Unique City Night Lights Senior Portraits | Emily | Jefferson High School

Unique City Night Lights Senior Portraits with Emily

Culvers Greenhouse | Pleasant Creek Park | Downtown Cedar Rapids

Where do I even start with a blog about Emily’s session?! I had made a post on Facebook about opening up two new August dates after my vacation plans had changed and Emily’s mom reached out immediately. They were on vacation, so communication was tricky but they for sure wanted to book my last open date and we made it happen! And I’m SO glad they did! I actually know some of Emily’s family members because I’ve photographed her aunt and uncle’s exciting events over the past few years (engagement, wedding, maternity, newborn and baby milestone pictures) so it was so fun to get to meet more of the family! When they were back from vacation, we met for a consultation and I learned that Emily has a creative side and had some non-traditional ideas for her pictures: she wanted to use a greenhouse and wanted nighttime pictures with the city lights downtown. The greenhouse has been a popular request this year, but I have never done nighttime senior pictures before - I was immediately excited… and let’s be honest, nervous.

I had an idea on how we were going to pull it off, but wasn’t sure if it would get us the results we both had in mind. A few days before Emily’s photoshoot, I went and scoped out the downtown Cedar Rapids area at night to see what locations I could find with the most lights and sent her some pictures and found some she loved.

Fast forward to photoshoot day - we had Nicole at Onyx Salon doing Emily’s hair and makeup and had a blast just chatting! And then we were off to Culver’s Greenhouse (with their permission, of course!)

It was HOT in there, but it was so fun getting to try some new things and get Emily warmed up.

We changed outfits and our next stop was downtown Cedar Rapids for some more modern-looking city pictures AND pictures with her puppy, Isla!! We met with Emily’s dad and got ADORABLE pictures with her sweet pup who was verrryyyyy pregnant at the time. We moved to our second spot and it was way too sunny so we used another area close by and had fun trying out new ideas.

We wrapped up, changed outfits and headed out to Pleasant Creek State Park. I picked this location because it had a lot of things Emily wanted: willow trees, water and long grass. I’ve been here before but it turned out better than I imagined! We started in the shady road area, and Emily decided to throw on her sunglasses for a few AND use their truck for some pictures, too! SUPER cute and fun!

Then we changed outfits, and waded through the weeds and flowers to get the best lighting with the willow tree. I am OBSESSED with this light! She was a natural in front of the camera, too!

As the sun set, we headed further into the park to catch that amazing light in the long grass. And again, I was obsessed! I LOVED the light from this session so much, and Emily made my job easy.

And then we rushed back to water area, got a few on shore and then attempted to get IN the water. I had completely forgot that she had told me she actually wanted to get IN!! So we carefully tip-toed into the water and decided it would be safer to just sit down in it! hah!! So fun!

Then the sun had set and we still had the last part of the session left. But we WANTED it dark, so no more chasing the sunlight for us. We headed back to downtown Cedar Rapids, we met in the first location and got out my wayyyyyy too big 86” umbrella and lighting combo (but it’s all I’ve got). We definitely got some strange looks but that’s to be expected. And a huge shout out to Emily’s mom for carrying that huge thing around all night. We had planned to only take 30 minutes or so… but it took a lot of trial and error. We walked around, tried some funky things. And found a spot that almost impossible to light with an 86” umbrella but it was worth it! We LOVED the results and ended up wrapping up at 11pm!!! Needless to say, we were ALL tired!

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 2023 or 2024 (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!

Summer, Fall & Winter Senior Session | Makenna | Wapsie Valley High School

Summer, Fall & Winter Triple Senior Session with Makenna

Wapsie Valley High School | Iowa Senior Photographer

Last December, Makenna’s aunt Dorothy reached out to me to set up a plan for her upcoming senior session. Dorothy is a friend of mine, so she knew she needed to reach out early to start planning AND she wanted to gift her a session. (I was so surprised and excited for Makenna! What a sweet idea!) Dorothy let me know that they wanted to do a three-season photoshoot: summer, fall and winter. I was SO excited!! I had met Makenna briefly last summer when I did an extended family photoshoot for her and her family, so I knew we were going to have some fun! After Makenna wrapped up her junior year, I met with her and her grandma (who arranged the previous year’s family photos with me) and we chatted about what ideas she had for all three of her photoshoots. And after mentioning she liked colorful walls, willow trees, long grass, water and rocks, I came up with a game plan for her summer session! So let’s start there!

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Part 1: SUMMER

Newbo District | Pleasant Creek State Park

Makenna reached out to Nicole at Onyx Salon and set up hair and makeup, who her family had worked with in the past and started her photoshoot day off getting pampered (which turned out PERFECTLY by the way). We met at the Newbo City Market and I learned quickly that Makenna had brought a fan club! Her grandma, her cousin, and her bestie all joined her and I KNEW it was going to be a party! (Senior photo tip: bringing your bestie is a GUARANTEED good time.) We explored some of my favorite spots in the area, and I could tell after showing Makenna the back of my camera that she was feeling. her.self! She was ROCKING it! Of course, the excitement coming from her best friend Chris, definitely helped too!

I knew I wanted check out (or “Czech” out?! See what I did there?!) the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids because of their colorful mural walls. So we hopped over there, changed outfits (I ADORE this color on Makenna) and found some really fun, unique spots.

