Category Archives: Senior Portraits

Make Up Tips for Portraits

  1. LIGHTEN UP. Avoid going too dark in your foundation shade. Have your shade professionally matched to your skin tone as close to the day of your shoot as possible. This really matters!
  2. MATTE IS A MUST. Especially for your cheeks, stay away from shimmery powder, no exceptions. For eyelids, keep shimmer strictly to the lids.
  3. PRIMARY FOCUS. Primer is essential for keeping makeup intact! It’s like the base coat of a nail manicure. Oil-free versions are best and also sensitive skin-friendly.
  4. SAY NO TO SPF. Primer and foundation should be SPF-free. Formulas containing sunscreen cast a ghostlike glow with the camera flash or reflector.
  5. LINE UP. When lining eyelids, start in the center and work your way to the outer edge. Lining the entire lid will cause the eyes to appear smaller. Use a slanted brush with a dark (but not black) shadow to line the lower lids.
  6. MORE IS MORE. Camera lighting will wash out colors, no matter what. Don’t be scared off by a dramatic finished look. It won’t photograph that way unless you have gone overboard. Your makeup should be a bit more intense than your every day look. Please avoid too much eyebrow pencil but do fill in your brows for a natural look. Eyebrows frame your face so a delicate balance it absolutely critical.
  7. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. When it comes to concealer, cheek contouring and eye shadow, a quality set of brushes is key. The camera will highlight and pick up on unblended edges, creating a clow-like look. Unblended concealer will highlight fine lines.
  8. MELLOW YELLOW. To set makeup, choose a yellow based powder rather than a translucent powder Much like SPF formulas, translucent powders cast a white glow when photographed.
  9. AU NATURALE. Always have makeup applied in a natural light. This will be the best indicator of how it will look when photographed. Please wear a little make up even if you do not normally do so because a totally natural look can really make you look washed out in photos. We love natural looks, but a little lip color, cheek color, brow pencil, and mascara will go a LONG way!

10. SAY NO TO SPIDER LASHES. The worst mistake that people make is wearing long, fake, thick eyelashes. Your eyes will disappear in the shadows of the spider like lashes. If you are dead set about falsies, keep them shorter and less thick than normal. I promise you..eyelashes can ruin portraits and no amount of retouching can repair the damage. I wish I could post some of my clients who have made this tragic mistake but I wouldn’t want to embarrass anyone. Too much mascara can have the same negative effect. Mascara is great but do not apply it over and over making the lashes stick together and look clumpy.

11. USE COLOR HARMONY. Think about what you are wearing and select lip and cheek colors that blend with your clothing. A complementary nail color is essential too. For example, if you wear pink, do not use coral shades for lips, nails, etc. If you are someone who doesn’t like pink on your lips, you should avoid pink clothing too. It’s probably not your best look!

11. PRACTICE RUN. Don’t let the day of your photo shoot be the first time to try new products. Trial runs are essential to creating the perfect final look!

A Sample Senior Photo Shoot

Senior photo shoots at Innovative Images start with a decision regarding what type of session a person desires. We base our sessions on how much time and travel needed to achieve a client’s goals. We offer a 1 1/2 hour session which normally allows for three clothing changes and no locations other than our studio setting which includes indoor and outdoor areas. The session fee is $100. and must be paid in advance to schedule a date/time. We also offer a 2 hour session which allows for another clothing change and a location within a few miles of our studio, if desired. This session fee is $150. Our final offering is a 2 1/2 hour session which includes 4-6 clothing changes, studio areas and locations. See the link at the bottom of this posting for online booking.

During the session, Kurt will help determine what a client should wear and the best background for the outfit. We do have a dressing room where clients can place their clothing and freshen up between changes. If multiple clothing options are being used on location, we find a place to change or use our vehicles. It always works out! Kurt does all sorts of poses in each clothing choice allowing for lots of creativity and options. He will do close ups, full length, smiling, serious looks, etc. Clients love the way he takes charge and helps them look their very best.

Depending upon the session, you will see between 50-100 images at the order appointment which is typically 2-3 days after the session. Prior to arrival at the order appointment, Kurt will review the pics and narrow the choices down to the best ones so clients will not be overwhelmed. He will delete those in which eyes are closed, etc. In addition, Kurt picks his very favorite images and does a little retouching so clients can see what the end results will be.

Check out these photos of a Super Safari session done in February, 2024. You would never guess it was in the middle of winter! Part of this photoshoot was at Adriatica Village in McKinney and the others were done at our home studio.

Senior Photo Session – 1 1/2 Hours

Senior Pics for College Grads

Most people used to consider a full on senior portrait session as something specific to high school seniors. That is no longer the norm! College seniors are celebrating their accomplishments with senior portrait sessions on their respective campuses. We know that college shapes lives in very profound ways therefore recording graduation with professional portraits is a special way to remember this amazing time of life.

