I get asked some version of this question almost every week. Can I really get all the pictures I want in just a one-hour senior session? People picture senior sessions as this whole production: three outfit changes, five locations, a couple of hours minimum. So here is the honest answer from someone who does this for a living. One hour, timed right, is plenty!

Nicol and Annabell: Two Sessions, One Hour Each

I’ve got two BEAUTIFUL sessions to show you that you can get some beautiful pictures in only an hour! Nicol and Annabell both wanted to take pictures over the summer, and it was a HOT summer! So we met at 7:30 am for a beautiful sunrise senior session! I took both of these beautiful girls to the same location, and we both spent an hour. I love that no two girls are ever the same, even if we go to the same location!

It Starts With a Plan

What makes the session so easy and fun isn’t magic; it’s planning ahead! Before my clients have their session with me, we already know the order of locations, roughly how the light will move across that hour, and what outfit changes make the most sense given how much walking there is between spots. I meet with each senior session client on Zoom a few weeks before their photoshoot to discuss locations and outfits.

What One Hour Actually Looks Like

Throughout the hour, we are chasing the light. Every client is nervous about posing, and I always remind them they are not supposed to know how to pose; that’s my job! We will focus on natural posing, and I’ve realized that chatting and making it feel like we are just hanging out makes posing feel natural and fun! I try to make sure to go to the photoshoot location before the actual session at the time of the scheduled session, to see where some of the spots I might like to take pictures at look at that specific time (yes, I literally got up at 6 am to check all of these locations for my client before the session). I often visit spots I know well because I know how to access them easily and what the lighting looks like.

You Don’t Need An Entire Day for Senior Pictures

If you are a senior or a parent who’s been putting off booking because you pictured a whole-afternoon commitment, let Nicole and Annabell’s beautiful pictures prove this isn’t what it has to look like. You do not need to clear your whole evening. You need one good hour, the right light, and a plan that fits you. That’s all it takes to walk away with a gallery full of images you will want to print, frame, and look back on for years.

Let’s Get You on the Calendar

Mini Senior Sessions like this are exactly what I built my one-hour option around, and they have quickly become one of my favorite ways to work with seniors who want true-to-them photos without a huge time commitment. If that sounds like what you have been waiting for, I would love to get you on the calendar!

Still deciding when to schedule your session? Check out my guide on the best time to take senior pictures in Chattanooga.

If you are looking for a senior photographer in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or North Georgia, I’d love to work with you. Click the link below to fill out the contact form and book your senior session today: Book Your Senior Session Here