I always enjoy outdoor senior portrait sessions, but a few things about this one made it extra fun:

• I first photographed this sweet girl when she was about 2 or 3 years old when I first moved MIA ink. Photography from Madison, WI to Lake County, IL. Watching her head into her senior year of high school as a beautiful, confident young woman is amazing (even if it does make me feel old).

•  This senior portrait session also stood out to me because of the color. Lately, the neutral, light-and-airy photography feel has reigned supreme, but the colors of summer came through in a classic way for me with this shoot. The boats, bright green foliage and colorful flowers made these so much fun.

• Ella is a pole vaulter, people! Not only was seeing the facility where she trains cool, but shooting with a pole vaulting stick was a fun, new challenge. Do I pose her like I would a guy with a baseball bat? Do I crop it off or try to show how tall it really is?

• Both the park and industrial area were new shooting locations for me. I’m pretty sure Ella thought I was nuts to be excited to see the back parking lot of a business filled with palettes, but I find the texture of the wood interesting.

• She was willing to have fun with me! This is huge in terms of having a successful shoot. When people get super nervous about how they look, the photos show that nervousness. Ella was changing outfits behind bushes and didn’t blink an eye at climbing around the rocks in the little creek despite a family practicing a choreographed dance right behind us. I think that made for a fun photo shoot in-the-moment, better results, and, hopefully, awesome memories of the whole experience.

Ready to learn more about senior portrait sessions? Reach out via text or call at 847-624-0742. I’d love to chat or send you my Senior Welcome Packet.

~Mia