A Senior Gallery Full of Joy | Class of 2023 | International Community School | Studio and Outdoor Senior Portraits

If you are searching for a senior portrait photographer, you are probably looking at the websites of photographers in your area. These are the places we photographers show off a little by posting our very best work! You’ll see the images we are most proud of from all the clients we’ve ever photographed.

It’s important to ask, however, what one individual client can expect to receive. That’s why today I’m going to show you a full gallery from one of my recent senior clients. Ailani’s senior portraits are not only beautiful, they are also full of personality and joy!

Ailani chose to do the first half of her senior portrait session in studio. This is something new I’m offering my clients, and I was thrilled with the images we got.

We did the second half of Ailani’s session in one of my favorite urban settings. I love this location because of the variety it offers. Because I’ve shot here a lot, I’ve found tons of overlooked spots that offer beautiful backdrops for your photos.

The next images were taken at the same location, but Ailani changed into jeans and a cute yellow kimono for a different look. I love the way the kimono flows in the wind!

I prefer to shoot senior portraits about two hours before sunset. The light is soft and sparkly at this time of day!

About two weeks after your photoshoot, we’ll meet at my house for your ordering session. I’ll show you your gallery of 30+ images on a big screen, and you’ll pick your favorites for purchase. Images may be purchased as digital photos, wall art, and custom albums. In fact, I’m designing a beautiful custom album for Ailani this weekend!

Telling Your Story in Portraits | Class of 2022 | International Community School | College Park Senior Photography

Collaborating with Rachel and her family to design her photo shoot was so much fun. We told Rachel’s story by choosing locations that were meaningful to her and by highlighting the things she loves.

Rachel has attended the same church since birth. Located near her home, Rachel’s church is the backdrop for many of her memories. Because of this, we started by capturing a few shots at her church.

Rachel achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during her senior year of high school. An accomplished archer, she also led the International Community School archery team as their captain.

Our second location for Rachel’s senior photos was her lakefront home.

One of Rachel’s siblings brought out her cat, resulting in some of the sweetest images of the day.

Next, Rachel chose shorts and a cropped top for a casual look. We shot this set of images in her backyard as the sun was setting over the lake. At this point, we’d been shooting for a while, so everyone was relaxed, and we were just having fun!

We started the day with a very ambitious list of things to accomplish. At this point, we’d accomplished everything on our list except the paddleboard images. It was almost totally dark (photographers call this the blue hour), but we kept shooting and got an artistic image of Rachel sailing away on her board. It was the perfect end to the evening. When I look at this image, I imagine Rachel sailing off into her future after graduation, and I think all of the adventures waiting for her.

Rachel will attend Florida State University where she will pursue a degree in Crime Scene Investigation. Congratulations Rachel!

When is the Best Time for Senior Portraits in Orlando? | Class of 2021 | Timber Creek High School

Senior year is a whirlwind. Seniors are the guests of honor at more events than they can count. Seniors don’t just play high school sports; they are team captains. The college application process can be like adding a part time job. Big decisions abound. Which school? What major? Seniors are busy.

When families ask me about the best time to shoot senior portraits, I always say that sooner is better than later. Sooner ensures that you actually get senior portraits - that they don’t get squeezed out by the other demands of senior year. Sometimes, however, there are valid reasons to wait. Maybe your dream senior portrait shoot has you wearing a sweatshirt for your future college - after you receive the good news that you got in! Yeah, that’s a good reason to wait.

Personally, my favorite time of year for Orlando senior photos is winter. January and February have beautiful mild temperatures and little rain. Some of my favorite locations are less crowded after the holidays than they were in the fall. And by shooting in January and February, you are guaranteed to get all your products back in time for your graduation celebrations.

However, in Central Florida, we have beautiful weather year round, so it’s never too late to celebrate this milestone with artistic images that tell your story. Katie was my final Class of 2021 client last year, and she shot her senior portraits right before her high school graduation. I was afraid we wouldn’t get her photos back in time, but Katie’s family assured me that they weren’t worried about getting the images before graduation. They were investing in these photos for a lifetime. So we got to work planning a photo session that would capture both Katie’s interests and her sense of style as she finished her high school years and prepared to move to college in Colorado.

Katie studied ballet for years, and on the day we shot her portraits, she brought her well-loved toe shoes. Katie wore a great dress for the first part of her session, and just slipping on her toe shoes for a few shots allowed us to capture artistic images that were some of my favorites of the day.

Katie changed into jeans, a flannel, and her favorite boots for a totally different look.

Laughter and smiles in beautiful light? Yes, please!

Katie achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Scouts BSA. So much to celebrate!

I’m thankful that Katie’s parents chose me to tell her story in photos. Katie’s future is bright, and I can’t wait to see where it takes her!

Class of 2019 | Winter Park Senior Portraits

For me, there is so much to love about shooting senior portrait sessions. First of all, I get to know amazing young women like Rachel. I always walk away encouraged and excited about what lies in store for them as they graduate high school and move on to the next stage of life.

The other thing I love about photographing seniors is the images we get. Senior girls are glowing, and it’s fun to create a portrait session that captures who they really are. I’m always amazed that no two senior sessions end up looking the same.

We shot Rachel’s portraits on and around Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. A few weeks later, we met at a local trail to get a few quick photos of her in her running gear because cross country and track have been a big part of Rachel’s high school experience.

Class of 2019 | Orlando Area Senior Portrait Photographer

It’s almost graduation season! So I thought I’d share some of my favorites from a recent senior portrait session I shot on and around Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. I love Leah’s wardrobe choices and the variety we were able to get in her portraits just by walking around town.

Leah has the greatest expressions, so it was fun to capture her personality through all the different faces she made throughout the afternoon.

At this spot, she actually played her flute for a little while - right there on the streets of Winter Park!

Celebrating Graduation | Orlando Senior Portrait Photographer

Downtown Winter Park provided the perfect backdrop for Jana’s graduation shoot. Jana and I have worked together before, and I think it shows in the photos. She was simply stunning, and I couldn’t be happier with the final result!

About a week later, on the actual day of Jana’s graduation, we met up with her two best friends and photographed the beginning celebrations of their graduation day!

This graduation shoot made me all nostalgic. As parents, it seems we are always marking the milestones. They smile. They sit up. They learn to walk. At first the milestones are really close together, and honestly, we're so tired that they pass in one exhausted blur. One month. . .  six months. . . nine months. Then they begin to spread out a little. We mark the first day of school. . . then the years speed up, and in a blink we're planning a high school graduation and then maybe even a college graduation.

The world spreads out before them, and they are off to pursue their dreams.