6 Tips On Finding YOUR Perfect Senior Photographer | Hendersonville, NC Senior Photographers

You have finally made it!  It's your senior year.  

You have worked so hard to get to this point in your life.  

I bet one thing you have been looking forward to is your senior portrait experience.

 So I thought I'd put together a little list of tips for you on finding the perfect photographer for YOU! 

1.  Shop around - As much I would love to just say "PICK ME!", that wouldn't be fair to some of you.  You really need to look around to find a photographer that suits YOUR needs.  Ask your friends who they have had take their pictures.  Ask about their experience with their photographer.  Were they happy with their photographer?  Did they have fun during their session?  You will want to find a photographer that you can jive with personality wise.  Having your pictures taken is such a personal thing, you really need to find someone that you connect with.  Someone that is going to help you to feel completely comfortable in front of their camera, and will know how to bring out the very best of you for your pictures.  You will want to find a photographer that you are very comfortable being yourself in front of.  So when asking your friends for referrals, ask them if they were comfortable being themselves with their photographer.

2.  Ask to see an entire session - Let's face it, everyone can take a great picture.  I mean, if a person takes enough pictures, they will most likely get lucky and have at least a couple of images that are pretty good.  But when you are choosing a professional photographer for your senior portraits, my advice is to find a photographer that can create an entire gallery full of beautiful images of you that will really tell the story of who YOU are.  A photographer that knows how to pose you in the most flattering way, and a photographer that knows how to shoot in any lighting condition.  Another benefit of this tip is that during your session, if you have done your homework and you already know that you have hired a photographer that is completely capable of creating beautiful images, you can be completely confident that you ARE going to have beautiful senior portraits.  Which in turn will help you loosen up and enjoy the experience even more.

3.  What do they offer? - You definitely want to find a photographer that offers the types of prints and products you are most interested in.  Some photographers will only offer a digital download, no prints.  Some photographers will only offer prints, but not digitals.  Some will offer both.  So be sure to look for a photographer that offers what you are interested in.  If you aren't sure what you want, ask yourself what you plan to do with your senior pictures.  Do you want to hang them on the wall in the form of a wall portrait?  Do you want to have an album full of all of your images?  Or would you like to have the digitals so that you can print your own portraits?  Or any other number of endless possibilities...

I know many of you will probably want the ability to share your pictures online.  And that's great.  Make sure your photographer will give you the option to share your images with all your friends online.  But you also have to remember that those online galleries on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat won't always be there.  I would hate for you to have all of your senior pictures lost a few years down the road when these websites are no longer around.  So while I definitely want you to be able to share online if you want to, I also want to remind you to think beyond that and realize that you will probably also want to have your images in print for future use.

4.What are others says? - Check out the testimonials from other clients.  A great way to find out what it will truly be like to work with a photographer you are considering, is to read testimonials that their previous clients have written.  So check out the photographers website, Instagram, Facebook, blog, etc... for testimonials.  Is what others are saying sound like something that you want to be a part of?  

5.  Do you love their pictures? - Another important point is do you love their pictures.  In all reality, their pictures are probably what drew you to the photographer in the first place.  But when you ask your friends about their photographers, they may tell you about someone you hadn't heard of before.  So you quickly go to IG to check out their work, only to discover that the photographer totally does not match your style.  Maybe the photographer shoots dark dramatic black and white photography, and your style is more light and colorful.  Or maybe the photographer shoots everything very bright and vibrant, and you really love muted soft tones.  Whatever the case may be, be sure to find someone whose style you love.  It's a really bad idea to hire a photographer who has a portfolio full of bright colorful imagery and expect them to create an entire gallery of black and white portraits for you.  Most photographers have a style that they are passionate about and are very good at.  Asking them to shoot something completely different may not go very well.

6.  Get your parents involved - While you are looking for a photographer that you really love, run it by your parents.  After all, they will want a say in the style of photography that they will want to hang in their home.  They are going to want their son or daughter working with a reputable photographer that they feel safe having around their children.  And most likely, they are the ones paying for the session and portraits.   So definitely get them involved in the process and get their opinions as well.

So there you have it.  6 tips for finding the perfect senior photographer for you!

I hope you found them helpful.

Have you already had your senior portraits taken?  Do you have other tips that you could share with a person searching for their senior photographer?  Please do so in the comments.

