Senior Portraits

portrait of AlexSenior Portraits

Can you create a portrait this good? John L. took this photo of Alex when she was a freshman.

Every year seniors dole out some hard cash for senior portraits. I think we can save them some money and maybe even earn some cash for photo gear here at RHS by helping these seniors.

Choose one senior and arrange a photo shoot. Your goal is to create an awesome senior portrait, one good enough that the seniors will donate money to the RHS photo program. Upload one photograph with a reflection for this assignment. Here's a reminder with instructions on uploading your photo.

Think about your setting. One of my son's best senior photos was taken with him next to his beloved Saab Turbo. Portraits that make a statement about the subject with props and background are called environmental portraits. They can be fun and offer a more personalized option to your client.

Don't write off the traditional portrait though. To get the nice blurred background, step back and use a telephoto lens setting to zoom in. Wide-angle lens settings have a greater depth-of-field and will leave the background sharp and in focus.

USE A TRIPOD - There is nothing worse than a great photo ruined by camera shake.