20 Essential Items For Your Dallas Senior Portraits

DALLAS SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

Here is a list of 20 essential items for your Dallas senior portraits. A must-have guide to get prepared for your photos.

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mckinney north senior football ways to make your son love senior portraits

20 Essential Items For Your Dallas Senior Portraits

DALLAS SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

Here is a list of 20 essential items for your Dallas senior portraits. A must-have guide to get prepared for your photos.

share

20 Essential Items for Your Dallas Senior Portraits

If you are getting ready to have an awesome senior portrait experience, here is a list of 20 essential items to help you on your way. Some of these will be things you are already aware of and some are ones we see people forget all the time. 

Quick List

#1 - Pick Out Your Suit

A well-fit suit is one of our most popular outfits that the kids wear for their senior portraits. It’s normally our first outfit of the day and you can come dressed and ready to go in this outfit. Above you can see just a few examples of different types of suits that have been popular. Some are 3-piece and some just with the jacket. Going without a tie is also a popular choice.

Some of the places we recommend for a good looking suit that won’t break the bank are (some links may be affiliates): 

ISW Men’s Wear

Men’s Warehouse

Jos.A.Bank

men style guide dallas senior portraits banner

#2 - Learn How to Tie That Tie!

Tie a Half Windsor Knot

Full or Double Windsor Knot

How to Tie a Bow Tie

We get asked this all the time by seniors and parents. How do we tie that tie? Jeff, can you tie this for us? We are always eager to help. But here are 3 videos to help you tie 3 of the most common tie options. Now your son can become an expert and impress his friends.

#3 - The Pocket Square

I guess the first question is, should we have a pocket square or not? That’s really a personal choice. We can tell you that it’s about 50/50 on what students are doing. But if you do decide to grab one, here are some quick tips we found on youtube from an expert in picking your pocket square

#4 - Casual Outfits

A casual outfit is a great secondary outfit. It can take on many forms. Above you can see just a few examples for your senior portraits. We typically recommend avoiding heavy patterns or large logos. Primary and solid colors also work nicely.

#5 - Sign Out your Sports Jersey

McKinney North Senior baseball player for the bulldogs for senior pictures
Zach is a senior baseball player at McKinney North High School

Jeans and your jersey can make a great second or third outfit for your senior portraits. Remember that you might need to sign out your jersey from your coach or athletic director. So make sure to ask for it well in advance of your portrait date.

#6 - Letterman Jacket

frisco liberty senior pictures in letterman jacket track and field
Zach from Liberty High School in Frisco Texas is wearing his letterman jacket in school colors for his senior portraits.

Letterman jackets are a great way to show off your school pride in your senior portraits. They can go with any outfit but they pair nicely with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. You could also wear your team’s jersey underneath. You can have additional looks with your jacket by taking it off and throwing it over your shoulder or even just have it sitting next to you.

#7 - Choose The Right Shoes for Your Outfit

Jordyn Oliver dribbling between her legs in a suit on outdoor basketball court in prosper tx
Dallas sports portraits of plano senior high boxing in gym in mckinney tx

Whether it’s a fun pair of sneakers or a stylish pair of dress shoes, make sure to pick a pair of shoes that match your outfit. Each of your outfit changes might bring their own set of matching shoes. 

#8 - A Belt is Not Just for Holding Up Your Pants

This video has some great tips on how to match your belt for your shoes and your suit. It will even tell you some tips on when it’s ok to go without a belt. Of course, it’s important to make sure your pants don’t fall down!

We always think it finishes your outfit nicely when you can have a belt that works well with your shoes and suit.

#9 - Socks or No Socks

southlake carroll senior portraits of golfer ways to make your son love senior portraits
McKinney north senior baseball senior portraits of zach garza by dallas photographer

Going without socks is a popular option these days for your senior portraits. If you choose to wear socks, it’s important to select a pair that compliments your outfit. The biggest fashion foul to stay away from is wearing white tennis socks with your suit. Students will often forget to pack their socks when putting their outfits together. 

Above in the baseball photo, Zach decided to wear socks that matched his High School colors. Jake, on the other hand, decided to go barefoot for this look on the edge of the sand trap.

#10 - Put on a Nice Watch

Stylish watches from MVMT

A watch is a great way to finish off your look and give you a polish. It’s a simple accent that goes a long way. The plus of a new watch for your senior portraits is that it’s an item that you can wear and use for a long time. Above you see just one example of where you can find designer looking watches for an affordable price. 

