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!

Urban and Athletic Senior Photoshoot | Makenzi | Jefferson High School

Urban and Athletic Aesthetic Senior Pictures | Makenzi | Jefferson High School

I’m so excited to be blogging Makenzi’s senior session today. Makenzi is a senior at Jefferson High School, but she was actually a junior when I first met her. Her mom signed her up for a model call I was doing to capture a soon-to-be senior girl with the blooming trees this past spring. They were both SO fun and we had a blast in our short time together. They decided to sign up for a full senior photoshoot experience with me and the rest is history! So Makenzi got to do TWO senior sessions with 2 seasons, which is definitely a little “extra” but after the year we have had, they definitely deserve it! Isn’t she gorgeous in these spring flowers?!

We planned Makenzi’s “real” senior session for the fall. She wanted to incorporate her volleyball uniform, but other than that, she didn’t have any special requests. We decided to reserve a spot for part of her session to use the gorgeous sunflowers at Colony Pumpkin Patch, but the night before her session we had some crazy wind come through and the sunflowers didn’t make it. I replanned our session that morning and it all worked out SO perfectly! Makenzi’s session started with professional hair and makeup with the amazing Krysta at Make Me Up. Having your hair and makeup professionally done takes your photos to a whole new level, and the difference it made in Makenzi’s confidence was obvious! She was BEAMING and SO excited when we met for her photoshoot! We met and walked around the Newbo Market for a while, and found some awesome spots that worked perfectly with her outfits! (And see what I mean about that professional hair and makeup?! AMAZING!!!!)

I love sharing some behind-the-scenes photos or “What you see vs. What I see.” These ones crack me up!

She’s a straight-up super model!!! My goodness, we had SO much fun!!

YESSS!! Always bring your puppy!!

Makenzi was especially excited to use her volleyball uniform because she got the spot she wanted on her varsity volleyball team!! I’m so proud of you, girl!

Doesn’t this blue graphic wall in Newbo match her school colors perfectly!?

Since the sunflower portion of her session was no longer happening, I decided to bring Makenzi allll the way to Center Point. After the derecho that hit Cedar Rapids, it’s hard to find areas that look nice for photos so I’ve been bringing a lot of clients to my hometown this year. I love the natural trail and other natural areas! And this bridge is especially popular and looked amazing with Makenzi’s adorable outfit!!

Although time was running out and the sun was setting fast, we convinced Makenzi to take a few fun photos in an outfit that was 100% HER. Comfy, casual and cute!

The sun was setting fast, so we hopped on out into the field of wildflowers until the sunset and it was so beautiful. (Side note: I’m so sad to see these beautiful weather go!!)

Makenzi - you are GORGEOUS inside and out! I hope you have the BEST senior year and volleyball season!! You will do amazing things!

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!

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!

Summer Senior Portraits | Maddie | Xavier High School Senior Photographer

Wildflowers & Sunshine Senior Session with Maddie

Squaw Creek Park | Downtown Cedar Rapids | Senior Photographer

If you follow my Instagram (@Seniors_by_Lehia), you know my Insta-game isn’t very strong. I’ll be the first to admit that!! But when Maddie reached out and told me she found me on Instagram, I was so excited! In just the sentence or two that she wrote me, I could tell she was something special. When I met with her for her consultation, I knew I was right - she’s amazing! Maddie loves traveling and is SUPER busy - so much so that we had only TWO days in our calendars that matched up to schedule her senior session on. So we chose the first date for her session, and set the second as our rain date… but luckily we didn’t need it! It was a PERFECT night for her photos - I’m in LOVE!

Maddie senior package included professional hair and makeup with the amazing Krysta at Make Me Up and a free spray tan with my girls at Sol Sisters Sunless Tanning. So when she showed up to her session, I could TELL she felt like a rockstar. It’s crazy how much of a confidence boost a little pampering can give you. And it shows in her photos! I can’t get over how adorable she is!

We started near downtown Cedar Rapids, at Green Square Park (those flowers… swoon!!) and headed on over to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. After a quick change of outfit in my handy-dandy pop up tent, we wandered around and used some of my favorite spots in the area.

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Maddie calls these her “power pants” so naturally, we’ve got to do the “power pose!”

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We left Cedar Rapids and headed towards the most popular park in the area, Squaw Creek Park. We drove in and I was in awe! I’ve never seen that many wildflowers there before. I could not WAIT to photograph Maddie here. The outfits she picked out were SO adorable and I knew the cloudless sky was going to give us that ultimate summer-look of golden-glowy goodness! It did not disappoint.

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When I showed Maddie a few of her photos from the back of my camera, she put her hand over her mouth. I got a little nervous but she assured me it was a good thing! (LOL, I’m so out of the “cool” loop now, by the way.) She ROCKED every.single.part of her session, as you can tell.

