Senior Pictures for Boys Who Love Skiing and Water-Sports - Marcus High School Photographer Lisa McNiel

You can't find anyone to say a negative word about Zach Stancoff. He seems to be as genuinely humble and kind as he is athletic and handsome. His faith, his family and his beautiful girlfriend keep him grounded and pleasant with an easy smile, a listening ear, and an effort to make each situation a positive one.

Zach was one of my senior models and part of a "Street Style" shoot and Prom shoot (blog to be posted soon). We did his Senior Session Portraits in Grapevine and on Grapevine Lake to show his love of skiing, fishing, and all things lake and water-sport related. It was the last night of Summer before his senior year at Marcus High School in Flower Mound began and it was perfect. Beautiful weather, perfect sunset, and a simultaneously exhilarating and mellow evening. 

Keep reading below photos to see tips on how to prepare your son for Senior Pictures with me.

For more senior pictures and how to contact me in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, click https://www.lisa-marie-photography.com/

How to prepare for your Senior Picture Session for Guys:

1. Bring snacks and water - but especially water - for your son. I know it's mostly moms reading this because I'm a mother of sons and my boys would never think about it until an hour before the shoot! They will not think they need it. You won't think they need it. I want them to have it. It puts them in a good mood to be hydrated and a blood sugar boost about halfway through the session.

2. Put together a really dressy outfit. Buy a suit. He will need it for so many things this year. And when you have that wedding or funeral, he will be prepared. Get help from the stylists at the store. They are up-to-date on fit and style for young men. They also know that cool, funky, socks with a suit are in style now. 

3. All his other clothes should have a "slim fit" or better, "athletic cut," unless he is stockier. The clothes need to fit his body without being tight.

4. Shoes are important. They are important to the dressy AND the casual outfits. They need to not only match the style of his clothes, they need to be on the newer side. 

5. Socks are also important. They will show in various poses.

6. Bring props: a framed photo of him as a little boy, a letterman's jacket, a prop from a sport he plays, sheet music, an instrument, a jersey, a helmet, a globe if he wants to travel, comic books, anything you can think of. The only exception I can think of is gaming. I haven't thought of a good prop for gamers, but if you think of one, please contact me!

7. Please ask me to send you the Questionnaire and fill it out with your son. I find out things in it that can enhance your session with different ideas, and also it gives me something to talk to him about so that he feels more comfortable and relaxed with me and I get more genuine expressions.

8. Please let me know if you have a dog that could come for a few of the shots or can stay in the car for part of the session. Though they can eat up a little time, they make for genuine smiles. This also goes for girlfriends!

9. Please make sure the haircut is not too new. A week to two weeks before the shoot should be good depending on how fast his hair grows.

10. Don't pick at your skin. I can edit blemishes. Also, be sure you do not get a sunburn before the shoot. Red skin is very difficult to edit, and peeling skin, even more so, plus the nose always takes the brunt of it, so it looks crazy. 

Senior Pictures at the Riverwalk in Flower Mound by Highland Village Photographer Lisa McNiel

July is a vacation time for most families here in the Dallas area, but I was able to get together three of my Senior Models on short notice when I wanted to try out some lighting on a new Riverwalk location in Flower Mound. These three fun girls rocked their session and then went off afterwards to cool off by celebrating National Ice Cream Day.

Follow me on pinterest here: lisalovespics 

To see more photos from senior photographer Lisa McNiel, click Dallas-Photographer or follow a DFW-Senior-Photographer on Facebook.

Handsome Young Man's Senior Pictures from Tyler by Dallas Photographer Lisa McNiel

How cute is Jack? I mean... seriously! But I did his older brother, Nic's photos last year, and they look so much alike.  (Click here  to see Nic's blog.) Jack is much more of a youngest child cutting up, not thinking about time, teasing his mom, plus he's an extrovert. His mom was traveling all the way from Tyler to Flower Mound for Senior Pictures so we carefully planned for July instead of August thinking we could dodge the 100+ temperatures we had with Nic. We were wrong, but Jack was great. His mom, Lisa, did a great job with his clothes, matching his eyes with a light blue shirt, and the crisp tailoring on his white shirt and navy jacket gave him a Country Club chic. He looked like he belonged in GQ Magazine. She also wanted photos in his basketball uniform and favorite UT tee shirt as that's how she always sees him. 

Scroll down for tips on how to prepare for your son's senior session!

To book me or see more recent work, click here: Dallas Senior PIctures

How to prepare for your Senior Picture Session for Guys:

1. Bring snacks and water - but especially water - for your son. I know it's mostly moms reading this because I'm a mother of sons and my boys would never think about it until an hour before the shoot! They will not think they need it. You won't think they need it. I want them to have it. It puts them in a good mood to be hydrated and a blood sugar boost about halfway through the session.