Go to the MVMT website to see more. 

#11 - Accent Pieces

Dallas Senior Portrait Photographer Main Photo Prestonwood
Riley wears a Gucci belt for a bit of accent to break up his all black suit. - Prestonwood Christian Academy

Small accent pieces like Riley’s gold Gucci belt can help break up your look and give you a nice pop of color. Other examples could be a necklace, a fun hat, a perfect tie, or even a scarf in the winter. 

Note, it only has to look the part. There are plenty of ways to buy knock off Gucci belts or fancy looking accessories without paying the full price.

#12 - Location, Location, Location

dallas senior location ideas at practice fields prosper texas
lacrosse dallas senior location ideas prosper

We can’t have an awesome senior portrait photoshoot without first finding a location that fits your athlete perfectly. This could be at the stadium, on the practice field, or even completely off the field. 

Especially with the current situation of schools, it can be important to be creative. We came up with another helpful article for you called 3 Dallas Senior Portrait Location Ideas When Fields Are Closed.

#13 - Permission for the Field

Allen football stadium senior portrait location
Zach was a senior football player at Allen High School pictured at the stadium in Allen, TX

Speaking of locations, the bigger the stadium the more hoops we have to jump through to get access. It’s not impossible to get inside, but we do have to make sure we secure access early and there are normally limited times of the day. In addition, often the coaching staff can get us inside of practice fields or middle school fields that can also serve as great locations for senior portraits.

#14 - Don't Forget the Bats, Balls, Gloves and More

dallas senior portrait locations for football at community fields frisco

No matter your sport, it helps to have some of the elements of equipment with you for props during your senior portraits. Above you can see how a football with his awesome suit really ties in his sport to the fashion inspired images. The tire he is sitting on is also a nice tie in that is a piece of work out equipment that they use during practice. Basketballs, golf clubs, lacrosse sticks, football, gloves, bats can all me important depending on your sport. 

We like to find creative ways to use these as elements in your photos.

#15 - Get a Trim Before Your Shoot

Style guide for dallas senior portraits legacy christian academy football
Ryan is a senior at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco Texas

It’s always a nice idea to get a trim before the big day. You normally want to do this a few days or a week before the shoot in case you get a ‘bad cut’ you have time for it to correct itself. 

#16 - A Little Hair Gel / Spray for a Windy Day

prosper senior football player in a suit on the field at the high school
Sam played football for the Prosper Eagles - Prosper Texas

A little bit of hair spray or gel can save you on a windy day. A lot of the seniors are sporting longer hair cuts now and that can cause a lot of frustration of it blowing around or in your face on a windy day. Having a little bit of gel in your bag for these situations can help make it more manageable for long hair or any cut.

#17 - Hydrate! It's Hot in Texas

Prestonwood Christian Academy Senior portraits by the cross at the campus
This beautiful cross and pond is located on the campus of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano Tx

This is Texas! During senior portraits, depending on the time of the year, it can easily get to over 100 degrees outside. It’s important to hydrate before and during your shoot by drinking plenty of water. Remember, you might be wearing a full suit for your photos and it can get hotter than you might think. 

We do take precautions when it is really hot and recommend a morning start time for cooler temperatures. 

#18 - Bring Water or a Cooler

Dallas senior pictures how to get your sons to love senior portraits feature photo

It’s not a bad idea to pack a smaller cooler that can have a few bottles of water or maybe even a sports drink. This is great for breaks during your photoshoot to re-hydrate and takes on the heat. 

#19 - A Towel for Sweat

Prosper high school football senior wide receiver ways to make your son love senior portraits
Sam played football for the Prosper Eagles - Prosper Texas

In between shots, it can be handy to have a towel that you can clean some sweat off of your forehead, dry your hands, or use to cool off. 

#20 - You Could Even Bring An Umbrella... Like a Rock Star

prosper lacrosse senior player in prosper texas
Lee was the goalie for the state champion lacrosse team of Prosper High School

You can definitely at like a rockstar for the day and bring an umbrella to keep over top of you when not being photographed. There is a reason that Hollywood does this on film and photo shoots. It keeps the direct sun off of you and can make a big difference in getting a break from the Texas sun. 

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Now That You Have All The Essentials You Are Ready!

So now that you have looked through these 20 essential items you are all set for your photoshoot! So what are you waiting for? Join our exclusive VIP Facebook group or call us today to book your session 

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