Senior Sessions
High School Senior Session: $150
Session Fee Includes: 1 senior/ 1 location/ 3 outfits.
ADD ON: $50 per each additional location. $25 per each additional outfit. Due at booking.
Your session fee includes:
- Phone Consultation to design your session experience
- The photographer’s time and talent for 2 hours
- One individual high school senior
- Post processing of each individual image, including the Photographer’s artistic hand editing of each image you order
- Approximately 20-30 proofs from which to choose
- Private online viewing gallery to share with family and friends
- Private ordering session
NEW! Mini Senior Safari: $100 each….for 3 Seniors!
Session Fee Includes: 3 seniors/ 3 locations/ 6 outfits each/ and up to 5 hours of time!
And a bonus: 25 of our special Rep Cards each. These will feature 5 of your session images!
This Mini Safari requires 3 seniors to participate. Share the fun with your best friends! You will share the time friends, but your images will be taken individually. (ok, maybe just 1 or 2 group shots 
NOTES: Minimum $300 purchase required. For the Mini Safari, that is $300 minimum purchase per individual. Session fees are non-refundable and are due at booking to reserve your date. If you need to reschedule, 24hr notice is required. Payment by phone with credit card is most convenient for booking.
Prices subject to change without notice. NC Sales tax of 6.75% is added to all session fees.
Print Pricing:
All prints and products are priced individually and are printed through a professional print lab.
Desk Prints: 5×7: $35 8×10: $55 Wall Prints: start at $95 and are mounted
Specialized Custom Artworks available:
-Gallery Wraps, Story Boards, Display Books, Albums, CD of images, custom Graduation announcements with your images!
Why Have a Senior Session with Vanessa G. Photography?
1 – You are unique and your images should be too.
2 – The ability to design your own session and choose your location.
3 – This is the most exciting time of your life and it deserves to be captured with artistic vision not just a camera.
4 – This is the likely the last time you’ll be photographed alone before your wedding day.
5 – YOU are the focus and bringing out YOUR best is what we do.
6 – Because this investment is important to you. Get the quality you pay for.
Where should I have my session?
You have the option of a studio session or a location session. In the studio, we have some of the most unique backgrounds you could imagine. For a location session, chose some place that you love or some place completely out of ordinary. Think about what suits your personality and personal style. Be as creative as you’d like. Keep your hobbies, sports, and obsessions in mind. Draw on things that characterize you for ideas. Fashion magazines are full of ideas. For the best of both worlds, have an indoor/outdoor session at the studio and in the downtown Elizabethtown area. Bonus: the in/outdoor studio options only counts as ONE location!
Should I have my pictures taken at the high school when they offer it?
Typically, your high school will have a “closed contract” with the picture company that produces your yearbook. They will come out to the school at the beginning of your senior year. I do recommend that you have your Senior drape/tux picture taken with them because their “closed contract” will not allow you to submit images of your own. They know that what they are producing is sub-standard and carbon copied, so they try to prevent you from seeking anything better, by not allowing you to submit better images. You DO NOT have to purchase anything from them to have your picture published in the yearbook. Just have the drape/tux picture taken and feel free to skip everything else that will be duplicated for every one of your classmates. You are an individual, and your Senior images should reflect that.
When should I schedule my session?
You can have your session anytime you’d like, but it’s best to do it between May and October before graduation year. If you’ve missed this window, then we recommend early Spring in the year you graduate. Keep our seasons in mind. One might suit you better than the others. For location sessions, the best time of day for your session is best in early morning or within two hours of sunset. Sunset times will change throughout the year. In the studio, we provide the sun.
What should I wear?
Choose at least three outfits for your session. If you can’t decide, bring more! Think of these outfits as though they represent the different sides of your personality. You might want to include something dressy, everyday casual, funky and fun, your uniform, etc. Also consider clothes that are not all from the same season. For example, you may want a long or mid length sleeve as one option even during the warmer season and something more spring like even during a fall/winter session. A coat or sweater is a great option to add over an outfit to quickly change the look and still count as just 1 outfit. Choose a variety of shoes and accessories. Hats, scarves, hair accessories, and jewelry can be changed to coordinate with different looks. If you play a sport, bring a part of it with you. For girls, consider changing your hair from down to up during your session as well. The only thing to avoid is large logos, unless it’s specifically what you want to emphasis.
