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I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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What To Expect During Your Senior Photos | VLOG

March 20, 2019

Senior photos are SO much fun…but they can also be a little intimidating at first.

What happens at them? How do you book them? How do you know what to wear or where to go? What all does the price tag include?

Today I’m talking through all of those questions so you know exactly what to expect for your senior photo experience (without ruining any surprises!!). I want my seniors to feel comfortable and like they are hanging out with a friend more than just stepping in front of a camera. If there are any questions left unanswered, please reach out to me so I can help!




STEP 1: Book Your Session

The first step is to reach out and make sure we will be a good fit for each other! This is when you’ll let me know a little about yourself and what you’re looking for in your experience.

While I do have a process to make sure that nothing gets missed, I make every senior experience unique to each girl! I want to make sure that this experience will be once-in-a-lifetime, so that means making sure you have your questions answered and you are excited to work together.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions so you and your parents are completely comfortable and excited about your investment –– this is supposed to be fun!!!

Once you know that I’m the right photographer for you, I’ll send over a contract and invoice and we can get started with the fun stuff!!!

STEP 2: Designing Your Session

As we prepare for your session, I will send over a link to schedule your date. I usually book dates 2-3 months in advance so you’ll have plenty of time to plan ahead!

I will send over a questionnaire to get to know even more about you, your personality, the things that make you excited, and your style. This is how I choose our locations! Sometimes it’s hard for you to know all of the best places, especially since it’s really mostly about the LIGHT! This takes the stress off of you and allows me to create photos that I know you will love.

If you have a cute idea or something special you want to incorporate, let me know in the questionnaire! I’ve had girls share their love of coffee, books, clubs, etc. and we’ve been able to incorporate those in the cutest ways (probably ones that they couldn’t have come up with on their own!).

I also send information and tips for picking out the perfect outfit choices that will make sure you look like you and are comfortable in front of the camera. Feel free to ask me any questions and send me all the photos of your closet!

Dakota Hersey Photography high school and college senior photos

STEP 3: The Big Day!

Now it’s time for what you’ve been waiting for…your session day! I will send a location to meet up with at. If it’s somewhere hard to get to, I may have you meet at one location and follow me there.

When we meet, we will go through your outfit options and talk about what you love about each. We’ll make final outfit and accessory decisions and pair them up with the locations I have in mind. I say the more the merrier, as long as you can change quickly!!

We’ll spend the next two hours capturing your laughs, beauty, and excitement!! Don’t worry if you’ve never modeled before… I will teach you everything I know to make you look and feel natural in front of the camera!

STEP 4: Sneak Peeks, Blog Posts, and Gallery Delivery!

This is one of my favorite parts of the process! I will pick some of my favorites from your session to edit and post as sneak peeks (don’t worry, you’ll get these too!). I will select the best photos from your session, edit them, and deliver them to you in a beautiful, easy-to-use online gallery. From there you can download, share, and order prints. Simple as that!

You will also get your very own blog post, highlighting all of the best photos from your gallery to share with your family and friends! The blog post is one of my favorite parts because it’s like a mini online album 🙂

Becoming A #DakotaHerseySenior

Now that you aren’t stressing about what all this process entails you can focus on the fun parts –– choosing outfits, styles, and including all of the things that made up your high school or college experience.

If you are interested in becoming a #dakotaherseysenior, you can check out the specifics on my seniors page and reach out to me there! I am SO excited to meet you 🙂

hello!

I’m Dakota, a Wilmington, NC-based photographer Helping engaged couples feel comfortable in front of the camera and creative businesses grow with purposeful brand imagery.

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