What to consider when picking Your session date


Today I'm answering one of the most asked questions when it comes to senior portraits!! WHEN should you take them?! In all honesty, it is never too late or too early to take your senior portraits, but the biggest factors to consider are if/when you are mailing out your graduation announcements and how crowded campus will be.


Let's break it down--


Let's say you want your graduation announcements mailed out one month before your graduation date. For this example, we'll use May 10 as the graduation date, meaning that the announcements need to be postmarked by April 10. Now, let's just say it takes two weeks to design, order and receive your graduation announcements. But, before you can order your announcements, you have to take your senior portraits and allow time for editing and delivery. Let's just say that takes two more weeks. In order to mail out your announcements on April 10, you'll need to take your photos by at least March 13.


Here's the thing, I've been there. I've been the senior who thought, "February and March are WAY too early to think about senior photos! The semester just started!" But what you have to remember, is that every senior is thinking that. When you get back to campus after spring break, suddenly every senior is in full graduation mode. Everyone will be looking to take their senior portraits now, meaning that you risk your photographer being fully booked, and campus will be insanely crowded. The picture below was taken on the first weekend of May, and this is pretty much what the Administration Building looks like every evening from April to a week after graduation.


Pro Tip: book early!!

HOw much time will the process actually take?


As a general rule of thumb, here's how much time you should allow for each step of the graduation process:

  • Getting Your Senior Portraits back: 2-3 weeks (this will vary by photographer and is dependent on how many sessions they have)
  • Creating and Ordering Your Grad Announcements: 1-2 weeks
  • Sending Out Your Graduation Announcements: 2-6 weeks before graduation, or up to 6 weeks after graduation if you aren't including an invitation

So when should I take my portraits?


  • MAY GRADS: Get your photos done before spring break! I recommend taking them between mid-February and late March. May is the biggest graduation date, and everyone is going to try to cram their photos into April and May. If you're not worried about sending graduation announcements out, you may even wait until a week or two after your graduation date.
  • AUGUST GRADS: You have the whole summer to get them done at your leisure! You don't have to worry about campus being crowded, but you do have to consider the heat. For this reason, I'd recommend taking your senior portraits as early as June to try and beat the heat. I wouldn't recommend taking them later than the third week in July.
  • DECEMBER GRADS: Your photos should be taken before you leave for Thanksgiving break. Once you get back from break, it's usually crunch time for finals and graduation will be just around the corner. I'd recommend taking your portraits in mid-September to late October.
Texas A&M University Jack K. Williams Administration Building Senior Portrait Photographer College Station Texas

You've got this, grad!


Booking your senior photos shouldn't be scary or a hassle! Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get everything done. I will be happy to work with you to find the perfect time to take your portraits!


Bonus: Save 20% on your graduation announcements using code "cassiestricker" at Basic Invites!