Happy Friday y’all, and happy Halloween! I am so excited for this weekend; thanks to all the rain we had last weekend, I have two sessions this weekend (but I’m not even mad about it!). The fall colors are peaking perfectly, and the weather is going to be fabulous. The photos are going to be absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Today’s blog post is all about A’s senior session that I shot a few weeks ago on another perfect autumn day. I am so excited to be sharing these photos today, they turned out really beautiful! I love photographing seniors; it’s such a fun season of life, and it’s so fun to get creative on customizing the session to each senior’s interests, hobbies, and personality. (Click here to check out another fun senior session I shot last year!)
Before the Session
A found me through her dad, who is one of my coworkers in the Emergency Department. So when she reached out to me, I was of course very excited to work with her!
Before every session, I hop on a consultation call with my clients to talk about all the finer details of their session – location, date, time, outfits, etc. When I spoke to A, she had a very clear idea of what she wanted for her photos, and I knew immediately that we could bring her vision to life.
The weather this fall has been all over the place, so we initially set a pretty loose date for the session. As we got closer, we did have to push it back a day due to heavy thunderstorms on the original date. But man, I am so glad we did because the day of her session dawned clear and cool – the first truly cool day of the fall season.
During the Session
By the time of A’s session, it was warm but not too warm – warm enough that we didn’t have to wear jackets, but cool enough that I didn’t get too hot running around finding the best angles for my camera. I always giggle about how funny I must look while I’m photographing a session; climbing on things, backing up, getting closer, laying on the ground, standing in creeks, squatting down, and standing on my tippy toes. Sessions are always a workout for me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
A’s session location was one I had been to once before, but still wasn’t super familiar with. So I arrived a little bit early to scout out the best spots for her photos. I was worried it might be too crowded, but the places I found for her were a little off the beaten path and not too crowded at all.
I really love when I get to meet my coworkers’ families, and this was no exception. A was really lovely, and she was totally up for anything I suggested. We had to scramble down a couple of creek banks to get to these gorgeous spots, and she and her rescue pup Kona handled it like a champ.
After the first location, we headed over to a local family farm, since one of the things she wanted was photos in a pumpkin patch. I had called ahead for information a few weeks earlier, and was excited to do part of A’s session there since they had a pumpkin patch, a sunflower field, and a zinnia field. The person I spoke to on the phone was very helpful and kind, and I was confident that we would get great photos there. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived they wouldn’t admit us since they were only about 20 minutes from closing. We explained that we just wanted a few pictures in the pumpkins, but they stood firm. I will also mention that at no point during my previous phone conversation with an employee and nowhere on their website did it mention that they stop admitting visitors 30 minutes prior to closing.
The only reason I am telling this story is because despite having done my due diligence in regards to scouting a location I had never been to before, it didn’t work out the way we had planned. And sometimes sessions go like that. One thing about me is that I always have a plan B that we can easily pivot to if the original plan doesn’t work out. A was totally okay with the situation and willing to adjust the plan, and luckily this story still has a happy ending.
Next door to the pumpkin patch there was a Christmas tree farm. We were able to take the rest of her photos there, and honestly I can’t imagine ending her session in any other way. The golden hour light was so perfect in the Christmas trees, and the photos turned out incredible.
After the Session
This session was so beautiful with the lighting, and A and Kona were so cute that it didn’t take me long to edit her gallery at all. Being able to deliver a gallery earlier than my standard two week editing time is always a treat for me and for my clients, and I know that A was very excited to see her senior photos.
She very graciously left me this review after receiving her gallery:
“Best photographer I could have asked for! She was so kind, had so many poses and inspiration for the photo shoot! She didn’t take long to get the photos back to me, and very good price for a session! Photos turned out amazing for my senior year!”
Final Thoughts
Each and every session I get to photograph is so special to me, and I have been so blessed with the absolute kindest (and cutest!) clients. A was no exception, and it was an honor to document this season of her life.
If you are wanting to book a senior session with me, please reach out! I also have a Senior Photo Session Guide with even more information and inspiration for your session, even if you don’t end up booking your session with me!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a portraits/elopements/branding photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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