Today I am sharing my best location ideas and tips for your South Shore senior portraits! Firstly, a little about me. I am Christina Runnals. I am a South Shore senior portrait photographer who specializes in taking senior pictures.  My photos are often described as light-filled, glowy, and full of joy! I photograph senior portraits all over the South Shore of Massachusetts and New England and my senior photos have been published in national publications.  Photographing seniors is the best part of my job! I love working with high school students. If you are ready to book a photographer for your South Shore senior portraits, I’d be so excited to be considered!  Please check out my senior portrait session page here for more information on how to hire me as your photographer and what to expect.  You can find out about pricing and packaging by clicking here!

As an experienced South Shore photographer, I consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to local locations for taking photos. So, without further ado… class of 2022, here are my location thoughts and tips for you!

Locations for your South Shore Senior Portraits

There are so many amazing locations on the South Shore to have your senior portraits taken! You should consider a few factors when choosing the location for your South Shore senior portraits. What are your interests? How about your “personality vibe”? What kinds of things to do you love to do? Is there a certain kind of look are you going for? How many locations would you like to shoot at?

Beach Locations

In my experience, the beach is always the most popular choice for South Shore senior portraits. Firstly, some pros about taking beach pictures. The beach grasses are gorgeous when they catch the light. The water and waves always look gorgeous in photos, and sometimes you can catch a beautiful sunset while you’re at it! Next, some cons about taking beach pictures. The beach can be very sunny. You need to make sure your photographer has a firm understanding of lighting principles, so that your pictures do not turn out hazy or looking like they have an Instagram filter on them! Another con would be that where we live, the sun does not set on the water here on the South Shore! So if you want to take pictures with the water behind you, it can be tricky to find a beach where this is flattering to do. But all in all, beach locations are some of my favorites for senior portraits! Find out more about my senior portrait experience here!

Field Locations for South Shore Senior Portraits

I personally adore a beautiful field for senior portraits. There are so many gorgeous locations with tall grasses that I have used for my clients who are taking their South Shore senior portraits. The lighting in a field can be stunning. As a natural light photographer, I have very specific times of day that I photograph in fields. This is because the tree line can greatly effect the lighting in a field. I like to scope out the field a day or two ahead of time to make sure I know the exact timing for the sun to look best at the tree line! If you decide to take your senior portraits in a field location, you do want to make sure to schedule your session for late summer or early fall. This is because you want the grasses to be tall enough to look beautiful! Field grasses are usually mown in late fall and do not grow back until summer. If you are interested in a field location for your South Shore senior portraits, I would love to hear from you! Visit my senior portrait information page to find out more about how to contact me!

Floral Locations

There are some gorgeous garden locations and flower fields in the South Shore area! I have taken some beautiful pictures at flower farms in several towns. There is also an absolutely stunning garden on Cape Cod that I love photographing in. I also love white picket fences with roses growing along them! If you have a family member (or maybe your own family!) who has a gorgeous garden at their home, that’s perfect! I always love to say to think outside the box when you are searching for a location for your South Shore senior portraits. Keep in mind that different flowers bloom at all different times of the year! A lavender farm can only be photographed in during the month of June and early July. After that, the lavender is usually harvested. Sunflowers also only bloom at a certain time of year, and the same goes for tulips!

South Shore Urban Locations

Urban locations seem to be a rare choice for senior portraits, but I personally LOVE them! Think brick walls, white columns, wrought iron fences, windows, even graffiti can be fun! Firstly, one great thing about an urban spot is that often times the ground will reflect beautiful light onto your face. Secondly, urban locations are a little bit edgy and fun! These locations can also reflect a piece of your life if you take your pictures in your own downtown area. My favorite place to take photos in a downtown area is anywhere with big white columns. White columns in the background of your photos are totally eye catching. If you want more advice about senior portraits in urban areas, don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions!

Nautical Locations for your South Shore Senior Portraits

When I say “nautical locations,” think docks, boats, and lighthouses! The South Shore is full of those kinds of things! Here is a PERFECT example of thinking out of the box: can you think of a family member or friend who has a beautiful boat?? If not, simply find a local dock or marina! A lighthouse also makes for an amazing backdrop for your South Shore senior portraits! One thing to keep in mind with locations like this is the wind. It of course can be quite windy near the ocean. Wind can actually be an awesome thing for your photos, if you harness it correctly! It can blow long, flowy skirts which photographs absolutely gorgeously. It can even blow your hair in a beautiful way! If you are nervous about the wind blowing your hair too, much, bring along a cute hat! I love Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or Gigi Pipp for the best hats!