 

Billie is a high school senior photographer in Hendersonville, NC.  She shoots in a vibrant & colorful style that is trendy, but that will also stand the test of time.  Billie always makes sure to shoot images during her senior portrait sessions that the senior will love, while also making sure to capture the classic portraits that the parents & grandparents will treasure.  She provides a wide variety of heirloom quality prints and products that can be passed down through the generations, and also provides tech savvy ways to share your beautiful senior portraits with all your friends and family.

High School Senior Grad Announcements | Hendersonville, NC Senior Photographers

Today I thought I'd share some sample grad announcements that I've designed for my Grad Catalog.

 

Custom designed grad announcements are just one more way to stand apart from the crowd and let your style shine through.

I have over 30 designs to choose from.  All customizable with your fav images from your senior session, and information about your grad party.

Some cards are colorful, some glittery, some casual, some are simplistic, some girly, ...
There is something to suit everyone's style!

There are also some guy cards available.  
None pictured here because I decided to feature cards with my senior models pictured.  

I didn't have any guys in my senior model program for the Class of 2015, but things might just change for the Class of 2016.  I'm super excited about having had a few guys recommended to me for my new 2016 senior model program!

If you are a Class of 2015 senior client of mine, be on the watch for an email from me with the entire Grad Catalog.  I can't wait to start designing all of your grad invites!

If you are too excited, and just can't wait for my email, go ahead and Email me to request your copy of my 2015 Grad Catalog.

Billie specializes in high school senior portrait in Western North Carolina. She provides a custom senior portrait experience at a location of your choice with unlimited wardrobe changes. She also finishes off the experience with these gorgeous custom grad cards. Contact her today to set up your senior portrait experience.

My 828Senior Experience | Hendersonville, NC Senior Photographers

Hear about my senior model program from an 828Senior Model herself.  

Guest blogger Shelby Roets.

This year I had the greatest opportunity of not only having my Senior pictures taken by Billie Mitchell, but also being part of the 828Senior modeling group. 

All of Billie's photos are amazing. No matter what she photograph,s she always captures the true beauty in the picture, while making all the colors vividly eye catching. 

Being in the 828Senior group is something I'm personally so glad I did. It was just another opportunity in life to bring me out of my shell even more, and add to my confidence level, which I have struggled with for most of my life. 

One of the biggest things I loved about being an 828Senior model was that Billie always had all these fun, adventurous and colorful ideas for us. For example, the 4th of July photo shoot. After taking photos at a different location previously, we all ended up back at her house and had a paint war in her yard.  It was one of the coolest things I have ever done!

Being an 828Senior Model gives many more perks than just having one session with Billie. In the end you have so many different photos to chose from when she spreads them all out for you to see, it becomes the most difficult decision because every beautiful photo is wanted to be hung up in your living room with love.

Billie made my senior year so special for my family and I.

Not only did I receive the most perfect senior pictures, but I made a life long friend!

It makes my heart happy to read "life long friend" in your post.  The feeling is mutual Shelby.  I have enjoyed every minute of having you in front of my camera.  I've enjoyed our time together without the camera even more.  Thank you so much for being apart of my team this year.  It's been such and amazing journey.  One that I will be so sad to see end in a few months when all of you graduate.   

                                                                                                       xoxo,

Enka High School Senior Portraits | Asheville, NC Senior Photographers

When I receive messages like the one below from a client, I get all teary eyed.  As you will see from Stephanie's pictures, she has no reason at all to be insecure.  She is such a beautiful person.  Inside and out.  It makes me so happy to hear that I was able to help her feel better about her self image and build her confidence, all while having a great time creating gorgeous senior portraits that she can cherish for a lifetime.

Stephanie's words:

"I first heard about Billie from my friend Caitlin.  She recommended me to Billie to help me with my senior project. My project was on natural beauty photography.  I went and shadowed Billie one Saturday morning while she was taking pictures of a girl for her sweet sixteen! I loved learning all her cool techniques she uses, and I was so mesmerized by how cool the experience was.  So much so that I wanted to get her to take my pictures too! 

So on one freezing, windy, cold day we all went to the NC Arboretum and she took my senior pictures! I wasn’t feeling so confident in the beginning of my session.  But then she ended up showing me the pictures on her camera while we were taking pictures.  That made me like a little more confident and I loosened up! She is easy to take pictures with anyways because she is always cracking jokes and laughing, and it just puts a smile on your face! (Which makes for a cute candid picture!) 