Next stop: Pleasant Creek State Park in Palo. We took the trek out there and found one of the last remaining willow trees post-derecho. We tried some cool angles with the willow tree branches, found the perfect path through a wildflower field (a fun surprise) and then changed outfits one last time!

This is one of my favorite spots out at the park, because it’s so high up that you get to see the water behind it. And the long grass was super summer and pretty, and had pops of little wildflowers too! We were snapping away (and sweating away, as usual for me) and who shows up?! Aunt Dorothy who had reached out to book Makenna’s session from the beginning. What an exciting surprise!!

By the end, Makenna was a pro and I already knew the next 2 sessions were going to be SO easy and fun for her!!

Part 2: FALL

Downtown Cedar Rapids | Palisades-Kepler State Park

The day we had chosen for Makenna’s fall session ended up being a little dark and overcast, but after some deliberation about rescheduling we decided to just go for it anyway! She had scheduled hair/makeup with Nicole at Onyx Salon right after her first session to get our date/time locked in. I LOVED how “fall” her look was this round!! We decided a location pretty far in advance but the day before her photoshoot I had scoped the Palisades out for another upcoming session and had a feeling she’d LOVE all the fall colors happening here! So the day before her shoot, I changed up our game plan! We met by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and used that area, but moved QUICKLY! It was windy and cold, and Makenna had chosen super-cute fall outfits that didn’t happen to be ideal for cold weather. So we just kept the car running nearby and didn’t stay in one place too long!

After a few photos there, we drove down the road to White Star Ale House for their famous vine wall and then hit flew to our last stop in Cedar Rapids: the parking garage across from Eastbank Venue! I love this spot and Makenna wanted more of a city-look for this round of photos. We moved fast enough that we were even able to do an outfit change and get some photos of her in her second outfit here as well!

Then off to the Palisades…one of the photography HOT SPOTS, especially during the fall! It’s been a few years since I had done a photoshoot there so I was excited to try it out again!!

Aren’t the fall colors perfect!?

We drove to another spot closer to the river for some long grass and more fall colors! I LOVE how this whole combo came together. Isn’t Makenna so darn beautiful!? This was my favorite of her fall outfits. I just love that skirt color!!!

Then after picking off all of the burrs (lol) we changed outfits and headed to the famous beaches of the Palisades! We did some leaf-tossing, rock-climbing and dog-wrangling and were able to capture some amazing and fun shots!! The ones with Makenna and her beloved dogs are definitely my FAVE!

After wrapping up adorable puppy photos, we were able to just explore the area and get creative with posing. We had a few windy Pocahontas moments, but Makenna is such a natural in front of the camera and made my job so easy! I was already SOOO looking forward to her most unique session: in the snow!!!

Part 3: WINTER

Wanatee Park

For Makenna’s final senior session, we planned for snow, pine trees and all things beautiful about winter! This is SO hard to plan, because…. well, Iowa weather is known for being unpredictable. ESPECIALLY hard to coordinate and plan when you’re scheduling hair and makeup to be done beforehand. We chose a Wednesday the first week in February when we knew Makenna didn’t have school and crossed our fingers for snow and non-dangerous wind chills. She scheduled hair and makeup with Nicole at Onyx Salon and we waited for the day.

Meanwhile, I planned on leaving for vacation the next day but the flights weren’t lining up in our favor. So we ended up having to change our itinerary to fly out of Des Moines VERY early the next day, which meant we would need to leave the night before to stay in a hotel in Des Moines. Meaning RIGHT after Makenna’s session, I would be leaving for vacation. Talk about a whirl-wind! But as always, it worked it perfectly. I scoped out our location a few days beforehand. My criteria: snow, a spot without buildings in the background but somewhere with an outdoor plug to use my beloved snow machine to make some magic happen. I came upon a lodge out at Wanatee that would work for us! (I LOVE Wanatee for it’s many different backdrops it provides within a small park.)

Makenna, her grandma and her bestie Chris showed up that day ready to make this the fastest photoshoot yet. Sure, it wasn’t dangerously cold but it was PRETTY dang chilly. Most of her outfits were chosen with the cold in mind, but the last was a special idea (that I was pumped about) and would require A LOT of help and fast movements.

We started with Makenna’s photos with Chris! We planned on including him in a few photos from the start, but settled on the winter ones with him. Grandma came up with the idea of the amazing, gold “2022” balloons and bringing sleds. Oh! And the fun senior-year piñata Makenna and Chris made for class. To say we had a blast is an understatement!!

After a quick outfit change into her beautiful green jacket, we hit a different spot in the park for those rich dark greens we were after. I LOVE how this outfit compliments her eyes, skin and hair color. And that she brought her Honor Society metal to show off!!

And the last part of the session that was supposed to be the quickest. While Makenna got dressed in the warmth of her vehicle, Chris and I set up and test the snow machine. We wrap Makenna in a blanket and get her perfectly placed.. suddenly the snow machine won’t work. We LITERALLY just had it tested. After a minute of freezing and frustration, I sent Makenna back to the car to keep warm and Chris and I brainstormed. We decided to try to warm it up in the car and try again. After a bit, we set the blanket-wrapped Makenna back up in the perfect spot and the snow machine started working!! While keeping a blanket nearby, Grandma and Chris alternated on wrapping her up when needed and blasting her with the snow machine (one of them literally blasted Makenna directly onto Makenna that we had to pause to de-snow her… I won’t say who LOL).

