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The Senior Portrait Experience Welcome Guide

Hi - I'm Donna and thank you for your interest! 

My passion for natural light portrait photography began when I became a mom in 1998.  By 2002, we were blessed with three children. I challenging myself to capture the moments that really mattered on film, whether they were joyful, serene, thoughtful, intense, complex, or quiet. The motivation intensified with every passing year and I that's when I started photographing other families too. 

As our children get older, finding time to photograph them becomes more complex - they are busy people! We think our their children change A LOT in those first 5 years of life, but WOW, those teenage years go by in a heartbeat and they become young adults in the blink of an eye. 

Celebrating who they are during their senior year is a milestone worthy of slowing down to intentionally document with a special Senior Portrait Experience in which they are the 'art' in front of my lens!  Honestly, it's more than the goal of getting beautiful images....it's designed to be a personalized experience they will remember; a celebration of their Senior Year! 

 

No two senior sessions are ever alike: I want your senior's images to authentically capture them - a process which involves getting to know them and gentle guidance to create a safe space for them to be themselves so that together we can create beautiful, authentic, and artistic images.   

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high school senior in red dress Old Town Alexandria
high school senior in a white dress at the Lincoln Memorial

The Process:

#1

GET THE PROCESS STARTED

  • Get in touch with questions or let me know you're ready to book a session. 

  • Mutually agree on the Session Date & timeframe to temporarily reserve your Session. All Sessions are booked as a "morning' or 'afternoon' Session. Morning sessions can begin between sunrise and 10am, afternoon sessions can begin between 2pm and 3 hours before sunset. 

  • Schedule a Pre-Session Consultation phone call with the Senior and at least one person who will be financial responsible for the session to plan the details (location options, exact starting time, what to wear, what to expect, etc).

#2

OFFICIALLY BOOK YOUR SESSION

 

  • No advanced deposit is required - only your signature on my Photography Agreement which you can sign BEFORE or AFTER your Pre-Session Consolation.  The Photography Agreement details the process, prices, timelines, copyrights, model releases, and rescheduling options.

#3

ADVANCED PREPARATIONS

  • Review this Senior Portrait Experience Welcome Guide for ideas and details.

  • Finalize your session location. 

  • Finalize what you will wear for the session (option: text pictures if you'd like feedback).

  • Touch base the day before the session to double-confirm our exact meeting location and time.

  • Discuss a contingency plan if the weather forecast looks questionable.

high school senior in summer dress sitting on grass Vienna Virginia
high school senior in white dress in a botanical garden

#4

SESSION DAY

 

  • Relax....it's going to be fun!

#5

IMAGE PREVIEWING GALLERY

 

  • Pay your Portrait Experience Session Fee $200.

  • Approximately two weeks after your session, receive access to your online, private Previewing Gallery link. Every client’s gallery is unique, but most 60-90 minute sessions yield 200+ custom-edited images.

  • Spend the next four weeks deciding which images are your favorites! 

#6

FINALIZING YOUR ORDER 

 

  • Schedule your Post-Session Consultation to finalize your order before your Gallery link expires (4 weeks from the date the link is sent).

  • Pay for your Digital Image Collection (Collection A is the minimum required purchase) and for any Optional Fine Art Prints.

#7

ORDER DELIVERY

 

  • Approximately two weeks after your payment is received, your digital images will be mailed to your street address on a flash drive. 

  • Any Optional Fine Art Prints ordered will be arranged for pick-up in Arlington, VA.

  • Upon request, if you need your digital images before the flash drive will arrive in the mail, I can send an advanced copy electronically through a Dropbox Folder for downloading.

high school senior near the pier in Old Town Alexandria
high school senior in black and white on a park bench in Washington DC

Location Decisions: 

Urban, Iconic DC, Parks & Nature, Rustic, Botanical Gardens…..the Washington DC Metro area has so MANY great location options for portrait photography session.  

 

Please keep in mind that the primary focus of your session will be YOU!  

 

Locations certainly play a role in the overall experience, but wherever we decide to have your session, my priority will be on capturing your Senior, their unique expressions in a creative and authentic way.  The location and background scenery will be our secondary focus to enhance the images and your session experience.  

 

Do you already have a special place in mind for the session?  Do you need suggestions?  I’d be happy to discuss the places that I frequented for portrait sessions or we can brainstorm together about a new place for your session.   

