Aside from your outfit and location choices, pets and props are one of the easiest and most versatile ways you can show exactly who you are in your senior photos! Your senior photo session is a special milestone designed to represent who you are as a person, your unique sense of style, and your personality. I always enjoy working together to be sure we organize your time during a senior session in a way that you are happy with. So, if you want to bring a few different options for props and just add them into a few images, then great! Or maybe you would like the majority of your time to be devoted to showing off what you love. This is your time and your photos!

Pets

Our pets play a big part in our lives, and I love meeting the dogs and horses my seniors include in their sessions. Animals are as unique as we are, and I like to chat ahead of time about how we can make our photo shoot work best for you and your animal. I have dogs and horses myself, so I’m very comfortable around your furry friends. And I know that they sometimes need some warming up, a parent or friend along to help babysit, and a few extra guidelines. Something about adding in four legged friends creates a fun and energetic session right out of the gate!

Books, Awards, Medals, and Certificates

Your senior portraits are a great time to show off those awards or quiet interests of yours. Maybe you just love the library, reading, or collecting books. Bring some great titles or colorful books along. And if you have earned some awards, medals, or certificates through sports or academics, this is the perfect time to display them.

Musical Instrument

If music played a role in your high school life, then don’t hesitate to bring your instrument with you to your photo shoot. If you have a larger instrument, you may like to have a parent along with who is willing to carry it or bring it back to the car when we are done with it. And for very heavy instruments, like harps and pianos, we can schedule time to add in a stop at home for a few of those images.

Sports

Sports play a big part in the lives of many high schoolers. Adding in your uniform, jersey, hat, helmet, or piece of equipment can be a really great way to show your sport some love. You can bring as much or as little as you like. Just something small can be a fun way to add some personal interest to your photos. A school letter jacket can also be a fun way to show both your school and sport in your photos.

Your Vehicle

If your car is extra special to you, we can absolutely find a way to add it into some amazing images. Be sure to discuss plans ahead of time to choose the best location for adding in a car.

Personalized Signs, Balloons, Confetti, or Flowers

Adding a pop of color to senior photos is always fun! A personalized sign is a nice way to add some visual interest and they look fantastic in graduation announcements. Balloons and confetti can also be a ton of fun to play around with. Just be sure to discuss your plans if you would like to bring confetti so that we can select the best location for an easy clean-up! Another beautiful addition to any senior session is a bouquet of flowers. They add a pop of color AND give you something to do with your hands. I’m always so happy when I see a senior show up with a lovely bunch of flowers!

Future Goals

If you already know your plans beyond high school, go ahead and bring along something to represent your future. It could be as simple as a college sweatshirt if you know where you will be attending. Or something demonstrating a career you have your eye on. Have fun with it!

Below are just a few seniors who included either props or pets in their senior photo sessions with great success. When it comes to your own photo shoot, just remember that you can’t go wrong! As long as it’s something that holds meaning for you, then we can create a fun and memorable image to add to your senior gallery.

Thanks for reading!

XO, Janelle