Country-Cute Vibes with Natalie
Marion | Central City | Wanatee Park
I started this blog a month ago (and when I say “started,” I mean I created a title), which was literally 6 weeks after Natalie’s photoshoot. So now I’m 10 weeks post-photoshoot and am going to attempt to tell the story of Natalie’s shoot, when I often have a hard time remembering what even happened yesterday. BUT I have a feeling that Natalie’s session will be easy to recall because it was CRAZY. So let’s dive in!
I did Natalie’s sister’s senior pictures a few years ago (also an unforgettable session, you can read about Emily’s session here) so I knew Natalie’s would be coming up! I had posted about a Spring Senior Photoshoot Model Call and she (or maybe it was her mom or sister - LOL) signed up so we got to planning a late spring session. Natalie didn’t care TOO much about getting photos done, so she let me plan it all. When I learned that she was a country music fan and that she was interested in a country/farm setting, I was pumped. It’s been years since I had done one and even longer before that! And it feels like going back to my roots, where it all began for me with my sister’s senior pictures on my family’s and a family friends’ farm and land - very country-esque vibes. We planned her session and with no rain in the forecast, we went forward with our session. What I hadn’t checked for, though? Wind.
This has GOT to be the windiest photoshoot I have ever done. And for a senior with long hair, nonetheless. We had our work cut out for us. I told myself, if none turned out, we would just try again another day. But we gave it our best shot - despite LOTS of frustration and patience needed - and we were all surprised at the outcome!!
Our first stop was downtown Marion. REALLY quick because it wasn’t built into our schedule but once seeing her outfit options while she was getting her hair and makeup done (Meaghan on hair and Lindsey on makeup), we felt this outfit was best suited for an urban vibe. So we made a quick stop, explored the area, fought the wind and moved on.
And this green wall was a heck of a find! It just made her eyes POP! (And blocked some wind. Win-win!)
Off to the country we went. I never know what to expect when I do photos on private property (with the owners permission of course) and just know I will make the best of whatever I find, because it’s going to look different than the last time I was there. And it was even better than we could have expected. So many “props” were out there this time- LOL. I laugh as I write that because I know that considering a cow pasture, corn stalk bales, and a livestock trailer as “props” is laughable to the average person. But we used them all. We arrived and realized that the wind was going to be MUCH worse than it was in town. We definitely got more outtakes than the average session, but we also got a lot more uniqueness with hair movement which I DO love! I wish we had some behind the scenes video or photos of Natalie’s mom trying to hold up my giant sun shade in an attempt to block the wind. She was essentially a human kite most of the time. Poor Mom!
The wind was working for us there, don’t you think?!
One idea Natalie had was to use hay bales.. and I thought “oh yeah for sure that will be easy to find,” but turns out those are seassssonal-ish. But also turns out that when I THOUGHT I was picturing hay bales, I was ACTUALLY picturing corn stalk bales. So when the farm owner regretfully said she didn’t have hay bales but sent me a photo of the corn stalk bales that we could use instead, I was like “YESSSS!!” But, ya’ll that WIND. WOULDN’T. LET. UP!! But I think we won the battle, although it didn’t feel like it in the moment!!
We even thought that breaking out a hat would help tame the wind-blown hair. And it did, but she wasn’t a huge fan of the idea of doing all of her senior photos in a hat - go figure - LOL!
Before heading out to our next location, we made a pit-stop on the gravel road to use the family truck - the same one we used for her sister’s senior photos. And AGAIN, these were some of their FAVORITE pictures from the shoot. It was decided that they could not sell the truck before all their sisters had gotten their senior pictures done with it! I think it’s such a fun idea!
Of course, after battling crazy winds all day and them finally settling down at our last location, a storm started brewing in the distance. The sunset was covered by clouds JUST as we were going to be able to start getting those gorgeous golden-hour pictures.. and it made the night end quite a bit quicker too. So now we were in crunch time. Last location was Wanatee Park, but we had a few spots we wanted to hit.
As we drove away for the night, it started to rain. Perfect timing and I’m so glad we ended when we did! The night ended in a bit of a rush, and Natalie had multiple ticks on her when she got home (YUCK! Ticks were particularly bad this year!), and it all just seems to fit the chaos that was Natalie’s crazy and windy senior photoshoot. Not to mention, I got a notification on my way home that I was being tracked by an air tag and I low-key was panicking that someone was tracking me. Like, when would someone have put an air tag on my car? Did they put it in my camera bag? I shouldn’t pull into my driveway, just in case! Why me? Maybe they meant it for Natalie?? Welcome to my anxiety brain. I promptly texted Natalie’s mom to warn them of the possible dangers, JUST IN CASE! Turns out, it was Natalie’s mom that had an air tag on her - LOL! Phew! But hey, I’m thankful that my phone noticed and warned me!
Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine does and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2025/2026 (or a parent of an upcoming graduate) - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!
