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May 14, 2018

How to Prepare for Your Senior Photo Session | Houston Senior Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in senior portraits. At Tara Flannery Photography, we help with how to prepare for your senior photo session. See more senior photos in the gallery. Contact me to book your family portrait today!

How to Prepare for Your Senior Photo Session

The senior year comes faster than everyone expects. High school flies by and before you know it, you’ve hit your senior year. There are lots of things to do during this year: planning for college or whatever comes after high school, photos, prom, banquets, awards dinners, and on and on. With all of that going on, the senior portraits shouldn’t be a stressful thing! With Tara Flannery Photography, we will help you prepare for your senior photo session. We will do everything we can to make the portrait session smooth and easy. The first step is a planning consultation. At this appointment, we talk about the style of portraits that feels best for the senior. This includes choosing a location. Will we be doing any photos at another location like a track or football stadium? Another topic for this meeting is wardrobe. I’ll help guide you on the outfits to bring. Finally, I’ll show you samples of products like wall art and albums that you might consider for the viewing and ordering appointment.

Senior Portraits for Regan

Regan’s senior portrait session was so much fun! Our beautiful sunrise session led to some gorgeous photos with vivid color and warm sunshine. We started our session in the bluebonnets with one outfit and ended by the pond with her super-cute black and white jumper. During our initial consultation, we discussed locations, wardrobe options, and style. She was prepared for her senior photo session. Everyone could relax and have fun during the session.

How to Prepare for Your Senior Photo Session

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in senior portraits. See more senior photos in the gallery. Contact me to book your family portrait today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

“Pick something you’d do for free…” It sounds simple—but building a career around it is anything but.

There’s a lot that goes into turning photography into something sustainable—learning your craft, understanding lighting, figuring out your gear, working with clients, and continuing to grow.

But if you’re willing to put in the time, it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do.

If you’re just getting started, I have a few free resources to help you figure out what actually matters (and what doesn’t).

🔗 You can grab them with the link in my bio.

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“Pick something you’d do for free…” It sounds simple—but building a career around it is anything but.

There’s a lot that goes into turning photography into something sustainable—learning your craft, understanding lighting, figuring out your gear, working with clients, and continuing to grow.

But if you’re willing to put in the time, it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do.

If you’re just getting started, I have a few free resources to help you figure out what actually matters (and what doesn’t).

🔗 You can grab them with the link in my bio.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the title—it’s about what the photos actually do for you.

For most teams, the hardest part isn’t getting the photos taken… it’s coordinating everything around it.

Schedules, availability, keeping the look consistent across everyone—it adds up quickly, and it’s usually why it gets pushed off.

That’s exactly why I created a Corporate Team Headshot Planner—to make the process simple, organized, and easy to execute from start to finish.

📥 If updating your team’s photos has been sitting on your to-do list, this will help you finally get it done—link in bio.

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If you’re planning a branding session and not sure where to start, my Branding Guide walks you through everything—from outfits to planning your shoot so your photos actually work for your business. Link in bio.

What you wear to your branding session isn’t just about looking good—it’s about representing your brand clearly.

The goal isn’t one perfect outfit.

It’s variety.

When you bring a mix of looks—something polished, something more relaxed, and something that reflects your personality—you end up with images you can actually use across your website, content, and marketing.

And the small details matter more than you think…

(hair, nails, lint, fit—those are the things that show up in photos)

A little planning ahead makes the entire session easier—and the final result that much stronger.

If you’ve been putting off a branding session because you don’t know where to start, this is your sign to start planning it out. Send me a DM when you’re ready!

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If headshot lighting feels confusing, I put together a guide with 3 simple setups that will get you consistent results—link in bio.

If your headshots feel a little “off”… it’s usually not your camera—it’s your lighting.

Here are 5 mistakes I see all the time:

1️⃣ Lighting from below
Creates unflattering shadows. Keep your light slightly above eye level.

2️⃣ Too much (or too harsh) light
Softer, controlled light will always look more professional.

3️⃣ No direction to your light
Flat lighting = flat images. You need some angle to create depth.

4️⃣ Mixing multiple light sources
This is how you end up with weird color and inconsistent tones.

5️⃣ Ignoring catchlights
Small detail, big impact—this is what brings life to your subject’s eyes.

Lighting doesn’t need to be complicated… it just needs to be intentional.

Curious—what’s been the hardest part about lighting for you?

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I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what`s not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

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I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what's not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18117379670509149

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.

Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.

Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.

Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.

Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.

Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.