You’ve decided on the style of photos you love and found a photographer you’re really excited about…now it’s time to plan for your session!!!

(If you’re not sure what photographer to work with, read the first post in this series: Choosing Your Style And Photographer” here!)

Once a senior decides she wants to work with me and all of the “official” logistics are taken care of, we immediately start planning!

The first thing to think about when planning out your senior session will be choosing your “VIBE.” This will determine your locations and outfits!

What do you mean by my “vibe”?

Your “vibe” for your photos is a combination of the locations, your outfits, your posing, and the general feeling of how you look in the photos. I like to ask my seniors to think about what style or vibe they are envisioning because it helps me offer suggestions they may not have thought of.

For example, Abbie will be attending Appalachian State in the fall and loooves the mountains. Unfortunately we live pretty far away from the mountains…but that doesn’t mean we can’t get the same style! 

She told me she wanted somewhere scenic with lots of fall colors, with a preppy and boho mix. She wanted lots of color but nothing too “city” like.

From there I told her I had the perfect place in mind – The NC Museum of Art fields! She chose outfits that would work with the fall colors and would stand out against the busyness of the trees and fields.

When you’re thinking of your vibe and style, you should think about your personality as a whole.

If Abbie had just told me she wanted something out in a field, we probably wouldn’t have ended up with such fun photos that worked perfectly with her style and personality.

When it comes to your photos, we want to capture all of the best sides of you. Whether that be you with bright colors by the water or in a field with a flowy dress…or even in cute athleisure or in a coffee shop!

The more details you bring to me about your style and the overall look and feel that you imagine for your senior photos, the more ideas I will be able to suggest! It’s my job to constantly be on the lookout for new locations or thinking of unique, fun ideas for your shoots. If you give me more things to go off of that you’re excited and willing to try, it will make things a lot more fun!!

What are some examples of different vibes and locations?

There are a million types of vibes and locations! Some of my favorites from the past have been:

• Beachy and bright (fun, bright colors, by the beach in the sunshine, with the waves and the pier)
• City glam (bold colors, sleek lines, big buildings and lots of reflections)
• Quiet and sweet by the water (on the sound or river side, no waves, flowy maxi dress in a light color)
• Historical downtown (cobblestone streets, big historic homes, lots of organic greenery)
• Modern downtown with lots of block color (downtown with big neutral colored walls and more modern, industrial buildings)
• Washington D.C.-esque (something with lots of white columns and big buildings in the city)
• Bright, fall colors and farmhouses (love the typical “Dakota” colors but in the fall)
• Chic cotton farm fields (wants to wear a trendy dress with a hat but be surrounded by my family’s cotton fields)
• Colorful greenery with sunflowers (loves flowers and the beach)
• Bright colors and traditional southern feels (big houses, magnolia trees, spanish moss, etc)
• Reading by a fountain (loves to read but still want something bright and fun)

Obviously this list varies a lot by focusing on a type of location or a specific detail to be inspired by, like ocean waves or Spanish moss or your collection of favorite books. 

Not every idea will be possible because sometimes we genuinely don’t have access to it OR it’s not in the right light. The goal isn’t to copy exactly the photos you fell in love with on Pinterest…we want to give you something that is all your own!!

The idea will be to give me a list of things that you love –– locations, items, colors, VIBES! –– and we can work together to find the best locations! All of the girls above gave me multiple ideas to work with and then trusted me when we got to the locations to create something they loved and represented their personalities best.

If you’re having trouble thinking of your vibe, look at your clothes, your style, the things you like to do, and the colors you’re naturally drawn too.

Even if you just give me a detailed list of those things I can find something that you’ll love!! It’s important that your locations and outfits make sense together, which is why you have to think about your VIBE as a whole.

Once you’ve sent me ideas for your vibe and locations, you can start laying out the perfect outfits to match! Stay tuned for the next post 🙂