All the Colorful Fall Vibes Senior Pictures | Bailey | Xavier High School

All the Colorful Fall Vibes Senior Pictures with Bailey

Central City, IA | Pinicon Ridge Park | Xavier High School

OOOH! I’m so excited to show off Bailey’s senior pictures. She was one of my few seniors that requested FALL this year and I was so excited to capture all of that COLOR! I met Bailey’s family a few years ago when I did her sister Maddie’s senior pictures. (You can see her blog here!) So of course I was SO excited to photograph Bailey as well. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again - it is SUCH a compliment to me to have repeat clients!! And oh my goodness, is Bailey beautiful! I’ve been asked so many times this year how all of my seniors are literally SO dang pretty! Y'all are making my job easy. ANYWAY! On to Bailey’s photoshoot!

Her photoshoot day started as all of my senior sessions do - professional hair and makeup! And it was Krysta and Aubree on the job!

Bailey requested a little bit more glam for fall colors and her final look was STUNNING! We decided to do her whole photoshoot in Central City. And I’m SO glad we did. We had originally picked out 3 locations for her, but after scoped out one of the locations, the colors and scenery just weren’t what we had imagined so we decided to cut it down to 2 spots. Which gave us more time to explore the areas and experiment in more challenging locations. We had FUN!!

We started Bailey’s session in downtown Central City and I had no idea what to expect. I had scoped it out, but until I’m able to stop and walk around and explore, it’s hard to know what you’ll find. I found a few key spots that I was excited about, but it’s a small town so I didn’t expect to find more than that! Oh my gosh! We found a perfect spot for each outfit! And I’m SO glad she wanted fall colors and vibes, because that’s definitely the colors that Central City gave us! Browns, reds, blacks! It was better than I expected!

Our first stop was a plain red wall. No brick like I’d normally chose. I didn’t really know how it would photograph. But I was obsessed! I took A LOT of photos here in our first spot! lol! I love how her outfit popped here, but it was still very “fall” and matched the aesthetic of the rest of the day. And, don’t ask me why, but I LOVE how the red paint just kid of fades off at the bottom of the wall!

Like I said, we took A LOT of photos there, and then we started exploring. We of course stopped outside my friend Sarah Fridono Photography’s studio because it’s SO darn cute! And ventured down to the colorful alley walls that I had used on another senior’s pictures a few years ago (you can see Avery’s blog here)!

While walking around, I came across this really pretty green wall that we hadn’t planned on stopping at but had to get some close ups to show off Bailey’s gorgeous eyes!

After Bailey changed into a more “fancy” outfit, I worried we would struggle to find a more “fancy” spot in Central City. I thought the all white wall with these stairs would look cool, and it did for the most part. As long as the ground wasn’t really in the picture because her cute heels just didn’t match the aesthetic we wanted in this spot and with this outfit. So we continued on!

After a short walk, we stopped at the library! I had seen it briefly when scoping out spots but didn’t think we’d use it. It turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL location for this outfit! Isn’t she just the cutest?! And then as we were heading back for an outfit change, right across the street was a bank with gorgeous brick and that looked perfect with this outfit, too!

After exploring Central City more than I thought we would, we changed outfits into her last dress. I had 2 more spots in mind. One that I use all of the time, the other that I wasn’t sure how it would work at all. And both were similar colors and tones, with reds, browns and blacks. Bailey assured me she loved the fall tones, so we gave the a go. First spot - the “I have no idea if this is going to work because there is a giant vending machine there” spot.

We posed her into so many crunched up and weird positions to try to work around this vending machine AND get the right lighting. It was a STRUGGLE but of course, they turned out adorable - I mean, it’s BAILEY! But, we didn’t spend much time there. It was too.. scrunched lol.

Last stop was the reddish brown brick building that I always love using. We spent some time here trying spots I haven’t used before and they all turned out SO cute. Then it was time to head to our “nature” location (Pinicon Ridge Park), which happens to be right across the street!

Our first stop I had picked out and was pretty unsure about how Bailey would feel about it. It doesn’t scream “fall colors” and she had also mentioned she really wasn’t interested in taking photos in long grass. But I couldn’t help myself. Almost all of my seniors take pictures in long grass at some point in their photoshoot - and they’re always the favorites! So I snuck in this spot on them. I also remembered to bring my mini peacock chair that I tend to only remember to bring once a year. Bailey was a little unsure if she’d like the pictures using it or not, so we only used it for a few. But my instincts were right on - Bailey said the long grass pictures were probably her FAVORITE! (phew!!! And the stuff in our shoes was worth it!)