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We ended her session just trying out model-poses, running around and having fun. It was such a blast and I couldn’t wait to get home to go through her photos. Her family left for vacation a day after her session so I had to wait for what felt like a lifetime to show her the photos for the first time, but it was worth it!

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I definitely over-shared Maddie’s senior session, but I had so much fun during our session. It’s not often you meet someone 10+ years younger than you and feel like you could just chat for hours, but Maddie is SO down to earth and ready to take on whatever challenges and turns her life holds. Good thing I follow her on Instagram, because I’m so excited to follow her post-graduation journey - I know she’s going places!

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

Colorful Fall Senior Portraits | Olivia | Kennedy High School Senior Photographer

Colorful Fall Senior Session with Olivia

Marion | Cedar Rapids | Eastern Iowa Senior Photographer

Olivia’s October senior portrait session couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. Her mom and I had so many ideas, and Olivia’s only request was that we make a stop at Almost Famous Popcorn Company in Newbo and she wanted colorful trees. About a week before her senior session date, most of the trees lost all of their colorful leaves, and although I know I can create some Photoshop magic and fall color if needed, I still aim to please! As I was driving around, scoping out areas hoping to find ANY colorful foliage left, I came across a giant patch of my favorite tall, plume-y grass that occurs in the fall here in Iowa, pampas grass. I hadn’t gotten to photograph it ALL year and knew I HAD to try it with Olivia. The location wasn’t ideal, it was in the middle of a very public area, but I thought with some creative angling it could possibly block out the busy, bustling background scenery. So that’s where we started, and although it was a challenge to get into the middle of the crazy, deep grass, it was totally worth it!

Since the grass didn’t allow us much movement, as beautiful as it was, we had to move on. The sun was starting to officially come out from behind the clouds, so we headed down to the Newbo District for the next part of Olivia’s senior pictures. Her outfit looked AWESOME with the colors and buildings there. And isn’t her hair gorgeous! (Ya’ll she just braids it while it’s wet and let’s it dry and it comes out all perfect like that!)

As requested by Olivia, we popped (pun-intended!) into the cute little Almost Famous Popcorn Company shop for a mini photoshoot with their popcorn. With their vintage sodas and vibe, I knew the red dress that Olivia had brought would fit the decor well. We made this part fun and quick, I didn’t want to be too disruptive - but the employees were so nice about letting us use their space!

We walked around looking for some more amazing spots (stopping to pet some adorable dogs along the way) and took some classic senior portraits with Olivia’s grandma’s necklace she had brought for her session (as a surprise for her dad!) And yeah, when you have hair like that, you better believe you’ll spend 50% of your session doing hair flips!

As the sun started to get lower in the sky, it was time to head out for our last portion of Olivia’s senior pictures. We headed out Squaw Creek Park in Marion, which is usually FULL of photographers this time of year (because it’s an amazing park, obviously) but there was nobody there! (Maybe because all the leaves had already dropped?!) So we set up camp - sort of literally! LOL. I bring a pop-up changing tent for sessions so you don’t have to get changed in the backseat of your car. It’s pretty awesome. I pulled out my vintage-floral “grandma” chair and it matched Olivia’s romper perfectly!

The sun was setting extra quick it seemed, but oooh man, look at that gorgeous golden glow that I LOVE! And I seriously loved this location!! I wanted to photograph Olivia here forever! She ROCKED her session - aren’t her outfits so adorable?!

Senior pictures are SO fun, and we party until there’s no more sun left in the sky. Olivia’s session was no exception. We did one last outfit change for a more comfy/casual look and finished up her session. We even found a tiny patch of flowers that I insisted she lay in, which happened to be her mom’s FAVORITE photo of her!

A little behind the scenes, courtesy of Olivia’s mom! Thanks, Karen!

I LOVED every minute of Olivia’s senior portraits and her images are some of my all-time favorite senior pictures. We had Olivia’s ordering session, a few tears were shed, and her family decided they’d love a photobook of her photos. I designed her photobook using all of their favorite images, and they had me design a custom cover for it as well, and I just LOVE how it turned out!! Its too cute not to share; isn’t it gorgeous!?

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine in the summer and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020, or a parent of a 2020 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! It may seem early, but I’ve had so many parents tell me they wish they wouldn’t have waited! P.S. I always run a special deal for Seniors who book their session for the summer. Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Winter Snow Senior Session | Abbey | Cedar Rapids Iowa Senior Photographer

Winter Senior Session with Abbey

Palo | Cedar Rapids | Eastern Iowa Photographer

Abbey’s senior session was a first for me — in the SNOW! My calendar was fully booked for the fall, so Abbey decided do something different and have her senior photos taken during the winter, which sounded amazing. And I’ve never had a winter senior session!
I LOVE photos with snow! They’re ALWAYS gorgeous.

We chose a date knowing fully well that the weather in Iowa is super unpredictable. We can’t pick a day and guarantee to have snow, or sun, or whatever we might be hoping for, right?!

