As a senior photographer, one of the most rewarding yet challenging parts of the job is ensuring that every session feels personal and unique. Senior portraits mark an important milestone in a student’s life, and capturing these memories in a way that is both beautiful and meaningful requires skill, patience, and creativity. In this blog post, we’re going behind the scenes with a senior girl during a photo session in a stunning field setting. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or a newbie, we’ll walk you through the session, providing helpful tips and tricks on how to pose and direct your subject, so you can confidently freeze up the moments that matter.

The Importance of a Great Senior Photography Session

Before we dive into the behind-the-scenes action, let’s take a moment to appreciate the significance of senior photography. These portraits are not just pictures—they are visual stories of a person’s journey through high school. As a photographer, your goal is to highlight their personality, interests, and accomplishments while ensuring they look their best. Whether it’s their favorite hobby, their sense of style, or their dream for the future, senior portraits should tell their unique story.

With that in mind, we embarked on a senior photography shoot with a lovely senior girl, ready to mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter. Today, we chose a field setting to capture her senior portraits, offering natural light, wide-open spaces, and a relaxed, rustic vibe that’s perfect for this kind of session.

Choosing the Right Setting

When planning a senior portrait session, location is everything. A field setting, with its lush greenery and natural beauty, is a favorite choice for many photographers. The natural surroundings create a laid-back atmosphere, while the soft lighting (especially during golden hour) enhances the subject’s features in the most flattering way. In our case, the late afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the field, making it the ideal backdrop for stunning senior portraits.

Here are a few reasons why field settings work so well:

1. Natural Beauty: A field setting provides a simple yet picturesque backdrop, with wildflowers, tall grasses, and distant trees adding texture and depth to your shots.
2. Versatility: A field setting works for a wide range of styles—whether you want moody, soft, or dramatic photos, nature can set the tone for your vision.
3. Soft Lighting: The sun peeking through the trees or golden hour lighting can add a magical touch to your photos, giving them an ethereal, warm glow.
4. Relaxed Atmosphere: The open space makes your subject feel more at ease, helping them loosen up and enjoy the process. This makes it easier to capture their true personality.

Posing the Senior Girl

One of the most common struggles for new senior photographers is posing their subjects in a way that looks natural and flattering. Here’s where having a plan in place comes in handy. During this session, we focused on poses that would bring out the subject’s personality while maintaining a relaxed and comfortable feel.

Get Our Senior Posing and Planning Guide here: https://e-squared.mykajabi.com/opt-in

We have a Behind the Scenes Senior Course: https://e-squared.mykajabi.com/behind-the-scenes-with-e-squared

Tip #1: The Lean-in Pose

The lean-in pose is a great starting point for any senior portrait session. It gives a relaxed vibe and can be done with minimal direction. We had our senior girl gently lean toward the camera, slightly turning her body to create depth. This simple pose works well because it’s flattering to most body types and adds a sense of intimacy to the shot.

Tip #2: The Seated Pose

Seating your subject in the grass or on a rock can provide a beautiful and grounded look. In our session, we had our senior girl sit on a patch of grass, allowing the natural setting to frame the image. This pose not only looks effortless but also gives the subject a chance to relax and enjoy the moment, which ultimately results in more authentic expressions.

Tip #3: Movement Shots

One of the best ways to capture a senior’s personality is by encouraging movement. In the field setting, this could mean having them walk, twirl, or gently sway in the breeze. We had our subject walk through the tall grass, creating dynamic, candid shots. The wind in her hair added motion, making for a more playful, carefree vibe. Movement shots can give your photos an editorial feel, adding energy and life to your portfolio.

Tip #4: The Over-the-Shoulder Glance

Another classic and flattering pose is the over-the-shoulder glance. For this pose, our senior girl stood in front of a field of tall grasses, looking back over her shoulder at the camera. The pose elongates the body and captures the subject’s profile in a subtle yet captivating way. It’s a simple, elegant look that works well in almost any setting.

Tip #5: Interaction with Nature

Encouraging the subject to interact with their surroundings can bring a natural, candid feel to the photos. In our session, we had our senior girl touch the grass, pick wildflowers, and even look up at the sky. This helps them feel more connected to the environment, and the shots look authentic and unforced. Plus, these moments often bring out the subject’s true emotions and personality.

Dealing with Nerves: How to Help Your Subject Feel Comfortable

It’s normal for your subject, especially someone new to professional photography, to feel a little nervous. As a photographer, it’s your job to help them feel at ease and confident in front of the camera. Here are a few tips to make the experience enjoyable for both you and your subject:

• Build rapport: Take the time to chat with your subject before the shoot begins. Ask them about their interests, what they’re excited about, or how their day has been. This helps to build trust and gives you insight into how to photograph them in a way that feels natural.
• Offer reassurance: Sometimes, your subject may feel unsure about how they look or whether they’re doing the poses right. Reassure them with a smile, a thumbs-up, or a gentle “you’re doing great.” Positive reinforcement goes a long way in making them feel more comfortable.
• Encourage movement: As mentioned earlier, movement can bring life to a photo. But it also helps ease nerves! Instead of keeping your subject still, encourage small movements, like adjusting their hair or shifting their weight. This can help them relax and produce more natural expressions.
• Play music: If your subject is feeling a bit stiff, playing some light music in the background can help set a relaxed tone. It’s an easy way to break the ice and get them to focus on something other than the camera.

Post-Processing: Bringing the Photos to Life

Once the session is done and you have your images, the next step is post-processing. Editing is where you can really enhance the mood of your photos. With a field setting, we like to add warm tones, increase the vibrancy of the greenery, and soften the skin for a flawless, polished look. Here are a few editing tips:

• Adjusting white balance: A warm, golden-hour glow is often the goal, so make sure to tweak your white balance to give the photos that rich, golden tone.
• Enhance contrast and saturation: A field setting provides beautiful textures, so enhance the contrast and saturation to make the colors pop. The lush greenery will stand out more, and the subject’s features will appear more vivid.
• Softening skin tones: Softening the skin can give the photo a dreamy, ethereal quality that works well in natural settings.
• Sharpening key details: While you want the overall image to feel soft, make sure to sharpen key elements like the eyes, hair, and clothing to keep the focus on your subject.

Final Thoughts

Capturing senior portraits in a field setting is a great way to combine natural beauty with creative photography. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just starting out, these tips will help you confidently photograph seniors and create portraits that will be cherished for years to come. Remember to relax, enjoy the process, and let your subject’s personality shine through the lens.

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to us with questions or a video idea! We respond best on Instagram – @‌esquared.photography 

Head to our website: www.esquaredphotography.com

We truly wish you the very best in your photography journey! You will rock it. Learning what gear is important to have will bring you one step closer to where you want to be! We promise. Best of luck!

Emily & Erin (E-Squared)