Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Oh Shoot!

I’m gonna sound like an old fart when I say this, but I’ll say it anyway. Senior pictures sure aren’t like they used to be when I was young. When I was a senior, everybody went to the same photographer. You shot just enough photos to get a good portrait or two to hang on the wall and fulfill your yearbook requirements, paid your $100 and went home. If you were really ambitious you might bring a change of clothes. These days senior pictures tend to be much more elaborate with multiple outfits and fashion model type poses. They can be really fun, but the prices can run into the hundreds of dollars. By the way, I’m not a fan of the portraits in which the photographer gives the girls that pouty sultry look with suggestive poses. It just seems way too sexual for me and more of an imitation of what these kids see in magazines as opposed to a sincere attempt to capture the character of the person in the portrait. Of course, that’s what some kids want, but my preference is something less “tart”-ish. Hula rant done.

Even the simplest of senior portraits today is way more complex than those of my high school years. And in stumbling across my senior pictures this week I have to say that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hello feathered bangs and Peter Pan collars! I’ve missed you so. Not.


Oh, and it’s worth noting that when this picture was taken I was terribly annoyed with my mother because she wouldn’t buy me for this shoot a cowboy hat and boots that were all the rage during those Urban Cowboy years. I have to admit, once AGAIN, she was right. Shoot.

8 comments:

Kelley with Amy's Angels said...

My mother INSISTED that I have a photo taken playing my viola. Not only that, but she ordered a 16x20 of that photo.

I'm an only child.
This means I will get that photo when she dies.

What the hell will I do with a 16x20 photo?

Living Life said...

Your Senior portrait looks way better than mine! Mine was the traditional photo with the drape thingy across your chest. Boring.

A New England Life said...

Yeah, cause a cowboy hat would have really brought so much to the photo. LOL!

I agree with everything you're saying. My daughter wanted this one woman, who's local, to shoot her senior pics. It was going to cost us upwards of $500+! We can't afford that. But a lot of girls ARE spending that much and it seems ridiculous to me.

Tomorrow I'm going to take my daughters photos, though I doubt she'll cooperate for me : /

I have to admit, my senior pics were pretty nice. He took a lot of different poses and I had several outfits. I guess I was one of the lucky ones.

Trailboss said...

My senior picture was one shot taken when I was 16. We took them the summer before your senior year. I remember the photographer commented that I had a tan. I did. That was because I had been grounded for seeing my boyfriend and all I had to do then was work and lie in the sun. Awww, those were the days!

oreneta said...

Oh, but think of the blog post if she had let you wear it!

karisma said...

This is a beautiful picture! Perfect setting!

Cruise Mom said...

I had the cowboy hat in mine ~ your mom was right.

J.G. said...

My senior picture was the boring studio shot with the velvet drape, too. And my hair is horrible because my mother insisted I get it done at a salon and then the curl didn't hold. (I was secretly pleased that it turned out badly.)