Is it Too Late to Book Senior Photos This Year?

Seniors

Apr 7

Feeling like you’re a little late to the game with booking senior photos?

Don’t worry! You’re right where you need to be. Doing research is the best place to start, so even the fact that you’re here is a big step in the right direction toward celebrating senior year.

Maybe you’re here because your best friend already posted their senior photos (or if you’re a senior parent, you just saw the cutest pics of your friend’s kid on Facebook), and you’re just starting to think about what you would want for a senior session of your own.

So, naturally — you do some research on the local photographers in your area, ask around for recommendations, and find that the first few you reach out to are already fully booked.

Oh no! But wait…graduation is still a few months away (or maybe it’s already passed and the senior isn’t leaving for school for another 3 months)…so, is it really too late?

Don’t stress — there is always time to document what matters most.

For context, most senior photographers tend to work with graduating seniors between when the student himself or herself is ending their junior year (let’s say June after they finish up 11th grade) through the end of senior year (March or April before graduation ceremony takes place in May or June).

Depending on the area you live in, certain climates and months of the year will produce more ideal photo shoot conditions than others, which is why summer & fall are typically so popular for senior sessions. However, in an area like Southern California (where I’m located), I am able to work with clients pretty much year-round, save the occasional rainy day in the spring. Spring sessions are also popular here since students can incorporate their post-high school plans into their photo shoots.

There are a few factors to consider when selecting which month within the academic school year (i.e. “senior year”, “12th grade” — you know the one) you would like to do your photo shoot. If you’re just at the start of senior year, or if you’re still a junior, then this article about the best months to take senior photos is going to be super helpful for you to read now.

However, if you’re already turning the final corner of senior year and graduation is on the horizon, it’s time to start re-framing what senior photos mean to you, and why it might actually be worth booking a close-to-graduation or post-graduation portrait session.

But, but, but….won’t that mean I have to send out my announcement cards after graduation?

In short, yep! Trust me, though, sending out cards over the summer is totally acceptable — you make the rules.

Well, should I just skip it altogether? Isn’t the whole point to have these photos printed in my yearbook and posted online before I walk across the stage to collect my diploma?

In the end, senior portraits are not about checking off to-do list items. They are about celebrating you (or your son/daughter) and this very unique, very swift chapter of your life. If you’re someone who is planning a senior session in the last half of your senior year, you’re actually in a sweet spot for booking a summer session. Why? Because you likely already know your future plans after high school (which is always fun to incorporate into a session), and you’ll be stress-free after finishing up your classes.

Look — if your graduation ceremony is in the next 4-6 months, and you’re having a hard time finding a spot with your preferred photographer, you still have options.

Option 1:

If getting your images back in time for graduation is your highest priority, then keep asking local photographers for their availability! There are so many talented photographers out there, and sometimes all it takes is one email or DM to find a spot.

Option 2:

You can also ask your preferred photographer, the one that is fully booked, if you can join his/her waitlist. Be sure to ask how that process works, what to expect (including the likelihood of a spot opening up and how much notice you’ll be given in the event that one does), and have a backup plan just in case they remain booked solid.

Option 3:

Your third option is to go with your gut — you know, the one that is drawing you to the photographer who aligns with your vision for your session and whose personality gels with yours. In that case, ask them what their next available date is, and decide if, in ten years, it would bother you that you grabbed onto these life-long memories a few weeks after you formally graduate. But even then…don’t wait! Senior photographers often book up prime summer spots for the following graduating class due to its warm weather and students’ slow summer schedules.

All in all, it’s really never “too late” to book senior photos — as I mentioned above, we can always make time for what’s most important to us. So maybe instead of a “senior” session you have a “celebration” session…big whoop! In time, you and your loved ones will be so thankful for the invaluable memories you capture once you decide to move forward with a photo shoot.