How to take senior portraits on a next to nothing budget in Texas

So, you're graduating from high school. You've spent 4 long years getting to this point in your life. Mom and Dad are excited and can't wait to see you walk across the stage. How exciting is that! You'll be headed off to college very soon to persue your dream career or job.

But, hold on. You still need to have your senior portraits taken. Some high schools have a cap and gown that the seniors wear for graduating and they are often worn while at the portrait studio. There are a variety of school colors and as a professional photography studio we carry just about every color combination possible. Some kids usually just don't like wearing the cap because it messes up their hair or it looks plain goofy to them. So, kids end up just holding the cap in their hands. Every once in a while I can persuade them to wear it just for a couple of shots to make Mom and Dad happy. Afterall, they are leaving home for college and parents love having their momento of their child in a portrait.

Now, how can you save on senior portraits in this economy? Here's a couple of tips that may help you on your decision making. Number1: Ask a photographer if they have a special one pose package that just includes the cap and gown photo. This usually includes an 8x10, a few 5x7s and about 24 wallets. If you think you're going to need extra wallets but can't afford to order them from the photographer, ask the photographer if you can purchase the digital file on CD-ROM. Depending on the photographer or studio they may understand your financial predicament and sell you the digital file at a reasonable cost.

Another idea is asking the photographer if he can take a few shots (maybe 10 or so) in cap and gown and a casual outfit and see if he'll sell the images without prints at a cost you can both agree on. You must understand the photographer makes his living by taking portraits so don't expect him or her to just give it away. The photographer is giving up rights to any future orders or sales from additional reprint orders and the original portrait order. There are several beginner photographers out there that work very cheaply and you may get lucky with a couple of good shots but son't expect a miracle for the low prices they are charging.

Hope these tips give you some insight on your photographer search.

About the Author

High School Senior Portraits

in the San Antonio area.