There was also this brilliantly orangey-red tree right across the parking lot and I knew we had to give it a try. The park this time of year was FULL of color and absolutely perfect!! We STRUGGLED to make my vision come to life in this spot. But because we had a little wiggle room in her schedule, we got to stay until we got it right! And maybe it’s just because we spent so much time perfecting them, but I think they’re so dreamy and beautiful!

We changed outfits and drove into the park to go hunt down the perfect red tree. I knew my vision and it was BETTER than I expected!! How dang cute are these?!

We also, tried this huge orange tree, but there was a van parked in the lot right behind her so we struggled a bit there (and lighting was a little wonky) so with some creative angles (and also photoshop) we were able to get some super cute pictures and then head to the next spot!

The next stop is one of my go-to stops at this park - the path next to the bridge. My GOODNESS it photographs beautifully this time of day! I recruited Bailey’s mom for some leaf-throwing, too! If you’re doing fall photos, it’s a MUST right?!

And the last stop was my FAVORITE outfit of the day on the bridge. I KNEW this combo would be amazing! And she brought the adorable sunglasses I had sent her as part of my “I’m so excited to be your senior photographer” gift I always try to send my seniors! She ROCKED them!!

How BEAUTIFUL did these turn out?! The sun was pretty much set in the park at this time, so we wrapped up and headed home. I KNEW I couldn’t wait to show Bailey her photos in a few days and they LOVED them (so did I!!!)

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 Country Rustic Senior Pictures | Elisabeth | Center Point-Urbana High School

Casual Country Rustic Senior Pictures with Elisabeth

Newbo District, Cedar Rapids, IA | Center Point, Iowa

I met Elisabeth’s mom and sister several years ago when I did her sister’s senior pictures!! When her mom reached out about me doing Elisabeth’s pictures AND wanting to fill a last minute opening for me, I was SO excited!! Her mom told me how different she and her sister are, that’s she’s super low-key and doesn’t typically get dressed up/do hair and makeup. Honestly, I LOVE that! That just means that this would be an extra special experience for her!! When my client’s see “professional hair and makeup” included in my package, they tend to get a little worried. They worry that the makeup will be too much for them. The mom’s are worried the senior won’t look like herself. But that’s not the case at all!! (Then I show them all of my gorgeous seniors with their hair/makeup all done so naturally and perfect.) And that was definitely a concern for Elisabeth’s mom. We met for our consultation one night at Apple Creek Coffee and we chatted about hair, makeup, spray tans at Bare Tones, outfits and location ideas. She wanted something I hadn’t done in a while: a rustic red barn and a country vibe. Heck ya!

When photoshoot day came, our first stop was hair and makeup with Ingrid from Aurora Blush and Lindsey on makeup!

After wrapping up hair and makeup, we headed to Newbo. Side note: I had a whooooole photoshoot day itinerary all planned out. But Elisabeth sent me her outfits the day before her shoot, I changed it all. LOL. Mostly because of this ONE rock-tee outfit that I felt like needed it’s own grungy-ish vibe. There were a few favorite spots in the Newbo district that I LOVE and felt like they’d match the aesthetic well. So after a changing up the game-plan for the day, we started there!

It worked perfectly!!! I knew we were in a bit of a time crunch because of my addition of these locations to our plan, so we hit up those 2 spots and did a quick outfit change for some cute urban photos with this adorable dress!

We couldn’t stay long, but she looked so dang cute in this dress! I was gladded I had planned for her to use it more in the next location: the Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Center Point! This is one of my favorite spots to incorporate nature without going INTO it - I love the mix of city and natural aesthetic here. But also! We did some of Elisabeth’s sister’s senior pictures in this exact spot! So that’s special!!

After wrapping up in this spot (that I had only planned to spend 15 minutes at… ha! I should know myself better), we headed to a friend’s private property for the requested red barn! We got SO many cute ones here and I LOVED how the sun hit on this vine-y fenced area! Isn’t she GORGEOUS?!

And then it was off to our last stop of the night, which happens to be another favorite spot of mine in Center Point.. and another spot we did her sister’s senior pictures! Elisabeth wanted to incorporate her love for show choir so she brought her shoes and sheet music and I thought this was the best way to showcase it all - and the perfect spot!!

And the sun setting across this field is just my favorite thing! Awwww, I love me some golden light! And I LOVED this dress and hat combo on Elisabeth too! Although we were THIIIIS close to heading down to the river for more pictures (…but this time of year, brrrr!), this is how Elisabeth’s senior session ended! Perfect weather, bathed in golden light and crickets. :D

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!

