Since my studio is in the city of Chicago, many of the inquiries I get are from high school seniors hoping to do their high school senior photo session in downtown Chicago. Some of these seniors live in the city, but some don’t. I’ve had seniors come from others states to do their sessions with me in the city! And I totally get it – Chicago is an amazing city with so much to offer!! Especially when it comes to Senior Pictures! So how do I choose the spots to take the photos in this massive city? It can be overwhelming, which is why I use a questionnaire and conversation to help narrow it down to a few locations.

 

For a high school senior that lives in and/or is familiar with the city of Chicago, I’d ask where they like to hang out? Where do they go with their friends? Is there anywhere in the city that is meaningful to them? Those are often locations that I might want to take photos since they will hold meaning for the senior.

 

If the senior is from another state or a far out suburb and isn’t that familiar with the city then I’d ask what is drawing them to Chicago? Why do they want their Senior Photo Session here? Is it the skyline shot that they want? Or photos on the lake? I’ll try to get them to put into words the main attraction. Often, even students that live in the city will want some of these types of photos. (i.e. skyline shot, Chicago Theater photo, etc.)

 

When taking photos in downtown Chicago, the main goal is to get the vibe of the city, while still capturing the high school senior in the best way. Never letting the city outshine the senior. The high school senior is always the most important subject in my frame!