Stiff, Staged, And Boring! Senior Photos Needed a Rebrand.

Somewhere along the way, senior photos got a reputation. Brick wall. Cap and gown. Big forced smile. Done.

And I get it. There's a mold. There's a version of senior photos that has existed forever, and everyone kind of just accepts it. Shows up, stands where they're told, goes home.

But here's the thing nobody really talks about: out of every photo taken at your session, exactly one of them needs to fit that mold. One. The yearbook shot. Status quo, smile, moving on.

The other 499? Those are yours! Y O U R S.

Me to you because you’re a baddie ⬆️

And those are the photos you're actually going to use. Here's where.

Your Instagram

You are about to enter one of the biggest social transitions of your life. New school, new people, new city maybe. People are going to look you up. They're going to check your Instagram before they ever meet you in person, and having photos that actually look like you, that have personality and intention behind them, matters more than you think. This is your introduction to a whole new chapter of people. Make it a good one.

Internships & LinkedIn

Here's something nobody tells you: you're going to need a headshot way sooner than you think. Internship applications, LinkedIn profiles, college program directories. It comes up fast. And the good news is you do not need to look like a 45 year old in a blazer to have a good professional photo. You're 18. You should look like yourself. An editorial senior photo does that job without making you look like you raided someone's closet for a job interview you didn't want.

The only cringe senior photos are the ones you never really wanted in the first place.

Michigan seniors: this is what happens when you ditch the pose and just exist for a second ‼️

The best senior sessions I've ever shot have had dogs in them, best friends crying laughing in the background, outfits that had nothing to do with what was "supposed" to work. Bring whoever and whatever makes you feel like yourself. Book the studio. Pick the weird location. There are so few rules and the ones that exist are mostly made up anyway. Senior photos are yours. Treat them like it.

If you're a Grand Rapids senior who's ready to ditch the brick wall, I'd love to hear from you. Let's make something you'll actually want to look at for years.

With love,

Olivia 🖤