​Peyton Manning, Russell Westbrook and Colorado's Own Jason Horton are members of the 2017 ESPY Award winning class. Probably the most classy award recipient was Jason Horton!

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENIOR YEAR AND SENIOR PHOTOS / WHY TAKE SENIOR PICTURES?
 
What is it about your senior year in high school that is so important?  When I was in high school, I always wondered why everyone made such a big deal about your senior year of high school and high school graduation; it was not an uncommon occurrence, most people have a senior year of high school, and most people have a high school graduation.  So why the fuss?  I started to understand a little when I went off to college, but it was not until I was an adult and working in a high school that I truly see and understand the reasons to celebrate both being a senior in high school, and high school graduation.
                           
At the risk of sounding cliché, senior year of high school and graduation, are truly a right of passage.  When you are in the moment, it just feels like one more thing to get through before you get to go on out on your own and start your life, begin your adventures, but it truly is more.  Being in high school and being in college, or having a career, are completely different, and they feel different in every way.  Senior year is meant to be about having fun with your friends before you spread your wings and venture into a new land, with strangers.  Graduation marks a passage from the world you have always known into your new unknown adventure, with unmarked paths that will create your future.  And your senior photos are there to memorialize that last time before you begin you new journey.
 
1. Your chance to finally be you in yearbook!
For most of your school yearbook career you are stuck with the blurry boring cookie-cutter photo taken while you sit awkwardly on a stool with your feet on the taped arrow point and your body twisted with your head tilted in yet another direction.  Somehow, even though you have completely different hair color than your best friend, and you wore opposite outfits, you look almost identical in the resulting photos.  You get one, maybe two attempts to get a photo with both eyes open and you just have to hope your have a normal smile.  When the first set does not work out, you go for retake day, which inevitably turns out even worse.  But you are stuck; because if you go for retakes, you turn in your originals and you gamble that you will luck out have a better 10 seconds to offer the photographer.
 
Then comes senior year.  You glance through your yearbook and you become jealous of the seniors, whose pictures stand out significantly against the other classes.  When you are senior, this will be you.  You will be the person with the Senior Picture that is a colorful photo and full of life.  In your Senior Photo Session you can show off your love of the outdoors, waterfalls, or even sunflowers.  You can spend time preparing for your Senior Pictures before you leave your house, instead of taking a break between classes halfway through your day.  Instead of hoping one of the two shots the photographer takes will work in your favor, you are able to relax and enjoy your photo session, and know you will walk away with multiple gorgeous senior photos, from different poses, and in different outfits.  For once, you have the chance to narrow down and choose the Senior Picture that best represents you in the yearbook!
 
2. Show off that side people don’t see!
The right photographer can take your Senior Portrait Session to the next level and capture that uniqueness that makes you, you. Senior Pictures frequently feel forced and staged, leaving you uncomfortable, unnatural, and waiting for it to be over, but the right photographer will provide you the opportunity to relax, have fun, and show off what makes you incredible.  There are too many people in your high school to get to know the real you, but your senior photos allows you the chance to show your school, and your future self, how you see yourself and what it means to be you.
 
3. You get to be pampered!
Prior to your senior photos, most people do not have the chance to be pampered and fawned over for an hour and a half, or more.  Up until your senior photos, sessions typically consist of a herd of people attempting to share one or two bathrooms to get primped and primed and ready for pictures.  Then you arrive at the shoot, and it is not about you, and allowing you to shine, it is about making sure the dog is sitting and looking at the camera, and that your little brother is not crying or making a silly face.  For your senior pictures, you are the only person who matters, because the pictures are only about you.  You have the right to take exclusive ownership of the bathroom to prepare, and you can relax and concentrate on yourself and if your little sister is throwing a temper tantrum, it will finally not ruin your photo!
 
5. Your parents!
By this time in your life, you are likely itching for freedom, to get out on your own and begin your own journey.  Even if you do not have a desire to preserve this time in your life, just remember this is one last chance for parents to momentarily stop time, and remember you as a kid, before you head out on own.  Your parents treasure any picture of you, but it is extremely rewarding to hang that senior photo on the wall, next to all of your siblings senior photos, it is almost a symbolic gesture, a memory of what you were when they were still your world.  

​How to Prepare for a Senior Photo
Senior year is full of excitement, saying goodbye to old friends, and looking to the future with bright eyes. To remember this most wonderful time in life, some seniors decide to have senior portraits taken.
For photographers, we know that while there is tons of excitement surrounding senior pictures, it can also be a stressful time. Our job is to help make the process easier on you. Here are a few ways you can prepare for Colorado senior portraits and make them the best pictures you’ve ever taken.
Get Your Wardrobe Together
Instead of stuffing yourself into clothes that make you feel self-conscious (you shouldn’t be, you’re beautiful the way you are), pick out clothes that make you feel good. Something not super tight is always a good idea, but wear what you feel comfortable in. It’s also a good idea to choose brightly colored clothing, as the camera can wash out your skin tone if you wear black or white clothes.
Hire a Trained Makeup Artist
Most seniors want their makeup to be on point. One way to ensure it is, is by hiring a trained makeup artist to do your makeup the day of. Trained professionals also know how to apply makeup that looks good on camera and doesn’t wash you out. Plus, having a pro take care of your makeup for you eliminates the stress of doing it yourself.
Get a Good Night’s Rest
Don’t neglect your health when you’re taking senior portraits. I always tell clients who are looking for Colorado senior portraits, that a good night of sleep is the key ingredient to looking good on camera the next day. Also, drink at least eight glasses of water the day of the shoot, it will help clear up blemishes.
Use these simple tips to get prepared for your senior portraits. Remember, these pictures will last a lifetime!