Creativity, Culture & Natural Beauty for Combs Graduate

This session was special for so many reasons! When I spoke with Tierany, she was excited about adding tons of creative elements to her senior pictures, and on top of that, she expressed how important it was to weave her Native American Navajo culture throughout her photo collection. As soon as she told me this, the ideas started flowing, and I was practically bouncing up and down with eagerness to get started!

Not only does Tierany have a beautiful cultural story to tell in her photos, she’s also a mega talented girl with tons of interests—so I know you’ll love her background and drive just as much as you love her pics! A 2022 grad of Combs High School in San Tan Valley, Arizona, she’s headed straight to college and plans to complete a 4-year degree as a Cybersecurity Analyst at Northern Arizona University. This girl is one smart cookie, and she means business!

Brand-New Grad Ready to Soar

I love when clients tell me they want creative shots included in their photo collections, because that means we get to play and have fun with different angles, lighting, and poses. Even though you can’t see her face in this toss of her graduation cap, you can sense Tierany’s joy as she strolls toward the setting sun and effortlessly tosses her mortarboard cap skyward. The sun flare against her red graduation gown adds an ethereal feel as she strolls toward a bright future.

Thinking Back, Looking Forward

A talented member of the Combs High School basketball team, it was important to highlight Tierany’s love of the game in her senior pictures. She also expressed that she loves photos with sun flare, so of course we went for the artistic “flare” and let the light do its work.

This photo is a pretty glimpse of Tierany gazing off into the sunset with a pensive look on her face as she gets ready for the bright future she’s been planning for. I love the way the light rays capture the outline of her basketball. If you take a close look, however, you can also see the perfect outline of her long, curly hair—and even her perfect lashes as she stands in profile.

Girly-Girl or Sporty Chic? Both!

This collage was such a fun way to show off Tierany’s multifaceted personality. A whiz on the basketball court, she’s also involved in volleyball and is the FBLA Treasurer. But if you take a look at the photo on the bottom right, you’ll get a little peek at her girly side, too! Talk about creativity…we decided to mix things up and go with a basketball shoe on one foot and a delicate and stylish high heel with an ankle strap on the other foot. With a basketball between her feet, it’s pretty clear, this lady’s as talented and stylish as they come.

Native American Beauty in the Desert

Tierany’s Navajo culture is a huge part of her life, and it was important to include as much of the beauty, history, and style of her background into her senior portraits as possible. Oh yeah, did I mention she wants to send these portraits to her grandma and show off her accomplishment and pride in her heritage? No pressure…I was determined to make sure Tierney’s photos were something she would be proud to share!

It was so exciting to see the outfits she had, too. Talk about an on-trend cultural statement! Tierany brought four gorgeous and modern Native American dresses for her photo session—all of which are part of her current wardrobe and look phenomenal on her. Plus, she coordinated them with Native American jewelry and moccasins for gorgeous cultural looks in every photo.

The above collage is a great chance to notice Tierany’s accessory game, too. Look closely and you’ll see she changes things up for every outfit! From shoes to necklaces to bracelets, she perfectly balances her accessories with tons of style—and without overdoing it.

Radiant in Black & White

With a serious gaze directly at the camera, Tierany relaxes while lying on the grass with her beautiful long hair spread out around her. This is such a nice shot, because it adds creativity and elevates the standard serious photo to the next level.

The bold patterns of her dresses stand out to make her the center of attention in every photo. Along with bold patterns comes the need for balance, and Tierany does a great job. Her makeup is subtle, and she’s wearing minimal jewelry so as not to overwhelm the look. Perfectly applied smoky eyes accent this picture and show off her stunning beauty in a natural way.

If you want to know how to get perfect hair and makeup for your senior picture day, ask me about Deb! She’s my secret weapon and aesthetician extraordinaire when it comes to getting your look exactly how you want it for your photo shoot!

Standing Out in the Great Outdoors

We couldn’t have found a better backdrop to show off Tierany’s lovely blue dress than in this field of yellow wildflowers. Talk about the perfect contrast! With her beaming smile, perfectly curled long hair, and lightly applied makeup, she looks like a vision that just appeared in nature.

We had so much fun with the traditional Native American colors, textures, and shapes Tierany brought along. From her dresses to her accessories, she embodies the beauty and spirit of Native America, and her pride in her culture is evident as she shows off every lovely look. (I wish I could see her grandma’s face when she sees these pictures!)

Carefree & Natural…Senior Pictures in the Arizona Desert

Her love of nature had us enjoying the desert scenery and capturing photos with every outfit she brought. Plus, Tierany’s energy and spirit kept us going from one perfect location to the next.

A reader and a fan of movies and music, this young lady is so well-rounded and active. She loves playing games and doing puzzles, too, and don’t be surprised if you find her at Village Inn indulging in a slice of pie!

Beaming Grad…Cap & Gown Photos Full of Pride

Tierany looks beautiful in her red cap and gown, and her smile lets the world know she’s over the moon at her huge accomplishment. Red is a perfect color to show off her lovely complexion and black hair, too! I faded out the background in this closeup photo to make sure the grad is the center of attention…and look at that…a gorgeous grad who got it done!

Magnificent Achievement, Magnificent Smiles

Having fun with graduation photos gives grads the chance to show off their happiness in their own unique way, and I always want to make time for that! After all, this is the most exciting time in their lives, so why not encourage some tassel-showing, gown-tossing, biggest-grin-ever smiles to commemorate the occasion? Sometimes we get silly and sometimes we get serious…but whatever we do, it’s all about YOU and your personality!

Tierany’s expressions in these photos are one-of-a-kind, and you can feel her joy in every image. Now that’s a keepsake memory to cherish forever.

Lights Go Down…Time for Nighttime Senior Photos

Tierany wanted the full experience, so she chose the Ultimate Senior Portrait Session, which includes day-to-night photos and plenty of location, lighting, and pose changes. We opted for San Tan Village where there’s great lighting, which I faded into the background in bokeh style so that Tierany stands out as the star of the show in every picture.

Of course she glows just as much as she did during her daytime photos, and she barely needed to touch up anything! That’s the benefit of having professional hair and makeup done. You’ll never have to worry about your look fading before your session is over.

I absolutely loved working with Tierany and her family and can’t wait to see where this amazing young lady’s future leads her!

Senior Portraits in San Tan Valley

Magical Memories by Michelle is a professional senior portrait studio that is designed to help teens and young adults come to life in front of the camera! Your first step is to grab this FREE download of the Senior Client Welcome Guide to learn more about the process, pricing, and heirloom artwork.

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