Every photographer has had someone text a Pin of a photo they want to recreate. And most photographers have a love/hate relationship with using Pinterest to plan a photo session. We are a creative bunch and we like the pride of creating something new and fresh.

Shockingly I’ve started to encourage my seniors to use Pinterest to plan their senior session. But I want to be clear- this isn’t about recreating every shot.

Why to use Pinterest to plan your senior session: A Case Study

Let me tell you a story.

Meet Emma. I met Emma last year through Emerge Youth Leadership and this year she’s a member of my Senior Company. Two full years of hanging with Emma is the BEST.

We started planning Emma’s session like we always do. First a session-prep questionnaire to get ideas flowing and then a video style consult. During our style consult I could tell Emma had a very clear picture of what she wanted her senior pictures to look like. But what I thought her vision was and what it actually was were a little different.

I could tell our plans were close to what she envisioned but not spot on. So we went back to her Pinterest board.

There were 2 natural locations we were considering but when we went back to the concepts and themes that recurred in her pins one was clearly the stronger contender.

Then we moved onto wardrobe and Emma showed me several fantastic options. They all aligned well with her vision but she was stuck on one outfit. Should she choose a cream or black top? We took it back to the Pinterest board again and realized that she overwhelmingly pinned light neutrals in contrast to the 2 pins that had a dark top or dress.

In the end Emma’s session was perfectly her. We nailed the vision she had for her session thanks to a lot of communication and her Pinterest board.

Tips for using Pinterest to plan your senior session

Pin the pictures that have an overall tone you love. Worry less about finding the perfect shot with the best outfit and pin the images that you love for the big picture.

Pin outfits you love separately from the detritus of the background. This is basically the same but opposite of the first tip 😉

Review the board as a whole looking for themes. What elements, colors and similarities stand out? Those are the secret sauce to nailing your dream session.

Kate Walton is a photographer with Studio Kate serving Northwest Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. She specializes in Senior Portrait Photography and Branding photography for small businesses in Rome, Ga. If you would like to view more of Kate’s work visit her website at Studio Kate. Instagram is also a great way to get to know her.

Let’s plan your session! The first step is scheduling a complimentary call to talk about the best way Kate can serve you. Use this scheduler for Seniors and this one for Brands.