Things to consider when making a location decision:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Time of year, time of day and lighting

  • Parking/ease of accessibility 

  • Other people in the background of public spaces 

  • Variety of scenery in walking distance 

  • Entertainment factors/distractions 

  • Commercial photograph restrictions and/or additional fees

  • Pet restrictions if applicable 

  • Safety

high school senior football player in Arlington Virginia
high school senior in a suit in Washington DC

What to Wear: 

While the focus of your images will be your face and expressions, I want you to feel relaxed so it’s important to wear things that help you feel that way.  If it’s uncomfortable, doesn’t stay tucked-in, only looks good from one angle, keeps coming unbuttoned, or makes you feel self-conscious, it’s probably not the right outfit.  It’s hard to overcome those feelings and restrictions when you are in front of the lens, so making good decisions ahead of time will help get the session started on a good note.   

 

Most Senior Photography Experiences include two or three 'outfit' changes to include a more formal look and a casual look, but if you'd like to consider other options, let's discuss a plan which may be dependent on the location that you choose for your session and may need to have additional time incorporated into your session.

 

Here are some ideas to consider when choosing what to wear: 

  • Coordinate: start with one clothing piece that you love - a solid or subtle pattern.  Coordinate the rest of your outfit from that anchor point.  Add neutrals to create balance and textures to create interest.  

  • Colors: jewel tones in the fall and winter, pastels and light colors in the spring and summer, and neutrals anytime tend to be softer and more complimentary for most skin tones versus stark white, black, and bright red.  Neon colors can be very overwhelming. Navy blues also often look 'black' in photos and sometimes blacks look washed out and/or show every piece of lint.    

  • Layers and textures: layers add interest and can provide extra warmth in cold temperatures and softer fabrics tend to look less stiff or wrinkled. 

  • What to avoid: Clothing with large brand names, graphics, and bold patterns can be distracting.  Skirts or dresses that are very short also can limit poses to standing only (it's nice to be able to sit, kneel, bend, and even lay down - longer skirts/dresses are much more flexible)

  • Tucking: it’s really hard to keep shirts tucked in!  A sweater or shirt that looks good when it’s not tucked usually works better and feels more natural for most people.     

  • Comfortability: in most portrait sessions, it's great to be able to highlight your face, expressions, and body language by sitting, squatting, and leaning - think about how this impacts what you choose to wear.  Most sessions are pretty active and incorporate lots of movement.  Think about whether it’s hard to sit, lean, lay, or kneel on the ground, a bench, wall or rock in what you will be wearing. You should be able to comfortably move, sit or stand without worrying about what you are wearing for fear of exposing something you don't want exposed in the images. PRO TIP: Try on what you are thinking about wearing and do a slow 360 degrees spin in front of the mirror (or have someone help you) and look for things that you don't want to be seen in the images (undergarments, garment tags showing, etc.) and make any necessary adjustments in advance of the session date.     

  • Pulling it all together: Once you think you have good plan, lay out your choice and have plan for what you want to wear first and how you will change from one outfit to the next, especially if the photo session will be in a big public location without easy access to bathrooms or your vehicle. Have an advance plan for any jewelry and your hair and make-up.     

  • Ironing, Lint, and Stains: Does anything need to be ironed in advance?  It helps to minimize session day stress when the ironing or dry-cleaning are done ahead of time. If it wrinkles easily, such as a jacket, bring it to the location verses wearing it to the location.  Do you need a lint roller?  Black/dark colors have a tendency to show hairs and lint.  Look for stains and adjust as necessary.    

  • Unload your pockets: Cell phones, keys, wallets, sunglasses, hair band on wrists...leave as much in your car as possible. 

  • Glasses: If you wear glasses, make sure they have clean lenses.  Blue light glasses will look discolored in the images, and progressive lenses that darken into sunglasses are hard to 'see' your eyes.  If you have plain lenses, they will photograph better.  

  • Check your hands....if your hands show in some of the images, are you OK with your nails polish and/or jewelry? 

  • Remember that these photographs are going to be images that are treasured for generations so it’s worth it to take the time to find something that you love and that captures your personal style. 

high school senior in Washington DC
high school senior at the Cherry blossoms in Washington DC

You can also text me photos of your outfits considerations if you are looking for feedback.  

Tips for Winter Sessions: Use layers, especially a base layers, toe warmers for inside shoes, blankets instead of coats for bundling quickly as we walk around (a consideration if you won’t be wearing a coat in the images). 

Session Day Checklist and Tips:

A Senior Portrait Experience is actually a beautiful time to stop and appreciate this milestone and celebrate your successes! 

