Props to poses: How to add personality to senior pictures

Senior pictures mark a major milestone in a young person's life, honoring their achievements while showcasing what makes them unique. Because you're one of kind, you want your pictures to reflect the real you so your personality shines through. Fortunately, there are many ways to do this.

Prestige Photography photographers have helped thousands of high school seniors create pictures they love that perfectly capture their distinctive characteristics. Here's their expert advice for how to add personality to your senior pictures:

Outfits

Bring at least three outfits to your session. While outfits should vary, they should also make you feel comfortable. We suggest starting with a classic look that features attire you might wear to a family holiday, such as a dress, a blouse with tailored pants or a crisp white shirt with jeans. You could even bring your cap and gown with for a few poses. Next, it's senior's choice, meaning you pick something you feel is a true reflection of who you are and how you like to dress. Finally, if you're into sports or extracurriculars, wear your gear for a fun photograph that shows off your interests.

Accessories

You can easily add splashes of personality into images with accessories. For example, a scarf or funky hat can elevate an image and really make the results unique. Accessories are also a fun way to add a pop of color to images. Make a statement with ruby-red suspenders, a rich purple belt or bright yellow shoes.

Props

A picture is worth a thousand words, and when you add props, you share your passion in images — no words necessary! Prop possibilities are virtually endless, so get creative and bring your ideas to your photo session. Play an instrument? Bring it with. Love a sport? Bring with a ball and other equipment. Adore painting? Brushes and a paint palette are cool picture additions. Whatever your hobby or interest, bring items with and your photographer will help to tastefully incorporate them into the images.

Poses

Be inspired by exploring poses that you like by going through the Prestige Senior Photo Gallery. Flag any that appeal to you and bring your ideas to your session, but don't worry about having it all figured out. Your expert photographer will be able to bring your vision to life as well as make various pose suggestions, including formal, candid and action options. Getting a good mix of different styles helps ensure you get a variety of images that reflect your personality and make you and your parents happy.

Backgrounds

When you visit a Prestige studio for your senior photos, you'll have access to a variety of backgrounds for your images. Some backgrounds are simple and will be selected to help enhance your outfit and skin tones. Other backgrounds can be a bit more unique in reflecting your personality, including graphic elements, urban styling or more natural looks. You will work closely with your photographer in selecting backgrounds that best enhance your images and align with your style.

Adding personality to senior pictures is important for reflecting what's meaningful to you during this important time in life. Now that you know some of the best ways to add personality to images, you can learn more about preparing for your session so you have a great time taking pictures that make you feel like the star you are.