Can someone explain something to me pls - must be a difference in "cultures"

[TamEric]

ok i always see you guys doing senior shoots, what are those for exactly

are they for the year books that you guys have at school or what is it for.

I live in South Africa and we don't get year books and stuff like that so i've been curious for a while now as to what the senior shoots are for

someone educate me please

[bubba zanetti]

ok i always see you guys doing senior shoots, what are those for exactly

are they for the year books that you guys have at school or what is it for.

I live in South Africa and we don't get year books and stuff like that so i've been curious for a while now as to what the senior shoots are for

someone educate me please

I think its for a remembrance sort of thing but as we dont do it either im certainly not sure.

[sas8888]

Yes it is for the yearbooks for people graduating from High School. Big deal in the USA. Everybody else has the generic background done by the school photographer in a back room at the school. The senior photos are done off compass and of higher quality.

[verymagicalguy]

Ha, I'm born in the US and went through the education system and didn't now what they were about either. Wasn't sure if it was a college or high school senior photo! Maybe because I'm not Caucasian.

[TamEric]

ok so its like their graduating pics for the year book?

see we don't "graduate" from high school either. We simply write our final exams - wait about a month for the results and then the governmental department of education issues us with Matric certificates.

we don't have an eloborate ceremony like we see in the movies - if it is like that i don't know

[Matatazela]

http://www.news24.com/Content/AudioSlideshows/SouthAfrica/1204/aece2e92464049ba8e5a95edc029fd9c/09-09-2009-11-54/Before_Life_exhibition

A bit off topic, but have a look at this exhibition og photos taken in SA.

[RDKirk]

It's not precisely for graduation or for yearbooks. The "yearbook photo" is rather a different thing and will normally be taken by a photographer contracted by the school.

"Senior pictures" is a market created wholly by portrait photographers in North-Am, kind of a "coming out" event for kids entering their senior year in high school. It took hold in the me-decade of the 80s (although it may have roots in the late 70s). It's not really connected to anything else, except to feed the consumption-fever of teenagers who need to have whatever is popular. Families who buy into the concept will often spend $600-$2000 for pictures--they have become a major staple for many photograhers, more important than child photography or family portraits.

These days, the senior pictures have a "fashion photography" flair--look to the teen glamour magazines to see what they want.

Latinos in West-Hemi do have a cultural event that lends itself to a similar photography market, the Quinceanera, which is a coming-out event for 15-year-old girls. The event is much like a wedding without a groom and has all the same photographic market potential as a wedding.

Latino families sometimes start saving for their daughters' "Quinces" as soon as the baby is born, and other family members will contribute (frequently grandparents and godparents will specifically pay for the photography). I talked to a father last year who spent $20,000 on his daughter's Quince. Latino families tend to value the photography more highly than many brides, and when forced to economize the event, the photography is one of the last things that gets scrimped.

In areas with high Latino concentrations there are photographers who make a living doing nothing else. Just recently, I've see a few "Quinceaneros"--for boys.

[RDKirk]

http://www.news24.com/Content/AudioSlideshows/SouthAfrica/1204/aece2e92464049ba8e5a95edc029fd9c/09-09-2009-11-54/Before_Life_exhibition

A bit off topic, but have a look at this exhibition og photos taken in SA.

Very interesting. I can't describe my feelings about it--conflicted. But very interesting.

[TamEric]

RDKirk - wow very very interesting - cultures around the world truely does amaze me

[TamEric]

http://www.news24.com/Content/AudioSlideshows/SouthAfrica/1204/aece2e92464049ba8e5a95edc029fd9c/09-09-2009-11-54/Before_Life_exhibition

A bit off topic, but have a look at this exhibition og photos taken in SA.

in South africa people who have evening gowns donate them to a charity and those dresses then go to the underprivelidged and this must be whats going on here, the Cape Flats are a very very poor area in the Cape Town area and the matric dance is the "senior ball" if you would like to call it that

very interesting

[Digital_zen]

Matatazela, thank you very much the link, that was a very beautiful and inspiring set.

Verymagicalguy, I too was born in America, went through the public education system, never had senior portraits done, and until a few years ago did not even know they existed (I still keep thinking that people are talking about shoots with elderly people, LOL) but the thing is I'm caucasian (I'm actually an American mutt, but I'm what is considered "white" which is what I think you meant). I did grow up poor, and even if I had known that senior portraits existed wouldn't have any done.
I think a lot of people have this idea that "white" people engage in all these "opulent" and fancy-shmancy things and kind of look down their noses at those who come from other areas or of different skin tones. I have experienced quite a bit of this from my wife's family and friends from her home town, there are very few white people there, and when we lived there a short while back, I learned a lot about how people in these areas think that all white people live lives of privilege and eat caviar for breakfast, it's really not like that at all, I grew up in trailer parks and houses that would not pass code inspection. Just trying to kind of clear things up a bit.

Ok back to topic. Senior portraits are much like Mother's and Father's day in that they were created by the the people who profit from them, in the case of Mother's and Father's day it was a greeting card company. ;-)
I wonder what other areas, events, etc. that we should be taking pictures of that we aren't. (?) First day of new career shoot, Last day before retirement shoot, Just before starting kindergarten portraits? I'm sure we can create a new market right here with this thread!