Get ready for a year full of fun times and memories. It’s the year of senior prom, college applications, graduation and, of course, your Senior Portrait Day! You’ll only have one Senior Photo Session and we here at Iron City Studios want you to have a fun time and to be comfortable during your photoshoot! You’re unique and we seriously love that, so we’ve come up with some handy tips and tricks to help you prepare and have a flawless senior session with us!

Here at Iron City Studios, we do offer Professional Make Up Services for Senior Formal and Indoor Casual photos! You do need to schedule our Make Up Services in advanced, so please call our studio at (205)783-5281 and make your appointment!

By now, you should have received your postcard with your scheduled session time and date. If you are unsure of your session date or time, please call us and we will be happy to help you!

You may be wondering, now what? I have my appointment date and time, where do I go from here? Below are our tips for a relaxing and smooth Senior Photo Session!

Believe us when we say - get everything ready the night before! The last thing you want is to be running around looking for your favorite pair of shoes the morning of your Senior Photos! If you turn up feeling flustered and rushed, trust us, it will show in the pictures. So take it from us, get ready the night before, get a goodnight's sleep and wake up feeling fresh and ready to take on the day! Remember, if you’re running late that means less time in front of the camera, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the studio. 

GIRLS

• Don’t worry about your Formal Photos - Feel free to bring in your own necklace, but we supply the drape and, if necessary, pearl necklaces!
• We cannot stress this enough - feel comfortable with what you’re wearing. If you aren’t, it will show in your photos!
• We recommend you wear shoes with heels. Tall heels, short heels, boots with little heels. We love heels of all shapes and sizes! Wearing heels makes your legs look longer and help with your posture in photographs. Don’t have heels of your own? Ask friends or family, someone you know is bound to have a pair you could borrow for your Senior Photo Session! If all else fails, bring in nice pair of flats that compliment your outfit! Please, just NO flip-flops! As comfortable as they may be on an Alabama summer day, they just do NOT photograph well.
• Be mindful of the undergarments you chose to wear on the day of your Senior Photos. If your dress requires a strapless bra, bring one along! If you're wearing a flow white dress, bright blue panties probably are not the best fit for that attire! 

GUYS 

•  No, you do not have to bring in your own tuxedo or suit for your Formal Photo- we supply the tuxedo and bowtie you will need!
• Although these are called Casual Photos, we recommend wearing an outfit that would be suitable for church or a job interview. Things like flip-flops or gym shorts would not be something you’d want to wear to this photoshoot!

ALL

• You will look back on these photos for years to comes, so choose an outfit that will express who you are and your style! But remember, these are your SENIOR PHOTOS! They’re special! Dress it up a bit more than your every day style!
• You’re more than welcome to bring in multiple outfits on the day of your Photoshoot. The staff here at Iron City Studios can help you decide on these one outfit that will work best!
• We recommend avoiding outfits that have busy patterns, stripes or plaid. Solid colors will always photograph better!

GIRLS

• Whatever you want to do with your hair, wash it the night before. If you wait to wash it the morning of your Photoshoot, your hair will be too soft to do any kind of styling!
• Don’t forget to pack your hair straightener, bobby pins, hairspray, ponytail holders and anything else you may need the night before and bring it in the day of!
• Don't decide to do anything drastic the night before you session, like dying your hair bleach blonde or blue. Trust us on this one. 

GUYS

• If you have longer hair, make sure you have a way to keep it out of your eyes and face during your Photoshoot!
• We recommend coming in for your Photoshoot cleanly shaved. Removing your stubble in photoshop after your shoot will cost extra.
• Don't decide to do anything too drastic the day before you session with us, like clean shaving your head or getting a buzzcut after being at the pool for weeks on end. Trust us on this one. 

• Wearing makeup for your Photoshoot will cover up blemishes, extenuate your bone structure and will give an overall well put together look to your images. While we truly believe beauty is more than a pretty face, from a photographer's point of view, make up really adds to photos!
• If your stressed about doing your own makeup, not used to doing your own makeup or just want to be pampered a bit, think about booking an appointment with our Professional Make Up Artist. She has worked on countless professional photoshoots and, for only $20 per student, will be happy to work on you! Whether you want to be dolled up or want a more natural look, she can do it all! She does have limited appointments, so be sure to call ahead and book an appointment!
• Tanning - We recommend in the weeks leading up to your Senior Photo Session varying your swim suits when going to the pool or beach, to avoid tan lines. If you already have serious tan lines, we recommend a few short trips to a tanning bed to even out your tone. (Also, ask about having them removed if they are an issue for you!) 
• Nothing looks quite as classic as clean, polished nails. Regardless of the color or lack of polish entirely, try and remember that chipped polish won't photograph well! 
• No one has a perfect complexion, just just calm down about the bump on your nose! We do basic touch up to each photo. And if you have a bit more severe acne, again, do not worry! For an addition charge, we can clear you up in a jiffy! Just simply select to have acne retouching done as you purchase your photos online! 

• We love props! These photos are supposed to represent YOU! Bring in props who show who you are and what you are involve! These could include sports uniforms or equipment, musical instruments, ect.
• We recommend keeping it simple and elegant when it comes to your jewelry. Statement necklaces are in style, but don't let your accessories be the focus of YOUR Photoshoot! If you’re unsure of what to wear, don’t hesitate to bring in options to pick from the day of!
• Don’t worry about your braces, its just part of who you are right now! Just relax, smile and enjoy yourself! (If you feel really uncomfortable about your braces and would like to have they removed in Photoshop we can do this for you for an extra charge, just ask a staff member about it!)
• When it comes glasses, most lenses tend to have glare. We are the professionals and can adjust our lights and your position to reduce the glare. We also offer glare removal if it is unavoidable!

Bringing family and friends to share in the experience of your Senior Photoshoot can be special, but also can cause distractions. We have a comfortable seating area for them to relax in while your session is going on! Please remind them though, that there is no photography allowed other than Iron City Studio’s on the studio floor. We have created a selfie wall for any photos you may want to take before or after your Photoshoot! (Don’t forget to tag us!)

The most important tip we can give you is ultimately this : Be yourself and have fun! We will always go the extra mile to make you feel happy and comfortable during your Photoshoot! If you have any other questions, feel free to call the studio! We cannot wait to work with you this summer!