Hire me lol. I’m about as cheap as they come. Not because I’m not good but I understand having seniors can be expensive, and you want the picture,s but you also want to save money. If you are in Atlanta Cady Studios do most senior pictures. They are good but can be pricey for someone who doesn’t have a lot to spend. They will do those senior photos for the yearbook, and if you have the funds, hire them to take all the images, but if you want something a little more budget friendly then I’m your girl. Here are some more tips on how to get amazing senior photos on a budget.
Go to another studio.
They have plenty of them in Atlanta that are more cost effective. If not a studio, then hire a photographer whose prices may be hundreds cheaper than the studio price. Pick someone who can capture your child’s personality. I hate boring, lame pictures. Usually, with my seniors, I pick something they like and base the location off of that. I had one senior that loved horses, so we found horses. I had another senior who had a sweet tooth, so we did her shoot in a candy shop. I had another senior who loved cars, so we rented a car and took pictures in that. Base the shoot on what they love and it will be much easier for them to smile and show who they are in their pictures.
I knew someone who paid 1500 for photos when they could have come to me for less than half of that and the pictures would have looked the same. You have to ask around and you have to do your homework. Not every photographer who charges cheap prices are bad… a lot of them are, lol, but so are some high-priced photographers. I have seen photos that were in the 1000s that look no better than my couple of hundreds. Trust me, we use the same camera you just have to trust your photographer and do your Homework. I repeat that a lot because a lot of people don’t. I got a call from a mom a few weeks ago who wanted to do senior photos for her son. She couldn’t believe my prices, so she went with someone else who went up on the original prices after the photos were taken. She wasn’t able to afford them and only got 2 because the price she was quoted was just too much. She called me back and asked me to do the photos. Not only did I give her good quality photo but I also printed out one of the photos as a gift. Don’t judge me by my prices, lol.
Check out local schools
Last summer I was looking for an intern and came across a local school in my area. The students needed models to build up their portfolios. Quite a few models were seniors. A lot of them have gone to school and need the practice, and you will be surprised by how good they are. If you don’t like the photos, at least it didn’t cost you anything because all you needed to do was sit with them and probably sign a waiver. Call the local college or high school in your area to find out if they have someone who needs some credits.
Barter services
Look the economy is horrible. Ask, you never know what someone will say. Maybe your hairdresser needs their son’s photos done, and you need your hair done. Ask…closed mouths don’t get fed. You can also ask for discounts, do a mini session type of deal, or ask about flexibility in paying.
Last resort…rent a camera and take the photos yourself (or let their friend do it, though not on a cell phone). Cell phones just won’t do senior pictures justice. If you definitely can’t afford to hire someone, at least grab a friend’s camera or rent one. Senior pictures are memories that last a lifetime, and you want it done right.
