Senior Portrait Form

Senior portraits are provided free, courtesy of the BC Marketing & Communications' student multimedia team. Sessions are first-come, first-serve. Slots fill up quickly, so don’t wait to book or you may miss your opportunity.  Because sessions are limited, we cannot reschedule your senior portrait if you miss. You may only schedule one session per person. If you cannot make the appointment time you requested, please let us know you need to cancel so we can open that spot to another student. 

What to Expect:

• After submitting the form, you will receive an email notifying you of your submission. This is not a confirmation of your appointment.
• Your appointment is not confirmed until you receive an Outlook calendar invite from our office. If you do not receive that within three days of submitting your request, please email us at photo@berea.edu. Without the invite as confirmation, there may not be a photographer available to fulfill your session.
• Sessions are only 20 minutes. You can split that time any way you want for professional headshots and cap & gown images.
• Arrive camera-ready, but we do have a vanity mirror and products available to make quick adjustments to your appearance.
• We are using a gray backdrop, so please dress accordingly.
• We will be snapping headshots in your professional attire and graduation regalia. Cap, gown, Berea College stole and diploma will be temporarily provided by our office. If you know you’ll have additional stoles or cords you’d like to be photographed with, please bring them with you.
• We cannot make accommodations for late arrivals. For example, if you show up 10 minutes late for your session, you will only have 10 minutes left of shoot time.
• Props are welcome, but must be easy to set up and will not extend the time of your session. We recommend bringing only one or two small props for the sake of time. Your prop may also be a friend, loved one or pet.
• There may be other multimedia students, staff members, graduates, and/or animals present during your session. We may not be able to make accommodations otherwise.
• We will deliver up to 20 digital images within 6 business weeks of your shoot. We often have multiple shoots in post-production at a time. We will complete minor edits when we process your images. In accordance with student labor regulations, we cannot give all or sell any of your captured images. We will not provide unedited or raw images.
• Technology and time permitting, we will allow you to select your favorite images from your shoot. However, you would only be allowed to pick until the beginning time of the next portrait slot (starts every half hour). If you do not get to select your images, select too many, or select duplicates, your photographer will use their expertise to narrow down and deliver to you the best selection of diverse poses captured during your appointment.
• If you select to answer questions for the senior video, your calendar invite will be made for 30 minutes rather than 20 to account for the extra filming time needed.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in the senior graduation video by allowing our videographers to capture behind-the-scenes footage of your shoot and/or answering one of three prompts after your photo session. An example of which can be found here.

Appointments for senior portraits are available from Monday, September 23 through Friday, November 1 to allow our photographers and videographers time to process their galleries and to create the video before graduation. Unfortunately, we do not have the flexibility to extend these dates. This service is provided mainly by our student photography team and delivery times will vary amongst them based on working hours and assignment rate. Keep in mind that our photographers are also creating content for marketing pieces and covering events that take priority.  If you are wanting your images for graduation invitations, we recommend booking before October 14th. We will return them as soon as possible, but it can take up to 6 weeks, depending on workload. Please do not email us asking for your photos before that 6-week mark.

Should we need to cancel your original appointment for any reason, including campus emergency such as inclement weather or other closure, we’ll notify you immediately and offer another appointment at our next available date. In-studio conduct should be that of a respectful, collegiate environment. Seniors exhibiting inappropriate or hostile behavior will be asked to leave and barred from return.  

We want this experience to be as fun as possible, and for you to have a professional headshot to use when you leave Berea, but also cap and gown photos to commemorate your achievements. You’re welcome to come with ideas, but our photographers will also guide you through some poses to help you look your best! We look forward to welcoming you to the studio and celebrating YOU!