Senior Pictures in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Grad Photo Packages, Pricing & SHOOTS
Congratulations graduating Senior Class of 2026! Are you looking for the best 2026 senior class pictures for a graduating high school senior or college graduate in Santa Barbara or Montecito? I have photographed UCSB, Westmont, SBCC and all points in between.
Or maybe you are pursuing an advanced degree and are looking for photos for a professional photo to an application for graduate school or medical residency photo to make your application shine? We help every graduating senior at this threshold take a big step toward their future career and educational goals with bespoke and elevate visuals. We often combine best friend and group graduation photos and family photos in the same session too to really make the memory a shared one.
Keep us in mind for senior grad pictures for your 2026 college or high school graduation. We are one of the top-rated Santa Barbara photographers for grad photo packages and places to go and what to wear. We can give guidance on what to wear beyond the usual cap and gown and sash photos at Henley Gate. See some of our five star client reviews here and examples below.
How Much Are Senior Pictures?
Senior pictures in Santa Barbara run a wide range from free for staff college photographers, friends, and even junior photographers on Craigslist to four figures for boutique higher-end family and portrait photographers in Montecito and Santa Barbara. Its a once or maybe twice-in-a-lifetime event if you go on to get your Masters degree, so no time to skimp!
Education is costly so I don’t want photos that celebrate your educational achievements to be overly cost prohibitive. I have kept my prices static for several years and still charge $495 for my 45 minute mini senior picture session with three retouched files and a gallery of high res selects. $695 for up to an hour and a half and five high res selects which allows us to go to multiple locations and change into multiple senior picture outfits. The Full Session also includes more selects in the gallery and time to include friends and family in the session as well. Click the link below to see more details and schedule your customized senior picture session.
With us, you’ll get a competitive rate and a quality assortment of 150-250 images with our mini and full session packages.
- Mini Session ($495): This includes a 45-minute session with 75-100 high-resolution selects and three retouched files.
- Full Session ($695): This is up to a 75 minute session with multiple locations, outfits, 150-250 high res selects and five retouched files. You can also include more selects in the gallery and time for friends and family to join the photo session.
You want a fairly high level of polish and/or you want help with ordering printed products or grad books, look books or coffee table books, not someone who will take months to get you digital files if they even remember it. You will want to hire a professional photographer who has experience with senior picture shoots and isnt just winging it. Current industry rates as of late 2025 for Montecito and Santa Barbara senior pictures are between $350 and $1250, with some photographers requiring additional fees per image download or requiring print orders as part of their graduation picture collections.
What Makes Me One of the Best Photographers for Graduation Pictures?
The difference is in the pre-planning and coordination we take to create lasting memories and graduation photography you will enjoy for life. We also don’t hold the digital files hostage or force you into expensive print packages or products. We take the time to get to know you and your hobbies, interests, and to suss out specific photo locations for senior pictures in Santa Barbara with a personal relevance to you. Then we help you with the hair, makeup and clothing as needed so you can make sure you have the right senior picture outfits to really celebrate and capture this graduation milestone in fine style.
Graduation Photo Packages for Seniors: A Personalized Experience for Timeless Results
I take the time to get to know you and your interests and favorite places to go, sometimes even including props. Together, we’ll choose the perfect senior picture poses, outfits, hairstyle and makeup, and locations that let you relive some of the best moments of your life. Senior year is a peak time in both high school or college and is definitely worth celebrating with a senior picture shoot tailored to your interests and favorite spots, even if those spots are places like Buddha Bowls or Woodstock’s Pizza, a soccer field, tennis court, or swimming pool.
What to Wear for Senior Pictures: A Few Senior Picture Outfits and Poses
First, for the ladies, I have a great hair and makeup person and people on my team to help you not worry about extraneous details or distractions during your senior picture shoot. Second, for the guys I have a bunch of signature poses and moves that keep you from looking like a stiff!
In general the cap and gown of course covers/nullifies whatever you are wearing and just looks like a big tent or blanket, so we bring some clothing clips to give it a tailored shape and some flattering form. Then you can do some fun photos without the gown, using just the graduation cap and sash and normal clothes. For some reason all the girls lately have been wearing cream sleeveless short dresses but there are lots of other things you can wear including these ideas:
- Beachwear and flips just for fun
- Jeans and a hoodie or t-shirt
- Business casual blouse for LinkedIN photos and job searching
- One dress with sleeves
- Athletic and/or costume for hobbies or passions
- Consider warm/advancing colors for greenery backgrounds. Think pastels and ivories, corals, pinks, salmons
- If you want to accessorize with a favorite hat or sunglasses. These are fun to do at the end so they don’t smoosh your hair or leave a mark on your face.
Avoid patterns and sleeveless. Avoid anything puffy or ruffly or with metallic rivets or shiny things. Go with solid colors, ideally in colors that are flattering to your skin tones and not pure white or pure black. You can bring a few and we can find places to change, I even have a portably fashion tent for changing.
Don’t bring all dresses or all sleeveless tops. Variety will be best to give you completely different looks!
Competitively Priced Packages for Graduation Pictures
Senior pictures in Santa Barbara can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands depending on photographer experience and print collections. If you want to ensure you get usable digital files, a reasonable turnaround time, and help with ordering printed products or graduation books, hiring a professional senior picture photographer can be the best option.
As of 2025, senior picture packages around Santa Barbara range from $350 to $850, with some photographers charging per-image download fees or additional print purchases. With us, you’ll get a competitive rate with our mini and full session packages.
- My Mini Session ($475): This includes a 45-minute session with high-resolution options and three retouched files.
- My Expanded Session ($675): This is a 75 minute session with multiple locations, outfits, and five high-resolution selects. You can also include more selects in the gallery and time for friends and family to join the photo session.
Fun & Relaxed Where You Feel Best
At Doug Ellis Photography, I take pride in delivering exceptional senior portraits while creating a comfortable and fun experience throughout each photo session. My assistant and I strive to build relationships with our clients that continue long beyond after the photo shoot. From your first appointment to the day of your session, we work hard to keep your experience as personalized and professional as possible. Our sessions are relaxed, fun, and all about capturing unique, beautiful portraits that reflect your personality and interests in a variety of settings and with a variety of outfits.
A Seamless Backdrop Senior Picture Process
You’ve come to the right place if you’re searching for “senior pictures near me” in Santa Barbara. With our collaborative approach, we can customize the look, feel and location of your senior photoshoot to include the places, people, and sometimes pets you like best. We can even do your senior pictures in a studio with lights and a variety of background colors and styles.
Here’s how our process works.
- Consultation. To get things started, we have a free discovery consultation to ensure we have a good vibe. We take the time to listen to your needs and vision. Then, we’ll collaborate on the best ways to go about your session.
- The Session This time is all about your accomplishment and personality! We provide the opportunity to explore different locations, let loose, and have fun while capturing their personality and spirit perfectly. Your teenager is free to choose their own senior picture poses and movements.
- Downloading and Enjoying Your Photos--No Watermarks or Restrictions. After the photoshoot, we’ll edit and upload the files to your own private proofing gallery. the photos as agreed. Once ready, we’ll contact you and send the gallery of high res selects which also includes sharing and slideshow capability and in depth retouching of your favorite images too.