Why Senior Pictures?

[Simoli]

I know what they are, but just wondered what the purpose is. When I graduated HS I don't recall senior picuters. Sure, there were lots of pics made at the graduation ceremony, but that was about it. Is this somehting new, or was I just raised in a secluded world?

[DHancock]

Back in the 70's, Yes I'm old, school pics were taken and placed in a yearbook that the students would buy. Memories for when you're old. ;)

Nowadays I believe they put them on dvds.

[argyle]

Because parents will spend a fortune on their little ones before they leave the nest... ;)

[mson]

I'm not sure how old you are but when I graduated (1993) everyone got senior pictures. I thought it has always been that way.

It makes sense. It's a transition point for most people's life so it's a good point to document it.

[JeffreyG]

I know what they are, but just wondered what the purpose is. When I graduated HS I don't recall senior picuters. Sure, there were lots of pics made at the graduation ceremony, but that was about it. Is this somehting new, or was I just raised in a secluded world?

Senior pictures started in the 70's and were de riguer by the mid 1980's. High school graduation is a milestone, and people like to have pictures from milestones.

They tend to get used in the yearbook too. All the underclassmen get dinky B&W photos from school pics and the seniors get their senior photos published.

How old are you? That could explain missing them.

[Simoli]

Mid 40's. I remember picture day for our yearbook but nothing where people went to photographers. We just went to the gym were there was a photog with his 2-3 backgrounds you could choose from.

[tomd]

Now a days it seems like the seniors are totally into their facebook page.

[garryknight]

If someone talked about senior pictures here in the UK, I'd think they were talking about people in their 60s and above.

[Mike R]

My senior pic was the yearbook shot (1976) Now it's big business with location shots and high priced packages

[*Mike*]

Senior pics weren't big when I was in H.S. I think it was a geographical thing... In NY I had never heard of it, moved to Texas and it's huge.

In reality, I think it's a combination of all the above answers. It grew out of yearbook photos, and it's a transitional point in life. Through in the sales potential and you've got a phenomenon. :)

[rebecca12]

Just based on the pictures I have seen on here, is it only really the popular kids and or good looking kids that get them done?

[Simoli]

Just based on the pictures I have seen on here, is it only really the popular kids and or good looking kids that get them done?OK, that answers why I didn't know of it.:D

[Moppie]

If someone talked about senior pictures here in the UK, I'd think they were talking about people in their 60s and above.

Same here, there might be a marketing opetunity to expliot out side of the US :lol::lol:

[Mark_Cohran]

Senior portraits have become more popular in recent (last 10-15 years) years. I've shot quite a few over the last decade, and they are a form of environmental portraiture rather than the formal shots that used to be in the high school yearbooks. The idea with senior portraits is for the seniors to capture that last year of high school with images that show their interests and activities. Most seniors get them done for their family and include small images with their graduation invitations.

Why? Somebody invented a need/desire for them and they caught on.

[scorpio_e]

I had my senior picture taken in a van *LOL*
They hearded us in like cattle one by one and shot us !!

[Tixeon]

Senior pictures started in the 70's and were de riguer by the mid 1980's. High school graduation is a milestone, and people like to have pictures from milestones.


I graduated in 1960 & Senior Pictures were a big deal then & had been for a few decades. Not everyone could afford them though & only got the one for the Yearbook. As a Photographer I started doing Senior Portraits in 1973 & helped start the Outdoor Senior Portrait movement in my area. I just retired from that segment of the business.

[AB8ND]

In 1964 instead of the normal in school photos we went to the photographers studio for our Senior photos. Lets see turn to the right, now left, now look forward. Thats good, see ya later for proofs. And we all looked the same - white shirt, neck tie about 3/4 inch wide (Windsor knot), a black "suit" coat or a paisley sports coat if you were a radical and a Princeton hair cut.
What a difference today, and what a difference to mom and dads wallets.

Jack

[Wilt]

Senior pictures became popular in the 70's ?! Tell that to my mother who had senior pictures taken about 1941 for an Oakland CA public school!

[Maddog12]

Because parents will spend a fortune on their little ones before they leave the nest... ;)

Newborns (especially the first child) and Seniors usually bring out out the checkbook and the credit card:lol::lol:

[Glenn NK]

Back in the 70's, Yes I'm old, school pics were taken and placed in a yearbook that the students would buy. Memories for when you're old. ;)

Nowadays I believe they put them on dvds.


No you're not old - I went to our 50th year HS reunion in early August.

The pics were put in the yearbook - copies of which some of my classmates still had and brought - seeing those baby faces again was a hoot.

Believe me, when you get a "bit" older, the pics will be priceless.

[Skrim17]

I am in my early 40's and live in the metropolitan NY area. It is not a very popular thing here, but head to tghe burbs and Connecticut and they are much more common.

[Nick_b]

Anyone want to share their portraits from the 60's-70's? Maybe compare them to the portraits being done today? could be fun to see the changing styles or perhaps the lack of change... ;)

I'm 24 and I've never heard of senior portraits until I started hanggin' around places like this. I wasn't the type to get pictures like that taken in HS though.

[tonylong]

Anyone want to share their portraits from the 60's-70's? Maybe compare them to the portraits being done today? could be fun to see the changing styles or perhaps the lack of change... ;)

I'm 24 and I've never heard of senior portraits until I started hanggin' around places like this. I wasn't the type to get pictures like that taken in HS though.

Heh! I look like a dork in my 1969 Senior pic! I think, though, that it was a bigger deal for the girls than it was the guys. Hair done, nice clothes, necklaces, all done up to look the best! My "hair done" was a short haircut, and believe me I didn't try on a necklace:)!

