High School Senior Fashion: What to Wear to Your Photoshoot

Celebrate this milestone in style by using these fashion tips and tricks for your high school senior photoshoot.

What to wear to a senior photo shoot at the beach including incorporating your letterman jacket

Fashion plays a crucial role when it comes to preparing for your high school senior photoshoot. By curating your fashion choices, you’ll elevate your photoshoot from ordinary to extraordinary.

I recommend two to three different outfits for your photoshoot, so you have some room for creativity.

Let’s dive into some fabulous fashion tips and tricks that will have you looking and feeling your absolute best as you embark on this exciting new journey:

Dress Like Yourself | High School Senior Fashion

What to wear to a senior session to represent your own person style. Converse sneakers and torn jeans are always a great choice.

It’s important to find your own unique style that reflects your personality and showcases your individuality. Experiment with different trends, colors, and silhouettes to discover what resonates with you. Remember, fashion is all about self-expression!

Beauty in Elegance | High School Senior Fashion

An image of an orange county high school senior portrait at the beach wearing her prom dress. The location is Heisler park in Laguna Beach

Choosing to wear a timeless and elegant dress or suit for your high school senior photoshoot is an excellent way to elevate your look and create stunning, memorable images that will last a lifetime.

Whether it’s a sleek black tuxedo or a chic A-line dress in a neutral shade, classic pieces effortlessly exude grace and refinement. A perfectly fitted dress or suit exudes sophistication and confidence, instantly making you the center of attention in every frame.

Have Fun with Accessories | High School Senior Fashion

An image of what to wear to a senior session including accessories such as a hat and chunky jewelry. Image taken in Laguna Canyon in a field.

Don’t be afraid to add some eye-catching accessories like statement jewelry or a stylish clutch that complements your outfit. From statement belts to fashionable scarves and hats – these small details can truly elevate an outfit from ordinary to extraordinary.

Add Some Fun Props | High School Senior Fashion

What to wear for a senior portrait session in an urban location if you are a musician. Incorporating a instrument in the session makes it stand out.

Capture your unique journey and reflect your high school experience with props that speak to who you are. If you’re a sports enthusiast, include a basketball or volleyball. For the musically inclined, why not pose with your instrument, capturing the harmony of your passion for music?

These props not only add an exciting touch to your photoshoot, but also provide a visual representation of the memories and achievements that have shaped you throughout high school.

Show Your Next Path | High School Senior Fashion

An image answering the questions of what to wear to a senior session on the beach. It is a great idea to incorporate college gear.

When it comes to your high school senior photoshoot, it’s not just about capturing beautiful memories; it’s also an opportunity to showcase your aspirations and the potential that lies within you. One way to do this is by wearing a college sweater or any other representation of your future endeavors.

You can see examples of high school senior photoshoots by clicking here and more fashion tips by clicking here.

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Orange County photographer promotion: A Model for the Day Experience

Doesn’t it feel like there is starting to be a light at the end of this crazy tunnel?  I can’t believe it has been a year since everything started to shut down.  I don’t know about you, but I am ready to start creating a new future and celebrating each and every win!

Do you want to celebrate with me?

I want to celebrate all of the ladies out there from high school seniors to those enjoying empty nests with a Girls Day Out with me celebrating YOU.  If you are 17 to 70 you deserve to have the experience of seeing beautiful finish portraits of you.

What do you get?  A fun filled portrait session that is directed by me from clothing, to makeup and hair styling, to location scouting!  All to provide you with an amazing set of images that will empower you and make you feel amazing.  

Why?  Because you deserve to be celebrating and beautiful images of you will help you feel empowered and beautiful.

What is the occasion?  A birthday, a graduation, a milestone in your life, or just because you really need to feel beautiful and confident.

Who can be included?  You can do the session by yourself, do a mother/ daughter session, have a girls night out or have a Best Friends session.  Each person will have the full experience of a one on one session with me, as well as beautiful images with the ones you love.

You can head over to our Orange County Photographer website to see more images by clicking here.

The details:  

The session fee is $299 and that includes three full looks and the location of your choice as well as professional makeup and light hairstyling.   Each session includes (1) matted fine art print of your choice the day of the reveal session. ** $149 for each additional hair and makeup.

ceo modern headshots in the studio

Total Value: $499

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @blueskysstudio to see lots of behind the scenes and keep up with everything happening at Blue Sky’s.

P.S. The first 5 people to book a Model for the Day will receive a $50 credit towards purchases!  Don’t wait as spots will fill up and we only have 20 sessions available.click this button to book a session with Blue Sky's Studio

Most of you probably know about our annual high school senior photography styled session giveaway.  We pile Blue Sky’s team, including Brittany Norton for hair and makeup, Rebecca Pantel for video and Lily Fassnacht for styling and second shooting into a van with the senior portrait winners.  Then head out to a destination that we think will make a unique backdrop for a senior photography session.  Some recent locations include downtown LA art district, Balboa Park in San Diego and this year Salvation Mountain in Joshua Tree.

