Denver Senior Photographer for Colorful Colorado High School Seniors

This depends on your school’s yearbook submission deadlines, but most seniors schedule their senior portraits during the summer before senior year begins or early in the fall. If yearbook submission isn’t a concern, you’re welcome to book a senior photography session at any time of year.

I have a ton of great locations up my sleeve and I’m happy to help figure out the perfect spot for your senior photos. It really helps if you can tell me a little about what kind of environment you’re drawn to and whether you have any special props or items you want to include so I can suggest locations that will work best for you.

Maybe you’re picturing mountain peaks in the background, showing off Red Rocks in the distance, or soaking up all the fall color (hello fellow pumpkin spice lovers!). Or maybe you’re more of an urban city dweller and want the Denver skyline, murals, or energy of the street environment to be part of your session.

You can also bring meaningful things into your photos like your car, your furry lil bestie, or even something you love doing, like riding a bike, playing an instrument, or rolling around the rink in your favorite skates. If you’re into something more simple and classic, we can absolutely do that too.

If you want inspiration, I’ve put together a guide with senior photo location suggestions around Denver and throughout Colorado to help get ideas flowing.

Wait 5 minutes! (yuk yuk) But in all seriousness, Colorado is usually pretty nice and reschedules are thankfully pretty rare. But, in the event that the weather just won’t cooperate I will reschedule with you. I always keep an eye on the forecast and will be in touch if weather looks questionable.

1–3 outfits is ideal for most senior photo sessions. You don’t have to change outfits if you don’t want to, but having a couple of different looks can add variety to your senior photos.
Bringing more than three outfits usually means spending a lot of your session time changing instead of actually creating photos, so I recommend keeping it to three or fewer. A popular approach is one casual outfit and one that’s a little more dressed up.
Most importantly, wear something you feel good in because when you feel confident, it shows, and that always leads to better photos. I’ve also written a full guide with tips and advice on what to wear for senior photos if you’d like more help planning your outfits.

Of course, anyone who makes you feel comfortable and supported is welcome, whether that’s a parent, guardian, or a friend.

I schedule all senior photo sessions during the hour or two before sunset because that’s when the light is soft, flattering, and truly the prettiest of the day. During the summer, that can mean a start time as late as 6:30 or even 7:00 pm.
I don’t typically schedule sunrise sessions since I never quite grew out of hating getting up early, and I’m definitely more creative when I’m fully awake. That said, if there’s a special reason for an early start (like a hot air balloon ride), I’m always open to chatting about a sunrise session instead.

Senior photo sessions typically last 1–2 hours, which gives us plenty of time to create a great variety of images without feeling rushed.
I aim to have your photos ready to view in your online gallery within about three weeks of your session. Turnaround time can vary slightly depending on the time of year and I’m generally faster from January through mid-summer, while late summer through the holidays tends to be busier.
If you’re working with a specific deadline, just let me know as soon as possible so I can be upfront about timing and do my best to accommodate your needs.

Trust me, you don’t want to see every single photo from your session. You will see all of the images that turned out well, but I remove any photos with technical issues, unflattering expressions, or duplicates. That way, you’re only sorting through the best of the best, not hundreds of near identical frames.

After your session, I’ll select a handful of my favorite images to share as a sneak peek on the blog or as a preview. These favorites are fully retouched.

The rest of your images will be lightly retouched and presented as proofs in an online gallery for you to view and choose from. Light retouching includes overall color, exposure, and basic polish so you can clearly see the final potential of each image.

Any images you choose to order are then fully retouched, just like the favorites you see in the sneak peek. Below is a visual example showing the difference between an unretouched image, a proof image, and a fully retouched final photo.

Original (Unretouched)

Lightly Retouched Proof

Fully Retouched Final Image

I’m happy to help prepare your image for yearbook submission, as long as I receive your school’s submission guidelines at least two weeks before the deadline. I’ll make sure the image meets the technical requirements, but it’s still important for you to double-check with your school’s yearbook staff to confirm that everything has been submitted and accepted correctly.

The copyright for all images created during your session remains with April O’Hare Photography. When you purchase digital files, you’ll receive a print release for personal use, which means you’re free to make prints, share your images on social media, and enjoy them however you’d like for personal purposes.

Any commercial use of the images such as using them for a business, advertising, or anything intended to generate income would require written permission and may be subject to additional fees.

It’s painless, I promise! Start by getting in touch and we'll talk about dates and locations and what your envisioning for your senior photos. To officially reserve your session date, a parent or guardian will sign the contract and a 50% non-refundable retainer is required, with the remaining balance due at the end of your session.

I can’t wait to hear more about you and start planning your senior photo experience!