Fun, Bright Senior Portraits

Seniors

Oct 6

Addie was one of my first 2024 seniors for senior portraits! One of her friends was one of my seniors last year and she recommended me to her. She had this fun, bright blue top planned and I found the most perfect prop at a thrift store and just like that, the vision solidified. One of Addie’s only asks was flowers—so I got to location scouting and…this was one of those sessions that trusting the vision was more important than ever.

a young woman looks over her shoulder during senior portraits while smiling in a flower field

a black and white portrait of a high school senior standing near a flower bush and fence and smiling over her shoulder

a portrait of a high school senior smiling next to a fence and flower bush

a high school senior looks over her shoulder during portraits in a wildflower field

a black and white portrait of a young woman smiling with her head resting on her hand which rests on her crossed legs

a black and white portrait of a young woman standing in a flower field

senior photographer near me captured a high school senior smiling in a flower field

addie rests her head on her hand while smiling

Trust Your Senior Portrait Photographer’s Vision

This is proof that you have to trust your senior photographer’s vision.

When I was location scouting for Addie’s session, I took a few photos of the locations I went with. The difference between the iPhone photos and the final edited photos is HUGE. What I capture with my phone and camera are 100% different. The gems of locations I found had these gorgeous hydrangea bushes in perfect bloom and a sprawling spread of wildflowers on the side of the road. I just knew they would be a great fit for Addie’s flowery, bright session. I am always sharing bits of my process on my Instagram stories, follow along for the latest photo adventures!!!

The iPhone location snaps:

the before photo - from location scouting, a line of hydrangea bushes growing on a fence on the side of the road

the before photo, from location scouting, wildflowers line an overgrown patch of grass on the side of a country road in central illinois

The final edited photos:

during senior portraits addie smiles standing in the middle of a hydrangea bush

addie’s senior photographer near me captured her smiling and looking to the side in a field of wildflowers

The thrift find required some major trust too. Check out the crochet blanket:

and the photos it went on to make:

addie smiles for her senior portraits on a fun, thrifted crochet blanket

a senior photographer near me captures a senior girl laying on a crochet blanket in a field

a senior photographer near me captured a young woman sitting on a crochet blanket in the middle of a flower field

addie smiles while looking to the side as she sits on a thrifted crochet blanket in a patch of wildflowers

Golden Hour vs. Blue Hour Senior Portraits

We caught a little bit of golden hour at our last locations, but most of the photos at the flower field (forever grateful for Melissa’s family that gives me permission to shoot here) are at blue hour, which is the time right after the sun sets past the horizon. The light at blue hour (which usually lasts about 20 minutes to an hour) is soft and pretty and makes for photos like no other.

Blue hour has quickly replaced golden hour as my favorite time to shoot! Especially for senior portraits, it makes for photos that are unique and emotional. It’s almost like the sun tells the story of their childhood as they savor their last year of high school. A little cheesy, but I also think it’s beautiful and adds to the experience. And the photos are always some of my favorites. Addie seems to glow in those blue hour portraits.

addie smiles over her shoulder in the middle of a flower field while holding a flower in her hand with her arm draped over her head

a high school senior wears a short white dress in a flower field during a session with a senior photographer near me

a young woman stands in a flower field with her arms over her head

a high school senior stands in a flower field with her arms over her head for senior portraits

a young woman stands in a flower field wearing a white dress

a senior photographer near me captured a young woman smiling in a flower field

a senior photographer near me took this portrait of a young woman in a flower field with one hand on her knee and the other at her collarbone touching her hair

2024 Senior Portraits

Senior portraits continue to be some of my favorite sessions. Tailoring each session to each senior’s passions, style, hobbies, and personalities is such a fun challenge. It is so special to take what sometimes can have teenagers grumbling (I wouldn’t want to pose for a fake, void of all meaning, just smile and snap senior portraits either) and make it something that is engaging, personal, fun, and comfortable—and most of all captures the real you.

October booked up SO fast for my 2024 seniors. Get your senior photo session on the books while you can! I am so excited to give you the full AFP senior experience. Read more about what that looks like and how we can treasure this time and capture you as you are.