Do-it-yourself high school senior portraits

Recently I was having lunch with a friend whose son is going to be a high school senior this year. We were having a lovely discussion when she said something that made my jaw drop! Now, my jaw only does that on a few occasions. Most of those occasions have to do with price.

Whether it's a "too good to be true" cost of an item or a "you have got to be kidding me" price of an item, my jaw drops the same way: straight down. What did she tell me that was so shocking? The cost of senior pictures!

My friend told me that she was going to spend $500, yes, $500 on her son's senior portraits! I began adding up her costs for these over the years since this is her third child (out of 4). She spent "a little more" on her two daughters' senior portraits. Okay, am I the only one who thinks the cost of these pictures is ridiculous?

The funny thing is that she said that he doesn't even want to get his picture taken! She's "making" him do it.

I had to investigate this a little further. So, after a few phone calls, I located the portrait studio that has the contract with the high school. I found out a few interesting things after speaking to them. If you only wanted to get a senior portrait taken for the yearbook, it is free of charge, up to a certain date. That's the good news.

The bad news is that if you want a copy of that same picture, their cheapest package costs $230. That package is for two 5x7s, eight 4x5s, and 32 wallet size images. Of course, you can bring different outfits for different poses and get the "model" treatment for much, much more!

For all of you parents out there considering paying hundreds of dollars on senior pictures this year, consider this question. What do you do with the senior pictures that arrive in the mail from, say, your cousin, your neighbor, your business partner's daughter?

I will tell you what I personally do with them. I put them up on the refrigerator for roughly one week, and then pitch them. Yes, right in the garbage can.

Most people do the same. I have enough junk on my refrigerator from my own kids! I will mention however that my crazy scrapbooking friend never throws them away. She actually has a scrapbook just for friends' kids' pictures. But, she's a scrapbooking fool! I'm surprised she doesn't have a scrapbook for her junk mail. But I digress.

With the technology of digital photography, anyone can be a terrific photographer. Even the portrait studios use digital photography these days so it's not like you are getting a better quality of picture with them. There is no reason why you can't get a wonderful picture of your senior, like the one in Figure A, without the hefty cost. For that same $230, you could buy a digital camera, docking station, and additional memory card and still have money left over.

These days, many grocery stores, drug stores and supercenters offer developing services and have free online access to services like unlimited long-term storage online, easy access to photos for sharing in an online album or email from any of your mobile devices. You can share photos with friends and family and let them view and save their favorite prints. Plus, many places offer access to free editing tools for your pictures.

Now, let's be clear. I know there are some professional photographers out there and I'm not trying to take business away from them. A pro is likely to have nice set pieces, better lenses, and years of experience posing and working with recalcitrant subjects. You're always welcome to use a pro. It's just that you shouldn't have to -- and that's a big part of what our Budget Photo Secrets series has been all about.

The best thing about taking your own senior pictures is that you can have fun! The first thing you need to do to be successful is to plan everything out with your subjects. Ask them what they want to capture in the photos. Do they want to look sophisticated, silly or mature? You can also take pictures of them in different outfits, like their band uniform or cheerleading outfit and in different poses like playing tennis or dancing.

Let them decide on the venue. Do they want to have the pictures done outside? Go to a local park or arboretum. If they want the pictures done inside, make your own portrait studio. To make your own studio, start by hanging up a nice piece of material, a large table cloth, a bedspread, a sheet, or a curtain for the back drop. Make sure there's no light coming in from behind the backdrop. Hanging a sheet over a window in daylight can make for a nice effect, but only if it's intentional.

Move your kitchen table in front of your backdrop. Drape the rest of the material or use another piece over the dining room table to cover it. Then, have your subject either sit on top of the table or sit on a plastic bin or low backed chair or stool at the table. Both poses make beautiful pictures.

There are so many expenses that high school seniors have and whether you have to pay for it or they earn the money themselves, it still can be a costly year with dances, prom, senior trips and so on. Making your own senior portraits to share with your family and friends is a wonderful alternative to pricey portrait studios.

By taking them yourself, you can have some extra bonding time that is pretty valuable during that time in their busy lives. After all, you are the ones that will cherish the memory of senior pictures. Taking them yourself will produce not only great pictures but the added bonus of a great memory surrounding the photo session.