Trending With High School Seniors

Let’s face it, High School Senior photography is trendy. Each year a new group of 17-year-old kids filters through my door to get photos done by me. Each year I get one year older, but my client is always the same age. Think about that for a second….

Trends are one of the hardest things to stay on top of, but it’s also the number one thing I love most about the High School Senior Photography market.

So how do I keep up with the trends and stay reinvent? I’m not in the fashion capital of the world by no means, so I do my research. I read fashion magazines like W and Vogue. 

I pay attention to advertising that is targeted to my senior demographic by huge companies that spend millions on market research. Some of my favorite places to watch are Buckle, Free People, Anthropologie, Pink, Mac Cosmetics, Forever 21, and much more.

I see what is trending on social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, YouTube, and Pinterest. If you are a High School senior photographer and don’t spend time on these social media platforms, I suggest you jump on and start learning them asap. These sites are where your demo is hanging out!

Pinterest is a site that many teens look at and “pin” things like fashion, makeup, photography, etc. I’ve been using Pinterest for several years to pin fashion trends and help direct my senior clients with clothing suggestions. It’s a great tool to stay up on the trends as well.

Every few months Pinterest takes all that pinned data and puts into in things that are trending. This data gives me a snapshot of what to expect will be hot for the upcoming year. Warning….Pinterest is addicting; you might lose several hours of your day pinning things!!!

If you don't have time to wait for the trending snapshot that Pinterest sends out, you can always do a search inside of Pinterest. I suggest using terms like:

Trending in fashion (year)

Trending colors (year or upcoming season)

Trending now

Class of (year)

We are living in a time that allows us to easily stay up on the trends if we put a little work into it. I actually enjoy seeing what will be the hot new color or fashion accessory of the year. 

One thing I never do is try to BE the trend or try and act like I’m a teenager. Seniors can sense someone acting a mile away! The trick is to be informed of the trends, so you are prepared but don’t be the trend if that isn’t your style.

If you liked this article and want to learn more from Dan Frievalt M. Photog. CR, please sign up for my free Master Class online training.