When we wrapped up, all frozen, Makenna was SO excited from how much fun she had!! She hugged and thanked me and ran to the car to warm up… and I was off to start my vacation!

Multiple senior sessions are SO fun and we get so close that it’s sad when it’s all done. How amazing is it that you get to have different makeup and hair styles and SOO many different looks?! Totally worth it, I think!!!

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 2023 or 2024 (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.

Special Effects Double Senior Session | Hannah | Alburnett High School

LIGHTS, MUSIC, ACTION!
split senior session with hannah

Paramount Theatre | Wanatee Park | Alburnett High School

A few years ago, I met Hannah and her family when I took her older brother, Zeb’s, senior pictures. You can see his blog HERE! Zeb’s senior pictures were taken in the month of November and we got pretty lucky with the weather, so Hannah’s mom reached out in October of 2020 to start planning hers! She knew that my schedule can book up fast AND both Hannah and her mom are BUSY people! (Hannah has many talents and interests, and her schedule is PACKED!)

We met for our consultation in March and did some planning. Hannah told me she wanted to showcase her extra-curriculars: singing, dancing and poms... and also wanted sunset photos in a flower field (my most popular, and my personal favorite, request)! We decided to split her senior session into 2 dates so she could have the sunset for her flower photos, but also on the football field for her poms photos which we hoped to turn into “Friday Night Light” photos like we did for her brothers!

So I scheduled her for hair and makeup with Nicole at Onyx Salon, made a reservation for us at the Paramount Theatre and planned the rest from there.

When Hannah hopped out of her mom’s car, I could tell that she LOVED her hair and makeup and was super excited. We started at the Paramount theatre for some awesome singing and performance shots. We played around with lights (shout out to Jason for all of the help), we tossed some sheet music and got creative. I mean, we even used a flashlight as a microphone for a few shots before finding a real one - thankfully! I LOVE how unique these images are!!!

(Behind the scenes photos, courtesy of Hannah’s mom)

We ran a little behind while at the Paramount, experimenting with lighting (and some of my lighting malfunctioning on me, of course) so we wrapped up and did a quick outfit change while heading to downtown Cedar Rapids. I LOVED this color on Hannah. I knew we had about 15-30 minutes of time to catch up on, so we stuck to some of my main spots in the area to save time and moved fast! Luckily Hannah is a PRO and we flew through different locations and poses. She kept telling me how fun it was, but she didn’t need to tell me - I could tell! We were ALL having a blast. And we had the perfect weather, too!

Once we wrapped up our downtown portion to Hannah’s session, we headed out to Wanatee Park for her flowers at sunset photos. Of course, the original spot I had picked out wasn’t looking as good as we’d hoped with all the rain and the flowers were pretty much non-existent. We decided to use a little spot right off the main road where a few patches of flowers were, because ALLLLL the rest were like 7 foot tall. LOL! I honestly love how they turned out. SO summery and pretty!

Hannah’s second photoshoot came up QUICK! With her and her mom’s busy schedule, we barely even had time to chat about it, but I know it always works out … and it did!! We decided to spend more time in an urban setting for this session, throw in some nature/trees since we had only down fields and flowers last time, and end our session at the football field with a “Friday Night Lights” theme similar to what we did for her brother’s senior photos. Hannah and her mom started with hair and makeup at Onyx Salon again. I wanted to use the same stylist for both of Hannah’s session and Nicole from Onyx was super sweet to help us make that happen! First stop: Newbo!

We stopped at all of my favorite spots, and threw in some extra fun and non-traditional poses along the way!

I loved the simplicity and softness of Hannah’s outfits at these locations. And I especially loved her openness to trying new poses and locations for me! LOL!

After a few outfit changes in Newbo, Hannah changed into her last minute outfit idea for our pit-stop at Wanatee Park. They have this spot with these gorgeous trees where the light filters in beautifully and I’m SO glad they let me convince them to use it. Her outfit was fun and trendy, and it was fun to try some new poses with her jean jacket! Perfect choice for fall photos, Hannah!

This park is one of the MOST popular spots for photographers, especially during the fall! So while her mom stood as the look-out for cars coming, Hannah and I did short blasts of photos in between cars while creatively working around several other people and photographers in the background. ‘Tis the season for fall family photos, ya’ll! (Even though the trees were still pretty green here!)

Then off to Alburnett High School we went! We had plenty of time before sunset so we used ALLLLL the space we could, creating some adorable images of Hannah in her POMS uniform!

Once it started to get dark, her dad showed up with his construction work lights to help us recreate some of the photos we did for her brother’s senior photos a few years ago! We were lucky enough to have someone turn on the football field lights for us and we started creating some magic. We all LOVE how fun/dramatic/gorgeous these turned out! And the colors of the sunset match her school colors - amazing!

And how about this for a good before/after shot?! (Top left: straight out of my camera, Top right: with round of edits, Below: final image)

I can’t believe Hannah’s senior photos are officially checked off of their list! We’ve been talking about and planning them for so long!!! But I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out, and Hannah and her family LOVE them too!