High school senior portrait at Salvation Mountain

When I put together the inspiration boards for the 2019 Styled senior session giveaway, I envision a magazine editorial.  I want all of the clothing, hair and makeup and styling for the session to compliment the location.  As you can see from this image, Salvation Mountain has a LOT of color.  Since it is out in the middle of nowhere, in the dusty desert, it almost has an “end of days” vibe.  For this session, I mixed bright, bold colored clothing with combat boots and edger accessories. The very first article of clothing I purchase was this yellow dress, from Urban Outfitter.  I knew it would look amazing on Chloe with her dark hair and eyes and it would stand out against a colorful background.

Styled high school senior portrait session at Salvation Mountain

One of my favorite things about being a senior portrait photographer is that I get to create sessions that are inspired by fashion.  Making a senior photography session feel like an editorial shoot for my client’s favorite magazine,  make everyone involved feel great.  Not to mention that we create gorgeous images of the senior that their family will enjoy for generations to come.

If you are a 2020 graduating senior and would like to be considered for next year’s session, please fill out the form and we will get in contact with you.

Now just a few of my favorite yellow dress images from the day. More from the Salvation Mountain Senior portrait session to come in the upcoming weeks.

Salvation Mountain styled senior session

To inquire about your own personalized session please email me directly at kristin@blueskysstudio.com.

Where should I shoot my OC Senior Portraits?

Orange County is an excellent spot for amazing high school senior portraits. We have beaches, open fields, city scapes, historic architecture and gorgeous parks.

Blue Sky’s Studio strategy for any portrait photography session is to start with your personal fashion style. If you tend to dress more edgy and high fashion, I would definitely recommend choosing a city background or in the studio. If FreePeople clothing is more your vibe then a flower field, a beach at low light or an open meadow would enhance the look of your session.

Fashionista Senior Session

If you love trendy clothing, fun accessories and the latest style in shoes and boots you are probably a fashionista. For your session, we want to highlight your amazing style. That means staying away from really busy backgrounds so all of the emphasis in the image is on you and your cute outfits. Here are some of my favorite spots for this type of session.

  1. At Blue Sky’s Studio in the Studio.
  2. The Noguchi Museum
  3. Downtown Laguna Beach
  4. Old Town Orange
  5. San Juan Capistrano Historic District
OC High School Senior pics_6

Boho Senior Session

If you love vintage clothing, neutral colors, free flowing hair and lots of texture, then a Boho inspired session is probably your jam! Think of Free People Clothing, or shop at your favorite vintage store or even raid your Mom’s old wardrobe. I love these sessions when the colors are really monochromatic as is the background look. The perfect locations for this type of session include.

  1. Alta Laguna Park In Laguna Beach
  2. San Juan Open Spaces A gorgeous field in San Juan Capistrano
  3. James Dilley Wilderness Park In Laguna Canyon
  4. San Clemente State Beach With gorgeous white cliffs and wide open beaches (to see more beaches in San Clemente Click Here.
  5. The Great Park in Irvine Complete with small zoo, open fields, split rail fences and flower fields.

Endless Summer Session

Shooting your high school senior portraits on the beach is great any time of the year. It is true that Southern California is a photographers paradise. There are so many sunny days every year that it doesn’t matter if you book in August or February, you are sure to get at least a few, beautiful sunny So Cal days. Here are my top five spots for an endless summer session.

  1. Picnic beach in Laguna Beach
  2. Table Rock Beach in Laguna Beach
  3. San Clemente Pier
  4. Aliso Creek Beach in Laguna Beach
  5. Dana Point Harbor

Enter to win a free fully styled high school portrait session with Blue Sky’s Studio!

CLICK HERE

If you are really into bold colors and statement clothing, you can read more in the Color blog post by clicking on this link: Using Color in your shoot to create style.

When I help plan an Orange County Senior portrait session, I always consider color! I love a high school senior portrait that includes a fun prop or a bright color. I focus on 1 or 2 colors and use clothing, props and backgrounds that make these colors come to life. Adding color works both for shoots in studio or in an outdoor location!

Color can accentuate an already great image and can help tell the story of the session. For example colored smoke is a great prop that adds whimsy and personality to the images. Creative props, such as flowers or balloons, can add both color and texture to an image. Check out some of my recent shoots using props and color.

A graduate of any age can participate in these photoshoots to have as a memory to commemorate your special day! Whether you are a middle school graduate, a high school graduate or even a college graduate, there is no better way to freeze this special moment in time! Visit Blue Sky’s Studio‘s website to book a session now.

If you are interested in booking your own personalize session click on the button!