Wooded Locations

If you would like to have more of a “woodsy” background, look for a location with sparse trees so that you can let in plenty of sunlight. If there are too many trees, too many shadows will be cast all around you. This can be fine for some types of photography, but for me this is considered a major no-no. I like my subjects skin tone to look true to life and beautifully lit. This cannot happen if there are lots of trees casting shadows on you! Fall is beautiful for a woodland shoot. Likewise, winter can be beautiful as well if there is snow on branches. Fall or winter are great seasons to do a senior portrait seasonal mini session. I include a seasonal mini session in my senior Light House Package, in addition to your regular senior portrait session!

Snowy Locations

Well just look at those shots and need I say more about a snowy setting for your South Shore senior portraits?! Snow gives the skin the most stunning glow, and makes everything around you look beautiful! It’s a little unconventional, but snow is absolutely gorgeous and will certainly set you apart! You do need to have the perfect set of circumstances to shoot in snow. I like to wait for a day when it snows a good amount, and then hope that the next day is very cold but sunny. That way, the snow will stay on the branches all around you, but the sun will light up the snow gorgeously.

Sports Themed Locations for your South Shore Senior Portraits

Last but not least, if you are an athlete, consider something in the way of a stadium or field for your location! For example, if you are a golfer, perhaps a local country club would look great! A football field, baseball field, or outdoor basketball court could be very cool settings for your senior portraits. You will need to get permission to use most of these types of locations. Therefore, make sure to talk to the appropriate person about taking your pictures at the field/court of your choice!

The World’s Your Oyster

So there you have it: all my favorite location types! As you can see, the world is really your oyster when it comes to choosing a location for your South Shore senior portraits! The options are endless! Whatever you do, just make sure that the location you choose for your senior portraits reflects your personality and makes you happy!!

Number of Locations for your South Shore Senior Portraits

If you can’t decide on a location, why not choose two then?! I offer several packages for your South Shore senior portraits. Some of my packages include the option to have your senior portrait session in multiple locations. I always recommend choosing a package that includes multiple locations, because it gives you such an amazing variety of shots and lighting scenarios. If you are someone that is very excited about having a ton of different looks for your senior portraits, this is definitely the way to go! You do need to make sure that the two locations you choose are within about a 10-15 minute drive of each other. Something to keep in mind!

One Last Tip

My last tip for you is to ask your photographer for advice! They should know all the places that will photograph the most beautifully. They will also know the exact time that that certain spot will be best! I myself pretty much know, down to the minute, when a certain location will look best based on the time of sunset that day and the time of year! When my clients book South Shore senior portraits with me, I send off a questionnaire that helps me to choose locations to suggest to them. My questionnaire also helps me to get a sense of your personality and the kinds of poses that would suit you best.

The Senior Portrait Style Guide

In addition to my questionnaire, I also send off my Senior Portrait Style Guide to all new clients who hire me for South Shore senior portraits! My Style Guide gives you suggestions on how to choose a location or locations. The Style Guide also gives you tips on what to wear, what to bring, and how to prepare for your session! On top of all that, you will read about the importance of having your makeup professionally done for your senior portraits. I have several local makeup artists who are absolutely phenomenal at their job and will make you ladies look flawless for your pictures.

Speaking of tips and guidance… I have created a completely FREE guide for you on what NOT to wear for your senior portraits! Download it today to make sure you don’t make any major wardrobe mistakes for your photoshoot!

Booking Your South Shore Senior Portraits

Are you interested in booking Christina Runnals for your own South shore senior portraits? Book your session, or find out more about a senior portrait session with Christina Runnals Photography! You can view pricing and packages here!

When planning your South Shore senior portraits, I recommend booking as early as possible to schedule your session. My calendar for the year does usually fill up by mid-summer! My booking form is so easy to use, and you can even choose your date right on the form itself! If a date you are interested in is not available, never hesitate to double check with me, because once in a while I am able to squeeze one additional session in here and there!

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Christina Runnals is a nationally published photographer of South Shore senior portraits who specializes in taking portraits that are light-filled, glowy, and full of joy! She has photographed families all over New England and it is one of her absolute favorite parts of her job.   If you are ready to book your family portraits, she is always so excited to be considered!  Please check out her family portrait session page here for more information on pricing and booking!