Top Senior Photographer in Chandler, AZ | Beautiful Boho Photo Shoot by the Lake

Top Senior Photographer

I love this age and I love celebrating this special time in their lives! I feel like it gives me the opportunity to really help their confidence and self image. Have you seen my tagline? “Building confidence one picture at a time.” And it’s true! Teens are always so hard on themselves, so one goal for my senior photo shoots is to make sure that my seniors feel extra special. They get my undivided attention for several hours, with no rush. Because I’m not watching the clock, we can change outfits, switch back, move locations, and try different looks all without the stress of trying to fit everything into a 1 hour photo shoot. Did you know that most of my senior portrait sessions last 2-3 hours? Sometimes even a bit longer if we’re doing night shots. But don’t that that scare you…we have tons of fun and it goes by so fast! It’s just one of the reasons that Magical Memories by Michelle is one of the top senior photographers in Arizona.

Homeschool Graduation

Yes, homeschooled grads absolutely deserve senior pictures just like any other high school senior! In fact, it might even be more important because they haven’t school pictures taken annually. Do your yearbook photos and school pictures look like this? Of course not, so let’s fix that too! But whether you graduate from an online school, home school, charter school, private school, or public school, graduation is huge milestone. Keep reading to see what your senior pictures could look like.

What Happens During Your Senior Photo Shoot

Adrienne, like many teen girls, was excited about having her senior pictures taken but of course was still nervous about being in front of the camera. Her mom, Laurel, loved the fact that we wouldn’t be rushed, but she too was a little nervous. It’s totally normal and perfectly OK to be uncertain about this process! I deal with teenagers all the time, in fact my own two kids are Class of 2019 and Class of 2021. I’m used to their quirks, eye rolls, and opinions. How do I break through that teenage wall? All of my portrait sessions include an in-person consultation. I believe that plays a huge part in the final images! After all, I wouldn’t expect anyone to be comfortable in front of the camera after meeting just a few minutes prior to their session!

At Adrienne’s in-person consultation, we met and discussed what she was looking for and even shared some photos of her ideas with me. That sometimes worries me a little, because it requires specific outfits and lighting in order to make it work. Every photographer has their own style. But this time…magic! Adrienne had just the right outfits, shoes, and accessories to be sure her senior pictures would be flawless. She started out with this cute dress with just the right amount of color, and since we had a gorgeous sky that day, the tall grass made a gorgeous backdrop! Her makeup was flawless and her long curls gave her a great look for her senior pictures! The sunglasses paired with a more serious expression added variety to her final gallery.

With all the outfits Adrienne had, we were able to create a gorgeous gallery with lots of expressions that really show her personality. She loves to write music and brought her guitar along, so she looks stunning sitting on the waterfall in the sun. As an added surprise, I put the lyrics to her favorite song in her Senior Video.

Senior Pictures at the Lake

While it looks sunny and gorgeous, like a typical Arizona day, it was actually very chilly! The day of Adrienne’s photo shoot it was in the low 60s and for us AZ peeps who are used to warm weather it was COLD!!! And yet she splashed, twirled, and waded in the lake as if it was a beautiful spring day! Then to add to the look, I got some more artistic shots playing with the sun flare which turned out to be some of Adrienne’s favorites.

Creating Artistic Senior Pictures

As a professional photographer in Chandler, I see beyond just what the eye sees. I have a vision even before shooting the image, I know what can be retouched, and what will really make an image special. This one, which is another favorite, was made into a beautiful metal portrait with a quote. Yes, everything is custom designed so we were able to use a quote that Adrienne’s dad uses for her. It has special meaning to their family, so it goes from being “just a picture” to being a beautiful piece of artwork in their home that they will cherish forever.

In fact, did you know that this portrait session right here is what inspired me to grow my Style Closet where you can borrow outfits for your senior photos? It’s true! This was one of those sessions that I knew had to be styled perfectly with the white boho dress and accessories. Not too long after this, I had many requests for images like this…but as I said, the styling can make or break the image. Can you imaging this same image with a girl in a bright colorful romper? How about jeans and a t-shirt? Some outfits work and some definitely won’t! So my Style Closet began with hats and accessories then expanded to include flowy dresses for senior girls who wanted to have portraits taken by the water.

Building Confidence

Can you believe that this beautiful young lady said that she wasn’t photogenic? It’s so frustrating that these wonderful teenagers are so hard on themselves! This is where the confidence starts building. When senior girls see pictures of themselves like this, that boost in self-esteem is priceless! As a mom, can you imagine giving your daughter an experience with results like this? It’s far more than just a photo shoot or senior pictures. It’s special time spent together. It’s showing her how beautiful she really is, inside and out. It’s celebrating this huge milestone before you send her off into adulthood. Oh, and yes, the pictures are gorgeous and you’ll get to look at them every day, as often as you want!

Downtown Chandler Senior Pictures

We used a hat from my Style Closet, tried out many different locations, and when the sun went down, we kept going! Check out the variety here!!! And this isn’t her whole gallery! I see many photographers who give final galleries with images that are very similar. My job is to take only the best of the best, artistically edit and professionally retouch each photo by hand, then work with you at your Image Premiere and Ordering Session to help you select your favorites and design your artwork! It is a complete boutique experience that caters to seniors and their families.

Consultation to Plan Your Senior Pictures

As I mentioned, I offer in-person consultations with every client prior to booking. This gives us a chance to meet and make sure my services fit your needs. You’ll have time to ask questions and see lots of examples from senior girls just like you! Mom & Dad will have the chance to check out the pricing and packages so they can get some ideas of what products will work best for them.  Though there aren’t any minimum requirements, most of our clients choose to spend $1500-$3500 on their senior portrait experience.

If you’re graduating soon I’d love to meet you, so get in touch and let’s make your senior year a time to remember with an amazing senior portrait experience!