Storytelling Through Senior Portraits: How to Choose Backdrops that Reflect Personality
WITH ANNIE MARIE
I love working with high school seniors. They are old enough to have their own distinct personalities and styles, but young enough to want to have fun and be up for anything—as long as it makes them look good.
How Do You Choose Backdrops for a Senior Portrait Session?
Before even picking up the camera, choosing your photography backdrops for senior portraits and preparing for the session should always start with understanding the senior. You need to know who they are, what they love, and what they want from their session. If you just let them 'show up,' you're doing them a disservice. These images are very special to them, and they need to reflect who they are.
The best thing you can do to prepare is to sit down with them and their parent(s). Chat with them, get to know them, and ask questions. This not only reassures them that you're on their side but also gives them confidence that they hired the right photographer. Figuring out how to choose backdrops that reflect personality starts with understanding the senior's interests, style, and how they want to be portrayed. Customizing the photos to reflect their personality is key to a successful session (and sale).
If you can't meet with them in person for any reason, providing a detailed form for them to fill out (and by 'them,' I mean the senior, not the parent) is essential. This can be incredibly helpful, and I have them complete it even if we’ve met in person. Seniors are sometimes more open when filling out a form than they are during a face-to-face meeting.
How Do You Customize a Senior Portrait Session to Reflect the Senior’s Personality?
I take all of the information I got in our chats, and we choose the perfect location for them—or a combination of locations. We go over clothing for the session to ensure the right styling and vibe, and to make sure they don’t show up with all the wrong stuff… which they sometimes do anyway. But at least we are 10 steps ahead and will be ready to go on session day.
Choosing photography backdrops for a senior session is about more than just aesthetics—it's about capturing their personality in a setting that enhances their style. Whether it's a vibrant urban backdrop, a soft and dreamy studio setting, or a bold, textured background, the right choice helps tell their unique story.
For this blog post, I will be going over three sessions with three very different girls and styles. I want to show my thought process in choosing outfits and photography backdrops for senior portraits that truly reflect who they are.
Fine Art and Traditional Senior Portraits: Choosing Timeless Photography Backdrops
Tiana came to me with an idea for a fine art shoot. She loves vintage-style costumes and had purchased a beautiful black dress for her senior portraits. As a fine art photographer, I was excited about the concept! Since the dress was black, I knew I wanted to create a low-key image. I chose one of my favorite photography backdrops for senior portraits from BackgroundTown called Draping Grey.
Draping Grey
Gray Elegant Fine Art Backdrop for Photography
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This backdrop was exactly what I was looking for—it has that dramatic low-key feel, with some texture from the sweeping curtain that perfectly complemented her dress. I also brought in a vintage black chair for some of the shots. For the lighting, I used a Rembrandt setup, which really brought out the fine art style I was going for. I placed a 50" parabolic umbrella to camera left, feathered in front of her, and a white v-flat on camera right for fill. To add a little extra drama, I positioned a light above and behind her to camera right as a hair light. I used my constant lights for this set to keep the lighting smooth and steady.
Boho Backdrop Look for a Bohemian Senior Portrait
I'm a sucker for the bohemian vibe since that's part of who I am, so working with Riley for this look was fun! For her session, we needed a backdrop for senior portraits that matched her relaxed, free-spirited style. I chose the Boho Room II backdrop from BackgroundTown because it offered the perfect earthy, cozy feel we were going for.
Boho Room II
Brown Backdrop for Photography
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I pulled a crocheted dress from my studio's style closet—no shoes needed for this effortless, laid-back vibe! Her makeup was kept minimal to maintain a natural look, and we made sure everything felt soft and authentic.
To complement the photography backdrop, I positioned a 90" parabolic umbrella high to camera left to simulate natural window light. A white v-flat on camera right helped fill in the shadows, and I added an eyelighter to bring some extra pop to her eyes. For this set, I used my constant lights to keep everything soft and consistent.
Modern Senior Portraits: Using Clean Photography Backdrops for Editorial Looks
Claire wore a modern, fitted bright blue dress, so we wanted to create something clean and bold to showcase the color and shape. We needed a photography backdrop for senior portraits that would help make the dress pop and keep everything fresh. I turned to Iowa Snow from BackgroundTown—it's been a workhorse in my studio and was the perfect choice for this look.
Iowa Snow
Solid White Backdrop for Photography
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For the lighting, I wanted to keep it polished and sharp, so I used a beauty dish and reflectors. The beauty dish was positioned in front and slightly to the left, raised just enough so the reflections in her eyes would catch at 10:00. I also had another bare strobe pointed up at the ceiling behind me to camera right to fill in the scene. The eyelighter below her added just the right touch to bring out her eyes. For this set, I used my strobes to give the images more punch and a powerful, high-fashion feel.
Conclusion on Choosing Backdrops for Senior Portraits That Reflect Personality
As you can see, by simply changing out the backdrops and outfits, you can completely alter the vibe of the images. This can all be done in just one session, allowing you to provide your clients with a variety of looks that capture different sides of their personality. The variety of photography backdrops for senior portraits from BackgroundTown is virtually endless, ensuring that there’s something to fit every style you want to create.
Technical Details - Camera: Canon R6 // Lens: Canon 24-70R // Lights: Small Rig (constant light - main), Stella 2000 (constant light - hair), Profoto B10 x2 (strobes) // Modifier: 50in. Parabolic Umbrella w/diffuser, 50” Parabolic Umbrella w/diffuser, Beauty Dish // White V-Flat for fill // Eye Lighter for fill