When we started advertising senior photography we had this idea that the overwhelming majority of our clients would be female. We imagined ourselves booking sessions each fall for girl senior pictures with the occasional male senior portrait session thrown in. Boy, were we wrong!
The number of requests for guys senior photos caused us to question our assumptions and reevaluate some of the ideas we'd formed as photographers. Over the years, we've heard plenty of people, usually, women, say things like, "Oh, my husband doesn't like having pictures taken" or "I'm really the one who wants the photos, my fiancé just says 'whatever you want'". It's comments like these that have given rise to this stereotypical male figure who doesn't like having photos taken. He thinks it's uncool or a waste of time. In our experience as photographers, though, we think this is a pretty bad stereotype.
No man enjoys wearing uncomfortable clothes while posing awkwardly for pictures but that's not a matter of gender preference. Any person, male or female, would and should be unhappy in that situation. But to look good, feel comfortable and natural, and create something meaningful and memorable with the people you love most isn't an exclusive female privilege. We've never met a man who scoffed at an idea like that.
Actually, over the years, we're still impressed by the number of leads we receive from men. We've had husbands and fathers plan family photo sessions, senior guys play a big part in selecting their senior photographer, and even a groom that handled all the communication with us right up until the day of the wedding! Of course, this isn't always the case or perhaps even usually the case but the fact remains, some men, arguably many men, care about photography.
But enough about men in general. You're here because you're concerned about senior guys, specifically. Do senior guys care about photography? It probably depends how you present it. If you suggest to a senior guy, "Hey, how about we pull out those clothes that look nice but you never wear and don't fit you very well and go meet up with some stranger (probably a woman, probably about your mom's age) so you can pose awkwardly in front of a camera." Who would want that?!
But what if you tried this: "Hey, you know that thing you're really good at or interested in? How about we go somewhere relaxed and you can showcase your talent and interest while Todd (a relatively young guy who's funny, short and really wants to make you look awesome) takes some photos of you that you can show off to your friends. While we're at it, we can maybe also take a few classy shots of you looking better than James Bond—like a total boss—that you can give to your mom, your girlfriend, etc. It'll be fun and you'll love the pictures." There might still be a few nay-sayers but in our experience, probably fewer than you might have thought.
The world may continue to raise its eyebrows but we're convinced—senior guys can care about photography!
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