Every senior session guide from your photographer will include a “What to Bring to Senior Pictures” section. But rarely do they talk about WHO to include. As a St. Augustine and Jacksonville senior photographer, I’m always thinking about ways to make your session feel even more YOU.

Here is a list of 5 people you could include in your St. Augustine or Jacksonville senior session.

1.  BRING YOUR BEST FRIEND TO YOUR SENIOR SESSION

Having your best friend there can instantly help you relax during your senior session. They can help make sure your hair and makeup look good exactly how YOU would want it because they KNOW. They can also help bring out those real smiles because they know what genuinely makes you laugh. 

How to Include Your Best Friend into your St. Augustine Senior Session

This isn’t a double session. This is still your senior session, and we simply include your best friend in a few of the pictures. (Mollie Jane Photography does offer a double/group session add on option.)

I suggest coordinating one outfit, and when we get to that look during your senior session, he or she can jump into some of the photos. Props are absolutely encouraged.

Like these cute best friends who were going to be roommates in college, pictures like these help capture memories that will last forever.

When NOT to include your best friend in your senior session

This is when you really need to dig deep. She may be your best friend in the whole world, but if you think you’ll feel awkward with her there, or if you won’t be able to fully be yourself, this may not be the best time to include them.

Your senior session is such a special experience, so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who bring all the good vibes.

2.  BRING YOUR PARENTS TO YOUR ST. AUGUSTINE SENIOR SESSION

Usually, at least one of your parents comes along to your senior session, and honestly, I love when they do! This is such a special season for them too, and it’s the perfect opportunity to capture a few photos together with their graduate. Be prepared for a few tears because this is a big milestone for everyone involved. 

How to Include Your Parents/Family Into Your Senior Session in Jacksonville or St. Augustine

First off, this isn’t a family session. This is still your senior session. Similar to including your best friend, we usually take these photos toward the end of the session. Even though it may only take 5 to 10 minutes, these often become some of the most loved images in your gallery. And trust me, you’ll end up with way more sweet moments than you expect. 

Cute Ways to Include Parents in your Northeast Florida Senior Photos

There are so many meaningful ways to include your parents in your senior pictures. Is one or both of your parents your biggest supporter in your sport, academics, or another activity? Bringing a prop that represents that part of your life can make the photos even more personal. One of the hardest parts of parenting is realizing they may never take you to practice again or cheer you on from the sidelines every week.

One sweet senior included her dad in her senior session because he had coached her in track from elementary school all the way through high school, and she had just earned a college track scholarship. It was such a special moment, and you could see how proud he was.

You could also plan a first look with your parents in your cap and gown. The best way to do this is to wait to try on your cap and gown until your session. Then we can create a really sweet moment when they see you fully ready for graduation for the very first time. And yes, I’ll bring the tissues.

3.  HOW ABOUT A SIBLING IN YOUR SENIOR PICTURES IN JACKSONVILLE?

I know, they drive you crazy sometimes. Okay, maybe a lot of the time. But chances are, you’re going to miss them when you’re not home every day for them to annoy you anymore. And remember the words of Taylor Swift in Never Grow Up: “Remember the footsteps, remember the words said, and all your little brother’s favorite songs. I just realized everything I have is, someday, gonna be gone.” Yeah… go listen to that song if you want a good cry. 

Include Your Sibling in Your Senior Pictures if They are Also Having a Big Year

Is your sibling graduating too? Or maybe they’re starting high school while you’re finishing it? Those are such fun milestones to capture together.

If you and your sibling are graduating at the same time, like this sweet sister duo where one graduated high school and the other earned her Master’s degree, you definitely want to document this season together. For something like this, I would recommend booking a double session!

Include your Sibling If You Are Really Close

Let’s be honest, some siblings just have a really special bond. Sometimes it’s because they’re twins, close in age, or even because there’s a big age gap between them.

One time I was photographing a senior guy who honestly did not want to be there. His mom kept saying, “If his little sister was here, she could get his real smile,” and “If his little sister was here, she could get him to laugh.” Lesson learned… ALWAYS BRING THE LITTLE SISTER. Especially if you two are super close.

4.  WHAT TO BRING TO SENIOR PICTURES: YOUR PET!!!

Okay parents, don’t take this the wrong way. Your senior is absolutely going to miss you too. But honestly… they may miss the family dog just a little bit more. That sweet pup definitely deserves a spot in your senior pictures. 

What To Bring To Senior Pictures for Your Pet

Dogs are some of the best additions to senior pictures in St. Augustine and Jacksonville. They really are our best buddies! They’re adorable just showing up exactly as they are, but it can also be fun to add a few props for man’s, or senior’s, best friend.

You can bring a cute graduation cap or even a tiny gown. Amazon has so many fun options, including adorable bandanas that say things like “Pup of the Grad.”

What Other Pets Should You Bring To Your St. Augustine Senior Pictures?

As a dog person, my mind always immediately goes to bringing your dog. But there are so many other pets that are meaningful to seniors too, like horses, cats, or even snakes.

If you have a horse in St. Augustine, you could honestly build your entire senior session around that. And a lot of seniors do! We can photograph part of your session where you keep your horse and create something that feels really personal to you. That would make for such a fun senior session.

5.  YOU CAN BRING YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER TO YOUR SENIOR SESSION

Ok, I’m going to sound like a mom here (because I am).  I highly suggest including your parents on the decision to include your significant other in your St. Augustine senior pictures. If your boyfriend or girlfriend has been a big part of your high school years, bringing them to your senior session can make the experience even more meaningful. Senior year is full of memories, milestones, and relationships that shaped this season of life, and including them in a few photos can help tell that story naturally. 

This sweet couple met in a class in college their freshman year and we did pictures in the classroom where they met and around important places for them around campus. It was so sweet and the perfect way to personalize your senior session!

Including Your Significant Other in a FEW Pictures

You do not have to turn your senior session into a couples session to include your significant other, in fact I highly suggest you do not. Even just a few casual photos together at the end of your session can capture such a fun and meaningful part of senior year. These images often end up being some of the favorites because they feel genuine and personal. 

They Can Help You Feel Comfortable at Your St. Augustine or Jacksonville Senior Portrait Session

Sometimes having your significant other there simply helps you relax and feel more confident in front of the camera. They can hype you up, make you laugh, help carry things between locations, and make the whole experience feel more natural and fun. The best senior sessions are the ones where you feel like yourself, and bringing someone who makes you comfortable can make a huge difference. 

On the flip side, if you will feel self conscious or uncomfortable, this may not be the time to include them.  It might be better to set up a Prom mini session (wink wink).

YOUR ST. AUGUSTINE SENIOR SESSION IS ALL ABOUT YOU!

Your senior session is all about capturing who you are during one of the biggest seasons of your life. The people you bring and include in your pictures can make those memories even more meaningful.

If you’re looking for a Jacksonville or St. Augustine senior photographer, I’d love to help you plan a session that feels completely like you. Mollie Jane Photography prepares seniors for their sessions in a simple and stress free way with no over complicated meetings or unnecessary phone calls. I completely understand that this season of life is bonkers for both seniors and parents, and we do our best to educate, inform, and create the perfect session in the simplest way possible. But you are NEVER on your own. I’m here for you every step of the way!

Hop on over to my website to get all the information. I can’t wait to capture this special year in the most meaningful way.

Mollie Jane is a senior photographer based in St. Augustine, Florida. She offers St. Augustine senior photography to surrounding Northeast Florida areas, such as senior pictures in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra, Green Cove Springs, Nocatee, Fruit Cove, Palm Coast, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic and Neptune Beach.

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