About That Time! Time for Senior Photos In Iowa!

It's about that time again! 

Time for the craziness that is the senior photo season to get underway! Thousands of high school juniors across Eastern Iowa and the rest of the state will have to start deciding what photographer they want to go to for their senior photos.

 

I know that we haven't even hit March yet and there's still tons of snow/ice on the ground but it seems like every year things kick off sooner and sooner...with all this said, let's talk about what to think about when considering a photographer to take your senior photos! I'd like to offer my opinion on what you should look for when shopping for a photographer to take your senior photos. This is both for seniors-to-be as well as their parents too!

1. Uniqueness: One would assume that price would be the #1 option here and in many ways, it is #1 because let's face it, things are tough and there are enough more important things than senior photos to think about. But, if you're in a position where you're wanting a great experience and great images then the biggest thing I would consider is how unique the photographer is.

I'm not talking about how unique the photographer is as a person (well, sorta...I'm kind of strange myself) but more about how do they "see things"? Do they take straight forward portraits or do they add a little "kick" to the image to spice it up? Do their images look like they've tried to pose and light the model (not on fire, with studio lights, reflectors) so the seniors look their best or does it look like they told the senior to just stand there and give a "cookie-cutter" smile?

Here's an example of a simple yet unique image. We took this in an area of tall grass between Independence and Oelwein. It was freezing cold and yet we made something amazing out of something simple. Notice the toning of the image (there's a texture placed on top of the image), notice how bright her skin is from my studio light that I actually had to photoshop out of the image. 

This not only means how unique are the photos but what do they bring to the table that is different from the rest. Professional photographers (i.e. photographers that do this full-time, are either members of the Professional Photographers of America or Professional Photographers of Iowa, have some sort of formal training either at a photography school/college or some training in the arts) will be able to offer you an experience that is far different than the average or hobbyist photographer.

Simon lives on a farm where he raises pet pigs so when he asked about having a shot or two with his pigs it was a no-brainer! This actually turned into one of his and his mom's favorite images from the session! A small suggestion often leads to the BEST images during a senior photoshoot! 

2. Price: Ok, so price is important BUT this DOES NOT mean that the cheapest photographer is the best route to go with. As you look around for a photographer I would challenge you to ask yourself, 'Why are they so cheap?'. If they're offering you $20 sessions and a DVD with every image from the 10 hour photoshoot that should be a huge red flag that they might not be a professional or be able to produce the quality of work that is desirable for a once-in-a-lifetime senior photoshoot.

You should expect to spend AT MINIMUM $500 for a quality senior photoshoot. Now don't get me wrong, while that sounds like a big chunk of change, that barely covers the time it would take to put together a well-rounded and high quality presentation of your senior and everything that makes them who they are.

A wise man or wise woman once said "Good photos aren't cheap and cheap photos aren't good." I don't have proof of that but it's definitely a true saying. =P

Here's a behind-the-scenes shot followed by the resulting image. I loved how Lexie's dress flowed in the wind as well as how she looked against this awesome building on Main St. in Cedar Falls! Sometimes you need a photographer that's willing to get dirty to get the shots you want and deserve during your senior photo session!

3. Connection with photographer: This is HUGE! Let's be honest, there are times when no matter how talented the photographer is, you just won't "click" with them. That's ok. To be very honest, there's a chance that even I won't click with all of you. And again, that's ok. To make the photoshoot the very best it can be, it's awesome if the photographer and senior can click on some level.

Keep in mind, some photographers don't schedule their own photoshoots so you won't actually get to meet them before the photoshoot. This can be a challenge as I'm sure you'd like to get to know them a little and let them know what you're interested in to help make the photoshoot and resulting images the best they can be!

I've seen so many senior photos of football players that are "meh". Typically you see them standing there with their helmet and gear on and they're either just looking at the camera and nothing is going on around them. I wanted to add a little attitude and flair to this image of Jody by using a low angle, some awesome editing/toning and the very aggressive font choice with his name.

