in November may not be appropriate.
 Dark solid colors tend to look the best in portraits. Busy patterns, especially florals, tend to clash with your
surroundings and distract from your face. This rule isn’t set in stone though, so be sure to discuss your choices
with me prior to your session.
 Don’t forget your accessories; i.e. jewelry, belts, hats, sunglasses, etc…
 Pick appropriate shoes for your outfits. Heels always look nice. Pumps, boots, strappy heels… you can’t go wrong
with heels!
 Depending on your outfit, a strapless bra may be the best choice to avoid straps showing up in shots.
 Be conscious of the color of your undergarments so that they don’t show through. This is especially important to
consider when wearing white or anything sheer.
 NOTE: I have never seen a girl look bad in a skirt/sundress and heels. Seriously consider this when choosing your
outfits!
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Hair and Makeup
Don’t make dramatic hairstyle changes just prior to your portrait session. This includes dramatic color changes.
Don’t cut, color, dye, bleach, or highlight your hair less than four days before your session.
When shooting outside, consider a lose curl to help your hair stay in place in the wind. On very windy days you
may even consider pulling it up if that suits your style.
Be sure to use makeup for your session. Wear it the way you usually wear it with one exception; highlight your
eyes just a little more than normal to bring them out. NOTE: FALSE EYELASHES LOOK GREAT IN PORTRAITS!
If you don’t normally wear makeup I would still suggest that you use a little for your shoot. Try some foundation
for any blemishes and a little eye liner to bring out the eyes.
I can recommend a good professional makeup artist if you ask me.
Eyebrows: make them look nice! You’d be surprised at how many girls forget to touch them up! 
3) Skin
 Lotion, lotion, and more lotion! Use copious amounts of lotion during the last five days before your session. Your
skin will look smooth and silky!
 Shave the night before your session if you are shooting in the morning. Shave in the morning if you are shooting
in the evening. This will help reduce the effects of razor burn and irritation to your skin. In other words your skin
won’t be red!
 Tanning: a tan is not necessary for great portraits! However if you DO tan, be sure to start tanning weeks ahead
of your session so it looks smooth and natural. NO TANNING BEDS within five days of your session. Tanning beds
tend to make the skin look orange or bright yellow under the lights. There is little I can do to edit that out. Avoid
sunburns. I cannot edit out bad sunburns. Be conscious of weird tan lines; especially on your face (i.e. sun
glasses), shoulders, and feet.
 Blemishes, tattoos, scars, moles, freckles, stretch marks, birthmarks, etc… If it’s permanent natural (i.e. freckles,
moles, birthmarks, etc…) or permanent additions (i.e. tattoos) I prefer to leave them in place. Hey, they are part
of you right? I can usually remove the teenage blemishes (i.e. pimples) and scars rather easily. Be sure to discuss
this subject with me the day of our session.
4) Nails
 I tend to use a lot of poses that will have your hands near your face and hair. Therefore your hands will be visible
in a lot of shots. Be sure to give yourself a manicure, or have someone else give you one the day before our
session. A fresh coat of paint, that matches your outfits, will make a world of difference. I like barefoot shots
too. Give yourself, or get, a pedicure the day before our session and paint your toes. Anyone that shows up with
last month’s paint on fingers and/or toes will be forced to do 100 pushups and will get several minutes worth of
mean looks from me.
5) General
 Glasses – It’s very hard to avoid glare and reflection in lenses during a shoot. If possible, I always recommend
removing your glasses for our session. If you prefer to wear them, I suggest that you ask your doctor for an
empty pair of frames that are of the same style as yours. If that isn’t an option, let me know and I will do my
best to reduce glare and reflections.
 Be sure to bring a hairbrush, makeup bag, and extra jewelry to your session. Better to have it and not use it than
need it and not have it.
 I do NOT remove braces when editing my portraits.
6) Be yourself
 Better yet, be yourself on steroids. Your portraits are a reflection of who you are AND of who you’d like to be. If
you play piano then let’s try to get a baby grand on the roof of a building for your shoot. If you want to be a
model then let’s glam it up and have a fashion shoot. If books are your thing , then bring a whole stack of your
favorites and let’s find a place in the woods to set a chair so you can read while I make your portraits. Practice
those faces you make in selfies in the mirror. Some of them, except for duck lips, look pretty cool. Duck lips
rarely look good. Just sayin… Bottom line; this is your time to shine. Don’t waste it!