This past school year was obviously suuuuper weird and challenging – and, let’s be real – quite deflating – for the class of 2020. For high school seniors, that meant three-ish months of online classes, cancelled spring break plans, cancelled prom, virtual or modified graduations… basically, all of the celebratory vibes of senior year went kerflooey. *womp*womp*
But wait! SENIOR PHOTOS to the rescue! This is one experience that my seniors have been looking forward to all year and it’s the perfect way to commemorate their accomplishments and transition into #adulting.
A couple weeks ago I had my first senior portrait photoshoot of the summer, and it felt like opening presents on Christmas morning, I was so excited. But I think Kate was even more pumped – and that is exactly how it should be!
All of my seniors get pampered with professional hair + makeup (courtesy of Arianna Scott, who is amazeballs), and then we head out on an adventure. Watching my girls get all glammed up for their senior shoot is one of my favorite parts of the day, not gonna lie.
On this particular day, the clouds were rolling in just as Arianna finished Kate’s look, so we started off with a few photos at Kate’s home as we waited for the drizzle to pass.
Once the rain stopped, we headed to the UW Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle. This is one of my favorite places in Seattle for portraits because there is such a variety of backdrops and scenes in just one area, so you don’t have to drive all over the city!
Kate chose an awesome variety of outfits, from jeans and crop tops, to a couple dresses, and a college t-shirt. She also brought along her friend for company (and I maaaay have put her to work helping with the reflector). I always encourage my seniors to bring someone along with them, whether a friend, sibling, or parents, to help keep the energy high and share the experience!
Senior portrait sessions are a blast no matter what, but they’re extra fun when we can include props like flowers or fairy lights to add creative elements to the images. My clients often ask me, “What do I do with my hands?!” and it’s totally my job to direct them in this – I thought these artificial lilacs (shhhh, don’t tell!) would be a beautiful accent prop and give Kate something very natural to do so she wouldn’t have to even think about her hands.
Finally, to give this tree-lined area a bit of an enchanted forest feel, we strung some fairy lights around a branch and I asked Kate to run down the path with them. I’m in love with the glow and how magical these senior photos look!
Kate, it was an absolute BLAST being able to photograph you – your energy, laugh, smiles, and willingness to go with the flow made this such a gorgeous and easy-going senior portrait session. It felt so good to be able to work again and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my summer! Thank you so much for choosing me to be your senior photographer! Big hugs, TB.
*Senior photos sound like your jam? I’m booking Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 senior photos for high schoolers in the greater Seattle area, including Bellevue and Edmonds!*
