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Fashion-focused senior portraits gain popularity in Siouxland

HULL, Iowa | Like a model, Emilee Benson got ready to pose for the camera. Out of the stylist’s chair, her eyes shimmered bronze. Big, loose curls flowed over her shoulders. Nothing was out of place.

Onto the next thing, getting dressed. A lover of hippie fashion – headbands and all – Benson took along a ton of outfits for her senior photo shoot with no idea what to wear.

She knew what she didn’t want: the same outfit in the same place with the same hair and makeup. That’s why the Dakota Valley High School teen went to MVG Photography, a high-end boutique business based in Hull, Iowa.

“I wanted a variety,” Benson said.

The photographer helped bring out her best boho chic look with a touch of country on the side.

They traveled to multiple locations around the small town to find surroundings that suited Benson’s four outfits, ranging from high-waisted print pants paired with a black crop top to a flowing bohemian dress with a flowered headband. Depending on the desired look, her makeup changed, too.

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Meeting a rising demand, Mindy Vande Griend doubles as a photographer and personal stylist to give glamour girls a senior portrait fit for a magazine spread. With social media sites populated with personal photos, teens are looking for something stunning.

“We’re in the age of the selfie. They can snap anything and put that up,” she said. “I think they want to feel … the glamour. They like that they look like a fashion model.”

Social media has shaped how seniors and photographers approach their sessions, according to Vickie Black, founder of Senior Style Guide magazine, a trade publication and daily blog that follows current trends in senior photography.

“Teens today are constantly bombarded with beautiful imagery from their peers all day long on Instagram and Facebook,” Black said. “As a result of social media, we are seeing a fashion infusion in senior photography and a focus on styling.”

Vande Griend offers what she calls the MVG experience. She enlists the help of hair and makeup artists, and girls spend about two hours getting glam before the photo shoot.

While a client is in the stylist’s chair, Vande Griend picks shoes and jewelry to accessorize outfits. The looks inspire locations from the countryside to more urban settings.

She has a keen eye for what will look good on camera. Even before girls show up for the photo shoot, they’ll text her pictures of the clothes they own. Vande Griend guides them through their closets to pick pieces that will pop.

“That’s always what I loved: makeup, hair, fashion,” she said. “And then I found photography.”

Before her niche market came into focus, she photographed families and kids. Now, she specializes in senior portraits and caters to Siouxland fashionistas like Emilee Benson, who also served as one of MVG Photography’s Senior Models. Others call them representatives or ambassadors. They get perks in return for posing in photo shoots and spreading the word about the business to their friends.

Even though Vande Griend gives girls a style guide and outlines what to expect the day of a photo shoot, some still get nervous. The feeling falls away when Vande Griend shows them a couple images on her camera.

“That’s my favorite part – just to see that look on their face,” she said. “They want to see themselves as beautiful as everyone else sees them.”

At the end of a five-hour session, from hair and makeup to the final shot, Vande Griend eagerly loads the images onto her computer and posts one her favorites on MVG Photography’s Facebook page to give girls a sneak peak and let admirers “like” and comment on her latest work.

They say, Gorgeous. Stunning. Wow.

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