Each spring we schedule local college seniors at schools such as North Texas, SMU, TCU, Austin College, University of Oklahoma, UTD, etc. Call us for more details!

Here are a few of our favs from Emily’s session on the campus of the University of Texas Dallas.

    College Choice Mini Sessions

    Deciding upon a college destination is a huge decision! The choice made will shape an adult’s life in many ways. We wish all of you who are in the process of deciding great wisdom!

    Once a high school senior decides where he/she will attend college, a mini photo session may be the perfect way to celebrate and document the decision. Seniors LOVE putting their photo wearing college spirit wear on the back of their high school announcement. Our custom designed high school graduation announcements are stunners!

    We offer a 30 minute, add on senior mini session for $50. (photos not included) These sessions are designed for those who did senior pics with us previously and wish to add on either college choice photos, graduation robe and hat photos or prom dress/suit photos. Give us a call @ 972-335-3686 to arrange yours today.

    If you did not do senior photos with us, but wish to do a basic senior photo session with 3 clothing changes, 1- 1/2 hours, we can incorporate your college choice photos into the session. (Session fee is $100.and does not include photos. Book HERE

    Hudson

    Hudson is a 2024 Senior at McKinney Boyd. He is a two sport athlete, playing both basketball and baseball for the Broncos. The highlight of his high school years have been reaching the playoffs in both sports.

    Hudson has unbelievable blue eyes that absolutely shine in his photos. He is very tall and you might be surprised to know that he wears a size 16 shoe!

    We love photographing Hudson and have no doubt that his future is very bright.

    Daylin

    Sometimes during a photo session we realize that the subject is truly “PHOTOGENIC.” Daylin was a complete natural in front of the camera and could pull off both fun and dramatic looks. Take a look at some of my favorites! There are so MANY more amazing pics of her – too many to share! A good portion of these were taken at our home studio in McKinney, TX in the month of June.

    Karsen, Senior 2022

    Personality +++++ describes Karsen perfectly! I asked her to tell me about her style and she said, “New York high fashion.” I love it!

    Her goal after high school is to become a “Big Hollywood actress.” I can envision it easily. She is charming, kind and ambitious. It was a blast photographing her and seeing the many looks she has.

    Her inspirations are Marilyn Monroe, Margot Robbie and Judy Garland. Her favorite movie is “Starwars Empire Strikes Back.” I can see her starring in this type of movie!

    Karsen enjoys hanging out with her friends, shopping and riding the jet ski at the lake.

    Her sweet side!

    We hope your dreams come true!!!!

    Nicole, Senior 2021

    Nicole was one of the first of the Class of 2021 that we photographed this year. If the experience for both her and us is any indication of what’s in store for the year, things are going to be absolutely amazing. Nicole seems like an “old soul” with an outgoing, compassionate and tenacious spirit. She was absolutely a delight to work with and we are in love with her casual, beautiful results. Check out a few pics from her session…..

    Nicole’s future plans are to attend college, obtain a Master’s in athletic training and Doctorate in physical therapy. Her ultimate goal is to become a trainer/physical therapist in the NFL.

    It hasn’t been easy going into a senior year with a pandemic and uncertainty everywhere but Nicole says that the whole experience has “Taught me to look at the positives in a bad situation.”

    Good Luck Nicole. You make the future seem as though we are all in good hands!

    Senior Model 2020 – Haley

    Haley certainly lights up the camera! She is a beautiful, mature girl who is passionate, caring and kind. More than anyone else in the world, she is inspired by her parents because they are “great people!” Her parents have raised an awesome young women with a bright future ahead. She is undecided on her career path but has chosen to attend The University of Oklahoma next fall. She is going to love cheering on the Sooners and settling into her new life in Norman.

    Haley’s favorite thing to do is spend time with her friends and family AND her fur babies which include her lab Boomer, and chihuahua Emma. She also has two rag doll cats named Max and Juliet. Haley also has a job at a local restaurant AND is president of the student council at school.

    A bible verse that Haley loves is “Let all you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

    We loved photographing and getting to know Haley……Boomer Sooner!

    Senior Model 2020 – Kierstin

    I’ve been photographing Kierstin and her sisters for a VERY long time. It has been fun watching them grow into beautiful young women. She is the FIRST of the girls to be a senior and is certainly setting the bar high!

    Kierstin has two dogs named Baylor and Raider. The names come from her parents’ alma maters – Baylor (Dad) and Texas Tech (Mom). Maybe one day she will have a dog of her own and name it “Cowboy” because her future plans are to attend either Texas Tech or Oklahoma State and major in public relations/marketing/advertising.

    “Start each day with a grateful heart.” Those words inspire Kierstin.

    Kierstin is a ray of sunshine and she loves murals so the pic above is so PERFECT! She also loves music by Harry Styles and working at Bahama Bucks where she is a shift lead.

    Good Luck Kierstin!