One of my favorite parts about being a Chicago senior photographer is that no two senior sessions ever look the same. Sure, I have favorite locations around the city, beautiful light that I know how to find, and posing techniques that I know work… But at the end of the day, your senior photos shouldn’t look like someone else’s. They should look like you! Your personality, your style, your interests, and everything that makes you who you are right now should be part of the experience.
It’s easy to fall down the Pinterest rabbit hole while planning your senior session. I totally get it! Inspiration is great, and I love seeing the ideas my seniors bring to the table. However, there’s a difference between finding inspiration and trying to recreate someone else’s entire session. The goal isn’t to copy a pose, outfit, or location just because it looks amazing on someone else’s Instagram. Instead, I want to take those ideas and use them as a starting point to create something that feels completely your own.
Start With Your Personality
Before your session, I spend time getting to know every senior through questionnaires, conversations, and our style consult. We talk about your personality, your interests, your favorite places around Chicago, your everyday style, and what you want your photos to feel like. Are you outgoing and adventurous? More laid-back and casual? Do you love fashion and want to try something bold, or are you happiest in your favorite jeans and sneakers? These conversations help shape every decision we make, from your outfits to your locations and the overall feel of your session.
I want to know what makes you excited, what you love doing outside of school, and what you want to remember most about this season of your life. Senior year is such a unique time because you’re standing right between the familiar world of high school and all the possibilities ahead of you. Your senior portraits are an opportunity to document who you are before everything changes, and I think that’s pretty special!
Choose Locations That Tell Your Story
Chicago has no shortage of beautiful places for senior photos, and I love exploring the city with my seniors. But choosing a location shouldn’t be as simple as picking the most popular spot on Instagram. Instead, let’s think about the places that mean something to you. Maybe you love the energy of downtown Chicago, with its architecture, busy streets, and city views. Perhaps you’re happiest near the lake, spending summer afternoons by the water. Or maybe there’s a neighborhood coffee shop, a favorite park, or a familiar street that has been part of your everyday life for years.
These locations can add a layer of personality to your senior portraits that you simply can’t get by choosing a pretty backdrop at random. They also give us an opportunity to create photos that feel connected to your experiences and memories. You don’t have to have a list of locations ready when you book, either! That’s part of what I help you plan. We’ll work together to choose spots that complement your outfits, offer variety, and fit the overall vibe you’re going for. My goal is to make your Chicago senior session feel like an experience designed around you, not a checklist of places we need to visit.
Wear Outfits That Feel Like You
Let’s talk outfits because this is one of the easiest ways to bring your personality into your senior photos. Trends come and go, but your personality never does. I always encourage my seniors to choose clothing that makes them feel confident and comfortable rather than wearing something they think they’re supposed to wear for pictures. If you love a bold, fashion-forward look, let’s lean into that! If your style is more classic, casual, or sporty, we can build your outfits around those preferences, too.
Variety is important, but you don’t need to transform into a completely different person with every outfit. Instead, think about different sides of your personality that you’d like to showcase. One outfit might be a little more dressed up, another might feel relaxed and casual, and a third might incorporate a favorite trend or accessory. During our style consult, we’ll talk through your options and make sure everything works together. I’ll help you consider colors, textures, layers, and accessories so your outfits photograph beautifully while still feeling authentic to you. The best part? You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Incorporate the Things You Love
Do you play a sport, dance, perform music, love books, drive your dream car, or spend every spare moment with your dog? Let’s talk about it! Some of my favorite ways to personalize a senior session involve incorporating the things that genuinely matter to the person in front of my camera. This doesn’t mean every photo needs a prop or that your entire session has to revolve around one hobby. Sometimes, a few intentional images are all it takes to capture another side of your story.
For example, a musician might bring an instrument, an athlete might incorporate a meaningful piece of sports equipment, or a car enthusiast might want portraits with a favorite vehicle. If you have a creative hobby, a favorite accessory, or something that has played a big role in your high school experience, let’s brainstorm ways to include it. These details can make your gallery more personal and give you images that feel different from the typical senior portraits you see everywhere else. And if you aren’t sure how to incorporate something, don’t worry! That’s where collaboration and a little creativity come in.
Don’t Forget About the In-Between Moments
Sometimes, the most meaningful photos aren’t the ones you plan in advance. They’re the moments when you’re laughing between locations, moving naturally in an outfit you love, or simply enjoying the experience instead of worrying about how you look. That’s one reason I spend so much time guiding my seniors throughout their sessions. You don’t need to know how to pose, what to do with your hands, or how to look natural in front of the camera. That’s my job!
As we move through your session, I’ll guide you through different poses, encourage movement, and help you feel comfortable enough to let your personality shine. We’ll create a mix of polished portraits, candid-feeling images, close-up shots, and wider photos that show off our Chicago surroundings. This variety gives your final gallery more depth and helps tell a fuller story. You deserve photos that show more than what you look like. You deserve photos that remind you how it felt to be exactly who you were during your senior year.
Create Photos You’ll Still Love Years From Now
It’s tempting to plan your Chicago senior photos around whatever is trending right now, especially when social media is full of new ideas every day. But when you look back at your portraits ten or twenty years from now, I want you to recognize yourself. I want you to remember your favorite outfits, the places you loved, the things you were passionate about, and the person you were becoming. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with trends! It simply means we should use them intentionally rather than letting them define your entire session.
At Shalimar B. Photography, my goal isn’t to recreate photos you’ve already seen online. It’s to create a senior photography experience that celebrates your individuality from start to finish. We’ll plan together, explore Chicago, try different looks, and create a gallery full of images that feel authentic to you. You don’t need to arrive with a perfect vision or know exactly what you want. Bring your ideas, your interests, and your personality, and we’ll take it from there.
Because your senior year only happens once, and your photos should be just as one-of-a-kind as you are. Ready to start planning your Chicago senior portraits? Let’s create something worth keeping!
Talk soon,
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How to Make Your Chicago Senior Photos Feel Unique to You | Chicago Senior Photos | Chicago Senior Photography | Shalimar B. Photography Chicago | Planning Your Chicago Senior Photos
