Hi there! You’re either a high schooler or the parent of a high schooler and realized that you need to find a photographer. Selfies and photoshoots with friends have their place but when it comes to your senior pictures…you need a professional.
What to expect
When you first start looking you probably already have a dollar amount in your head. You’ve seen specials on groupon or even ads on facebook for FREE senior pictures. (Please be wary of these, they can just be a way to get you in the door and then you’re stuck with fees at the end because of the small print.) You check out a few websites in your google search and you’re a bit shocked at the price. Am I right?
Senior Pricing in Portland
In the Portland area, you can find photographers at every price point. There are hobbyist that do it part-time, there are photographers that will photograph anyone or anything and there are specialty photographers. I’m one of the specialist kinds. I know, you’re already thinking cha-ching.
Photographers that specialize in senior pictures in our area can range from $500-$5000+. Yikes right? And you could say what I’ve heard over and over again from parents “Who spends $5k on senior pictures? I didn’t spend that on my wedding pictures!” Funny thing is, there isn’t just one and the ones that are at that price point don’t seem to have a lack of bookings. My sessions have a $500 session fee and collections start at $1500. Most senior families invest between $2500-3500 for their full collection.
Why I do what I do
My dream clients are a bit like me as a teen. Maybe a bit shy, says she isn’t sure she really wants senior pictures but secretly really wants to look and feel gorgeous. She wants a beautiful image to hold on to and remember her teenage years. She might not seek the spotlight but she deserves it, doesn’t she?
I’m an introvert in an extrovert’s job and I love connecting to my clients 1 on 1. It’s why I’m a portrait photographer. It’s why I love working with teens. I remember those awkward years vividly and my senior pictures were one of the best experiences I had. I’m so happy when I can do that for a teen. To show her how beautiful she really is.
Senior Pictures with AGP
I’d love to be your senior portrait photographer. All senior portrait sessions begin with professional hair and makeup. This is a great time for your teen to get comfortable and not stress about the getting ready part. This is in my studio in NW Portland. We’ll even take a few shots in the studio and with Mom or Dad if you’d like. Then we’ll head out to our locations. This will be different for each senior because each shoot is custom to what they want from their images. They might want just one location because it offers a variety. The Pearl District is a great example of this. We can get a variety of nature backdrops in the parks and then walk a block to get modern city hardscapes like brick and glass walls. Others might want to travel out to a flower field. Depending on how far it is we can fit in another stop! You should expect to spend most of the day with me for your senior pictures. Hair and makeup take about 2 hours, with some travel time and a 2 hour photoshoot, we’re looking at about 5-6hrs together!
Let’s wrap this up
In the oversaturated instagram world these days, we see picture after picture of teens. They pose, do duck lips, pull a face and then ten minutes later hate it and delete it. Senior pictures with me aren’t just a quick throw away. These are pictures to mark this transition of life and capture a bit of who they are today. These are the pictures they’ll go back to in 10, 20, 30+ years to remember that they were in band or dance, or have their first car in a picture. And when they go off to college or to live on their own, you’ll want a picture framed on the wall or an album on the shelf to flip through.
I hope you’ll reach out to me to learn more about senior pictures. If not, I hope this helped prepare you for this process!
Contact me if you have any questions or check out the page with details about senior pictures with me!
Leave a Reply