There is a lot of confusion about senior portraiture and, as a professional photographer, I am constantly asked questions about the subject. This is an attempt to answer some of these basic questions.

If I do not get a senior portrait, how do I get my picture in the yearbook?

Senior portraits and yearbook pictures are two different things. Most schools, including Oak Ridge, contract with a photographer to take pictures of seniors for the yearbook. This photographer may or may not also do senior portraits (in the case of Oak Ridge, he does). The yearbook picture is similar to your standard school pictures except that it may be done in a studio, and the photographer may take a few pictures to ensure that he gets a good shot (something you do not normally get with your standard school pictures). These pictures are usually taken in the late summer or fall and are done by appointment. You can purchase packets of these pictures including photos that can be included with your graduation announcement.

So, what is the difference between senior portraits and yearbook pictures?

Yearbook pictures are typically a standard head and shoulders pose in front of a standard backdrop or scene (they want all of the pictures in the yearbook to look similar). Senior portraits are customized portraits of the young man or young women suitable for framing. Normally, this includes several poses, even different outfits, in a variety of settings, and possibly using props that illustrate the senior’s interests or personality (car, sports equipment, musical instrument, pet, etc.). While a yearbook picture sitting may last 5-10 minutes, or less, a senior portraiture session will normally take at least an hour (often more). This extra time allows the photographer to truly capture the character and essence of the subject.

So, do I need senior portraits if I already have my yearbook picture?

Need is relative. If you believe the standard school pictures fit your photographic needs, the answer is, no. If you want something more to commemorate the young man or young women’s senior year, it may be the last chance before they go off to college or move out, senior portraits are a necessity.

A good senior portrait will provide you with images that can be used in a senior’s graduation announcement, wallets (they really do exchange these with their friends), wall portraiture, custom collages, and even faux-tography art (more on that later).

I have a good digital camera and take a pretty good picture. Can I just take some shots of my child and get them printed at the one-hour photo, or even on my printer at home and save some coin (college is expensive)?

This is definitely an option, and a cost effective one at that.

Your senior portrait photographer brings certain advantages to the equation (although some more than others). Professional photographic gear, professional lighting, professional editing tools, and experience allow the professional to capture and refine images that approach true art. Professional portraiture prints (make sure you get the good stuff) are also normally resistant to fading for decades, if not centuries, while your local photo store pictures start to fade after a few years. Standard home printers use dye based inks, which, while able to produce vivid images, fade quickly. Professional giclee (I think that is French for ‘the good stuff’) printing use pigmented based inks (the same stuff used in cave paintings, and you know how long those have been around) printed on highly stable papers. These printers also offer the option of various high quality papers from glossy (for the tack sharp look), to luster or semi-matte, to textured papers like linen, velvet, or even canvas.

Now is where I say the obligatory, “Isn’t your child worth it?”

Yeah, my kid is worth it. So how much is this going to set me back? Someone told me that they spent $1200 for their daughter’s pictures.

Prices vary widely. Photographers over the years have perfected a technique for extracting the most money from their customers. They often lure you in with ‘competitive’ sitting fees. Once they have captured the images, they call you back in to ‘pick out some picture’ for printing. At this point, it is too late, you are hooked, you want the pictures, and price becomes secondary. Packages starting at nearly $400 for four 5x7s and eight wallets are just the tip of the iceberg. It is easy to see how adding and 8x10 or two, or even an 11x14 or 16x20, and maybe a nice collage can push the price up over $1000.  At that price they might throw in some wallets for free.

Beware of the cheap sitting fee. If a photographer does not charge much for the sitting, he must make it up on the pictures. A sitting fee of at least $100 per hour should be expected and is really pretty reasonable. This pays for the photographer, his or her gear, the studio, possibly an assistant, and some postproduction work (I figure that for every hour in front of the camera, I spend another 90 minutes in editing and other production work).

But you did not answer my question. How much is this going to cost?

The best way to determine your cost is to do some intelligent shopping. To do this, you need to know what you want.

1. Make a list of what you want before you call the photographer. Determine the types of portraiture session (inside, outside, props, backgrounds, locations, etc.) and the number of pictures you plan on purchasing (wallets, 5x7s, 8x10s, 11x14s, and bigger). Also determine if you would like a collage.

2. Get a list of photographers. Check the internet and the phone book. Ask your friends whom they used (and if they liked them).

3. Call each photographer and get a quote based on your list. Each photographer may also offer special packages that are not on your list, you may want to consider these if they fit your needs. Do not commit to one photographer until you have all of your quotes.

4. Ask to make sure the photographer guarantees their work.

5. Ask how long you will have to wait to receive your pictures.

6. Review the quotes, you may have to call back photographers to clarify their quotes or refine your choices.

7. Now you have all the information you need. You may want to visit with the photographer now before you schedule your portraiture session.

You may also want to find out if the photographer offers a-la-carte pricing for additional prints.

If you follow this method, you should know what your total cost is before you start.

When do I need to get my senior portrait pictures done?

Near the end of a high school student’s junior year, you may start to receive advertising for senior portraits. Photographers that specialize in senior portraits would like to schedule the seniors as early as possible (even before their senior year starts). This is for the photographer’s convenience as they can schedule sittings in the morning (hard to do during the school year).

Things to consider when scheduling your portrait session -

1. Is my child changing? Would pictures taken the summer after their junior year need to be updated to be sent out with their announcements?

2. Would I like to include some activity or sports pictures in a collage? Some photographers may offer this service.

3. If I want outdoor shots, what season would I like depicted? Truthfully, in our area good outdoor pictures can be achieved almost any time of the year (although a rain shower or two may result in rescheduling)

4. When do I need the pictures? Some photographers have 6-8 week lead times.

5. Does my photographer offer the option of an additional sitting in the spring in case my child’s pictures become dated?

Based on this information you are ready to schedule your portrait session.

What services does Cecil Photography of El Dorado Hills provide?

We are a full service photo studio. While we provide senior portrait services, we also provide other services including family portraiture, business portraits, and weddings. Because we have a diversified portfolio, we are more flexible with our senior portrait session scheduling.

We also offer split sessions. This unique offering allows us to photograph the senior early in their senior year for standard portraiture and wallets, then again in the spring for their announcements.

We do 90% of our printing in-house on the finest equipment. We can print on fine photo papers and even stretched canvas. In-house printing allows us to control the output and also provide quick turnaround. Our standard turnaround is 2 weeks. Rush orders can be accommodated for a small fee (some orders can be delivered in 2-3 days).

We can also provide the artistic touch and specialize in faux-tography. This technique allows us to take a photograph and turn it into a work of art.

All our portraiture sessions include as many poses and changes of clothing as time allows. We never charge for the use of props.

We guarantee all our work. If you are not satisfied, we will schedule an additional session to retake any missed poses at no additional charge.

We believe our pricing is more than competitive. All of our pricing is a-la-carte; we believe that this best meets our customer’s needs. We never have any minimum purchase requirements. Here are a few samples of our pricing (prices do not include tax and are subject to change) -