Yorba Linda High School Senior Photos | Beach Senior Pictures | Araia
Araia found me online for her Yorba Linda High School senior photos and I’m so, so glad she did! From the moment we kicked off her session, I felt like I had known her for years.
We started at Mission San Juan Capistrano, which is one of my favorite senior photo locations in Orange County. It does require a permit (don’t worry, we’ll take care of those logistics ahead of time), but the perks of booking a dedicated photography venue is so worth it. For one thing, having a permitted location like this means we typically get some automatic crowd control. Sure, you might see the occasional museum-goer, but for the most part it’s just us, some chirping birds, and the sound of the fountain. It’s a peaceful, semi-private setting that is perfect for a photoshoot. People don't always think about this when they're choosing their locations, but it really can make a big difference in how comfortable a subject feels in front of the camera. The fewer people who are looking at them, the more they can relax and let their guard down.
What a joy it was to work with Araia! We reached a fun flow-state early on in her Yorba Linda High School senior photo session. I have no doubt that her refreshing, personable sense of humor and the overall light-heartedness about her played a huge role in that. And one thing became abundantly clear in the first 10 minutes or so: her bright personality definitely runs in the family! Her mom, Apryl, was so supportive of her. It was clear that her number one goal was to set Araia up to feel confident and celebrated while having fun!
We ended the session at the beach during golden hour. Araia’s mom posted up on a lifeguard tower to soak in the sunset and let Araia shine, while we splashed around in the water for our final round of photos. It was one of those enviable “only in SoCal” December days with incredibly nice weather.
Throughout the session, we played around with different backdrops, outfits, and senior photo poses — including one of my favorites, where I tell the senior to “melt down” into their lap. Seated shots can be tricky, as it depends on many factors like how high the surface is that you’re sitting on, the subject’s height, the length of their limbs, and what they are wearing. So while it’s one of those poses that looks effortless, there is quite a bit to think about behind the scenes — let’s walk through each step together, shall we?
Araia is a great example of this pose done just about perfectly! To nail this pose, start by scooting to the edge of where you’re sitting (or if you’re the photographer, instruct your subject to do so), then lean your upper body forward until your forearms rest on your knees. Your wrists should be crossed and hanging over the edge of your knees. At this point, it helps to adjust posture — even though you’re sort of hunched forward, you still want to squeeze your shoulder blades together in the back to avoid a curved, text-neck look. Now for the final detail, bring half of your hair forward and push the rest back, so that the section furthest from the camera cascades down and in front.
She also nailed my 3 T’s for her senior photo outfits, and she looked beautiful in every one. But even better was how comfortable and confident she seemed (which I’m sure is thanks in part to her amazing mom, Apryl!). We love seeing so much support from loved ones during these milestone moments.
