Senior portraits
Encyclopedia
In North America
, senior portraits are formal portraits
taken of students at the beginning of their senior year
of high school
.
Formal senior portraits, in and of themselves, date back at least to the 1920s. However, in more recent decades, the convention has been to feature male students in tuxedo
jackets and female students in a silk or fur drape and a pearl necklace
which is meant to simulate the appearance of a formal gown.
In some schools a portrait studio is invited to the school to ensure all senior portraits (for the yearbook) are similar in pose and style, and so that students who cannot afford to purchase these portraits on their own or choose not to purchase portraits will appear in the yearbook the same as other students. Other schools allow students to choose a studio and submit portraits on their own.
Some traditional senior portrait sittings include a cap and gown and other changes of clothing, portrait styles and poses.
. Outdoor "location" photos continue to increase in popularity, replacing studio portraits. Picture proofs are usually available to view online the next day which are lower quality, not edited and often with a watermark
of the studio.
Many parents choose to frame a large print of their child's senior portrait for display in their home. One popular way of displaying the senior portrait is in a special photo mat cut to display small copies of the student's school photos from kindergarten to their junior year, displayed in a circle (like the numbers of a clock) surrounding a larger opening for the senior portrait.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, senior portraits are formal portraits
Portrait photography
Portrait photography or portraiture is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people , in which the face and expression is predominant. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject...
taken of students at the beginning of their senior year
Senior Year
Senior Year can refer to:* Senior ; the final year in high school or college* Senior Year , the 2010 film by Filipino director Jerrold Tarog* The Lockheed U-2...
of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
Traditional
Tuxedo
A tuxedo is a type of semi-formal dress for men.Tuxedo may also refer to:-Places:Canada* Tuxedo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city neighborhood** Tuxedo , a provincial electoral district in Manitoba...
jackets and female students in a silk or fur drape and a pearl necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
which is meant to simulate the appearance of a formal gown.
In some schools a portrait studio is invited to the school to ensure all senior portraits (for the yearbook) are similar in pose and style, and so that students who cannot afford to purchase these portraits on their own or choose not to purchase portraits will appear in the yearbook the same as other students. Other schools allow students to choose a studio and submit portraits on their own.
Some traditional senior portrait sittings include a cap and gown and other changes of clothing, portrait styles and poses.
Modern
Modern senior portraits may include virtually any pose or clothing choice, within the limits of good taste. Students often appear with pets, student athletes pose in letterman jackets while many girls choose glamour photographyGlamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography whereby the subjects, usually female, are portrayed in a romantic or sexually alluring way. The subjects may be fully clothed or seminude, but glamour photography stops short of deliberately arousing the viewer and being pornographic photography.Glamour...
. Outdoor "location" photos continue to increase in popularity, replacing studio portraits. Picture proofs are usually available to view online the next day which are lower quality, not edited and often with a watermark
Watermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
of the studio.
Uses of senior portraits
Senior portraits are often included in graduation announcements or are given to friends and family. They are also used in yearbooks and are usually rendered larger than their underclassmen counterparts and are often featured in color, even if the rest of the yearbook is mostly reproduced in black and white. In some schools the requirements are strict regarding the choice of photographer or in the style of portraiture, with only traditional-style portraits being acceptable. Many schools choose to contract one photographer for their yearbook portraits, while other schools allow many different photographers to submit yearbook portraits.Many parents choose to frame a large print of their child's senior portrait for display in their home. One popular way of displaying the senior portrait is in a special photo mat cut to display small copies of the student's school photos from kindergarten to their junior year, displayed in a circle (like the numbers of a clock) surrounding a larger opening for the senior portrait.