2. Put together a really dressy outfit. Buy a suit. He will need it for so many things this year. And when you have that wedding or funeral, he will be prepared. Get help from the stylists at the store. They are up-to-date on fit and style for young men. They also know that cool, funky, socks with a suit are in style now. 

3. All his other clothes should have a "slim fit" or better, "athletic cut," unless he is stockier. The clothes need to fit his body without being tight.

4. Shoes are important. They are important to the dressy AND the casual outfits. They need to not only match the style of his clothes, they need to be on the newer side. 

5. Socks are also important. They will show in various poses.

6. Bring props: a framed photo of him as a little boy, a letterman's jacket, a prop from a sport he plays, sheet music, an instrument, a jersey, a helmet, a globe if he wants to travel, comic books, anything you can think of. The only exception I can think of is gaming. I haven't thought of a good prop for gamers, but if you think of one, please contact me!

7. Please ask me to send you the Questionnaire and fill it out with your son. I find out things in it that can enhance your session with different ideas, and also it gives me something to talk to him about so that he feels more comfortable and relaxed with me and I get more genuine expressions.

8. Please let me know if you have a dog that could come for a few of the shots or can stay in the car for part of the session. Though they can eat up a little time, they make for genuine smiles. This also goes for girlfriends!

9. Please make sure the haircut is not too new. A week to two weeks before the shoot should be good depending on how fast his hair grows.

10. Don't pick at your skin. I can edit blemishes. Also, be sure you do not get a sunburn before the shoot. Red skin is very difficult to edit, and peeling skin, even more so, plus the nose always takes the brunt of it, so it looks crazy. 

Flower Mound Family Pictures by Highland Village Photographer Lisa McNiel

I love names like Gabriella and Monique, so romantic and European! I had taken Gabriella's cheer photos a couple of years ago and then she was one of the underclassmen I photographed for a St. Patrick's shoot in downtown Dallas. Her mom, Monique, wanted family photos for her husband's birthday and to my delight, he was in great spirits the whole time. We did the Hill Family photos in Flower Mound and Highland Village and included their two darling dogs. She wanted to know what to wear and I suggested she look at the colors in her home, that she likes to decorate with. She sent me photos of the artwork on her walls which included bright primary colors much like the great girl dance scene from "LaLaLand." She happily got together clothes in those colors for her family. One of the smartest things she did was to get leashes for the dogs in the colors she wanted! It worked perfectly for her walls and for a family album.

Follow me on pinterest here: lisalovespics 

To see more photos from senior photographer Lisa McNiel, click Dallas-Photographer or follow a DFW-Senior-Photographer on Facebook.

How to Take Family Photos with a Dog - Six tips - by Dallas Photographer Lisa McNiel

When you look back over old photo albums, or slides, or videos, you laugh at your hairstyles, wish you still had an outfit, and realize how good that dog really was.

Family photos can be a challenge, but it's not always about getting the perfect group picture. Sometimes it's more about getting at least one beautiful portrait of each family member that gives you a glimpse of their personality. their unique beauty, and if possible tell a little of their story. In the grouping above, one of the siblings was overseas and couldn't be there for the photos, so when we can get a picture of him, he can be added to the grouping.

This can make for a wonderful display on the wall at home. One reason why is that as the family changes, marriages, children, new family members are added or grow to adulthood, just their photos can be changed out. For example, a son's photo can be changed out for a picture of him and his wife if you still love all the individual photos of the others. These can be added to a group family shot, or as in this example, the anchoring image is primarily of the land where they live, with a daughter sitting on the fence.

I fell in love with "Honey," the 13-year-old Golden Retriever who was happy to amble around the farm, smiling at her people and surroundings. When she cheesed for the camera with her favorite girl I though I might have to sneak her onto the plane home.

If you choose to include your dog in your photos:

1. Make sure you have a leash and collar that will look good in photos on your wall. Bright colors are not recommended.

2. Recognize that extra time is needed to get the dog to comply.

3. As a family, you need to be looking at your photographer and smiling, not looking at the dog and trying to get it to do what the photographer wants.

4. Count on and appreciate candid shots of the dogs and how funny and crazy they can be.

5. Get individual shots of the dogs as they can look great in a display with everyone in a grouping on the wall or in an album.

6. Bring water and treats.

Also, to see more ideas for family photos, check out this post from Shutterfly where two of my families are featured!

Follow me on pinterest here: lisalovespics 

To see more photos from senior photographer Lisa McNiel, click Dallas-Photographer or follow a DFW-Senior-Photographer on Facebook.

These are some headshots done for dad with and without his golden retriever and lab.

A young couple with their first fur baby.

Individual shots like senior pictures with a horse or favorite dog you grew up with to save memories of your childhood furry friends.

Mom needs individual pictures since she's usually the one behind the camera, and when you have a white lab this pretty, how can you resist?