Ideas and Poses for Senior Pictures with Books | Mesa Graduation Photographer Captures the Hobbies You Love

When I learned how diverse and interesting Isobel's interests are, I HAD to make sure we captured her love of books AND her iconic style! If you're a book lover too, you won't want to miss these fun ideas and poses for including books in your photo shoot!

Creative & Captivating: Plan Senior Pictures That Showcase All Your Activities & Interests

If you’ve been following along, you already know this is Part 2 of Isobel’s professional photo session for her senior pictures! Yep, Isobel’s interests, hobbies, and activities are so diverse and varied that I wanted to be sure to capture every little thing that makes her tick.

It probably won’t surprise you that this college-bound cutie is in love with books! And guess what? As soon as I learned that, I started to brainstorm a million fun ideas to show off Isobel’s personality and her affection for the written word.

Creative Ideas Senior Pictures Books

During her photo shoot, I even asked Isobel why she chose the books she did for her senior pictures. “Because they helped me graduate!” she announced happily. That’s a pretty good reason, if you ask me!

Spirited, Spunky & Smart

There’s NO WAY I was going to surround Isobel with boring stacks of books. Nope, this feisty and animated girl deserved the most creative and innovative shots I could come up with, and in the end, we all fell in love with these photos that show off Isobel’s excitement for learning.

Isobel’s expressions are priceless, and in every single photo, she shares her bright personality with the camera. I love her eyes—and I love the image below where she’s peeking from behind a book. What a way to show off her energetic and fun expressions!

Ideas Senior Pictures Books

We chose a location where Isobel could relax into her reading and enjoy the tranquil environment. Her waterside pictures convey a happy tranquility as she dons her glasses and prepares to delve into the next great story.

Believe it or not, we didn’t have to travel far to get these great images. In fact, right around the corner, a gorgeous park with lovely water landscaping was waiting just for her!

Through the Looking Glass

I have to confess a special love for this photo! (I’m not going to reveal exactly how many tries it took us to get it absolutely perfect, but it was so worth it.)

Isobel looks like she’s magically transported to a make-believe place when you look through the creatively curled pages of her book and see her at the end of a softly-faded tunnel of words.

As she immerses herself in the writing, Isobel’s features take on a serious and studious look—one I wanted to be sure to capture for her portrait collection. She chose a pretty outfit for this portion of the session, too, as it showcases her on-trend style while allowing her expression as she reads to take center stage.

Creative Ideas Senior Pictures Reading Books

You may remember Part 1 of Isobel’s blog. A competitive shooter, she has a collection of medals that prove that discipline, hard work, and dedication always pay off! Read Isobel’s Blog 1 to get great ideas and to learn more about this lovely young lady.

Graduation Elation

The big day was just around the corner, and you can see Isobel’s excitement practically jump off her photos! Donning her graduation gown and mortarboard cap, she’s all smiles and anticipation for the future.

Isobel opted to wear her glasses for this portion of her photo shoot. Showing off a mixture of studious grad and sassy student, she shines in the collage below.

Thinking about wearing your glasses for senior pictures? I have all the tips and tricks you need to make sure we eliminate glare, so your gorgeous face is the center of attention. Check out Brianna’s blog for ideas about how to make your glasses a gorgeous part of your senior pictures.

Of course, we had to ensure Isobel could proudly show off the tassel that proclaims her a 2022 grad! It’s always fun to see the huge smiles and well-earned pride that always go along with wearing that tassel—a symbol of all the hard work that has culminated in a high school degree!

Best Graduation Portraits Near Me

Flannel for the Win

Sporting a trendy layered look, Isobel shines in these casual after-dark photos. When the lights went down, she opted for a chic and casual outfit that embodies her easygoing style.

In a black and white checked flannel with red accents, her variety of expressions goes from smiling to serious—all of them showcasing her stunning beauty and style.

Casual Outfit Ideas Girls Senior Photos

Isobel is a natural in front of the camera, and throughout her session, she alternated from silly to serious to chic…with every expression revealing a brand-new side to her fun personality.

Be Your Beautiful Self

Lots of clients confess to being nervous about their senior portraits, but there’s no reason to worry. I always encourage natural and fun poses that reflect your personality, so if you’re feeling silly, go for it! When you look back on your senior pictures, you’ll want to reflect on every unique, quirky, and fun-loving expression that makes you…YOU!

Fun Posing Senior Portraits

If you feel like dancing, joking, or being silly in your photos, I’ll be right there encouraging all of it! Why? Because that’s when your true personality shines…and that’s what I want to reflect in every single one of your photos.

Dresses, Jackets & Evening Style

At the end of the night, it was time for a final outfit change. Isobel opted for a pretty black and white print dress and black booties that add a touch of edgy style. With a denim jacket tossed over her shoulders, she looks ready to take on the world.

I’m always on the lookout for amazing locations, and that includes trendy urban spots like this one. Muted lighting, stairs, and concrete walls have a way of adding dimension and texture to your photos, providing a fun and easy way to enhance your look and give you variety.

At the end of the session, Isobel’s hair and makeup remained in perfect shape, too! She looks amazing and fresh—even though we were shooting for hours. How did she do that? When it’s time to plan for senior pictures, I have All. The. Connections! I work with makeup artists, hair stylists, and more, so you can look your very best throughout your photo shoot—even if you’re not a professional stylist.

From book-loving student by day to ready-to-rock-the-runway, Isobel shines in ALL her senior pictures. I can’t tell you how much I loved working with this young lady (and her hilarious mom who was always at the ready with bird calls and encouragement for every shot!). Don’t miss out of the rest of her graduation portraits!

I can’t wait to hear about all the success Isobel achieves as she sets out on her next adventure. Happy graduation, Isobel!

8 Comments
  • Senior pictures with their favorite books is a great idea! I just got to photograph a senior in a cute little bookstore and we had so much fun!

    • How fun Brandi! I really want to shoot in a bookstore but haven’t found one that allows that yet. I can’t wait to see the pictures you got!

  • How I love the book theme. It’s perfect for Isobel! And the tips for photos with glasses is super helpful. Preventing eyeglass glare in photos is truly important.

    • I’m telling you Andrea, since my clients started removing lenses life has been so much easier on all of us! No glare or distortion to worry about, which means we’re not missing great shots!

  • She is such a cutie! I love that this senior added books to her session. Going to college she will have a lot of them…hahah! But she truly showed her personality and she will be so glad she did.

    • Yep, Isobel and her sister both love books and I’m sure they’re collecting more for their college classes! I love it when kids read for fun!

  • So many creative ideas and poses for senior pictures with books. I love the picture of her through the book page. Such a great perspective and image!

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