[yogestee]

If someone talked about senior pictures here in the UK, I'd think they were talking about people in their 60s and above.

Yeah Garry,, when I first saw the title "Senior Pictures" I thought they were photographing the elderly or retirees.. But what do they call photos of the elderly etc??

[DAMphyne]

Yeah Garry,, when I first saw the title "Senior Pictures" I thought they were photographing the elderly or retirees.. But what do they call photos of the elderly etc??

Short term memory refreshers?
Who is that in the mirror? Oh yeah, it's me;)

[12stones]

When I told my girlfriend I was going to be shooting senior pictures this year, she thought I meant the standard yearbook "look here" pics. We're both in our 30s and she never heard of the whole senior pic thing. I had mine done and thought everyone did. It was like writing in a yearbook, everyone would write something on the back to the person they were giving the pic to.

[Maddog12]

Wallets are a huge hit.

I remember when I went to college, some girls had stacks of Senior wallet pictures of all there friends and classmates.

[stathunter]

The real neat thing is that when you take photos for seniors ---they want you to edit them so they do not look like they do in real life...............hummmm.

[Wilt]

It seems that there is a problem about what precisely is meant by the term 'Senior picture'. What makes it the same, what makes it different from the 'Graduation photo' or 'individual class photos' found in yearbooks? Is this arranged solely by the grad/parents to supplement what at school might arrange for its yearbook? etc. etc. etc. With a group as diverse as POTN, with international representation and with photographers from teens thru 80 or 90 year old veterans, the terminology changes and we need to establish some commonality in the terms we use. :confused: Maybe someone needs to post an example of the typical 'senior photo' (and give credit to the photographer/studio, of course)

[Maddog12]

:confused: Maybe someone needs to post an example of the typical 'senior photo' (and give credit to the photographer/studio, of course)


http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=389533&highlight=senior+portraits

[Wilt]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=389533&highlight=senior+portraits

Thanks! so 'Senior picture' is merely a 'portrait of a teenager who happens to be graduating from high school'! So the only thing different now vs. 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 years ago, is the marketing of photographic services to this target market of consumers who now have jobs and money to spend (or indulgent parents who have money to spend) in an effort to 'keep up' with their classmates who who now have jobs and money to spend (or indulgent parents who have money to spend) ! :rolleyes:

[Maddog12]

Thanks! so 'Senior picture' is merely a 'portrait of a teenager who happens to be graduating from high school'! So the only thing different now vs. 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 years ago, is the marketing of photographic services to this target market of consumers who now have jobs and money to spend (or indulgent parents who have money to spend) in an effort to 'keep up' with their classmates who who now have jobs and money to spend (or indulgent parents who have money to spend) ! :rolleyes:

I would say it is more of the indulgent parents who have money to spend.

[Mark1]

Senior portraits are the same as mothers day cards. They were invented to sell more product! I think they are a natural progression for that kind of portrait. I read a article on David Humphrey and it says it all. Ill try to state it the best I can. I'll paraphrase....

(well into the conversation...)
David: Well what are you looking for?
Parent: Well I want them to look "real", How they are right now.
David; Well how many times a year do they wear a suit and tie, vs their favorite outfit, doing their favorite things?

[Wilt]

I would say it is more of the indulgent parents who have money to spend.

My wife's theory (she is a kindergarten teacher) is that parents now lavish things on the kids because they both have to work to make ends meet, and buying things and both being 'the pal' beats one being the villian because neither have the time for the family. So the teen asks for (fill in blank) and they get it!

I think there is a lot behind her theory...what else explains the number of teens driving BMWs to high school?!

So photographers jump on the band wagon, market to the teens, and know that mommy and daddy will say 'Yes' to the peer pressure.

[garryknight]

Yeah Garry,, when I first saw the title "Senior Pictures" I thought they were photographing the elderly or retirees.. But what do they call photos of the elderly etc??

Garry? Is that me? Hang on while I check this card tied round my neck. Hey, wow, it's Tuesday already! Now, what was I doing? Hey, why is this card tied round my neck? Gosh, I'm hungry. I remember back when I was a boy how you could get real food... Now, if I could just remember what I was doing... ;)

[Tixeon]

So photographers jump on the band wagon, market to the teens, and know that mommy and daddy will say 'Yes' to the peer pressure.

You got it...... That's it in a nutshell.

Here in NE Ohio we refer to this type of Portrait as High School (or HS) Senior Portraits.

[slimninj4]

I graduated in 94. I got a senior pic just for the year book. I was not interested and had a fake smile on. Was mostly for my mom.

I can see parents (as I am one) spending more on things than my parents did. I already do that and my son is only a year old. I mean we went out and bought him tons of legos that he can not even play with yet so we can put them on the wall to display. We also take pics of him weekly and give them to family members.

[Wilt]

I graduated in 94. I got a senior pic just for the year book. I was not interested and had a fake smile on. Was mostly for my mom.

I can see parents (as I am one) spending more on things than my parents did. I already do that and my son is only a year old. I mean we went out and bought him tons of legos that he can not even play with yet so we can put them on the wall to display. We also take pics of him weekly and give them to family members.

Congratulations, you are well on your way to becoming an overindulgent parent. You are supposed to leave the role of indulgence to the GRANDparents!

[tonylong]

Congratulations, you are well on your way to becoming an overindulgent parent. You are supposed to leave the role of indulgence to the GRANDparents!

And, what a shameful display of values! We photographers are supposed to be indulging our passion for photography, not in decorating our baby's walls with foo-foo!

[eXc450]

Senior pics are un common in australia :) I had never heard of them till I came onto this site. but I think they are a great idea.