A Senior Photo Story

Meet Kenzie – Senior Photos in Cleveland, Ohio

When it comes to senior photos, our process is always incredibly custom (you can see more about that here), and honestly, that’s one of my absolute favorite parts. Senior portraits are probably the most personal photos you’ll ever have in your life.

As a team, we do a significant amount of wedding photography, which is really the heart of who we are. And while wedding photos are, of course, about you, they’re also about your celebration, your family, and the people you’ve gathered around you. That’s how photography tends to be for most of your life: shared moments, people, connections.

But senior portraits? They’re just about you. And that makes them a rare and really beautiful kind of experience.

What makes senior portraits even more special is the timing; senior year is such a unique season of life. You’ve been a kid for so long, and suddenly, you’re stepping into adult responsibilities. There are fun celebrations, grad nights, maybe college decisions… It’s exciting, sometimes overwhelming, and deeply transitional. You’re right in between being a kid and being a grown-up, and I think that’s something senior portraits can capture in a really meaningful way.

Kenzie was one of the most fun seniors I’ve ever photographed, for a few reasons. I had known her for a long time, so I already appreciated what a lovely human she is. But the best part? She loved photography. And I mean loved it – stretch that word out as long as it can go – loved it. She was so excited for her senior session in the best way, and as someone who’s creatively driven and image-focused, she was basically a dream to work with.

Kenzie had a full vision for what she wanted. Most seniors do one longer session in a day but she had something else in mind. She wanted to photograph in different seasons, at different times of year, depending on the weather and even what flowers were blooming. Nature and the landscape of Northeast Ohio meant a lot to her, and she planned her sessions around what felt most meaningful. That gave me the added gift of photographing throughout her senior year, which meant we got to see her grow, and that was such a joy.

Our first session was in a Cleveland-area Metropark. She wanted something really natural, flower-focused, soft, and 70s-inspired. She told me, “I just want to kind of blend into a field of flowers.” And while the spot we chose didn’t look like much in person – seriously, we were right next to what may have been a city utility or trash transfer center – it had the best wildflowers. And that’s the magic of photography: the right light and the right perspective can transform almost anything. Side note, if I could learn to take behind the scenes of what’s really going on, you all would be so impressed… 

Next up was her swim session. Kenzie is a swimmer through and through; she trained hard, coached in her spare time, and the people in that world meant so much to her. It was important to reflect that piece of her identity. But instead of having her pose in a studio holding medals, I told her I’d rather see her in the actual environment. So we did. She swam. We laughed. Her parents and coaches were there, and it was such a fun day.

My favorite image from that session is her standing with her hands on her hips, medals glinting against this dramatic background. People always ask what studio we were in or what setup we used. Truth? She was standing on the side of the pool with my lighting gear set up – and her mom was behind her, tossing water at her back with water bottles to create that look. When I turned the camera around to show the coaches and mom, everyone screamed. Truly a magic of photography and definitely another one of those “I wish we had a behind-the-scenes photo” moments that would make you laugh out loud. 

Then came my favorite session. By this time, Kenzie was feeling herself. She had fully stepped into her senior year, confident and radiant. She had her hair and makeup done (Makeup By Meridith is our go-to for senior looks), we had her in studio, and we got to play with light and space in a way that was just… oh that word again, magic. You could see her confidence growing as she stepped more into who she was becoming. That transformation is one of the most incredible things about senior photography, watching someone become more of who they are, and getting to reflect that back to them through images.

Our final session took us back to the flowers – this time, the cherry blossoms and magnolias in full bloom in Northeast Ohio. There’s a particular tree near the Cleveland Museum of Art that I love, and we placed Kenzie right in the middle of it. One of my favorite images from the entire year is her sitting at the edge of that tree, looking off into the distance. And yes, I definitely made a mom joke about her gazing into her future. But honestly? At that point, she knew what she was getting with me. 

She’s accomplished so much (you wouldn’t even believe her GPA or the academic things she’s accomplished) and I’m so proud of her. But more than her achievements, Kenzie is kind. She’s thoughtful. She cares about the people around her. And that’s what sticks with me the most.

Senior photography is such a gift because you get to spend time with young people like her, people who genuinely represent the best of us. Photographing Kenzie throughout her senior year was a total joy, and I love the images we created together.