How To Accessorize | Sycamore Senior Photographer
Sycamore senior photographer, that’s me, Andrea, behind the lens of Shining Moments Photography {SMP for short}. and I like hats! And necklaces, jeans, rings, bracelets… Okay, I like all the pieces when it comes to helping you style-up your fun and curate your senior story experience!
I know, it’s strange, as a Sycamore senior photographer, near the ‘Windy City,’ that I have hats at the top of the accessory list right? But we can do so much with just one hat.
You can:
- Wear a hat {the obvious one}
- Dance with a hat {yes, seriously}
- Hold the hat
- Fly the hat
- Hide with a hat
Those bullet points could scroll down the page, but you get the idea. There is some fun to have in posing + moving with your favorite hats.
And holy guacamole, with all the hat styles you can buy today I can create an entirely new Spring style guide! If you’re looking for a senior photographer I have a complete SMP Style Guide waiting for you when you book your session. Let’s connect if you have any questions. And yes, I love guacamole.
AS A SYCAMORE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER I OFFER IDEAS BASED ON YOUR SENIOR STORY…
What’s a “senior story” you ask? Well, you might be asking that right now, but just in case, here is what I mean by telling your senior story::
Bella, the beauty with the hat below, was also a dancer in the Sycamore High School Orchesis productions. We added her costumes into part one of her high school story. No hats in that part of her shoot, only gorgeous costumes. You can see the prettiness in this piece.
The second part of her story came in the spring with her fashionista wears, hats, and graduation attire. If you’re looking for Spring style ideas I have more for you in these 3 Spring Style Tips. We can chat about your favorite parts of high school to capture anytime you’re ready.
You juggle so many pieces in high school, but as your senior photographer I juggle all your favorite pieces to plan your story. I make it easy! I’m that red EASY BUTTON from the Staples commercials, only way more fun! We can include all your fun high school stuff, or pick-n-choose.
I’M BETTER SHOWING THAN WRITING, SO HERE’S ANOTHER BELLA EXAMPLE::
She’s was a busy gal juggling her academics, president-ing the technical entertainment crew for Spartan TV, an Orchesis dancer, social life, + graduation. She also loved fashion! She has a full accessory collection too.
What did we plan into her senior photos?
In the studio we shot her Orchesis side of Sycamore High School life
On-location we captured her fashionista side + her graduation attire since she wanted a Spring reservation
She didn’t want tech crew, or to show her academic success. And it was her story to pick-n-choose
YOU CHOOSE how you want your story to shine!
Did you catch the juggling play-on-words + how we subliminally added it into her senior portraits? Juggling her high school life + the three different hats in her images? Deep right? Okay, yes, my words are cheesy. But in all fairness I did tell you I’m better with my camera than I am with a keyboard.
THE POINT IS…I’M ALL ABOUT TELLING YOUR STORY!
We all have a unique one to tell and we tell it through your senior portrait story. Remember all those picture books you loved as a kid? This should be YOUR MOST favorite picture book of all time! Because it’s all about you + your last high school chapter! {I know it will be for Mom.}
We will plan it as much or as little as you want. We’ll match your favorite outfits with the perfect accessories. I’ll find locations that fit your style + comfort level. It’s totally true, but sounds a teeny-tiny-bit cheesy, you are the the best accessory in the story! Everything else in the image is there to help you shine!
Seriously though, you read that + kinda-sorta felt cringe-ie, but as a Mama who’s graduated a high school senior, my heart melts looking back at my Baby Girl’s senior pictures. The locations, her accessories we chose, her smile, + strutting her “Mean Girls” musical walk in her Doc Marten’s, black hat, leather jacket were all pieces of her story I get to look back on in
- Her senior album
- On my wall + tabletop
- My phone app
So yeah, it sounds corny as I write it here, but once you experience it, you + Mom will feel it too!
IS IT TIME TO CREATE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STORY?
NO MORE REMINDING YOU OF THE LOVIE-DOVIE-HEART-FACTOR, LETS GET BACK TO THE ACCESSORY IDEAS.
(But you do feel the high school years slipping by fast and want to slow it down right? I’m not the only sappy-love-song-Mama out here am I?}
SYCAMORE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER + JUGGLING ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL THINGS…THAT’S WHERE I SHINE FOR YOU!
How will we show your story of the last 4 years? There’s a plethora of options for your story. Choose pieces of your story from the smallest {your favorite brand of clothes}, to your best memory {the lead in the musical production or starting point guard on the basketball team}. We get the big moments figured out and then we talk about the accessories that compliment that story.
AS YOUR SYCAMORE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER {OR GENEVA, ROCKFORD, ST CHARLES…YES, I CAN TRAVEL TO YOU TOO} I HAVE A QUESTIONNAIRE TO HELP SPIN IDEAS.
Here’s a sample of what we cover::
Do you play sports? What one will you miss most?
Are you a dancer?
Are you involved in community events?
Where are you attending college/what’s your major {at this stage in your story}?
What’s your makeup style {wear everyday, sometimes, never}?
What song would be played when you walk into the room?
From there you start looking in your closet for your wardrobe ideas. What are your favorite pieces to wear? Or you might want to shop for a new outfit or two at your favorite local boutique. I also have great places to shop for new wears if you want them.
After your wardrobe is collected, it’s time to accessorize.
Besides hats, I show you pieces that add to your outfits. Bella doesn’t wear her glasses all the time, but adding them into her senior portraits added dimension. Glasses are functional + stylish.
SMP Sidenote:: On a techy photography note, if you wear prescription glasses not all photograph the same. If you have transitions or blue light lenses, wear contacts and grab an inexpensive non-prescription pair of glasses for your session. The purple glare in the blue light cannot be photoshopped out completely. And the transition lenses change so fast out in the light. Your eyes help the image sparkle, so we want to see them through your glasses.😉
NECKLACES, EARRINGS, BRACELETS, RINGS, AND NAIL POLISH!
All of those pieces add texture + interest to your image. They help you pop off the image. They add to your story.
Now what about that last one… Nail polish. You never paint your nails? No problem, three other ways to go…
1\ Clean + file and you're good to shoot
2\ Paint a clear coat to add shine in the close-ups
3\ Treat you + your bff or Mom to a spa day before your senior session for the worksThe future’s so bright…
Do you have a favorite pair of sunglasses? Or never drive without a pair? Bring-em with you to the shoot. It’s you! + they can be a great prop to play with while we shoot.
And we’re back to hats!
We have to remember the most important hat in your high school story…Your graduation hat + tassel.
THIS SYCAMORE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER GIVES TWO OPTIONS TO CAPTURE THE BIG — GIGANTIC MOMENT!
1\ If we shoot in the Spring, right before graduation, you’ll have your cap, gown + tassel so we add that into your session. It’s a one-stop-session.
2\ Behind door #2 for my seniors who love the Fall colors, but also want their graduation wears, I offer Cap & Gown mini sessions in the Spring. Over on the SMP News page, I put out the details for these graduation dates in early Spring. You can also sign up for Sparkle Notes and a reminder is sent out early so you don’t miss the dates.
Remember, I’m your easy-button in this hectic senior year. I have you in the reminders, prep, quick checklist, SMP Style Guide, location scouting…🥰 I got you in this big moment!
P.P.S Here is another fantastic SMP post for your photo session ideas!
Don’t miss out! Grab my “FREE guide to get ready for your close-up” which has even more tips for prepping for your senior story experience + designed to help make your day FUN!
Andrea is a high school senior photographer located in Sycamore, Illinois. Serving Sycamore, DeKalb, Geneva, Saint Charles, Batavia Illinois
