The Class of 2026 Experience: Why I Redesigned Senior Portraits
I stopped doing volume. I started doing art.
For a long time, the senior portrait industry has operated on a "Factory Model." You show up, you stand by a tree, you smile, you pay a flat fee, and you get a generic gallery.
But if you’ve followed my work, you know that "generic" isn’t in my vocabulary.
Whether I’m covering the State Track Championships or shooting a commercial campaign, my goal has always been to make you look like you belong on a Nike billboard, not just a yearbook page. I want to capture the sweat, the focus, and the authentic character of who you are right now.
To do that effectively for the Class of 2026, I knew I had to break the old model.
The Problem with "All-Inclusive"
In the past, booking a high-end senior session meant committing to a huge upfront package—sometimes $800 or $1,000—before we ever snapped a single frame. That creates pressure. It makes the shoot feel like a transaction rather than a collaboration.
I realized that the best art happens when the barrier to entry is low, but the ceiling for quality is high.
Enter: The Retainer Model
This season, I completely restructured how you book Russell Moore Photography. I stripped away the confusing packages and replaced them with a simple Session Retainer.
Here is how it works:
The Access Pass ($300): You pay a flat $300 retainer to secure your date on my calendar. This covers our pre-shoot consultation, location scouting, my time on set, and the creative lighting production. It’s your ticket to the experience.
The Shoot: I spend 2 hours creating with you. I hit the track, find the best light in Olympia, and capture the "Mom & Grandma" shots (the clean, timeless portraits) alongside the gritty, editorial work.
The Reveal: Two weeks later, you see your edited gallery.
The Choice: This is the most important part—you only purchase what you love.
Instead of forcing you to prepay for 50 photos you might not use, you view your images first. Then, you choose a Collection (starting at $500) that fits your needs. Whether you just want the digital files for Instagram or a large-format metal print for the wall, you are in control of the investment.
Why this is better for you
This model allows me to focus entirely on the creative process during the shoot. I am not checking boxes to fill a quota; I am chasing the perfect shot.
It lowers the risk for parents and raises the quality for seniors. It allows me to bring commercial-grade lighting and haze to a high school field without charging you a fortune just to get on the schedule.
Ready to make history?
The Class of 2027 is already filling the calendar. If you are looking for a "smile by the tree" session, there are plenty of great photographers in town.
But if you are ready for the full experience—haze, strobes, and images that stop the scroll—let’s get to work.
Class of 2026
Secure your date. Plan the concept. Purchase only the images you love after the shoot.
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