what tmi, cornerstone christian, saint mary's hall, and antonian families should know
Over the years, I've photographed seniors from most of San Antonio's private schools, and the families I work with from TMI, Cornerstone Christian, Saint Mary's Hall, and Antonian tend to arrive with the same set of questions. Usually, because another family from their school sent them, and that family had the same questions the year before.
So let's put the answers in one place.
your school's requirements are their own thing
The biggest difference between private school senior photos and everyone else's is that each school runs its own system. Deadlines, formal portrait requirements, whether outside photos are accepted for the yearbook, and dress codes for submitted images: all of it varies from campus to campus, and none of it matches public districts.
At some schools, the formal yearbook portrait is handled by a contracted photographer, which means your session with me isn't competing with that; it's covering everything the yearbook portrait can't. The personality, the locations, the images for the graduation announcement, the senior ad, and the wall. At others, submitted portraits are welcome within specific guidelines, and we plan your session so that at least one look checks the school's boxes.
Either way, the answer to "will this work for our school" is: tell me which school, and I'll tell you exactly how it works, because I've almost certainly done it there before.
what i've learned shooting these four campuses
tmi episcopal
TMI families tend to plan early, and the ones who book junior summer get the calm version of senior fall.
cornerstone christian
Cornerstone seniors bring great energy to sessions, and the school community shares galleries fast; half of my Cornerstone families found me through one senior's photos.
saint mary's hall
SMH seniors usually come in with a strong sense of personal style, which makes the planning conversations some of my favorites all year.
antonian college prep
Antonian's athletics culture means a lot of my Antonian sessions are two-act athlete sessions: the jersey and the real them, one evening.
the uniform question
Seniors who spend four years in uniform have a complicated relationship with getting dressed for photos: total freedom, suddenly, with stakes. Some want their session to look nothing like school. Some want one look that nods to where they came from (a letter jacket, a campus location) before the wardrobe takes over. Both are right. The styling conversation before your session is where we figure out which senior yours is.
why the referral chain matters here
I'll be honest about how this works: most of my private school families don't find me through Google. They find me because a senior from their school posted their gallery, or a mom mentioned me in the parent group, or a teammate's banner photo made the rounds. That's not an accident, and it's not just marketing. It means by the time we talk, I've usually already worked inside your school's requirements, deadlines, and culture. The homework is done.
If your senior is at TMI, Cornerstone, Saint Mary's Hall, Antonian, or another San Antonio private school, reach out and let me know the school and timeline. The fall calendar is the tightest part of my year, and the families who plan ahead get the dates everyone else wishes they had.
Book your session | robinjanskyphotography@gmail.com | 210-412-2575
