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Plan the Perfect Senior Session to Celebrate Your High School Years
If you’ve ever been blown away by someone’s personality, then you know exactly how I felt when BreeAuna walked into my office! Full of energy, wit, compassion, and smarts, this young lady knows what she wants—and she’s already on a path to achieve all her dreams. I was thrilled to be able to do a DOUBLE photo session with Bree and her sister, Ashley (who has another blog that’s all about her!). This dynamic duo left me feeling super proud and excited for the future.
On Her Way…With a Tassel to Show for It
A graduate of Florence High School, in Florence, AZ, Bree is excited for her future and has plans to attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University to study music education. You can see the absolute enthusiasm on her face in these cap and gown photos, and I can’t get enough of the natural grin and fists-raised cheer that show off the pride she has in her accomplishment.
I love hats—and I really love it when my clients love hats. But you know when a hat sort of messes up your hair or makes you feel like your look gets smooshed? Well, Bree has NOTHING to worry about in that department! Her sleek asymmetrical bob is styled and highlighted perfectly, and with her graduation cap on, it just shows off the sleek haircut even more!
Take a look at the natural blush that just grazes her cheeks, leaving room for eye makeup and a bit of lipstick to add color. Bree pulls of classy and stylish like a pro, and her joy simply adds to the beauty of these photos.
Making Music, Making Plans
A member of the Florence High School band, Bree spent plenty of her high school time practicing and perfecting her skills as a flutist. In this next group of portraits, she represents the Florence High Gophers with pride in her red and white marching band uniform with some pretty Mesa, AZ, scenery in the background.
I’ve spent years scouting out some of the best spots for professional pictures, and believe it or not, there’s more green space than you would think around the East Valley, especially during more temperate times of the year. If you’ve got your eye on a favorite park or outdoor space for graduation pictures, be sure to let me know because I’m always on the lookout for new locales that make great backdrops!
Bree’s flute serves as the perfect prop for these photos. I talk often about giving my seniors something to focus on or something to do with their hands to avoid any nervous jitters or awkward poses. A musical instrument is a great example! What better way to get Bree to feel right at home than to have her put the instrument she’s mastered over all these years on display?
I’m always interested in capturing images of the things my clients love to do! Whether you love sports or art or band…whether it’s singing or dancing or origami…I want to make sure we get a chance to create beautiful photo keepsakes of all the things you’ve loved throughout your high school years. In this in-action photo, Bree stands tall and plays the flute with her fingers poised to flutter over the keys like a pro.
This portrait stands out to me because you can very clearly see Bree’s lovely and perfectly made-up lashes, and her chic and short nails are expertly trimmed and polished. It’s all in the details, and believe me, Bree nailed every little detail for her graduation photos.
Pretty and Patriotic
Both Bree and her sister loved the idea of finding a location where we could shoot traditional patriotic Americana photos, and we found just the right spot in Old Town Scottsdale. In many posts, I talk about photo session in and around Mesa, Queen Creek, and Gilbert—but I shoot all around the East Valley, and if you have a theme that lends itself to a specific location, you can just about bet your cowgirl boots we’ll end up going there!
This row of flags turned out to be an absolutely perfect background for a casual lean against a rustic railing, and with her patriotic vest, blue jeans, and hat, Bree pulls off a modern and on-trend cowgirl look. A fan of country music and line dancing, she looks ready to side-shuffle and triple-step her way to a bright future!
I couldn’t resist pulling a collection of her country western looks into a fun collage—because it was too hard to choose just one or two favorite images! Patriotic style just looks natural on Bree.
Old Town Scottsdale is full of fun props and backdrops, like the wagon wheel bench in this group of images. It just takes a little exploring, and you can discover exactly what you need to bring every photo to life. By mixing in some photos of Bree sitting on the bench, I was able to add even more variety to her session, show off her entire outfit—including her awesome boots!—and let her focus on a different pose rather than have any time to be nervous.
When the Lights Go Down
Casual took a backseat as soon as nighttime fell. It was time to pull out all the stops and fancy things up with some gorgeous dresses under the evening lights. Looking glam in a shoulder-baring metallic sheath dress, Bree beamed. Her sleek hair and light makeup application complement this classy dress style, and her natural smile simply stuns in this photo that’s sure to be an instant favorite with family and friends.
Bree doubled up on the gorgeous dresses, and spoiler alert: there’s NO WAY to choose which one is my favorite! They both look fantastic on her and show off her flawless skin, perfect makeup, and sleek haircut that frames her face to perfection.
The asymmetrical straps of the royal blue dress add a fun and playful touch, and after seeing Bree rock both of these nighttime looks, one thing became clear:
This girl can wear anything and look fabulous!
Bree can go casual, dressy, wear bold colors, neutrals, and anything in between—and she pulls them all off famously. She happens to be one of my very talented clients with a great eye for fashion and what looks good on her, and that’s awesome! But don’t worry if you struggle with outfit ideas or wonder what to wear. I’m always here to help you, and I’ll never let you wear something that doesn’t look fabulous in your photo session. That’s one of the things I’m here for!
The Best Is Yet to Come
These sisters have shared a lot as they’ve grown up—including a senior picture photo session! When I got to meet them and their family, I was thrilled to see how many of them wanted to be involved in the planning and photo selection. Everyone was so excited, we even had a Zoom meeting to pull them all in! It was a virtual party to celebrate these two sisters who have worked hard to meet all their goals while they plan for bright and exciting futures. You can see more of Ashley’s photo shoot here.
After four years of hard work, Bree had words of wisdom to leave behind for incoming high school freshmen. She reminds them to always work hard and to do their best for the next four years. As she’s getting ready to head out into the world and tackle her own studies and dreams, she has a quote she keeps close to heart because it reminds her that she can always come home again:
Oh, the places I will go, but country roads will take me home.
Get out there and make your mark on the world, Bree! I know you’ll do amazing things!