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 2023 or 2024 (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!

Sweet, Classic Fall Senior Portraits with Madi

Sweet & Classic fall Senior Portrait Session with Madi

Newbo District, Cedar Rapids | Pleasant Creek State Park

When I started posting about my summer and fall availability becoming very slim, Madi’s mom reached out and booked her session ASAP! I found out that Madi goes to Center Point-Urbana High School (CPU) like I did, so that always makes it extra-special for me! So of course, we met at Apple Creek Coffee in Center Point for our consultation. I found out that Madi was referred to me from Kira, a senior from a few years ago! (You can check out her blog HERE.) We chatted about what she wanted for her session, she was up for anything (we even joked about doing some photos at Target, since shopping is her favorite past-time LOL) but in the end we decided on an open field/flowers, and something that incorporated water (since boating is her OTHER favorite past-time)!

The day of Madi’s photoshoot, we stopped at Pretty Lane in Cedar Rapids to get her makeup done, and Meghan Labs joined us to style her hair! We barely made it out the door and I was already ready to snap some photos of Madi in downtown Cedar Rapids! Suddenly, she hopped into model-mode and started striking poses! She was probably just joking around with me, but I thought she was rocking it!

We only spent a few minutes there, and then I met them down at Newbo City Market. It’s one of my favorite spots to meet because it’s so easy to access all of my favorite locations. We had some fun hitting up all of my go-to spots, did a few outfit changes, and tried some new spots. Madi is just too darn cute!

Our next spot is one of my favorites, maybe because I adore water photos! Pleasant Creek State Park has some many spots for us to use and I built in extra time for us to just move slow and enjoy it!

The big open fields on a hill overlooking the water is one of my faves! And I loved Madi’s outfits and color choices! She was a champ as we fought through mosquito bites, but ‘tis the season, right?! Still.. ouch!

My next spot was SUPPOSED to be where all the pretty yellow flowers were. But as I we walked up, we realized that was no longer the case. I was really bummed but there was still some colorful grass and I was LOVING the fall vibes we got instead. And of course, we had to grab some photos in the willow tree!

After an outfit change, I got to use a spot I haven’t used in YEARS! I loved creating simple, classic and cute images of Madi on the dock. They’re some of my FAVES from her session and just seemed to fit her quiet, low-key vibes!!

Then time for what I think was Madi’s favorite outfit! Her favorite color is green and I could just tell she was feeling herself! We had a bit of a cloudy sunset but it made everything look really soft and pretty. Of course we had to break out the sunhat for a few too!

Madi’s session was a mix of summer and fall, but I love how sweet and classic her images turned out! Her session was the perfect mix of relaxed and fun, and I’m so glad they chose me to capture her senior photos!

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 2023 or 2024 (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!

Rustic & Feminine Fall Senior Session with Megan

Rustic & Feminine Fall Senior Pictures with Megan

Central City, Iowa | Center Point, Iowa

When the time came to plan Megan’s session, I couldn’t believe how long it had been since they had booked her session! Time sure flies when the weather is nice - LOL! They had booked me in June and now it was already October! Like how?!

During our consultation (when I meet with Seniors and parent(s) for the first time to plan and get to know each other before the photoshoot) I learned that Megan’s sport was softball so incorporating that was a MUST, and she also requested fields and a farm/rustic location! I hadn’t gotten to that in so long, so I was excited for a little change of scenery!

After getting hair and makeup professionally done by Krysta at Make Me Up, Megan and her mom met me at my friend’s farm in Central City JUST as the sun decided to peek out for the first time that day! We explored the farm in her first (and “casual”) outfit, waved at the cows and swung on the fences. I could immediately tell she was a natural!

After a change of clothes, we explored the less “rustic/farm” parts of their land and I loved how their garage/shed paired so well with this outfit! And the soft tones against the gravel road!

I somehow convinced Megan to let me make a pit-stop on the way to our next location, because just off of the busy road was some pampas grass and I’ve been DYING to shoot in it. For like 2 years. She put on this sparkly, floral, super feminine dress and I KNEW that the aesthetic would be perfect. Although the location was NOT ideal and not easy to get to (especially in heels, right Megan?!), it was worth it. We probably spent a total of 10 minutes at this location, but we were in a hurry to get to our next stop AND it was off a busy road. So we flew through poses and magic just happened!

We hopped back into the vehicles and headed into Center Point. Our next stop was supposed to be the CPU Softball Field, but for the first time EVER in my experience it was locked up. (Cue internal panic!) After almost getting stuck trying to turn around in the parking lot full of cars and spectators at a CPU football game, we parked and while Megan changed outfits I came up with a new game plan. After realizing there wasn’t any easy way to get into the softball field (except climbing over the fence… not happening!), I decided the next best option was Fross Park. We headed there, ran into some road blocks. had to turn around and take the long way around, but alas! We finally made it!

We don’t have many behind-the-scene pictures here because I had Mom on “dust duty” - creating us this hazy look in the background of some of Megan’s images!!

It turns out I actually liked this location more than the original spot we had chosen! It worked out PERFECTLY! She brought all of her softball jerseys and I loved using them in a few shots!

