Students in the school’s journalism department are offering a low cost option for seniors looking to have their senior pictures taken. This Saturday they will have photo shoots for as low as $15.  To make an appointment students need to bring their payment and competed order form, which can be picked up in the main office, to the journalism office, room 101 prior to Saturday’s photo shoots.

Junior Mackenzie Sullivan, a photographer for the event, thinks that this is a great idea for seniors.

“Every senior wants photos to look back on and most senior photos are really pricey, but ours are affordable,” Sullivan said.

There are four different packages available for students to choose from and five different locations that students can select from to have their pictures taken at. Those locations include: the school courtyard, Faulkland Park, the football stadium, the gymnasium or traditional indoor portraits with a backdrop. 

The cheapest option is only $15 and includes a 15-minute, one out fit photo shoot at one location of the senior’s choice. From that photo shoot, 10 polished pictures will be sent to the student with a copyright release form to their OneDrive account.

The second option consists of two outfits changes and two locations. It includes 20 final pictures for $25. Another option includes the same number of outfits and locations, but 40 polished pictures for $35. 

The fourth option includes three outfit changes, three different locations and at least 50 pictures for only $50.

Some seniors have already taken this offer up from the journalism department. One such student is Rebecca Brink.

“It was nice, cheap and easy,” Brink said.  “When my sister got her [senior] pictures done, it was painful and expensive.”

Seniors often spend $250-1,000 at different portrait companies around the Omaha metro.  Adriana Martinez, 2019 alumnae, says she had a great experience taking senior photos, but wished that there were other cheaper options. 

“The photos were great. If I could go back, I would have gotten senior photos from a friend or from Bryan since those could have been just as good for way less,” Martinez said.

Journalism adviser Ranae Duncan wanted to offer an option for those who can’t afford high priced studios.

“It makes us feel good to help students have nice senior photos that don’t have to break the bank,” Duncan said. “Additionally, the money raised through this is helping my students fund raise for our nationals trip to Washington, D.C, so it is a win-win opportunity.” 

The money collected from the photo shoots will go towards helping 15 students pay to go to the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association Fall National Journalism Convention in November.

Students are still allowed to have a different professional photographer take their senior photos and submit them for their yearbook photo. If they do not have them taken by a professional photographer nor through the journalism department, their photo that Interstate Studios took at orientation for their school ID will be used in the yearbook. Any senor who wishes to have a different photo than what Interstate Studios took of them as their yearbook photo must submit their electronic copy of their professionally taken photo to the yearbook staff at [email protected] or in person in room 101 by Oct. 31.