If you do have the opportunity to meet or talk with the photographer before you book them here are some things I'd tell you to pay attention to:

-Do they LISTEN to YOUR ideas? Some photographers get in such a hurry to tell you what THEY think that they don't actually listen to what you want! This is YOUR photoshoot after all!

Just like the shot of Jody up above, how many times do you see senior photos of athletes where they're just standing there. Those have a time and place but be honest, YOU DESERVE SOMETHING WAY COOLER THAN THAT!!!!

-Do they OFFER ideas? It's important that your photographer be able to come up with ideas that take everything you've said in order to put together an awesome photoshoot! Now not every photographer will come up with amazing ideas right away so give them time but they should at least sound eager to fulfill what you're wanting!

Simply put, Ashley is a badass softball player so she deserved an image that showed that toughness and dedication to her sport. I shot this from a 15-foot ladder. I'm actually the one dropping the ball right before taking the image. This image was way fun to put together! Notice how bright the right side of her face is (our left side). That's because I have my studio lights with me on-location. That's something that sets me apart from other area photographers, many won't bring them along or don't even have them! 

-Do they explain the process to you? This sounds so simple but you'll be able to tell those that are truly passionate about making the senior photoshoot experience excellent. They'll be the ones making sure you feel completely comfortable with everything. They'll go over the senior photoshoot process from start to finish and everything in between!

Look at how rich the blue skies are. That is ONLY achievable by controlling the scene with the use of some type of artificial light (like a flash or studio light). 

-Do they bring lights on location? This may not sound like a big deal but here's what I want you to know: if they say no that means they either don't have them, they don't want to bring them or they don't know how to incorporate light into their images. 

"Big deal JScott, why does that even matter?"

Great question...it really doesn't if you're okay with average senior photos that look like everybody else's! Here's my challenge for you: for the rest of the time that you're shopping around for a photographer for your senior photos take a look at the photographer's outside images and look extra close at the sky. If it's blue, they either used some type of artificial light (a flash, studio lights, etc.) OR they photoshopped two images together (that's a whole other discussion).

If the sky is white or blown out they DIDN'T use lights. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, some photographers say this is their "style" and that's fine. BUT if you want images that are epic, that speak volumes about you and help your images look completely different from the rest of your friends and classmates, then lights are a MUST!

Connor braved near 100-degree temps to get some awesome tennis inspired shots that showed off his love of the sport! Not only that but we got to include the amazing sky!

If you have any questions as you begin to look into a photographer for your senior photos please don't hesitate to get a hold of me with any questions, comments or concerns that you have. My direct cell is 319.521.3991, my email is jscottimages@gmail.com and I can also be reached on my Facebook page and through my Twitter account @jscottimages.

I had such a fun time with the whole Cole family that we decided to do an impromptu family photo. This is as real as it gets folks. You can spend years trying to get an image where everyone is dressed up perfectly but there's just something awesome about rounding up the family after they all took part in the photoshoot for an image like this. You can't put a price on an image like this! =)

I feel I provide one of the BEST senior photoshoot options in all of Eastern Iowa and I stand behind that. If you book me and you're not completely satisfied with the first batch of images I will gladly reshoot the entire thing FOR FREE. No questions asked. You won't offend me by saying you aren't 100% satisfied with the photoshoot.

I want you to have the best experience and the best images possible!

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IF YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR THANK YOU! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS!

As a token of my appreciation for making it this far, the FIRST 5 SENIORS OR THEIR PARENTS to contact me (email/phone call) by 02/28 and mention that they read "the longest blog about senior photos ever" will get to book their senior photoshoot with me for HALF PRICE! (All I require is a $200 retainer to reserve your slot. We can go over this when you contact me!) 

ACT FAST! I'm only accepting 50 seniors this year and I do expect to sell-out all of my available slots!