Twin Senior Pictures 101 | Senior Photo Ideas
What’s not to love about twin senior pictures?! I get to work with not one but TWO seniors in one day? Two seniors who know each other better than anyone else? It's the most fun, fascinating, third-wheel experience there is in my opinion. Twin senior pictures sessions have similarities to solo sessions, but by nature, they’re double the fun!
More than anything, what's unique about twin senior sessions is experiencing their bond and their dynamic. I absolutely love asking mom or dad (whoever is at the session with us) how each twins' personality differs. It's so fun learning about it from the parent! I'm always curious who is taller, who is more outgoing, who is more shy… the concept of twins is just so cool in general, so to meet so many pairs of siblings who have so much in common yet are still so independent is such a cool part of my job as a senior photographer.
If you asked me what the hardest thing about shooting twin senior pictures was, it’d be an easy answer — remembering who is who!! Especially when they are identical. Fortunately, initial necklaces are really popular right now, which definitely helps me put names to faces in the first few minutes of the session. You really need to study their features at first because once they change outfits, you have to start over! You originally thought, “okay, blue dress is this person, red shirt is this person" but that goes out the window when they change clothes. That's why it's important to know them by their features rather early on in the session.
PHOTOGRAPHER TIP:
It's so important to know a client by name, because you'll be using it throughout the session and it helps the client to feel special, seen, known, & relaxed. Did you know the brain reacts in a specific way when someone hears their own name versus hearing the names of others? So cool!
Speaking of twin senior pictures outfits, there are a few ways you can approach selecting outfits for a duo. In my twin sessions, I typically see a coordinating outfit, such as matching white dresses, one independent outfit so they can each shine on their own/express their own independent style or college choice, and then one more outfit that doesn't "match" as in being the same color or type of clothing, but rather their outfits "go together." Examples of this are complementary colors, or a girl senior wearing a long dress while her twin brother wears a more formal look.
Posing is one aspect of twin senior pictures that needs to be handled slightly differently than solo senior sessions. There's a specific flow I'll follow when it comes to posing twins, and it's one that ensures we get enough solo time for each senior while still making sure we pause for sibling shots, too. That's often a misconception about twin sessions — parents either think they'll need to book two separate photoshoots, or that there won't be enough time to do both solo and sibling images. That's why I follow my PB&J flow that I teach to photography students in my Posing on Purpose course!
Here are 4 twin senior pictures pose ideas to get you started:
Pose 1: Back to back or side to side
This is a fun way to see each twin and their features side by side.
Pose 2: Cap toss - of course!
Whether the seniors are holding their cap out in front of the camera, tossing the cap in the air, or walking away while holding the cap, they’re all classics in the world of senior photos!
Pose 3: Walking
Get them moving! Walking away or walking toward the camera, holding hands for twin girls, arm-in-arm for guy/girl twins, and a little space in between for twin brothers.
Pose 4: Piggy back
Not only is this a cute pose, but capturing one twin running and jumping onto their sibling’s back makes for an extra fun series, as well!
Even though we're working with twins, it's definitely important to make each individual feel seen and celebrated for their uniqueness as well. If one twin has a unique sense of fashion compared to the other, we'll make sure to give them a solo outfit moment to highlight it!
The most important thing about making sure we get it just right for twin seniors is having a video consultation call where I can get to know each senior virtually. That way, I can note who is passionate about what, who wants to avoid this, highlight that, etc. Pre-session calls are extremely important to the success of the session, which is why we do them with every client — not just twins!
If you're on the fence about getting twin senior pictures taken, remember that this may very well be one of the final seasons of your kiddos under the same roof. While they may or may not be best friends at this stage in their life, it will certainly be a memory they will share for decades to come. Just think of how often they'll pull out their senior photo album to show it to their kids and kids' kids in the future. No doubt about it — senior year will come and go. Take an afternoon to capture it!
If you want to learn more about posing twins and other seniors, check out my free 9 piece posing kit!
Are you a senior who wants to book your own twin senior pictures session? Apply here!
