Senior photos are usually taken the summer before a student’s senior year to commemorate the big milestone they have reached. Built around that senior and their interests, they can be used to be submitted into the yearbook, posted on Instagram for a tradition called Senior Sunday, or inputted for necessary senior applications. 

Although it’s common for seniors to get their photo taken, most aren’t ever the person behind the camera. For senior Newspaper photo editor Ava McNiel, this is where she feels most at home.

“I was first enrolled in film photography, which I would say was my spark of photography. I hadn’t touched a digital camera yet, but I’ve always had a love for and passion for photography,” McNiel said. “I remember in elementary school I put down photographer for my fifth-grade dream career path.”

Starting digital photography in her digital imaging class junior year, enrolling in Newspaper further enhanced her love for photos.

“[My favorite part of taking pictures] is the feedback that I get. But of course, I just love taking pictures,” McNiel said. “I love capturing the emotions, having my photos tell the story.”

This growing talent and passion has led to McNiel also taking senior photos for her fellow peers. Though enjoyable, the process takes a lot of communication and planning.

“First, I just talk to them asking if they have any inspiration pictures. Then I’ll move on to what kind of location they’re looking for. Pictures are always better in a shady spot, so I try to find an area [with] nature and shade,” she said. “Then, we’ll obviously plan out a day and time — I try not to do it bright early in the morning or during sunset [because] you kind of want that afternoon lighting. Finally, we’ll get together, take the pictures, and I’ll go home and edit them.”

Senior pictures may seem like they need to be in a great location, but McNiel suggests that they can be anywhere.

“You don’t have to go some crazy place downtown. You could literally go in someone’s backyard,” she said. “Obviously downtown has amazing places, but the people who might not want to take that extra step could go to [places] like Ironhorse Park or Prairie Fire.”

Taking pictures may seem as easy as pressing a button, but in reality, there are many things to consider.

“For sports, I always have my eye on the ball and focus on faces. Just getting reaction shots and the emotion,” McNiel said. “When it’s portraits, I always try to crop the person well. I think it’s all about how I’m putting them in the frame.”

After the photo session, McNiel’s next step is editing the pictures, adjusting lighting and cropping them to her liking.

“I do love seeing the outcome when I edit photos, but editing pictures is just a pain—it takes forever,” she said. “But the fun of taking pictures and then seeing that preview of if you got the shot is always so rewarding.”

When taking portrait-style photos, McNiel highlights that it’s essential to create a comfortable environment.

“Try to create a bond with the person before you just jump into pictures. When you’re taking senior pictures, that’s a really big deal to the person and their family,” McNiel said. “I would try to make sure that when you’re taking pictures, make them feel relaxed instead of all tense. You want natural smiles, and never anything forced, just creating that nice environment.”