There is something special about photographing a senior at the very beginning of her final year of high school. There is so much still ahead – football games, school traditions, college applications, graduation and all of those “lasts” that seem to arrive faster than anyone expects.
I photographed this senior and her family at Fort Yargo State Park last September, and now, almost a year later, she is getting ready to begin an entirely new chapter at the University of Georgia.
It is a reminder of just how quickly the senior year goes by.
More Than Just Senior Portraits
When families search for senior photographers near me, they are usually thinking about portraits of their graduating senior – and those images are certainly the focus of the session. But I also love encouraging families to step in front of the camera for a few updated portraits together.
Senior year can become incredibly busy. Between school, activities, college visits, applications and graduation preparations, finding another evening when everyone is available isn’t always easy. And once college begins, coordinating schedules can become even more challenging.
Including family portraits during a senior session allows us to document this season before everything changes.
For this session, we created a mix of senior portraits as well as images with her parents, sister and the entire family. Those family photographs feel even more meaningful now that college move-in is right around the corner.
Senior Portraits at Fort Yargo State Park
Fort Yargo State Park gave us so much variety without having to travel between multiple locations.
We started among the trees and along the quiet roadway, where the soft evening light filtered beautifully through the woods. Later, we moved toward the lake as the light became softer and the sky took on those beautiful pastel tones you often see just before sunset.
The different settings also worked perfectly with her outfit changes – from a classic blue dress to more casual denim and, of course, white cowboy boots that added a little personality to the session.
That variety is one of the things I love about senior portraits. The goal isn’t simply to document what someone looks like at 17 or 18. It is to create images that feel like them at this particular moment in their life.
Documenting the Season Before College
Senior portraits are naturally about celebrating the graduate, but they also mark an important transition for the entire family.
Your child may still be living at home, eating dinner at your kitchen table and coming and going on a familiar daily schedule. A year later, they may be living hours away, making new friends and building a life of their own.
That is why I think senior year is such a wonderful time for updated family photographs.
You don’t need an entirely separate family session. We can spend most of the time celebrating your senior while setting aside a portion of the session for family combinations – parents with their senior, siblings together, individual parent-and-child portraits and, of course, everyone together.
Years from now, those may be some of the images you treasure most.
And for this family, photographs taken at the beginning of senior year now beautifully bookend a season that is coming to a close as their daughter prepares to become a Georgia Bulldog.
Looking for Senior Photographers Near Me?
If you are beginning to search for senior photographers near me in Athens, Oconee County or the surrounding Northeast Georgia area, senior year tends to arrive much faster than expected. Scheduling your session early gives you more flexibility with dates, locations and seasonal scenery – and gives you one more thing to check off the senior-year list.
Most importantly, it gives your family photographs of a season that deserves to be remembered.
Have a high school senior this year? I would love to help you plan a senior portrait session that celebrates who they are right now while also creating meaningful family photographs before their next adventure begins. Inquire for details. info@yvonneniemannphotography.com | 706.713.0676