We wrapped up and headed to our last location: a gorgeous little field near the CPU High School. When Megan put on her last outfit and that hat, I was SO excited to capture her cute-little-self! That outfit + that location + that light = AHHHMAZING!

One of the last images that we took that night was a special one, inspired by a photo of Megan’s grandma that she carried in her cell phone case. Megan’s mom knew how special that photo of her grandma is to her, and so we did our best to replicate the pose for her. Simply beautiful!

I loved how Megan and her mom were up for all of my ideas and I loved getting to know them both. And I adore. EVERY. IMAGE!

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 2023 or 2024 (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!

Epic Summer Senior Pictures | Kiah | Benton Community High School

SPORTS, FLOWERS & WATER SENIOR SESSION WITH KIAH

Brandon, Iowa | Center Point, Iowa | Eastern Iowa Senior Photographer

I first met Kiah and her family a few years ago when I did some photos of her and her sisters. When her mom reached out in May, I couldn’t believe she was a senior already!!! We met for a consultation, talked about Kiah’s ideas and made some plans. During her consultation, she told me she LOVED tall, grassy fields, water, and would love her pictures on a bridge. She also wanted to do some track and volleyball photos as well. And that’s exactly what we did!

I scheduled Kiah’s hair and makeup to be done at her house by my good friend, Krysta at Make Me Up. (Kiah later told me that she loved how her makeup turned out SO much that she wants her to come do her prom makeup too!) Then Kiah, her mom and little sister all met me in Brandon, Iowa for the first stop of what we planned to be a 3.5+ hour photoshoot. It was a HOT day. Like at one point, I was sweating so bad I couldn’t see out of my eyes. I mean.. I always sweat when I do photoshoots, but when it’s 100 degrees out - phhhewwwy! For me, it reminded me of being on the beach in Aruba in August for a wedding without any cloud or shade coverage. Sizzling! We were all a bit concerned about that, but her mom brought snacks, drinks, and a face-blotting town to ward off any shininess. And it all went perfectly!

Kiah had 8 total outfit changes, poor thing! I knew it would be tough to get them all in (not to mention changing that many times when you’re already a little sweaty from the weather0) but we JUST couldn’t narrow down her adorable outfits. So I set my phone timer to go off every 20-30 minutes to keep us on track and we began!

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(Behind-the-scenes and “what you see vs. what I see” comparison photos, courtesy of Kiah’s mom!)

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We started by exploring the cute, old buildings on the main street in Brandon. Her dress looked adorable on her! After a little wandering around, forgetting my entire camera bag down the road (what in the world?! I’ll blame it on the head I guess) and taking some seriously adorable photos of Kiah, my alarm went off. Time for an outfit change! We chose a more casual outfit to explore some areas off one of the side roads with some barnwood, vintage truck, and gorgeous lighting.

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Then it was time for Kiah’s volleyball outfit. Not only had she brought her entire uniform, but she brought 3 volleyballs and a game net. I knew I wanted to do some photos in the sandy, indoor horse arena on a friend’s property but we also wanted some variety, so we did some with the old buildings as a backdrop as well. They turned out so cool! Then we hurried and left for the horse arena for some unique pictures!

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The horse arena was cooler than the outside and we were so thankful for that little break. With mom standing on a ladder, holding a reflector and little sister as the professional sand-thrower, we took some really fun, unique volleyball senior photos!

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The sand arena sits on beautiful farm land and it was the perfect, effortless setting for another outfit change and to add some variety to Kiah’s senior pictures!! Then we rushed off to Center Point to keep on our tight schedule!

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We met at the Center Point track for some photos of Kiah in her track uniform. They brought a baton and a hurdle and we did this portion of her session as fast as we could - in less than 15 minutes!! Kiah even had a little fan-club for the remainder of the night, because her mom’s friend and her daughter showed up to cheer her on! Talk about a party!

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Right on schedule, we headed to a new location I’d never tried before. Although it took us a while to get to our spot through all of that looonngg grass and the heat (now I know for next time - haha!), THESE were the photos Kiah had been waiting for! Her long grass and flowers! Isn’t she beautiful?!?

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Then we headed to the famous bridge in Center Point. I’m sure people were wondering what was happening since we had 6 of us out there in the middle of the bridge. But we had so much fun and these sunset photos are PERFECTION! Kiah’s requested bridge photos… check!

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Then off we went to our last stop of the night. The sun was pretty much set, but I knew that this location had wide open skies and it would be that soft, pretty light. But it was a location I’d never used before and something I had never done before for senior photos… you’ll see what I mean if you keep scrolling ;)

We started off in traditional senior picture poses and Kiah looked adorable!

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Then I asked her if she was up for trying something a little EXTRA unique and crazy. She said she was and we went for it! They turned out so amazing and I’m SO glad she let me try this with her!

Overall, Kiah’s senior photoshoot lasted about 4 hours, which is insane! But it was worth it and we had so much fun while creating some seriously epic and beautiful images!!

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 2023 or 2024 (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!

Casual Cute Fall Senior Photos | Avery | Kennedy High School

Casual Cute Fall Senior Photos | Avery | Kennedy High School

Don’t mind me, I’m just half a year behind on blogging senior sessions! But, like, I couldn’t NOT blog Avery’s GORGEOUS fall senior photoshoot. Avery’s mom reached out waaayyyy in advance to get her scheduled for the fall season because she knows that’s the #1 photoshoot time and it fills up fast. I did Avery’s sister’s senior photos a few years ago and it was frigid cold and snowing. They were unique and turned out gorgeous, but they wanted NICE, enjoyable weather this time around and that fall color - Mother Nature did NOT disappoint!

