Let me be honest with you. I have had reports from senior moms that their kids missed the yearbook deadline. It’s the most stressful issue that comes up during senior year and it is so avoidable. That is what this is about. I don’t want that to be your story. If your senior is in the Colorado Springs area, this is for you.
Senior year is a blur. In between college applications, homecoming, and just trying to stay afloat we see that which families put off booking senior pictures. Then October hits and all of a sudden everyone is in a rush. Here is the truth. Yearbook deadlines are not flexible.
The school is looking for a picture of you to be turned in by a certain date that also has some specifics which I will get into. Things like no hats in the picture, proper cropping, plain background. We are not just asking for any cute picture, we want the right picture.
If your senior is a part of D11 that includes schools like Palmer, Doherty, Mitchell, and Coronado you can expect them to go by a deadline in late October. That may seem like a long way out but it isn’t. In the case of D20 which has Air Academy, Pine Creek, Rampart, and Discovery Canyon as members, those schools also have the same tight timelines. What I always do is tell families to think the due date is two weeks sooner than what is given. By the time you pick a session, wait for the gallery to come out, select your favourite photos and then turn it all in, time flies.
I cover senior portraits all year round, also I have noticed this. Families that wait till fall are the ones which end up stressed out. Colorado’s fall weather is unpredictable. One week we may have beautiful golden light in the mountains. The next week there is six inches of snow and your session has to be put off. We see the best results in summer and early fall. The light is warm. The locations Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Canyon, downtown Colorado Springs they are all very pretty. Your senior is at ease. There is no deadline stress. That is the best time.
I don’t bring this up out of pressure. I do it because it is true. Most photographers in the Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Cañon City area book their summer and fall senior sessions months in advance. When July hits, the calendar fills up quickly.
If your senior is a rising junior right now, you can even book ahead. A lot of families do. There’s no rule that says you have to wait until senior year officially starts.
Yearbook photos don’t have to feel like a DMV appointment. Your kid has worked hard to get to this moment. The senior portrait session should be a celebration, not a task. When we work together I make sure we cover all the yearbook bases and come away with images that really capture your senior. Relaxed. Real. Them. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out. I’m happy to chat through timings, locations, what to expect. No pressure, just a conversation.
Serving seniors and their families in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Cañon City. Let’s make something beautiful before that deadline hits.