Vibrant and Colorful Senior Photos | Ellie | Linn-Mar High School

Vibrant and colorful Senior Photos with ellie

Downtown Cedar Rapids | Colony Pumpkin Patch | Iowa Senior Photographer

Ellie’s mom first reached out to me about her senior photos at the beginning of June. Ellie wanted a photographer whose photos were vibrant and colorful, and particularly loved the sunflower photos I had taken of another senior in the past. We met for a consultation, picked a date and planned out Ellie’s session, including a sunflower field of course! A few days before her session, I went and scouted out the sunflower location I had used in the past to make sure they looked ok, and they absolutely did not! A little panicked, I scouted out a few more locations with the generous help of a friend but alas, they just weren’t going to work for my vision for Ellie’s session. I found an alternative that would work for us (still not quite my vision but would do the trick), but then the day of her session came and it happened to be the day that Cedar Rapids decided it no longer wanted to in a drought. Although the rain had pretty much cleared up for her session, is was very overcast that day. Normally, we’d shoot anyway, but I knew Ellie in particular wanted bright and vibrant colors and a golden sunset that only the sun could provide. So we scheduled for a few weeks later and, I rebooked hair and makeup and scheduled us a spot out at Colony Pumpkin Patch where they have multiple fields of sunflowers!! (My FAVORITE sunflower spot!!!)

I met Ellie at Pretty Lane to get her makeup done, and had hairstylist Meghan Labs (from Virtue Salon & Spa) join us! We all ooo-ed and awww-ed over her gorgeous skin and hair, and then met up with her mom to get the photoshoot started. We started at Greene Square Park across from the downtown Library and explored the area.

(Some fun behind-the scenes shots, courtesy of Ellie’s mom)

We sought out shade whenever we could (it was HOT!) and explored a little more after an outfit change. I love this romper!!

(I love a good “what you see vs what I see” comparison)

We hopped in our cars (thankful for some air conditioned-relief) and headed to our next location: the Sac & Fox Trail just past A Touch of Class event center for the amazing blue bridge down that road. The bridge is amazing, but it’s also a very busy road so we had to be very careful and quick with photos in this location. But Ellie rocked it, of course. We were running a few minutes behind so we decided to not check out the natural trail, skip an outfit, and head to our last destination: the sunflowers!!

We arrived at Colony Pumpkin Patch, got changed, and the nice owner helped us pack up all of our stuff and drove us out into the sunflower field. We are SO thankful for her hospitality. It was SO hot, I cannot imagine having to make the hike up there (with my heavy gear backpack/wagon full of stuff). We got SOOO many gorgeous images in the sunflowers.

It had just rained 3 inches out there the day before, so the grounds were pretty muddy. Thankfully, Ellie’s mom rocks and brought a towel and wet wipes, which we ended up using a lot. Ellie went barefoot most of the time, which worked out perfectly, until I decided to do some poses that would show the bottoms of her feet. LOL! We went through almost an entire package of wet wipes just to wipe the mud off for some classic and cute poses. I think it was worth it, though!!

We used some of the cute props provided by Colony Pumpkin Patch, we hiked through the mud, and we even had time for an outfit change! The sunset was gorgeous. The colors were perfect and vibrantly colorful — JUST like Ellie wanted! I think our vision came to life!! What a perfect night for her senior session (although, I would’ve welcomed a slight temperature drop) and we all had a blast. I’m so thankful I got to meet Ellie and her amazing family!!

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!

Cozy & Cute Country Fall Senior Pictures with Presley

Cozy & Cute Country Fall Senior Pictures with Presley

Indian Creek Nature Center | Center Point, Iowa

Being from a small town, I feel like I’ve known/know OF Presley’s family forever! My brother used to work with her family and I work with her aunt regularly (she styles my client’s hair for photoshoots on the regular!) so when her dad reached out to talk about a senior session, I was so excited!

When we met for our consultation, Presley had everything planned out! She already knew she wanted to do photos at the Indian Creek Nature Center (I had never photographed there before, so I was excited to try a new spot) and she wanted to do part of her session on her grandparent’s farm with the cute butterfly swing next to the pond that she used to swing on as a child. I was ALREADY imagining what those photos could look like!! I couldn’t wait!!

In the time between her consultation and the photoshoot, she also decided she wanted to include her family’s cool old tractor and her first heifer in some photos. I loved how sentimental this session was going to be! As I was planning out the schedule of our session, I decided to start at the Indian Creek Nature Center and end with the sunset over the pond/swing photos that I had been dreaming of!

The day of her session was pretty darn chilly (I mean, come on! November 5th is PRETTY much still October) and REALLLLLLY windy. We didn’t know it so much surrounded by this building and trees, but when we got into the open fields of her family’s land we had to get creative! BUT!! All. That. SUN!!!