When I met with Avery and her mom for our consultation and planning appointment, I found out quick that Avery was EXCITED for her senior photos and that there was no shortage of selfies in her life. LOL! I LOVE it because that meant she was already semi-comfortable in front of the camera. I was SO right. She is a natural model!!!

Since the derecho in Cedar Rapids kind of put a damper on the landscape scenery, we decided to hit up the big ol’ town of Central City! When Avery hopped out of the car all dolled up and looking like a movie-star (thank you, Krysta at Make Me Up, for your makeup and hairstyling skills) with her entourage of mom, dad AND boyfriend, I KNEW we were in for a good time. That’s a LOT of people staring at you while you get your photos taken.. and a LOT more people to encourage you and make you laugh. And that we did!

(Behind-the scenes photo courtesy of Avery’s mom!)

We spent some time just exploring the cool buildings and colors of Central City, changed outfits, got inspired, and had a LOT of fun!! I’m sure Avery got SO tired of hearing how perfect the weather was, especially compared to her sister’s senior photoshoot day! LOL!

I loved how her skin tone, hair color and outfit all coordinated so beautifully with the brick wall! Isn’t she stunning?! Then she discovered this cool multi-color alleyway and spray painted ground and we were inspired! It was the perfect aesthetic for her casual and comfy outfit.

Then we went headed across the street to Pinicon Ridge park for ALLLL of that gorgeous fall color and the perfect-colored bridge for fall!! Doesn’t her outfit coordinate perfectly!? And she just looks flawless!! We all had so much fun making Avery feel like the celebrity of the day - as your senior photos SHOULD be!!! And I put Avery’s dad and boyfriend to work as professional-leaf-throwers to make a fun Pinterest-worthy fall photo for her. And there was definitely more than one take. It was a blast!

After a change of outfits, we went on the hunt to find the most vibrant, colorful trees. Apparently, so did everyone else - LOL! We had to take turns taking photos with other families and professional photographers out there just trying to capture all the beautiful leaves as well. It was pretty comical!

(Another behind-the-scenes photo below!)

As I often do, I told Avery we were all finished up about 15 times before I actually meant it. But we ended our session on my trusty (ok, actually I don’t put too much trust in it) old stepladder that has made it into TOO many photos already. I mean, it’s not even cute and somehow it keeps getting it’s photo taken. But I needed a solid headshot of Avery before we left, so I sat her on it and it ended up being one of their favorites!

And I can’t wrap up this blog without showing off the book cover that I custom-designed for Avery. Almost always, my seniors LOVE the photobook and choose to order one filled with their favorite photos, and this is the cover I designed for Avery. Isn’t it adorable?!

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 2022 or 2023 (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!

Trendy Summer Senior Photos | Grace | Marion High School

TRENDY SENIOR SESSION WITH GRACE

Downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Center Point, Iowa | Marion High School Senior Photographer

I first met Grace just two days after the derecho swept through Cedar Rapids. It was such a whirlwind of craziness the days following that I ALMOST forgot to meet with her and her mom! But, after so many attempts to try to reach each other through the spotty cellphone service we were experiencing at that time, her mom and I finally connected and I met them at their home to start planning her session (after having to use old-fashioned word-of-mouth directions, because GPS’s weren’t working at that time either.)

We chatted about the damage in their neighborhood and the surrounding areas, how it had been affecting their family, and how it might affect her senior year - including her senior session with me. Everything in the area was in shambles and all the natural, beautiful areas and parks required so much cleanup. After chatting with Grace, her main goal was to have photos that were different than her friends and to include some wildflowers. Well… wildflowers are hard to come by post-derecho. So, we decided to travel to my hometown, Center Point, to find wildflowers AND have some scenery and backdrops that her friends wouldn’t. Win win!

We started out in Downtown Cedar Rapids, because I felt like it best matched the vibe for some of Grace’s adorable outfits. We just wandered around, found cool spots and took cute photos. BUT I do have to note… it was HOT out!! Grace’s mom wasn’t ever too far behind with the hairspray - good thinking, mom! P.S. COOL new graffiti art wall, C.R.

Then we ventured up to Center Point for some wildflowers. We stopped quick at the Travel Plaza (…or is it just Casey’s now?! Hmm!) and I was inspired! Wayyyy in the back there’s a little bit of land with trees, which would be the perfect way to add some more variety to Grace’s photos. Yay! Plus, I love the little fence and water in the background. I even convinced her to wear my hat and she looked SO good in it!

Then finally, off to the feature location of the night, the wildflower field! Grace is just the sweetest, and isn’t she just straight up adorable?!

