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If you’ve ever thought about booking a photo session and found yourself typing questions into Google at 11pm, this post is for you. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the same questions come up again and again – before booking, during planning, and sometimes right before a session. And honestly? I love that people ask. The more you know going in, the more relaxed and fun the whole experience is. So let’s get into the questions I hear most, plus a couple of things I wish more people would ask.

The Questions Everyone Seems to Have (And My Honest Answers)

There’s a pattern I’ve noticed after photographing over 400 sessions. The nerves, the uncertainty, the “wait, what do I actually need to know?” energy – it’s real, and it makes complete sense. Senior portraits are a big deal. You want them to look incredible, feel easy, and actually reflect who you are. So when questions come in, I take them seriously, because a well-answered question almost always leads to a better session.

Here’s a rundown of the top five questions I get asked, and what I genuinely tell people when they ask.

Question 1: What Happens If It Rains?

This is the number one question I get before someone books, and I get it – especially if you’re coming into town on vacation and you’ve got a narrow window of time. The idea of rain messing up your session is stressful, and I completely understand why people hesitate.

Here’s what I tell people: I take a proactive approach to weather, not a reactive one.

• I’m watching the forecast well before your session date.
• I’m aware of what’s developing and I stay on top of it so you don’t have to.
• I build space in my schedule specifically to accommodate a reschedule if we need one while you’re still in town.

Once I walk people through how I actually handle weather decisions – when I make the call, how I communicate it, and how the reschedule process works – they feel a lot more settled about booking. It’s not a “hope for the best” situation. There’s a real plan.

Question 2: Can We Do a Midday Beach Session?

This one surprises me every time, but I get where it comes from. Nap schedules, early risers who refuse to be early risers, summer sunsets that don’t happen until 8:30pm – life is complicated, and midday sounds convenient.

But here’s the thing: midday beach sessions are rough. The sun is harsh, the beach is crowded, and the light is not doing anyone any favors.

When someone asks me about this, I walk them through it honestly. Everything you see on my website, my blog, my Instagram – every single one of those images was taken at sunset. That warm, glowy, “how does everything look that good” quality? That’s what golden-hour light does. It’s not an accident or a filter.

Once people understand that the work they’re drawn to looks that way because of when it was shot, they’re usually pretty willing to shift their schedule around. Sunset suddenly becomes worth it – even if it means adjusting a feeding schedule or pushing bedtime back by an hour.

I’ll also shoot sunrise for anyone who genuinely prefers it. Just not the hours in between.

Question 3: Will I Look Awkward or Stiff?

Almost every senior asks some version of this – whether it’s “I’m not photogenic” or “I never know what to do with my hands” or just a general nervousness about being in front of the camera. This is one of my favorite questions to answer because the short version is: no, you won’t, and here’s why.

My whole approach is built around making you feel comfortable, not just look good. Those two things are connected – when you’re relaxed and having a good time, the photos show it. Some of my most-loved images from sessions are the ones where something genuinely funny happened and the laugh is completely real.

I guide you through posing, I’ll hype you up when you nail a shot, and I keep things moving so there’s no awkward standing around wondering what comes next. Think of it less like a photoshoot and more like hanging out with someone who happens to have a camera.

Question 4: Does It Matter That I’m Not Great With Kids?

This one comes up more in family sessions, but it ties into something I’ve genuinely learned through experience and wish I had figured out sooner.

Early in my career, I was pretty rigid about being professional on set. I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t serious about my work. What I’ve learned since then is that being silly on set – especially with little kids – is actually one of the most effective things I do.

Before a family session, I find the kid who looks the least excited to be there. The one who would clearly rather be anywhere else. That kid becomes my helper. I’ll let a toddler press the shutter button on my camera (still holding it, for the record – I’m not handing my camera to a three-year-old and walking away). Once that toddler has “taken a photo,” suddenly they want to go stand with everyone so they can see what they shot. It works almost every time.

The stiff, everyone-stand-still-and-smile approach has its place – and I do shoot that too – but the moments in between? The laughing, the chaos, the kids being kids? Those end up being some of the most meaningful images from a session.

If I could go back and tell early-career me one thing, it would be: let go of the rigid professionalism on set. The systems, the workflow, the clear communication – all of that is already professional. You don’t have to prove it by being stiff in front of a five-year-old.

Question 5: How Do I Know My Photos Will Actually Look Like Me?

This comes in different forms – “I don’t want to look like everyone else,” or “how do you make sure the photos feel personal?” – but it all comes back to the same thing. People want portraits that actually reflect who they are, not just a generic set of poses in a pretty location.

This is something I take seriously from the very beginning. Before we ever show up to a session, we talk about you – your style, your personality, what locations feel right, how you want to feel in the images. The goal isn’t to fit you into a template. It’s to build a session around who you actually are.

Savannah gives us a lot to work with – Spanish moss, wide-open fields, the downtown architecture, the beach out at Tybee. There’s no shortage of backdrops that feel different from each other, and finding the combination that fits your vibe is part of the process.

The Question I Wish More People Would Ask

Here’s a bonus one, because it comes up way less than it should: What should I wear?

Most people either overthink it or don’t think about it at all until the day before the session. Outfit choices have a huge impact on how your photos feel – and not just aesthetically. Wearing something you feel good in changes how you carry yourself in front of the camera.

It’s worth having that conversation early. I’m happy to help – that’s part of what working with me looks like.

These Questions Are Worth Asking

If you’ve been sitting on a question because you didn’t want to seem like too much or you weren’t sure if it was a “dumb” question – ask it. Seriously. The sessions that go the best are almost always the ones where we’ve had a real conversation beforehand and everyone shows up on the same page.

Good communication before a session isn’t extra work. It’s what makes the whole thing feel effortless when you’re actually in it.

Ready to Book Your Senior Session in Savannah?

If you’re a looking for a high school senior or family session in Savannah, I’d love to connect. Whether you’ve got five questions or fifteen, I’m here for all of them. Head over to jadengiorgianni.com to learn more about what a session with me looks like – and when you’re ready, let’s get something on the calendar before my calendar fills up.

Your senior year deserves photos that actually look like you. Let’s make that happen.