When should I do Senior Photos?

This is one of the most common questions I am asked. The short answer is “whenever you want”! However, like with most things, it really depends on the situation. There are few deadlines that you have and may not even know about. You have to figure out if they even apply to you. Depending on these deadlines, people start booking as soon as spring of their Junior year. I have done Senior portraits as late as the summer after they graduated. So you can see there is quite a range.

No matter the deadline target that applies to you, plan for your photo session to be no less than 8 weeks before your deadline. This allows you to get on your photographer’s schedule, allows them edit time, and has a small buffer if life happens. This could save you money because if you want a rush job on your photo edits, some photographers charge a fee for this expediency.

Let’s jump in:

Deadline 1: Senior Portrait in the Yearbook (or ad in the Yearbook)

This is the first deadline - usually first week of October. Some schools don’t allow outside photos in the yearbook and you have to use the school photographer. Some schools allow you to submit your own photos. If you submit your own photos they are usually due in early October of your senior year. If this applies to you, then you definitely want to start planning spring of junior year to pick your photographer. Not knowing how busy your photographer is, you have to start booking early. From the date of your session to photos being delivered could be up to 2 weeks (or more). Some photographers only do full editing after you make your purchases so that may add another week or two. My recommendation is to be sure your senior photo shoot should be 6-8 weeks before the yearbook deadline. So if yearbook deadline is Oct. 1 then you should book a photo shoot no later than first week of August.

Short Answer: Book in Spring / Summer before senior year.

Deadline #2: Travel Sports Family

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If you play Travel Hockey or Volleyball, or any sport, or if you are in competitive Marching Band, your availability during the school year is limited to nothing. This would dictate your senior portraits would have to be done in the summer before your senior year. I can relate to this one being a travel hockey mom for 10 years. Imagine how hard it is to plan anything with family and friends during this time. Now add Senior year activities, college visits , senior deadlines at school. Who can fit a photo shoot into all of that??? You might think “oh do it on Christmas break”. Sounds great, but most photographers are swamped in the fall and take the end of the year to recharge and spend it with family so they may not be available.

When to book? Book in Spring / Summer before senior year.

Deadline #3: Holiday Gifts in Senior Year

Deadline 2 is a parental choice. Some parents would love to gift the grandparents or godparents or other special people in your lives, some sort of photo gift depicting your senior year. If this applies to you, you have additional things to think about. If you have to order something like an album, photo prints or a photo gift, that takes time to make and ship. There are holiday shipping deadlines. Most pro photo labs have deadlines the first or second week of December to promise it will be shipped in time for Christmas.

When to book? Book a session summer before senior year up to October 31 of senior year.

Deadline #4: Graduation Party/ Graduation Announce

If you are spending the time and money to do professional senior portraits, then you will want to use these photos for your graduation announcements. Some people have graduation parties so the announcement is actually a party invite. If you’re not a planner, let me tell you that you need to give people notice in advance of a party (especially when there will be lots of graduation parties going on). In this case, the party date isn’t the deadline, it is the date you need to send out the invites for the party.

When to book? Book anytime Senior year up until first week of April.