By Liz Bey

OG staff writer

Imagine the beauty of Yellowstone Park: Large, picturesque mountains behind you, green grass underfoot and a babbling river off to the side. The wind blows your hair back as a photographer clicks your perfect pose into history.

One lucky Conneaut Lake High School senior, Lexie Tingley, got to experience having her senior portraits taken in just that way. The 18-year-old recently had her pictures taken at the famous park during her family vacation out west. Blake’s Photography, nestled in Cody, Wyo., was the photography company that immortalized her for her senior year.

For many seniors, this is a bustling time of year. Most are considering colleges, working on applications, juggling all of their course work and social lives, not to mention attempting to find the senior photographer who is just right for them. That may be an easy choice for some, but for others there are numerous things to consider.

To make life a little easier, OG’s decided to offer some senior portrait pointers.

Some of the main things to consider are location of the photographer, pricing, what types of pictures are sold and how much time it takes to service the photos. A lot of places do not work cheap anymore, and quality is always an important qualification.

When planning for your photo shoot, consider giving your hair a natural look. Do not go out the day before and get a new style; you want to look like yourself in the photos.

A second consideration for the shoot is clothing. Most photographers share the view that solid colors are always best because busy patterns distract. Another thing: Remember formal wear as well as casual!

Eyeglasses create glares that usually require re-touching fees, so think about going without, or adding the cost in.

Also, most photographers encourage their seniors to bring props for the shoot: Sports gear, instruments, cars, pets and even friends!

When asked about advice for future portrait models, Tingley said “get inside and outside pictures, and just be yourself.”

From a personal perspective, this reporter agrees. Years from now, you want to remember yourself as who you were ... not someone you weren’t.