Grace wasn’t able to get her cheerleading uniform from the school before her senior session so we scheduled a 15-minute mini photoshoot for her one Friday afternoon after school started. So we took some fun photos to show off her love for cheer and I’m so glad we did! Cheerleading was my favorite in high school too, so my cheerleading senior photos is still one of my favorites! I hope that’ll be the case for her, too.. because once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader! :)

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 2021 or 2022, or a parent of a 2021/2022 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Twin Senior Girls Photoshoot | Gabrielle & Grace | Classic and Boho Wildflowers

Twins Senior Photoshoot with Grace & Gabrielle

Clear Creek Amana High School | Iowa Senior Photographer

The story of the first time I met Grace and Gabrielle is one I tell often. Along with their mom and younger brother, they made the trek to Cedar Rapids to meet me for their consultation and plan their sessions. Sitting at Roasters Coffee in the NewBo City Market discussing ideas and outfits, we watched through the floor-to-ceiling glass garage door as a “severe thunderstorm” started coming through Cedar Rapids. Little did we know that this was actually the life-changing derecho and things were A LOT worse than the thunderstorm we thought we were in. As power went out and the scene outside started looking really scary, the nice woman at Newbo offered us the sanctuary of the hallway bathroom, and we decided to take her up on that offer.

What a story we have to tell now. But luckily, the weather for Grace and Gabrielle’s senior session was PERFECT. During their consultation, I learned that Grace really wanted her photos to be unique, with a boho style and was really drawn to photos in fields and wildflowers. Gabrielle said she was up for whatever, and her style was more casual and classic. So I set out to come up with the perfect game plan to capture what they both had envisioned!

They started their session getting a bit glammed up. Meeting at Acacia Salon, we met with hairstylist Chelsea and makeup artist, Lindsey. Originally, both girls were skeptical about getting their hair and makeup done, because they wanted a natural look, but seeing their faces light up when they first saw themselves in the mirror was priceless. They LOVED their looks!!

Since Grace wasn’t interested in urban aesthetic for her photos too much, I had Gabrielle get her hair and makeup done first and took her to downtown Cedar Rapids to wander around and get some photos of her there. She admitted that being in front of the camera felt really awkward, which is SO TRUE! But I honestly think she did SO good.

Then when Grace’s hair and makeup was wrapped up, we met her at the NewBo City Market and took a few photos there before heading to Center Point, where I KNEW there were wildflowers. (After the derecho came through, wildflowers were hard to find.) Grace also expressed how awkward it felt to be the center of attention in front of the camera, but she’s such a natural model, I couldn’t tell!

I had our photoshoot schedule planned out down to the 15-minute increments. I had alarms set in my phone to keep me on schedule. With one senior, we typically get to wander around and find cool places more leisurely, but with 2 girls, I didn’t want one standing around and waiting too much, or their photos to look TOO much alike. So with everything planned, it went perfectly! We started at the natural trail in Center Point. There’s so many little spots in this area and the photos always turn out so pretty!!!

Next stop was the softball and baseball fields in Center Point. Both girls are going to college to play softball, so it’s a huge part of their lives and we definitely wanted to incorporate it into their senior photos. I’m so glad we did! Aren’t these girls gorgeous?!?! (We definitely had to use my pop-up changing tent a lot. They each had at least 5 outfits!!)

Next up was the open fields and yellow wildflowers for Gabrielle as the sun started going down. I’m in love with how they turned out. And Gabrielle was ROCKING the serious face - no awkward feelings or giggles stood in her way by the end of her session.

And to wrap up their session was Grace’s turn in the wildflowers, but we chose the white ones for hers. This was the MAIN thing she wanted for her session so we used every last bit of the sunset to capture some sweet, boho vintage photos in the wildflowers, and she looked absolutely beautiful!

I love these AMAZING folio boxes the twins chose (which include ALL the digital files that seniors love to have), and the metal prints and hanging canvas their mom loved for the new house they’re renovating. It’ll be farmhouse-style and I think they will look BEAUTIFUL up on their walls!!

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 2021 or 2022, or a parent of a 2021/2022 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Spring & Fall Double Senior Session | Reagan | Cedar Rapids, Iowa

SPRING & FALL DOUBLE SENIOR SESSIONS

Newbo Market | Ellis Park | Kennedy High School Senior Photographer

This past Spring as the trees started to bloom with the gorgeous flowers, I HAD to photograph them. In the Spring, snow is still melting and people are just starting to willingly come out of their homes after a long, brutal winter. Let me just put it this way - most people are not booking photoshoots at this time. It’s also graduation season and seniors are graduating while juniors are stressing about finals and the end of the year. They’re not ready to think about senior pictures yet!

I had this vision of a gorgeous (soon-to-be) senior girl in the golden sunset light with these blooming trees, but it had to be done SOON, because these flowers fall as fast as they come. I put out a model call and Reagan answered - and I’m SO glad!! She made my vision come to life!!

We only spent a little time taking photos since I just needed a few to share, but she and her family LOVED her photos and knew they wanted to book a full senior session for Reagan in the fall! So today, I get to share my first senior session from TWO different gorgeous seasons!

Every day when driving home, I saw these blooming trees overhanging the sidewalk as the sun shown through them. It was easy access and would be perfect for my mini-session model call with Reagan.
(A few examples of what I see (photos of Reagan) vs. what someone else might see (cell phone shots))

We even set up my lighting to make it seem like it was sunset-y and glowy for a few photos - it was exactly what I had envisioned!!