I loved how she boosts your confidence while taking pictures.   Coming from a girl who doesn’t have much confidence, it feels good to be happy with your self-image! '

EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET THEIR PICTURES DONE WITH BILLIE!  She is by far the best I’ve seen, and she comes with a great personality! Thank you so much for taking such wonderful pictures for my senior year. I am forever grateful. "

- Steph <3 comment-3--="">

As Stephanie stated, it was a freezing cold morning when we shot these images.  She was such a trooper trying not to look like she was frozen.  I think she succeeded.  This first set of images looks so warm to me.  Almost looks like we were on the beach or something.  And I LOVED her flower crown that she chose to wear with this simple white sundress.

Then she totally changed it up for her second look.  Bringing jeans, a simple white tee, a flannel and a couple of different hats.  I kept telling her I wished we were in a gungy alley for this look.  :)

We stayed with the same outfit when we headed to another part of the arboretum.  Even though it's the same outfit, we created a totally different feel for this set.  It's amazing how different posing and expressions can make the same outfit look completely different.

And then for her final look, she went a little more dressy.  I loved this look as well.  I was amazed at how well she pulled off so many different looks.  I don't think I can really pick a favorite. 

And may I just say how jealous I am of those legs.  If you have met me in person, you can understand my jealousy based on the length of my short little legs.  :)

Thank you again Stephanie for allowing me the honor of creating your senior portraits for you.  I loved working with you both on your senior project and your senior portraits.  I hope you will love them for many years to come.

                                                                               xoxo,

Billie has been shooting high school seniors for 5 years.  First in Central Ohio, and now in Western North Carolina.  She focuses on creating unique sessions for each individual senior, while also helping build a positive self image for the girls she works with.  She believes that by creating a positive self image in her clients, she can help empower them with the confidence they need to go out into the world and pursue their dreams.  Contact her today to set up your YOUnique senior session!

Winter Senior Pictures | Asheville NC Senior Photographers

I've been wanting to write a post about having your senior pictures taken during the winter months. It's something that I believe many people are afraid of doing. But I'm here to tell you that winter sessions can be just as great as any other time of year. 

First of all, who doesn't love layering sweaters, scarves, vests, leggings, boot socks, boots, hats, etc...  I mean really.  There are just so many possibilities.

I'm including lots of inspiration in this post that is from a shoot I did in Asheville for two local boutiques on Haywood Street.  Southern Charm and Charmed.  They have tons of choices to keep you both warm AND stylish during your winter shoot.

Everything from these great knit wraps, to plaid tartan, to cute jackets.

There are lots of really cute hat options for winter photo shoots.  Hats not only keep you warm if it's cold outside for your winter senior session, but they add so much personality to your pictures as well.

Charmed also has these adorable headbands, and I just love this knit shawl!

And boots!  I know y'all have tons of different boots that you love.  Yes cowboy boots are cute in the summer with your sundress, but there are even more boot possibilities in the winter months!

And scarves.... So many different scarf combinations.

And did I forget to mention that it won't be steaming hot during your session when you choose a winter senior session.  I LOVE my summer sessions, I really do.  But lets face it, sometimes it's REALLY hot.

 What if it snows?  Oh my goodness, lets hope it snows!  But only enough snow for pretty pictures.  I'm not wishing for anymore snow than that.  :)

But seriously, snow can make for some really beautiful portraits.  And talk about unique.  How many people do you know that have snow in their senior portraits?  Probably not many!

 If you are interested in a snow session, please let me know.  I will be keeping a list of interested people and calling to set up your snow session when it does snow.

Another perk of winter sessions, it's a slower time of year for photographers.  You will have more luck getting the date that you want to book vs shooting any other time of year.  I really hate when I have to turn clients away because everyone wants to shoot during the same few months of the year.  

Let's face it, the closer you get to graduation, the crazier your schedule is going to be.  Especially if you are involved in spring sports, a spring drama production, etc...  So lets take the time to get your senior pictures taken care of now.  Plus it will be a more enjoyable experience if you aren't rushed and can really take the time to enjoy yourself!

When are you planning on having your senior pictures taken?  Have you given it much thought?  Give winter a chance.  We'll have a blast.  I promise!!!

