Unique Senior Picture Ideas for Every Season

If you know me, you know that senior photos are some of my absolute FAVORITE photos to take! I’ve literally been taking senior photos since I myself was a local senior at Marist. Trust me when I say I know just how special they are & how important it is to capture this time in your life. I’m a big believer that senior photos do NOT have to be just one quick photoshoot. Instead, they should be an entire, fun experience for you that can span across multiple seasons. This allows us to have so much fun with different concepts! That’s why I wanted to give you some unique senior picture ideas for every season of the year: summer, fall, winter, & spring. 

These are ideas you can take & use for your unique senior photos, or adapt to fit your personality and lifestyle. I know that going into a senior shoot can be super nerve wracking. The goal of these ideas is to help you find concepts that fit who YOU are & let you show off your most authentic self. Let’s get right into it!

Summer Senior Photo Ideas

1. Watch the sunset from a mountaintop

How can you go wrong watching an epic sunset from the top of a mountain?! Miranda & I ventured up to one of my favorite local spots to get incredible views of the mountains. The sunset lighting was to DIE for. She looked freaking bomb in her rust orange top, light blue jeans, white shoes, & beige hat with the golden hour light glowingggg behind her! It would be so fun to bring a little picnic up the mountain and eat your favorite snacks on a blanket while you watch the sun drop behind the mountains. You could even bring a book if you love to read, and sit peacefully against a rock with it + breathe in the fresh air!

2. Hike to a waterfall/

Looking for more of an adventurous senior shoot (my favvvv)? We can take advantage of Oregon’s BEAUTIFUL locations & hike to a waterfall! Chloe & I adventured around one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area and enjoyed the mist from the falls. The super cool rocks + logs in front of it, and the forest nearby were absolutely stunning. Who says adventure sessions are only for couples shoots or elopements?!

3. Bring your horse to the beach

Okay I know this is one that most people won’t be able to do, but I figured it might spark ideas for other shoots with your pets. If you HAPPEN to have a horse, ride it on the freaking beach for your senior photos! Claire brought her beautiful horse along to the beach for some of the most epic, unique senior photos ever. The way the horse created shadows on the sand was unreal, and we legit got photos of her riding off into the sunset like something out of a movie scene!

If you want to take some of your senior photos in the summer, pause right here real quick & head over to another blog post for my Top Outfit + Location Tips for Your Summer Senior Photos! 

Fall Senior Photo Ideas

1. Visit a pumpkin patch

An easy way to bring out the fall season in your fall senior photos is to shoot in a pumpkin patch! There are plenty of pumpkin patches that open up around September & October that let you do photoshoots on the property. Some of my favorite senior photoshoots have been with my girls exploring the pumpkin patch & looking gorgeous AF with pumpkins surrounding them! Check out Abby & Faith’s pumpkin patch senior photos below for some inspo!

2. Shoot with a vintage car

If you, a friend, or a family member have any sort of vintage car, bring it along to use for photos! Vintage cars look sooo cool to sit against or drive around in for photos that totally give off those aesthetic 50’s-60’s vibes. Delaney brought the coolest mint green vintage Volkswagen bug and I still cannot get over how freaking cute the photos are!

3. Walk through an orchard

Another way to bring out classic fall vibes is to shoot in an orchard, surrounded by trees changing colors. There are some really beautiful orchards in the area that I’ve shot at multiple times with my seniors. Nothing can beat the magical atmosphere of walking through the lush, well-taken-care-of trees as they change from shades of green & yellow to shades of red & orange!

I love fall SO dang much for senior photos that I wrote an entire blog post dedicated to Fall Senior Session Tips, with even MORE location ideas & outfit inspo for your fall senior photoshoot!!

Winter Senior Photo Ideas

1. Sit down in your favorite coffee shop

If it’s too cold outside to have an enjoyable outdoor senior photo experience, take your shoot inside by visiting your favorite coffee shop! Buy your fav drink (hot or cold, nobody’s judging you for getting iced coffee in the winter!), bring a book, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I can help you choose one with plenty of natural light & aesthetic interior decor to make sure your photos turn out a good mix of cozy & beautiful!

2. Shoot in the snow

Embrace the winter by doing a senior shoot in the snow! Maybe you want to actually play around in the snow and throw snowballs in the air, or you want to look cute AF in your fav sweater. Even just walking around in shallower snow, photos always look super magical with snow everywhere. You’ll look like you’re standing in the middle of a winter wonderland. Which makes your photos look like you’re in a fairytale! For outfit options, you can wear brighter, vibrant colors to stand out against the snow making for a nice contrast. You can also keep it neutral with pretty shades of beige & white like Megan did!

3. Go to a Christmas tree farm

Want to bring all the joy & happy holiday vibes into your senior photos? Let’s go to a Christmas tree farm! Walk through the trees in your favorite ugly (or cute!) Christmas sweater and embrace the holiday season if it’s something you celebrate. Tree farms look super beautiful both with & without snow – and you can bring your family along to get a tree for your house at the same time!

Spring Senior Photo Ideas

1. Explore a flower field

What’s more classic springtime than shooting in a field of flowers?? Bring out your most magical, flower queen self & enjoy smelling the flowers, dancing around, and watching epic sunsets over the field you’re in. Literally, everybody looks absolutely gorgeous in flower fields. It’s a guaranteed way to bring out all the fun, light spring vibes in your senior photos!

2. Shoot on a dock/lake

If you like being by the water, let’s shoot on a dock/lake! Eden brought her dog and wore the most adorable sundress + hat for her spring shoot out on the water. She basked in the sunlight shining through the trees at the pictures came out amazing. This is the perfect way to enjoy the warming temperatures & longer days!

3. Do a fun studio shoot

Finally, if it’s still chilly out or you just want to shoot indoors, do a fun spring studio shoot! Livi did a creative studio shoot for her birthday. Such a good example that you don’t need to have a special occasion as an excuse to bring along fun props & have a blast in a studio. We’ll find one with tons of natural light, aesthetic interior decor, and fun-colored walls that fit your unique vibe!

Oregon Seasonal Senior Photo Package

I offer a few different senior packages depending on what you’re looking for. One of the most popular is my Dual Season package! This includes multiple shoots across different seasons. Making it perfect if you want photos in both the summer + fall, or fall + spring, etc. 

You can check out the package deets below, and see my other senior packages here!

Why You Need Cap & Gown Photos

Now that you’re ready to plan some bomb AF unique senior pictures it’s also time to start thinking about GRAD photos!! Head over to this blog post for tons of graduation photoshoot inspo!

And when you’re ready to book your Oregon senior photographer, I’m ready for ya – reach out to me here and let’s be besties + plan the senior photoshoots of your dreams!!