Words and photos by Shey Detterline
A high school senior session is not just about the images, it’s also a celebration of a senior’s identity, their past, and their wide-open future. When I’m lucky enough to photograph twin seniors, my logistics change to include photographing the twins together as part each individual’s session. I treat each senior’s session as his own, since each has his own preferences, style, and vision for his images. But photos of twins together are so important, and I insist all my seniors pose together for at least a handful of photos.
Twin vibes.
The senior’s personality and vibe helps me choose a perfect location and what kind of session to do, as well as which season would be best. With twins, sometimes these match and we can do one long session with both seniors, but other times the seniors prefer different vibes.
If we have two sessions, at the end of one of the twins’ sessions, I have the other twin arrive (in a coordinated outfit) and capture some images of them together. These images are always favorites of their parents and grandparents, and perhaps the last professional portraits of them together before they leave home.
Perfect twin poses.
For posing girls, I like to begin with them sitting together, leaning into each other, and I get a candid and a posed image. Parents always like the pose with the twins’ heads together, lying on their backs looking up at the sky, as they’ve likely posed as children. I finish with some standing poses, with their backs together and a classic hug or handholding pose.
For twin brothers or brother/sisters, I do angled back-to-back or standing side by side, or with their arms around each other.
Twins share three tips for photographing senior twins
By April and Amy Rankin
1. Outfits.
2. Posing.
3. Relationship style.
Shey Detterline, of Shey Marin Photography, has been a leading newborn photographer in Washington, D.C., since 2008. She provides both in-studio and location photography, and specializes in maternity, newborn, baby, child, family and senior photography.
Photographing twin seniors isn’t easy! Download Click’s ultimate guide to photographing twins (and multiples) right here.
Here are a few more stories we think you’ll love:
7 tips for photographing authentic sibling interaction
5 Ways to maintain your sanity during busy season
You can create authentic photos even when posing and directing
