Senior Photo Ideas for Athletes That Still Feel Natural
A lot of seniors I work with have spent years playing a sport, and it is a big part of their life. When it comes time for senior photos, the question usually comes up pretty quickly. How do you include that part of who they are without the session feeling overly focused on it? Most parents have tons of photos with their senior in sports uniforms and athletic style portraits. So how do we make this session different than those? Scroll down to skip this read, and see photos examples right away. 👇
This senior session in Redlands is a good example of how to find that balance. She plays both softball and basketball, so instead of building the entire session around sports, we wove those pieces in alongside other looks that reflected different sides of her personality. No photos with any uniforms on this time around. We started with more casual outfits to help her ease into the session. This always helps create a relaxed feel right from the beginning and gives us a foundation before bringing in anything more specific. From there, we added in her letterman jacket, which is one of the simplest ways to include athletics without needing a full uniform or a lot of extra gear.
The letterman jacket worked well because it represents years of commitment without taking over the entire session. It still felt like her, just with an added layer of her story. This is usually the approach I recommend to seniors who want to include sports but are not looking for something that feels too staged or overly posed.
Later in the session, we brought in a few more athletic elements tied to softball and basketball. These were incorporated in a way that felt natural with the setting rather than completely separate from it. Since we were shooting in a field of yellow flowers in Redlands at sunset, it was important that everything still felt cohesive. The goal was to keep the overall look consistent while still highlighting what she has spent so much time working toward.
For seniors and families in Redlands and throughout the Inland Empire, this is something to think about when planning your session. You do not have to choose between a traditional senior session and one that includes sports. You can have both, as long as it is approached in a way that feels balanced.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your sport is just one part of your story. It deserves to be included, but it does not have to define the entire session. When it is woven in naturally, it adds depth without taking away from everything else.
If you are planning senior photos and want to include athletics in a way that still feels like you, I am always happy to help you figure out how to bring those pieces together so the final images feel cohesive and true to your senior. Contact me here to get started.
Heidi