Be sure to have a mix of color and neutrals to choose from as well.
What if I don’t know how to pose or stand?
That’s ok! You’re not a super model, YET. We are not trying to complete a list of poses like your boring school photographer. You will do things naturally that will look great. If needed, a little direction will be given about how to use your body to accentuate the positive. The key is to relax and be your self. Even if that’s silly, serious, crazy, shy, loud, quiet, etc. Your session images will turn out fantastic, don’t worry about that. Expect a big variety, from far off to very close. If you want, you can check out a few magazines to get some ideas and then practice things you like in the mirror. We want all sides of you. REAL laughs, not just ‘say cheese’ smiles. Serious expression. Deep thought. And you do not always have to look at the camera, in fact, some of the best images are when you are just being YOU.
Who should I bring with me?
That depends on your comfort level. Some want mom there to help with the wardrobe and hair. Some prefer a close friend that will help them relax and be themselves. This may be difficult for some dedicated moms to hear, but sometimes, things go best when mom is not near by. That doesn’t mean mom isn’t allowed to come, but maybe if she would just hang back from the action a little that would be enough. There is something about Seniors who are being watched as they try to show the world who they’ve become. Some want an audience and some do not. Extra people can be a distraction or a help. If you want to go alone, that’s completely ok too.
Before You Book Your Session:
Have a lengthy conversation with your parent(s), or whomever is paying for this exclusive experience, about what you want from the session. Have in mind what you want to do with all the great images you’ll end up with. Does mom and grandma want a nice wall portrait? Or do you just want a fantastic Display Book with all of your images included and yourself on the cover? There needs to be a conversation about your budget as well. Senior year comes with a lot of unexpected expenses. Your Senior Session should be on the top of your list. You’re going to end up with a ton of images that you LOVE and you’re going to want them all. You should walk away from your session with everything you want. A Senior Session with Vanessa G. Photography is like being a model for a day, but it’s a pretty bad feeling to walk away from all those great images because you hadn’t planned ahead to purchase any of them. We will be dedicating all of our attention to making you look and feel your best. There’s a lot of work that will go into your session both on the scene and in post processing. We’re planning to invest a lot of ourselves and our time in you and hope you see the value in our work. Custom portrait photography is not for everyone. It’s only for the best!
What if I have a zit that day?
Have no fear! This is why you chose a professional, skilled photographer. With a little editing magic, you will never know that zit, bruise, scab, scar, bump, etc….was ever there. Expect to get the model treatment.
Are you more expensive than the school photographer will be?
Honestly, we don’t know. We haven’t hunted down their price list. Vanessa would tell you that she HATED her senior pictures done by the school, but her mom still bought a “portfolio” with a bunch of 4x5s in it. (which is no where to be seen, even to this day) With a few additional 8x10s and 5x7s for the grandparents, the cost was still over $400….in 1995. So we expect that you will NOT get what you pay for at school. You will get only half decent images with a very decent price tag. Compare that with getting Vanessa G. Photography’s creative style and about 25 images you will not want to live without. It’s your decision to make, and we are one of your options. We understand that we are not for everyone. But the BEST never is for everyone. If you’re happy with the average, then you may be very happy with the school portrait photographer who took a two week training coarse to learn which button to push on that mid-quality camera. If you decide you want better, call us. Every penny you spend will be worth it.
Why choose a Professional?
-The ability to personalize your session.
-1-2 hours of time to complete your session = low stress and snack breaks for kids. No 20 min quick takes.
-Multiple clothes changes.
-A professional can adjust camera settings to suit artistic vision. No one size fits all shooting.
-Creativity. No carbon copy images.
-Post production editing is included. Child has a recent scratch on there face? No need to reschedule.
-20+ images to choose from. No 6 pose limits.
-Custom designed products available.
