Before you know it, your high school senior will leave home for good. As a mom that has seen two sons graduate and move away to college, I know firsthand how quickly things move along during senior year of high school. We’ll be doing it again real soon when our daughter graduates this year. Thinking of senior picture ideas for girls can be overwhelming, wondering which pose or outfit to duplicate from Pinterest or Instagram. Should you wake your daughter up at 4 a.m. and head to the beach for a sunrise picture or how about that rustic barn look? After all, they all look like great ideas, right? But there’s one problem. Your daughter isn’t like anyone else so why would you want her high school senior pictures to look like every other girl?

While it is good to get inspiration from social media, it is always important to question if a particular pose or outfit is really YOUR daughter? If she’s a no fuss kind of girl who prefers jeans and Birkenstocks, then putting her in a meadow of fresh blooms at dusk in a pretty vintage floral dress probably isn’t going to reflect who she is. On the flip side, if she’s an athlete AND loves to dress up, then you should absolutely show both sides of her.

Working with a professional photographer can help you and your daughter map out a plan for her photo session to ensure that you will end up with beautiful and authentic photos of your daughter, ones you’ll cherish after she leaves home and can proudly show off on her graduation announcement. I love to dig a little deeper in learning about the high school senior girls I photograph. I find out who’s on their Spotify playlists, where they like to shop for clothes, i.e. Goodwill or Urban Outfitters? Does she play a varsity sport? Or does she ride horses, sail, or surf just for fun? What’s her personality like, introvert or extrovert? What does she plan to do after graduation? Once I get to really know them, then I can recommend ideas, outfits, poses, and locations that will best portray them. When I photograph girls in their element and with the right clothes, they feel comfortable enough to be themselves and that’s when I can do my very best work at capturing who they truly are.

Here are some senior picture ideas for all types of personalities. Do you see your girl in any of these?

I’m booking senior pictures now, so make sure you capture the magic of their senior year before it’s too late!