It's The Props For Me
Senior photography and your high school graduation is a huge milestone in your life—one that deserves to be captured with professional portraits. Props are a perfect way to help your personality shine through in your photos, a chance to show the world who you are and what you’ve accomplished.
I do not provide the props, however - I can defiantly throw you some ideas!
Here are some ideas that will have your friends saying " Your pictures are Lit!" Or "Damn, you look Snatched". Did I use Gen. Xs' slang right?
Don't Judge Me. :)
SPORTS
Have a sport/s that you've played since you were little, or that you've just played for a short time, and you absolutely love? Consider incorporating one or two items from that sport into your session! You don't have to pull out your entire uniform to add a touch of "sports" to your photos - even just your jersey, a soccer ball, pom poms, ballet shoes, or your rewards + trophies will do the trick.
HOBBIES
This is one of my favorite categories, because the possibilities are endless, and gives seniors tons of room to get creative! Love photography? Bring a Camera. How about biking? Bring an old vintage bike with you. Do you like beating your friends in a game of poker? Bring a deck of cards and some chips. Do you enjoy the shooting range or throwing axes? I'm down for a good time. Do you express your creativity on the canvas? Paint would be so much fun. Say you spend your time participating in an Archery group. Bow + Arrow. Boom. Farming? Give me all the animals! Oh and how about that tractor?! Or, If you're wanting to go BIG, have your photos taken with the airplane you're learning to fly, that bad-ass hot rod car, let's head to the train station and jump on a train, or take a lap around the track on your dirtbike. Let's go catch crawfish at the creek, or fishing at the pond. SOOO MANY CREATIVE OPTIONS TO PERSONALIZE YOUR SENIOR PHOTOS!
ACCESSORIES
Do accessories count as a prop? Absolutely! Using items like hats, scarves, umbrellas, bow ties, and any other accessory you're currently feeling is a great way to add variety to your photos and add a little visual interest to your photos. Using your chosen accessories also allows you to get a variety of looks without changing clothes!
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
If playing an instrument is a big part of your life, then it could be a fun addition to your photos, and they always turn out beautiful. I'd love to hear you play a tune on your guitar, or watch you tap the keys on an old piano. let's showcase that beautiful violin. or throw some musical notes at me. I used to play the trumpet. My mother hated it. But that's beside the point I'm trying to make here. haha. Portraits with the instrument you play are a great reminder of your skill and all you've learned as a musician.
BOOKS, ACADEMICS, + THE COLLEGE PLAN
Has your love for reading caused you to be a bookworm? Bring a stack of your favorite books. Have an antique desk laying around? Let's throw it in a field. Bring along some of your study materials to show off your academic side. Academic Trophies + awards, as well as Letter Jackets + Class Rings, are also a favorite to show off all of your accomplishments! Have you applied to a college? Have you already been accepted? (Congrats + Good Luck!) You can bring your acceptance letter, wear college apparel, fly the banner high, Whatever you can imagine showing you're greatness.
PERSONALIZED SIGNS
A sign announcing your graduation year is a great prop to include in your senior portraits. These make for a fun graduation announcement. You can bring a wooden sign with your name, a chalkboard or whiteboard to write notes on, banners that say congrats, you can even incorporate your parents with them displaying a special message to you. I bet you'd cherish that photo for the rest of your life!
YOUR 1ST VEHICLE
Do you LOVE your car? Are you proud of all the work you've put into your truck? Have you recently gotten some mud on 'em jeep tires? Why not include it in your senior portraits? There are plenty of ways to incorporate your vehicle into your photos! Let's show off them wheels!
BACKPACK + SUITCASES
Do you have plans to travel after graduation? Explore the world and learn about yourself before jumping into adulting (e.c. working that 9-5, paying bills, going to college/trade school, starting a family) I look back and wonder what kind of person I would be if I took a year to figure out who I am before plunging into adulthood. Anyways, If you do have plans to backpack through Europe, or move to Canada, including some luggage in your photos show how you're going to take the world by storm! Imagine you walking down the road, right down the middle, with big dreams ahead!
SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
Do you have a family heirloom or item that has a significant amount of importance to you?
You can include these sentimental pieces in your senior photography session to show off what matters most to you and make your images even more special. Bring your childhood stuffed animal who's always been there for you, or that blankie you took everywhere. How about that music box you're grandma gave you, or that pocket watch your grandpa used to check. I've even had seniors request generation images.
THE EXTRAS
I'm finishing up my list with some fun props that can add a little somethin' somethin' to your senior images. Let's add a bit of silliness and play with a bubble machine, or brighten the photos with fun + colorful balloons!! We can add a pop of color by adding in a string of balloons, or lets toss glitter and create a confetti rain fall down on you. Streamers would be playful and pretty. If your session is later in the evening, bring a blanket to cuddle up in, or lets sit by a fire. ohhh and how about sparklers!!! Flowers always add additional beauty to senior portraits, Smoke bombs can create stunning images and a pop of color
Also, keep the location of choice in consideration when deciding on props. We want to make sure the clean-up is easy. I do my best to be respectful and considerate of the land and the owners. I always try to pick up my trash, keep the area neat, and leave it the way I found it, and I expect my clients to do the same.
With that being said, we do need to be mindful when it comes to choosing the props you wish to incorporate.
