THE SWORD PHOTO
GRAD Experience
I am so, so excited you want to be a Sword Photo Grad!!! I have been photographing professionally for almost a decade, and I can truly say photographing OSU Seniors is one of my absolute favorite works that I do. Photographing each of my grads is such a huge honor, and I can’t wait to have a blast together and capture some beautiful images!
My goal with this Grad Style Guide is to help you prepare for your shoot and get the MOST out of your experience. Your grad session is SUCH an exciting memory and a huge investment…so it’s my job to be sure you are fully prepared! In this guide you will find everything from suggestions for outfits, hair and makeup, ways to customize your experience, what to expect the day of your shoot, how your final gallery will work and everything in between! Please take the time to read it thoroughly to ensure you have all of the information you need to make your shoot the absolute best it can be!
My promise as your photographer is that I will make you look and FEEL like the best version of YOU! I want your shoot and your images to reflect exactly who you are, and I’m here to help ensure we make that happen. Use the content in this guide as suggestions, but feel free to reach out to me at any point in the planning process to chat about how we can make it personal to YOU and create images that you will look back on and love for years to come.
Can’t wait to see you!
xo, Sari
Well, Hello Beautiful!
this is going to be fun
FOR MOM & DAD...
I am truly so honored!
I know you had a LOT of options for graduation photographers...so I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for choosing me to capture your son or daughter's senior year. I know how proud you must be and how bittersweet it is to know that they have worked SO hard for this moment for so long...and it's finally here! I hope that the images we capture will be a celebration of everything they have accomplished + will continue to accomplish over the next few years!
My goal as a graduation portrait photographer is to capture beautiful memories for your family...but also to create a memorable experience from start to finish. My hope is that this grad session is a highlight of your son or daughter's senior year, and that they leave feeling confident, empowered and EXCITED for the big moments to come. I know this guide contains a LOT of information...but it will all be so helpful in creating the best possible experience + images at your shoot!
If you have any questions arise leading up to our shoot together, please don't hesitate to reach out and ask! And, if you have any creative ideas that come to mind or sentimental moments/locations/memories that you'd like featured during their session...I am all ears!
I can't wait to meet you and create some wonderful memories for you to cherish for years to come!
See you SOON!!!
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I'M Sari!
Now that we've gotten to know each other, let's dive into the good stuff!
I truly feel blessed to be an entrepreneur and doing something that I love!! I love photographing seniors. It's such an exciting time in your lives and the energy you bring to a photoshoot is like no other! I have been photographing for over a decade now and I can truly say that college grads is one of my favorite photoshoots that I do!
A few fun facts about me:
I am married to the love of my life, Corey. He is also a photographer whom will likely be on your photoshoot with us. He brings the entertainment so get ready to have a good time.
I am a finance and economics major gone photographer. I have been photographing for over a decade and have no regrets!
We love to travel! We are actually headed to Italy later this month. Dreaming of a destination photoshoot? Lets chat!
in case we haven't met...
01
This is a 60-minute session with time for 2-3 locations around OSU’s Campus! Our recommendation is the Thompson Statue, the Library, and the Stadium, but you’ll read about those later! This session comes with 50 edited digital images. You can also order prints directly from your delivered gallery! Photos will be delivered within 14 business days! This session can be split by up to 10 friends,
the Packages
the Lil buckeye $600
03
The scarlet and gray $3200
Our newest offering for our grads, The Scarlet and Gray comes with, well, everything! This 3-hour session starts at the studio and continues to campus. Your final images will be delivered within 48 hours of your session via an online digital gallery! You’ll also receive a $500 credit towards an heirloom album of your graduation photos! This session is not meant to be split among a group but open to doing it. We will just need to make a few tweeks.
02
the Big buckeye $1200
This is the most booked session by Sword Photo Grads! There are 3 main differences between Big Buckeye and Lil Buckeye packages. (1) With Lil Buckeye, all prints are ordered through Sword Photo. (2) With Big Buckeye, you get A LOT more digital images in your gallery. (3) With Lil Buckeye, you get your images in 2 weeks, with Big Buckeye, you get your images in just ONE WEEK. This session can be split by up to 10 friends and comes with a confetti canon!
04
the SOLO buckeye $500
SHOOT WITH ONE OF OUR AMAZING ASSOCIATES
This is a 60-minute session with time for 2-3 locations around OSU’s Campus! Our recommendation is the Thompson Statue, the Library, and the Stadium, but you’ll read about those later! This session comes with 50 edited digital images. You can also order prints directly from your delivered gallery! Photos will be delivered within 14 business days!