Billie specializes in high school senior photography in Western North Carolina.  She has been shooting high school seniors for 5 years in both Central Ohio and North Carolina.  She works with seniors from North Henderson, West Henderson, East Henderson, Hendersonville, Brevard High School, Enka High School, AC Reynolds, TC Roberson, McDowell High School,Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, North Carolina School of Science and Math, and Asheville Christian Academy.  She is very excited to add you and your school to her portfolio!

Cheerleader Senior Pictures West Henderson | Hendersonville, NC Senior Photographers

Today I would like to introduce you to another amazing high school senior.

Meet Jesi, a West Henderson High School Class of 2015 senior.

We started Jesi's session at her high school football stadium so we could incorporate her love of cheerleading into her senior pictures

Then we headed off to a local park to finish up her session.  Many of my sessions are shot in more than one location.  It's yet another way to add some variety and personality to your images.

There are so many beautiful locations to shoot in around Western North Carolina.  Whether it's a beautiful natural location, an urban area, an artsy backdrop, or your very own high school.  So many possibilities.  We will discuss all of your location ideas during your pre-session consultation that happens before your session.

I loved when Jesi pulled out this amazing orange hat to add to a few shots.  It's a great example of adding accessories to an outfit to get a little different look for a few pictures.  No need to completely change out the entire outfit every single time. 

Jesi, you have such gorgeous eyes!

This simple white sundress was so feminine and pretty.  I loved how soft and simple this next image turned out.  It's all about Jesi and her beauty.  Not about the background, or a super colorful or trendy outfit, just simply her beauty shining through.  This is a timeless image that she will still love many, many, years down the road.  An image that won't be outdated in 10 years.

Thanks Jesi for a fun afternoon of shooting.  I hope that you will cherish these images that we created together for many years to come.  Best of luck with the rest of your senior year!

Billie specializes in high school senior photography in Western North Carolina.  She has been shooting high school seniors for 5 years in both Central Ohio and North Carolina.  She loves getting to know each of her clients personally so that she can create a custom session that truly tells each senior's story.  If you would love more information about a senior portrait session with Billie, call or email today.

Merry Christmas! | Hendersonville NC Photographers

I just wanted to take a few minutes to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas before I close down for the holidays.  Please enjoy a little peak at my year of fun with oh so many amazing clients that I had the pleasure of meeting and working with in 2014!

I feel so blessed by the amazing things that came my way in 2014. I CANNOT wait to see what 2015 holds! 

                                                                                        
                                                                                      Much love friends...

North Hendersonson Baseball Senior Pictures

When I first talked to Anthony about shooting his senior pictures, we discussed a few different ideas.  As you know, I love personalizing each of my senior sessions to the specific senior I am working with.  Part of the senior portrait experience with Billie Mitchell Photography, is a pre-session consultation to discuss all the details of your session.  During this consultation we talk about wardrobe ideas, location specifics and any props or meaningful items that you wish to include.  For Anthony, it was his love of baseball.

As you can see, he plays for North Henderson High School in Hendersonville, NC.  So we made plans to meet at his field for a portion of his senior session.

 

It's always nice when shooting sports pictures, to shoot at your own field or court.  That way we can incorporate school logos, mascots, and colors to add more interest to your images.

I always enjoy trying to do a little something out of the norm and on the creative side when possible.  These types of images are great for your senior album!

 

After finishing up at the baseball field, we headed to the alleys of downtown Hendersonville for the rest of his session.  He even had his cousin, who is also a senior at AC Reynolds High School, join us for a few shots.

 

Seemed to be a No Parking theme during this session!

 

Alleys are some of my fav places to shoot.

There are usually great stone or brick walls.  And the lighting is usually perfect too!

I definitely recommend a clothing change or two during your session.  Yes, even for the guys.  Gives a lot more variety to your final images.

How about you?  Have your had your senior pictures taken yet?  Call me today to schedule your BMP senior experience!  I promise, it's painless.  Even for the guys!  You might even have a little fun.  No scratch that, you DEFINITELY have loads of FUN!!!  Guaranteed!

Billie specializes in high school senior photography in Western North Carolina.  She has been shooting high school seniors for 5 years in both Central Ohio and North Carolina.  She works with seniors from North Henderson, West Henderson, East Henderson, Hendersonville, Brevard High School, Enka High School, AC Reynolds, TC Roberson, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, North Carolina School of Science and Math, and Asheville Christian Academy.  She is very excited to add you and your school to her portfolio!