-Quality prints and products. No gray/muddy black and white prints. All wall portraits are mounted.
-Tailored low pressure ordering session.
-Personal customer service instead of mass production.
Ordering Questions:
When can I see my proofs?
Generally, it takes about two weeks to edit and prepare your images for you to enjoy. Digital files will be uploaded, narrowed to a gallery of 20-30, and then hand edited one at a time to near perfection. Black and white conversions will be made from those color images with the best contrast for this style of print. After your session is complete we will look at the calendar and select an Ordering Session date and your proof posting date.
Why do I have to come to you? Can’t I just see them online?
Vanessa G. Photography is a custom portrait service. In order to better serve you and provide top quality customer service, you will be asked to attend an ordering session at the studio. This is to your advantage. You will have the opportunity to see and touch all products offered. Some of which cannot be fully appreciated by viewing online. In addition, you can see sample wall galleries on display to help you visualize the possibilities of your own images. You will have a professional at your side to answer any questions you might have about prints or products offered. You will be able to view your own images in the exact size you might want to order. If needed, you can compare two or more images side by side and zoom in to see details. Should you select a custom product like a Storyboard or Birth Announcement, it can be edited to your satisfaction during your session. You will be able to approve the final proof during this time. None of these are possible when viewing online.
To maximize our time, you should invite all of your decision makers to your ordering session. Rest assured that there will not be any pushy sales tactics involved. You are expected to enjoy this experience and leave feeling happy and satisfied.
Do I have to place my order NOW? Can I wait until later?
Your contract agreement requires an order within 30 days after your images are available for viewing. If your session includes a print credit, it will expire after 30 days. If you have not placed an order within 30 days, a $300 deposit is required to keep your digital files available for an extended 30 day ordering period. After these 30 additional days, your $300 deposit will expire. Images not ordered are still purged regularly.
Can’t I just scan my smaller prints and make copies for extended family members?
NO! It is very illegal to scan prints and make copies of them. You need to purchase as many images you need. All images taken by Vanessa G. Photography are copyright protected by federal law. No reproductions, print or digital, should be made without written consent of the photographer. At your session you will be asked to sign a Session Contract and Model Release form acknowledging these facts. Violations of our copyright will be taken seriously and are punishable by law…even without a signed contract.
To be very clear, the following are not permitted and are in violation of our copyright:
DO NOT scan images and reprint them.
DO NOT scan images and post on line (Facebook for example). If you have the disk of images, you have permission to use them online.
DO NOT take photos of your prints with your cell phone and post those images on line (Facebook for example).
What happens during an ordering session?
First, you will be invited to explore the studio galleries and gather a few ideas for the prints and products you might be interested in having. You will enjoy comfortable seating and be offered a light refreshment. Kleenex’s will be available at that time of your viewing because happy tears are expected. The next step will be narrowing down your list of favorite images and deciding how to use them.
I want my family to see the images too. Can you post them online?
Yes! The images will be posted in a private online viewing gallery for 7 days.
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
Generally, you can plan to pick your order up within 3 weeks.
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes! When you reach a certain investment level, you can choose the 3 payment plan option using a credit card. Two payments are required before your order is processed.
Can I order more prints at a later date?
Yes and No. Because digital images require digital storage, images not ordered in 30 days will be frequently purged from the storage system. Any image ordered during your 30 day window will be kept on file for as long as possible. This may be up to one year. As long as your images are on file, you may order additional items. All non-ordered images will be deleted to conserve storage space, as they will be considered unwanted.
I want a CD of my images. Can I order that?
Yes! Low Resolution files, for digital sharing only, are FREE and are gifted at multiple investment levels. High Resolution files, for printing your own images, are available for purchase. Find more about this topic under the CD of Images tab under Session Information.
Copyright Notice: All images taken by Vanessa G. Photography are copyright protected by federal law. No reproductions, print or digital, should be made without written consent of the photographer. At your session you will be asked to sign a Session Contract and Model Release form acknowledging these facts.
The TEXT found on the website and blog is also copyrighted to Vanessa G. Photography. Photographers may link to this page if needed, but should not COPY our text.