THIS IS FOR INDIVIDUALS ONLY
As you saw in the Big and Lil Buckeye sessions, you can split sessions between friends! The more the merrier when it comes to bringing your fellow grads along! But, how does it work to book a session for you and your friends?
BOOKING AND BILLING
This part is always the most confusing, so let me make it simple! For convenience, we like for one person in each friend group to take the lead in communicating with me and my team. This person handles the contract, communication, and billing with Sword Photo! We accept cash, check and card, so have all your friends Venmo you ahead of time and then pay your final balance! You’ll also be my point person on delivery (meaning you get to see the final photos first!!!) We do make this as simple as possible, meaning you’ll know the final cost BEFORE you book, so everything can get sorted out!
But I have more than 10 friends?
And I love that!!! We’re happy to accommodate ALL your friends! For groups larger than 10, please reach out to me directly! My email is sari@sword.photo . We’ll build a custom package to fit your expectations and your budget! We pride ourselves on delivering group photos that mean the world, but didn’t cost the world. We can’t WAIT to celebrate with you and your whole crew!
Group sessions
What to expect
Now that you are booked and things are officially official - let’s talk through the entire senior experience, step-by-step! Your senior experience starts NOW, and I want you to know what’s around every corner as you begin to prep for your shoot day!
1.The Style Guide + Questionnaire:
After booking your session, you are going to receive a grad questionnaire to complete. This questionnaire will help me to get to know you, your style and your preferences so that I can create the best possible experience for you! Please be sure to read fully through this guide before booking your session and filling out the questionnaire! You’ll have plenty of time, so don’t worry. You’ll receive the questionnaire AFTER your session is booked! However, this guide is going to help you decide when you’d like your session to be, where you’d like your session to be, and all the good details that go into your session!
2. The Week Before
As we get closer to the day of your shoot, you can expect to hear from me with our meeting time, location, and final check-in! I photograph graduation portraits at “golden hour” - right around sunrise and sunset, but we can make other lighting situations work too. Evening sessions have amazing, warm lighting, and morning sessions have bright, glowy lighting and less people around! Because of this, I like to wait until we are 1-2 weeks from your shoot date to lock in an exact meeting time based on the time of the sunset or sunrise. If there are clouds or rainstorms in the forecast, this also allows me to plan around the weather to ensure we get the best lighting possible! So, if we planned for around 6pm…it may end up that 5:30pm or 6:30pm is actually the best time to meet. That is super normal!
3. Shoot Day
This section of the style guide could be its own book in itself! SO many fun things to talk about on the day of your shoot! Your shoot will be 1-1.5 hours in total. Let’s dive into what to expect each minute of your senior session:
The Importance of Being on Time
First things first: being on time for your shoot is VITAL. And I don’t just say that because of my time…I say that because we are on the SUN’S time. Since we plan your shoot around the ideal time for golden lighting…being late means that you lose that time off of your shoot. Even being 15 minutes late means that we’ve lost 15 minutes of light. Once the sun goes down…we can’t shoot anymore! So, try to plan to be 10-15 minutes early for your session. That way, even if you hit traffic or a delay…it doesn’t eat into your shooting time! If you are more than 30 minutes late for your session, we will have to reschedule for my soonest available date (which is typically 2-3 months out).
Changing Outfits + Locations
I frequently get asked where my grads will change outfits on their shoot day…and the answer is almost always in your car! Typically, the locations that we shoot don’t have public bathrooms…which isn’t ideal. But you can take a break in your car for some heat or air conditioning in between each outfit! If you’d prefer to have a bathroom to change, just let me know ahead of time and I will see where one may fall into our route!
Posing + Shooting
The BIGGEST and most important thing that I want you to know about your shoot day is this: I am going to tell you what to do the ENTIRE time! You do NOT need to have any posing or modeling experience. I’ve actually never photographed a real model in my entire 10+ years of being a photographer! Part of your investment in your grad portraits is my experience and ability to pose you and make you look (and feel!) your absolute best. So, there’s no reason to be nervous at all! I will guide you through every single pose and I promise the BIGGEST compliment I get from grads is that I make it so easy. It’s going to be a blast!
After we walk through how the session is going to go together, we'll get started shooting! We typically spend 15-20 minutes at each locations before moving on, and those breaks between spots are where I recommend outfit changes if you'd like one! (Most of my grads skip the outfit change in order to spend more time shoot, and wear a white dress and bring a jersey to throw on top!)
