If there was only one thing you should know about the upcoming grad year, this is it...Yearbook deadlines are sooner than you think. Seriously!
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5 Smart Things Parents Can Do Now for Their 2025 Grad
5 Smart Things Parents Can Do Now for Their 2025 Grad
Senior yearbook deadlines are coming like a freight train. Don't allow the hectic pace of life to steal the special opportunity from you and your grad. There's no two ways about it; we are at the end of the season and the the smartest things a parent can do when it comes to portraits are...
1. Book Now: Time is Running Out
Daylight Saving Time ends soon. The rainy season will start any week now. Time is of the essence for senior portraits. Don't delay any longer in securing a grad session with your photographer.
2. Be Transparent About Your Timeline
Communicate your timeline upfront, especially if the yearbook submission deadline is a factor. This will help your photographer prioritize you accordingly. When this late in the game, phrases like, "I'm only price shopping" communicate to a photographer "This is not urgent, I'm not ready to make a decision." That's great if you have time, but photographers cannot plan for what you don't tell them.
3. Invest in a Professional Photographer
While beginner photographers offer lower rates, their lack of experience can compromise the quality of your senior portraits. A professional photographer with years of experience will provide full-service solutions and capture lasting memories you can count on. Remember, any photographer can get you a few good memories, but professionals deliver great portrait memories on luxury products that grow in value through the years. They won't waste your time with redos.
4. Include the Family
Your senior's graduation marks a significant milestone for your entire family. Consider scheduling a family portrait session alongside their senior photos. This is your last stage together with everyone under the same roof. It is always easier to kill two birds with one stone.
5. Embrace the Seasonality
If you missed the summer look you desperately wanted, that's okay! Rather than asking your photographer to seek out locations and ways to recreate it, embrace the beauty of the fall season and cooler temperatures. School starts in the fall. They are approaching the end of their K-12 experience. It fits, just go with it while there is still time.
Five slots remain in October. Contact us while there is still time to claim yours and we will do everything we can to help make this stress-free!
10 things to talk about now with your 2025 grad!
When is the yearbook image due at your school?
Don't count on the schools to get that information out to you in time! They are busy and overwhelmed and most fall short!
We track the yearbook deadlines for you here: YEARBOOK DEADLINES
Planning example: If yearbook submissions are due October 1st at your students school, you should have the grad's shoot completed by August 1st. (That is weeks away right now!)
Which photographer do you feel comfortable with?
Does your grad like and connect with the photographer?
Would their artistic style represent your grad and their personality? SEE OUR STYLE HERE
If these things click, you will have much better success with the final portraits. The only way to truly know is through an in-person meeting.
What is the budget?
Some parents choose to invest as much as $7000 and some invest less than $2000. Which is right for you?
When it comes to these memories, carefully weigh "the value" vs. "the cost."
Knowing your goals ahead of time can save you some frustration later. Not all photographers are created equal.
Where will the portraits take place?
Do you have access to any exclusive locations? If so, it might make the portraits extra unique!
Not sure where to start? Don't worry, we have countless ideas and can make some suggestions you will love once we get to know your grad!
How many outfit changes will you want?
There is no right or wrong answer. You need only consider that the more time spent changing clothes will result in less time photographing...or that more time will need to be added to cover the additional outfit changes.
We generally recommend 2-3 outfits in a 2-hour sitting.
Are we going to include family portraits at the same time?
Some senior grads want to make the portrait session all about them. I get it and they deserve it!
If your grad is open to family portraits, we'd love to accommodate that too! We would then recommend splitting the session 1.5 hours for the grad and 30 minutes for the family.
Will the photographer allow us to have custom control over the products we want?
I can't speak for all photographers, but our desire is for you to have full control. We have abandoned packages because we never want you to feel locked into something you don't like or want.
When it comes to our way of doing things, you only have to pay for the images you truly love on the products you want for your home.
What is our backup plan if the weather goes bad? (And sometimes it does!)
With us, we've already got your backup plan! Our business model is not to shoot on volume, cramming people into every possible time slot, which allows us lots of flexibility in a weather event!
But what about hair and makeup services?
If you have a hair and makeup artist, that's great!
If you don't have one, we can get you access to our hair and makeup artist! She is one of the best around and only works with professional photographers.
Is the photographer dependable?
If you have a photographer in mind, check out their reviews on Google. Read the good review. Read the bad reviews too and note how the photographer responded to the complaints to try and make things right. A little advanced research can save you from a costly pitfall!
Talk to them on the phone or meet with them in person. So much can be learned through a little relationship.
When it comes to our work, we guarantee it! (Who else does that these days?) It means, if you don't love the final portraits, you don't have to pay for them!
Does this feel like a lot to worry about? It is a lot. We know how much planning and preparation it takes to get your kid through the biggest year of their life, we do this all the time. If we can lift this one burden for you and make it easy, we are eager to help! Let's connect!!