  • Let your senior know that it’s going to be fun. No one needs to act a certain way or even smile at the camera.  Just relax and be yourself.  That's when your true personality will shine.    

  • I certainly appreciate that having your picture taken can be awkward and uncomfortable, but the best images will come more naturally when you are just being you. 

  • Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Remember that there are no hard and fast rules, no rights or wrongs - just have fun, lean in, and leave the rest to me.      

high school senior in sunglasses in Washington DC
high school senior in summer dress in Washington DC

Session, Digital Image, and Prints Pricing: 

Prices are subject to change and are locked at the time of signing your Photography Agreement.

Virginia Sales Tax of 6% will be added to Digital Image Collections and Print orders. 

 

The Senior Portrait Experience

an experience custom-designed with and for seniors

Portrait Experience Session Fee: $200 

Includes up to 1.5 hours of on-location photography time as well as a private, online viewing gallery.  Most sessions result in at least 200 images for previewing.  The Portrait Experience Session Fee does not include Digital Images or Optional Fine Art Prints.  Digital Image Collections and Fine Art Prints are purchased separately. 

Digital Image Collections* (Collection A is the minimum required to be purchased)​:

Collection A: 20 of your favorite digital images $400

Collection B: 25 of your favorite digital images $500

Collection C: 30 of your favorite digital images $600

Collection D: 35 of your favorite digital images $700

Collection E: 40 of your favorite digital images $800

Option to add additional digital images to Collection E as follows: 45 images ($900), 50 images ($1,000), 55 images ($1,100), 60 images ($1,200)​

(*digital images include a Print Release and are appropriate for unlimited personal printing up to size 8x12)

OPTIONAL FINE ART PRINTS 

Professionally printed on Fine Art paper and mounted for extra stability/thickness

Print delivery will be coordinated for client pick-up in Arlington, VA 

Tabletop Prints: 

4x6.....$50

5x7…..$50

8x10/8x12….$75

Medium Wall Art:

11x14…$100

12x18…$150

16x20…$175

16x24.....$200

Large Wall Art:

20x24…$250

24x30…$375

24x36…$475

Fine Art Print examples on an easel

5x7 print examples on Fine Art Paper, mounted for extra stability 

examples of fine art prints
example of the mounting of fine art prints
fine art prints on an easel
four law school seniors at the Supreme Court of the United States

FAQ’s 

What if it rains on our day of our session? 

 

I photograph outdoor session in any weather except for rain, so if the weather forecast is predicting rain, we can chat on the day before your session to reconfirm the session or discuss a contingency plan.  I book a limited number of appointments each day to provide some last minute tweaking of session start times based on unexpected weather. If it’s a total wash out, we can usually find another session time that works.    

Can you edit out blemishes? 

 

For every session, I spend hours in the postproduction stage editing your images to my creative and artistic standards.  I remove temporary blemishes, such as pimples, scratches or prominent bruises but I do not offer heavy photoshopping or image manipulation.  After viewing your images, please ask if you have additional editing concerns.      

Will I have both color and black & white images in my gallery? 

 

I’ve always loved Andri Cauldwell’s quote, “To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.”  Most Portrait Sessions will have a combination of color and B&W images.  If you'd like only color or only B&W, please let me know!    

How do I choose which images from my gallery to purchase? 

 

In our Post-Session consultation, we can discuss your images in more detail.  I’m always available to help you decide which images you want to obtain digitally, in print, and display in your home.   

Can I purchase more images (digitals or printed products) at a later date? 

 

Your online gallery will be accessible for 4 weeks and is sharable with anyone you choose to provide the link.  It’s important to make all of your ordering decision during the time that your gallery is active. We can schedule your Post-Session Consultation within the 4 weeks so that you're prepared to make your final decisions and I can efficiently process your complete order at one time.  I do have a digital storage system in place but I don’t guarantee that I will digitally store your images indefinitely.  If you discover that you would like to make any additional purchases after your gallery’s expiration, please inquire and hopefully I can help.     

high school senior on a bridge in Alexandria Virginia
high school senior in a blue suit in Washington DC

Questions?  Please text, call, or email me anytime:
571.212.4258
donnaowens571@gmail.com

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 A natural light senior, family, and professional's photographer capturing moments and authentic portraits since 2002

  © 2024 Donna Owens Photography  |   571 212-4258   |   Washington DC ~ Virginia ~ Maryland  |   donnaowens571@gmail.com

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