Who to bring with you
As far as parents, it's entirely up to you. I love when family tags along because they know how you like your hair or that you prefer this side of your face or that one, BUT many of my grads are out-of-state students, so I totally understand that it's not always possible for parents to come along. The most important thing to think about is what will make you feel the most COMFORTABLE in front of the camera. If you tend to be more shy and will feel awkward having your mom or dad watching the entire time…you do not have to bring them along or we can ask them to wait in the car. If you LOVE having a hype squad and want everyone to follow us as we shoot…let’s do it! I just ask that we are still able to keep your images as the top priority with minimal distractions. Bringing a large group of friends can sometimes mean that you get distracted while in front of the camera…and that can mean you don’t get as many images or time is taken away from shooting. So, I recommend only bringing 1-2 people along…this ensures it won’t take away from your focus as we shoot!
Another frequently asked question is “who do I bring with me!?” And this has a two-part answer!
Deciding who you want to be PHOTOGRAPHED with! One of my favorite additions to any senior session is your favorite people. If you want to have your best friend(s), significant other, parents, pet or anyone else join in your photos…they are more than welcome! If your shoot is entirely about you and you want a few friends to jump in, I'd recommend having them meet us at the END of the shoot so that the majority of the session is just about you!! If you're splitting your session with a group, bring them along for the whole shoot! More on this later in the guide!
PART 1:
PART 2:
LET's talk locations...
are they a big deal?
Aside from choosing your outfits (which we are diving into next, don’t worry!) - choosing your LOCATIONS is a huge part of what will determine the overall style and aesthetic of your images. It also takes a little bit of logistical planning to map out where we will shoot and the travel time between locations. Overall, there are a few things to keep in mind when picking where to shoot:
It’s actually not the location that matters most…it’s the LIGHT!
YEP. This is hard to understand if you aren’t a photographer but trust me on this. Shooting in direct sunlight is not flattering at any location. I know when and where the best lighting is at each location.
Try to think of an overall “feel” or “vibe” for your shoot…and let this guide your location choices!
And not only your locations choices, but your decision between a morning and an evening session! Campus is absolutely empty during sunrise. The light is glowy, there aren't any cars in the way of that perfect Oval location shot, and the best part, you're not waiting in line for all those popular spots on campus!
However, an evening session has it's perks, too! While morning sessions are soft and glowy, evening sessions have a warmth that only evening golden hour can supply. Plus, you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn.
It's up to you which to pick the one that most fits your vibe!
Now for the most FUN part and hands-down the most frequently asked question: WHAT DO I WEAR!? Choosing what you will wear for your photo shoot is a huge decision that can make or break your grad session! I know that sounds intense... but, if you wear something that you don’t feel confident in or that doesn’t photograph well on camera...it can ruin the experience for you! So, the Senior Style Guide to the rescue! This section will break down my best tips for what to wear and how to style your senior session outfits (plus LOTS of fun inspiration!)
WHAT TO WEAR
1. be comfortable
The NUMBER ONE, most important thing to remember when planning your outfits: if it’s not comfortable to wear in real life, it won’t make you feel confident on camera!
If you do not like fitted clothing (super tight dresses or pieces that fit awkwardly) then leave them at home! Personally, I try to steer clear of items that are fitted in the tummy area (don’t we all?) just because it makes me self- conscious and I’m constantly wondering if it looks bad. So, if there are pieces in your closet that make you feel self- conscious or uncomfortable, don’t include them in your grad portrait wardrobe! I also recommend trying to steer clear of anything that you have to constantly adjust or is at risk of being revealing. You’ll be doing lots of moving and posing, so if the outfit is super low-cut…you’re at risk of things slipping while we shoot!
2. be yourself
At risk of sounding cheesy…staying true to yourself with your outfits is so, so important. When you look back at these images in 20+ years…you’ll want them to truly reflect YOU! If you aren’t someone who ever dresses up or enjoys being fancy…don’t feel like you need to go buy a fancy dress just for photos. If you don’t enjoy being girly and wearing frilly dresses or lots of makeup…then leave them at home! Don’t feel pressured to buy anything new or outside of your usual style just because you are getting photos taken. This entire shoot is meant to be about who YOU are in this exciting season of life…so don’t change a single thing about ya!
3. Be bold + consider using color
Use this shoot as an opportunity to have a little bit of fun with your outfits + colors!
