Senior photos are an exciting sign that your hard work in high school is coming to an end and that you'll finally be able to move on with your life. They essentially act as a marker of what you looked like and what you liked during your senior year, allowing you to compare your changes with that one moment. However, it's very easy for everyone's senior photos to come out looking the same. Here are some tips to make sure that your photos stand out and that you can admire them for years to come.

1. Don't Hide Your Interests

The first tip is to avoid hiding your interests. You want your interests to be front and center in your senior photos because you want to be able to remember who you were as a person. If you absolutely love American history and have a life-sized cardboard cutout of Abraham Lincoln in your bedroom, take that with you to the photographer. He or she will be able to suggest poses to make sure that you and Abe look fantastic in your senior photos.

If you ride horses, don't be afraid of going outside and having a few photos taken with you and your horse in an aesthetically pleasing field or in the barn where you work. Don't wear your nicest clothes. Instead, wear the clothes that you would normally wear to ride. This will allow your pictures to capture a sense of you as an individual.

Finally, if you play Dungeons and Dragons or another role-playing game, take a picture with the player's handbook and monster manual, along with your extensive collection of dice.

2. Choose an Unusual Location

Choose a location that represents you in a unique way. Many people find fields beautiful and want to get their pictures taken in one, but could worry that their photos would not be original. To avoid this, simply bring props that say more about you and put less emphasis on the field. If you love to ride horses and have a favorite meadow, take your horse there. Beach photos are also fairly common. You can spice yours up by bringing your favorite books to read or taking pictures with your scuba-diving equipment or surfboard.

If you love concerts, ask your photographer to come with you to see one of your favorite shows and take pictures of you there. Be in the normal clothes that you would wear to a concert to allow you senior pictures to capture the real you. If you love bowling, go to a bowling alley. If you love working on cars, get a picture of you sliding out from underneath a vehicle in a garage. Take pictures in locations that you feel speak to you.

For more information, talk to a local photographer, such as one from Moorman Photographics.