They week of the scheduled date approaches, the forecast says partially sunny and high of 27 degrees. We have no snow on the ground at this time, which is some sort of Iowa phenomenon. I reach out to see if they’d prefer to reschedule or just do her session snow-less, with the promise that we can try to use my snow machine. They decide it’s ok either way. So we make plans and guess what?! It snows the night before!!!

A light, perfect snow. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect snow for Abbey’s winter photos!

Some behind-the-scene photos courtesy of Abbey’s mom. These two are two peas in a pod — I loved my time with them.

Abbey’s senior session day started with getting pampered by Shelby at Mood’s Salon and Spa. She got her hair and makeup professionally done and LOVED it! It makes such a difference in your photos AND confidence level. I learned after the photoshoot that Abbey is not the type who loves getting dressed up, but she had a great time getting dolled up and was actually surprised that she loved the photos in her dress! And I mean, seriously, she rocked her WHOLE session. Look at her amazing eyes!!!

We traveled to 3 different locations: a park, greenhouse and downtown Cedar Rapids. And I convinced Abbey to change outfits 4 times. (I don’t limit how many locations or outfits you want- woot woot.) We sure froze our booties (and hands and ears) off, took so many stunning photos, and most important — we had a blast!

Check out Abbey’s gallery below!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine in the summer and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020, or a parent of a 2020 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! It may seem early, but I’ve had so many parents tell me they wish they wouldn’t have waited! P.S. I always run a special deal for Seniors who book their session for the summer. Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!

Outdoor Country Senior Guy Session | Zeb | Alburnett, IA Senior Photographer

Multi-location Outdoor Senior Photos with Zeb

Alburnett | Senior Photographer near Cedar Rapids

I met with Zeb’s family for a consultation and we knew right away this his senior session was going to be an EVENT! While Zeb laid back and just listened, we planned his senior session for November - in hopes for no snow. We lucked out and his senior session day was gorgeous!

Zeb has so many fun hobbies and interests that we wanted to incorporate into his senior photos. They wanted to incorporate their family land including the tree house his dad built, an old barn his dad was working on (his dad’s pretty handy, can ya tell? He owns Schneider Construction in Cedar Rapids), his truck, the gorgeous pampas grass that we see in Iowa during the fall, the Monroe Township fire station he volunteers at in Toddville, his hunting blind set up in a field, and his mom requested a cool “Friday Night Lights” scene on the Alburnett High School football field! Phew!

And we had to do all of that in less than 3 hours. That and 7 outfit changes! (Don’t believe me? Take a look through the photos below!) Luckily, for a guy, that just means changing the shirt out but for a guy who wasn’t particular excited to get his senior photos taken, I knew this would be a miracle if it all worked out. I had it timed down to the quarter of an hour. 30 minutes here, 15 minute drive there, 30 minutes there, 15 minute drive to the next location, etc. I was pretty darn nervous about keeping everything on schedule.

We started at his family’s property:

Then we headed out the old barn. The barn was currently being renovated and was SO cool! And was a great backdrop to Zeb’s truck.

This one was one of their all-time favorites! They decided to order it as a metal print - how cool is that!?

Then we pulled over started heading over to the fire station but made a quick stop at the pampas grass - which is my all-time favorite! I LOVE the look of it in photos!

Pulling off into a little ditch off the side of the busy road… worth it! At this point, we were racing the sun! I had planned for the sun to set while we were at the football field but as we headed to the fire station, I knew we needed to be quick. But once Zeb had put the truck away, I couldn’t resist taking some more shots with the lights all shining bright! Then it was off to the corn field.

The sun was golden and setting faster than I anticipated. I quickly pulled off the road into the freshly harvested corn field for his hunting/hunting blind photos. First things first, Zeb’s dad brought a giant ladder for a really cool “what the birds see” view. And then I finished this part of his session safely on the ground - haha!

Birds-eye-view.

And then it was time to wrap up his session at the football field. It was starting to get a bit chilly with the sun setting… and dark! His mom got permission to turn on the football stadium lights and his dad used his construction light to help us create awesome and interesting lighting for the end of the night. They decided to order their “Friday Night Lights” photo on metal too, which is going to look amazing in their home, or maybe Zeb’s room if he’s lucky! :)

What an adventure this session was! Probably my craziest one to date, and I’m so glad we did it! We got to include ALL of the things that are important to Zeb. but you know what? You're only a senior once, you only get to have your senior portraits taken once, so go big or go home. It was a big undertaking but it was worth it!

Your calendar likely fills up as fast as mine in the summer and it’s SO easy to forget to schedule photos! If you are graduating in 2020, or a parent of a 2020 graduate - reach out with any questions or to start planning!! It may seem early, but I’ve had so many parents tell me they wish they wouldn’t have waited! P.S. I always run a special deal for Seniors who book their session for the summer. Check out my Senior Gallery or contact me for more info!