On camera, solid black can make skin tones look washed out and it blends in with OSU's graduation robe. When choosing outfits for your grad session, try to choose colors that POP and that compliment your hair + skin tones! Colors like scarlet photograph beautifully as well as jewel tones like emerald green, bright purples, pinks, oranges and any other colors that really POP! I also LOVE just a trusty white dress or some pretty neutrals! Some of my favorite grad photos ever were taken of a grad in a champagne colored dress!
4. add layers
In the cold months (fall + winter), adding layers to your outfits always looks STUNNING in portraits! Everyone wants to wear a beautiful dress for their grad session, but adding a fun coat or jacket over it can really add to your session and make for some exciting images! You can also consider a jumpsuit for your photos for a little extra warmth. And who doesn't love a jumpsuit?
5. don't be afraid to Accessorize
There is a whole section dedicated to props and accessories coming up in this guide…but it’s honestly one of the most important parts! Adding accessories like jewelry, fun shoes, etc. to your outfits really makes them feel like YOU and adds a whole new layer of detail to your senior gallery. I’m a huge fan of statement earrings, a bright lip color, a super fun shoe…ALL of these things give us so much more variety with posing + create such beautiful pictures!
I've got you covered!
Now, for the slightly less fun part...let's address a few quick things that could go wrong at your session. These are some frequently asked questions that I get about common problems that can pop up...and I want you to feel as prepared as possible! I've been doing this for almost a decade....so I've seen it all! And I'm confident that we will get you amazing images no matter what gets thrown our way!
frequently asked questions:
Here are some questions that I get often, and what to do if anything goes wrong leading up to your shoot date!
Click to view the answers to each FAQ.
This is by far the most asked question I get about things that could go wrong, which makes total sense...because bad weather happens all the time! If there is bad weather in the forecast for your shoot, rest assured that you have options and I am MORE than happy to reschedule! I typically wait until we are 48 hours out from the session to make a final decision about weather because it changes so often.
If there is a 50% chance of rain or LESS: It is TOTALLY up to you whether you want to move forward with trying to shoot, or if you'd prefer to reschedule to another date. If we shoot and it DOES rain...we will have to finish the session despite the weather (we can't do two shoots if you decide to move forward but the weather doesn't cooperate). But we can make some REALLY cute photos happen in the rain!!! However, if you have your heart set on glowing light and bright images...I'd recommend rescheduling to be safe.
If there is a 50% chance of rain or MORE: My professional recommendation in these scenarios is to reschedule. Even if it doesn't end up raining, it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you are really excited about bright, sunset light in your photos!
Wind: Typically, we can shoot despite the wind if we are strategic with WHERE we shoot. But if there are crazy gusts and you would prefer to move to a day when we know your hair won't have flyaways... we can make that happen!
Fog: Typically, fog is only an issue with sunrise shoots.... but I've had it happen! If there is severely thick fog, it will impact your images because they will be cloudy and grey...which is not my typical shooting style that you booked me for.
Cloudy: I have a lot of seniors who get worried about cloudy days because they think their images won't be as bright and beautiful...but rest assured, that's not true!! Cloudy days are actually AMAZING for photographers...because it means there are no harsh shadows!! Unless it is a seriously grey day with heavy fog or severe storm clouds...cloudy days are our friend!! AND they aren't as hot!!
That is COMPLETELY okay! We will make the final call 24-48 hours before your session. Part of the reason I only take 2 senior sessions per week is to leave TONS of room open for rescheduling if we need to for reasons outside of our control (i.e. sickness, weather, emergencies). Typically, you won't have to wait longer than a week if we have to move your date!*
*This does NOT include needing to reschedule because of poor planning, running late or any other reason. These reschedules are required to book for my next available Tuesday/Thursday date - which is typically 2-3 months out.
My skin is breaking out like crazy...HELP!
Girl, we've ALL been there! Don't worry one bit. I am happy to remove any large blemishes in Photoshop - you won't even know it happened! Promise!
Where am I going to change my clothes?
I mentioned this briefly earlier in the guide...but it's a question I get a lot! Typically, my seniors choose to change their outfits in the car. A lot of the time, we are photographing at locations that do not offer public bathrooms, so it's the quickest option! I recommend trying to organize your outfits + accessories ahead of time to make this process super quick and easy. If you would feel more comfortable changing in a bathroom, just let me know ahead of time - I'm happy to select your locations based around which ones have public bathrooms!
