Senior Year brings a bunch of big decisions, and a bunch of expenses. Here are five questions to help you decide whether or not to splurge on professional photos.
1. How Much do Senior Pictures Matter to You?
If only makes sense to spend your hard earned cash on things you actually want. If you're just getting photos because other people are, you might be wise to rethink that. This is not the time to follow the crowd. Consider: does your family keep photos from big events? Do you keep all of your school photos? Where are your photos now? If you don't keep and enjoy pictures over time, why spend to get more?
On the other hand, if you've been looking forward to your senior portraits, your family has been planning for it, or your cherish and display milestone photos in the home, you definitely should invest in quality work. If you're going to be looking at your senior photos for years, or decades, invest in quality.
2. How Many Photos do You Want?
If you only want a single decent and simple image for the yearbook, chances are a friend can do that for you. It might take a lot of clicks, and some trial and error to get it just right, but you have all summer to pratice. Here are a few tips to DIY Senior Pictures.
BUT... if you want a variety of professional looking photos for announcements, or the family gallery wall, and to keep forever, get a professional. The difference is that while a friend can get you a useable yearbook photo, a professional, in a single session, will create multiple flattering and beautiful images for you. For example, my seniors get anywhere from 65-90 unique, polished images after a Signature Shoot, and even my Sunrise seniors can count on at least 20 keeper images that they love.
3. How Confident are You?
If YOU are the only one you trust to take your photos, and you love how photos turn out when you're the one calling all the shots, you could probably go the DIY route and be happy.
HOWEVER, If being behind (or in front of) the camera isn't your thing, then hire a professional to show you at your best, and to manage your locations, posing, and editing. A professional will be able to edit away blemishes (while keeping your freckles), to fix out of place hair, clothing that wrinkles or bulges, and even remove photo bombers.
4. Do You Notice and Appreciate Subtle Differences in Image Quality?
Some people don't notice (or care about) the aesthetic differences in color, detail and light that professionals offer. If you truly don't prefer one over the other, why pay more?
YET- If you do recognize a distinct look in your favorite pro's photographs, and you want that for your senior portraits, hire that pro.
5. How much of it is about "the senior experience?"
This one's easy. If you don't think you want to be photographed, don't.
If you look forward to getting styled, collaborating on the shoot, getting the fancy products in your hands, and generally seeing how you look through someone else's lens, OR if you want to be portrayed in a certain style that you haven't been able to create on your own, 100% hire a pro to make it happen. You're only a senior once, so if this is an important experience, this is your now or never moment.
5. How much of it is about the cost?
There are photographers at all different price points with varied services and styles- so you can find one that suits your style, and budget wherever you are.
Professional photography is a special occasion event, and while it might seem expensive, photographs are one item that we keep for a lifetime. These become family treasures, and their value increases with time. So, if you compare the value of your new phone (which will be 100% worthless shortly) to the lasting value of your photos, you can see it's not necessarily the bottom line, but what you consider a priority.
Ultimately, it's a personal decision with many factors coming into play. If you think you're leaning toward pro photos, go check out this post: 4 questions to ask a photographer BEFORE you commit.