Before you Graduate: Why We Choose to Work with a Makeup Artist

Why We Work With a MUA

We often get asked why we use makeup artists and how they can really benefit our seniors. There are many reasons why we choose to work with a MUA. We want to make you feel like a glamour model – using a makeup artist adds a special treatment that you don’t get every day. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a little pampering?

Before you Graduate: How long of a session do I need?

Session Length Explanation

Not sure how much time you need for your custom senior session? You’ve come to the right place! We’re here to help you figure out the perfect length for your photo shoot. We currently offer three slots: 30 minutes, one hour, and one to two hours. 

Before you Graduate: How to prepare for your session (for guys)

Preparation Tips for Senior Guys

Now that you’ve booked your session, we have a few tips for you to help you get ready for your close up. Follow these guidelines the weeks leading up to your session and we’ll take care of the rest!

Before you Graduate: Now booking – Prom Mini Sessions!

Prom Mini Sessions

It’s that time of year again! SmartShot Photography is now preparing for prom mini sessions! We have a limited amount of time slots available, so you’ll need to move fast on this offer. These sessions last for 15 to 30 minutes (15 for one couple, 30 for two couples).

Before you Graduate: How to prepare for your session (for girls)

Preparation Tips for Senior Girls

Now that you’ve booked your session, we have a few tips for you to help you get ready for your close up. Follow these guidelines the weeks leading up to your session and we’ll take care of the rest!

Before you Graduate: How to personalize your senior session

Incorporating Sports/Hobbies

Your senior session is all about YOU! We want to make sure that we really show off your personality and make your photos unique to you. Now is the time to start planning your session so we can fully showcase you during your photo shoot. Think about your routine – where you like to go, what you like to do, etc. We want to get to know you through your photos. We’d love for you to take a list of your hobbies and extra-curricular activities and send them over to us so we can help you prepare your perfect session. 

Before you Graduate: Tips for planning your BFF session

Ideas for Planning for Your BFF Session

Senior year is a time when you make all of your last high school memories before graduation and enter your new life. As time goes by, life will get hectic and crazy and these memories will start to fade. Planning a BFF session will help preserve these memories forever and help create some new ones during this fun photo shoot! Below are some tips to help you come up with a plan for your session:

  • Location

Choose a location that means something to you and your bestie. If you like to hang out at the local skate park or walk around the town square, these are places we could go for your session. We can also talk to your school about setting up there. If you are in drama club and want to recreate some memories in the theatre or have a special lunch table or a joint locker, etc., we want to incorporate these things as well. 


  • Props

Now it’s time to think about props. Do you want to bring your sunglasses because you guys are obsessed with oversized shades? How about a copy of your favorite magazine so you can look through it and get all the latest celebrity gossip during our session – talk about multi-tasking! Are you planning on going to the same college after graduation? If so, you can bring some college swag to your session! You can bring your graduation caps/gowns if you’d like. We can even stop by and grab some props during your session – if you are coffee lovers, we can take some photos of you and your BFF at your favorite coffee shop, or we can stop for some ice cream cones for some super cute shots. Think about the things that you guys like to do together and bring items that will reflect it in the photos.


  • Clothing

When it comes to clothing, you don’t want to be completely matchy-matchy (unless you are going to the twin BFF look). However, you don’t want to clash either. Choose a color palette that looks good on both of you and coordinate your outfits with colors from that scheme. Don’t forget to bring matching shoes and accessories.

Before you Graduate: How to be the BEST Senior Rep Ever!

How To Be The Best Senior Rep 

We are so excited to begin our journey with you! We’ve put together a few tips on how to gain the most referrals through our program. If you have found that something else works too, let us know and we’ll add it in. 


Have a good online social media presence. Actively post on your social media pages – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. When we do your session, post the photos to your pages, make them your cover photos and blog about your experience. Keep the hype up by talking about your photos on your social media. Talk about your session before and after it happens. We can even stop and post a selfie during if you’d like! Tag our page when you talk about us, so your followers will link to our page.


Pass out your rep cards. We will give you personalized rep cards with your photos. Pass them out to your friends, teammates, classmates, etc.


Mention us to juniors/seniors in other high schools. If you are in a lot of extracurricular activities that allow you to be around students from other schools, be sure to pass your rep cards along to them and let them know how much you love our company. We take on clients from within a 50-mile radius of our studio. If you need a list of approved schools, just ask and we’ll send it over. The more people you talk to about the session, the greater the chance of getting referrals.


Talk about your session and how much fun it was. Whenever you show people your photos, talk about how much fun the session was. Include details from your experience to make them want to do it as well. We’re selling more than just beautiful photos, but the experience as well.


Get your parents involved. Have your parents pass out rep cards to their friends at work who have teenagers that will soon need our services. 

Before you Graduate: Let Us Capture Your Graduation!

Graduation Services Available

Did you know that SmartShot Photography offers graduation services? That’s right! We will come to your graduation and photograph the whole event for you! We’ll be there for the speeches, to watch you walk across the stage and capture that moment you reach for your well-deserved diploma. We’ll even stick around after and take photos of you with your friends and family members! We also offer a mini album for you to store all of these cherished memories in. 


You can purchase this service a la carte, or we can add it on to your senior package. For pricing and booking information, please contact us at smartshot757@gmail.com. 

Before you Graduate: Beauty and Fashion Tips and Tricks for Your Senior Portrait 

Fashion, Hair and Makeup Tips and Advice


Obviously, you want to look like the best version of yourself on your session day. After all, all these photos will be seen by your friends, family and peers for many years to come. Here are a few tips and tricks where beauty and fashion are concerned. 



  1. Keep crazy accessories to a minimum. For example, if you want to wear those funky cat eye sunglasses, go for it, but plan don’t let them compete with a super splashy print, giant earrings and a headscarf. A wise person once said: always take off the last thing you put on. 

  2. Makeup reads differently on camera than it does in real life. If you book with us, you’ll be in the informed hands of a makeup artist who knows just what to do. 

  3. Think about all the details: nails, hair, teeth, skin. Use a whitening toothpaste in the weeks leading up to your session, really look after your skin and don’t pick (we do offer free blemish touch up, though), and get a manicure the day before. If you’re wearing open toes, spring for the pedi, too. 

  4. Practice your hairstyle in advance and take a few selfies to see how it photographs. Try to keep your true essence and don’t wear a hairstyle that’s “not you.” For example, if you wear bangs on the regular, don’t pin them up on your photo shoot. If you always wear your hair down, keep it down on your session day. 

  5. Don’t make any major changes in the weeks leading up to your session. No faux tans that have the potential to convert you to oompa loompa status, don’t go from black to bleach blonde, no major haircuts that could incite tears, etc.