I knew I had the photos I was wanting, but I wanted to make sure it was worth Reagan’s time too (since she so graciously volunteered last minute for me) so we played around in the other trees and nature trail a little bit, which made it a great practice run for her full senior session. (And spoiler alert… she NAILED it!!!!)

We scheduled Reagan’s next photoshoot for the end of October, really crossing our fingers for those fall colors! And Mother Nature delivered. The colors were unreal. And with that red hair of hers… OhEmGee.

We threw around some ideas of locations and ended up choosing the Newbo area because of the cute buildings and Ellis Park for the colorful trees and water! Did you know that colorful trees + water = DOUBLE the color because the water reflects the fall colors!? Yeah.. it was gorgeous!

We met at Newbo Market and started our adventures from there. Reagan is SO adorable and awesome about posing. She NAILS the serious face every time. It was like walking around with a model the whole night, she made my job so easy!

After a few outfit changes, we made a pit-stop to get some photos with her pup and brother, and then we were on our way to Ellis Park!

I just couldn’t stop taking photos. We barely had to move around in the park, it was so pretty everywhere! And spending the evening with Reagan and her mom made my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. They’re two peas in a pod, and so much fun!! And it’s Reagan just SO gorgeous?!

We wrapped up Reagan’s senior session as the sun set and I knew I couldn’t wait to get home to go through her images!! It was the perfect senior session: fun outfits to match Reagan’s adorable style paired with a perfect, sunny day to just relax, explore and laugh while capturing some AMAZING images. Best day EVER!!!

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 2020 or 2021, or a parent of a 2020/2021 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Feminine Senior Photos | Kira | Kennedy High School Senior Portrait Photographer

UNIQUE & FEMININE SENIOR SESSION WITH KIRA

Paramount Theatre | Squaw Creek | Eastern Iowa Senior Photographer

Oh, I can’t wait to share of the adventure we had on Kira’s senior session! I met with Kira and her dad at Hyvee and the excitement she felt about getting her senior pictures done just RADIATED from her. While usually I communicate with the seniors’ parents through the process, Kira had such a vision, her dad just sat back and let the two of us plan her session. The first step, though, getting her braces off! We planned her session for a few weeks after she FINALLY got her braces off - which she was PUMPED about!

Throughout the next few weeks Kira and I texted, staying in contact about her upcoming session. When she sent me a photo of her brand new smile the day she got her braces off, my heart just soared for her!!! And it made me feel AMAZING that she felt comfortable and close enough to me already to send me her super excited selfie. I LOVE my job!

We planned out Kira’s session a few days before her photoshoot, everything was “weather depending.” It had been raining and raining all week leading up to her session, including the day before, so I was a little worried about the outdoor location I had chosen be super muddy. (Spoiler alert: It was.)

Kira and her family chose my “Celebration Package” which includes lots of pampering for the senior. A few days before her session, she stopped by for the BEST spray tan at Sol Sisters in Newbo. (They really are the best! Kira even said “I am so happy with my spray tan! It’s the best one I’ve gotten!! Sol Sisters did so good!”) It happened to work out perfectly because she had Homecoming the next night. The afternoon of her session, Krysta from Make Me Up met Kira at her house and made her feel like a million bucks with her natural, classic makeup look and perfectly curled hair. She was glowing and Kira raved about how much she loved Krsyta!

I arrived at Kira’s house and while she enjoyed a quick meal of chicken nuggets, I started setting up her bedroom for the first part of her unique senior photoshoot. We catered her senior photos to all about her… Part 1 was about her obsession with FUZZY BLANKETS!

This was TOO much fun. I do feel bad about the number of feathers they probably had to clean up after the session was over. But, it was WORTH IT! Next up, Part 2… the Paramount Theatre!

Kira asked me about using the Paramount Theatre for some photos because of her love for theatre, music and performing. I told her I doubt they would let us in but I would look into it. Sure enough, they allowed us to rent it. The WHOLE thing. It was so detailed and gorgeous, but the lights throughout the building were pretty dim… it is a theatre, so that’s expected. But it forced me to get a little creative with lighting and ideas, and boy am I glad we had Kira’s mom and grandma (visiting from Florida) there to help us out!

After a few outfit changes and A LOT of stairs later, it was time to move on to Part 3 of Kira’s unique senior photos.. my backup location at Squaw Creek Park in Marion. The two other locations I had picked out for her were a muddy mess, so Squaw Creek it was! Squaw Creek is were 95.89% of the area’s local photographers go for photoshoots and it was FINALLY not raining. I knew it’d be packed out there, and it was, but Squaw Creek has so many options, I knew we would find some perfect spots.

Kira brought to special outfits that she just wanted a few photos in, because they represented her! 1. Her “Happiness” jacket from her school activities and her UNI outfit because she’s SO EXCITED to be attending UNI next fall!

Kira’s last outfit was my favorite! A classic, feminine two-piece outfit with a bit of a vintage vibe. Right up my alley!

We spend the rest of the daylight finishing up her senior photos as her mom and grandma ooo-ed and awww-ed over the gorgeous golden sky. Kira is SO. GOSH. DARN sweet and I loved spending the day with her, her mom and grandma. I feel like I hit the jackpot that they chose me. What an AMAZING girl, and what a blessing to have gotten to know her!

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 2020 or 2021, or a parent of a 2020/2021 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!