I loved exploring the area and finding cool new spots! (Like those stairs!! I LOVE how the yellow contrasts with her black outfit!) And her sweater dress was the CUTEST!

Finding this bridge was REALLY cool! When I went to scope out this location before her photoshoot, I totally missed this tucked back there. These turned out to be her favorite images!!

As we headed back to the truck for an outfit change, I of COURSE had to take Presley’s photos in these beautiful orange leaves! Isn’t she just gorgeous!? I actually found out that this was Presley’s THIRD senior photoshoot! She had some photos taken during a family vacation in Hawaii (ummm, so COOL) and another one earlier this year with an amazing photographer in Iowa City! It TOTALLY made sense because she was a natural in front of the camera!

When Presley put on this purple top and told me she doesn’t normally wear bright colors, I was so surprised! She looked PERFECT in that color! And it popped against the muted colors of our surroundings! Perfection!

I LOVE how these turned out! These MIIIIGHT be my favorite from her session! Her dad even ordered the close up on a 16x24” metal print for their home! I can’t wait to see it hung up!!!

Then it was on to her family farm for the tractor photos. THIS is when we found out JUST how windy it was! You should see how many outtakes there were - LOL!

We knew it’d be tricky to try to get photos with her heifer. She’s an older gal and doesn’t get around the best.. and she’s slightly grumpy - LOL! So we got as creative as we could and moved fast to keep Presley safe. I think they turned out super cute!!

Next, we headed out to Presley’s grandma’s house for out last location. So of course, we did a few family photos because why not!? I love how cool this family photo turned out!!

The sun was setting in all of it’s golden-ness and I was so excited to see our vision for this swing come to life! How beautiful and special!!

The sun was pretty much gone by the time we wrapped up the last part of Presley’s session but I had JUST gotten this new (well, new-to-me) chair and Presley was up for using it! I saw this little patch of trees with the sun shining through and so we made the trek through to the back of the property to try it out. Presley was FREEZING at this point, so we made it SUPER fast! And of course had to stop for a few images with the cows as we were heading back!

It was SUCH a pleasure hanging out with Presley and her dad! And I LOVED getting to try new locations with her, and am so grateful for her patience when combatting the crazy wind we had! She’s graduating early in December so I wanted to make sure to get her senior pictures back before she GRADUATED!

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!

Cozy and Sweet Fall Senior Photoshoot with Jaleah

Cozy and Sweet Fall Senior Photoshoot with Jaleah

Uptown Marion & Downtown Cedar Rapids | Wanatee Park

What an adventurous, wacky day we had for Jaleah’s senior pictures!! We planned to meet in uptown Marion because of all the cozy, cute urban buildings and then we planned to hop on over to Wanatee Park and wrap up on top of Mount Trashmore. I’m guessing by now you’ve figured out that nothing went according to plan - lol! BUT her photos still turned out amazing and unique - and even better than I could’ve planned for!

So, here’s where our adventure began. I had Krysta from Make Me Up on her way to meet Jaleah and her mom at their home at 12:30, and them meeting me in Marion at 3:00. At 12:15 I get a frantic text from Krysta: “I’ve had an accident I will be late actually I don’t know that I’ll be there at all. I am so sorry.” Panic ensues. I immediately text her back to not worry about us at all, and making sure she’s ok. I didn’t expect to hear from her for a while, so I immediately called Jaleah’s mom, Barb. We had 3 choices: to reschedule, to TRY to find another SUUUUPER last minute hair/makeup person.. like they needed to start in less than 30 minutes to be on time OR for Jaleah to do makeup herself which she wasn’t comfortable with. We decided to at least TRY to find a hair/makeup person, so I called up my go-to hair girl, Chelsea. She works at a salon owned by a makeup artist (Acacia Salon) who might be available OR Chelsea has also been trained to do makeup. Chelsea answered and, like an saint, was ready to go. But Krysta called me immediately after and said everything was ok and that she could still make it. (Her back hatch of her car hadn’t closed properly and ALLLL of her hair/makeup equipment had been scattered across a one-lane-highway under construction in the middle of traffic. Yeah, I’d be panicking too.)

But she’s ok! Phew! Ok! We were still going to be running behind so I left Chelsea know that we were ok now (I cannot thank her enough for being ready to take us on) and decided to head immediately to Jaleah’s house to do her hair while Krysta focused on makeup. I packed up my things and ran out the door!

I’m SO glad it worked out like it did! Jaleah has SO much long, beautiful hair that we’re not sure Krysta would’ve gotten done on time in the first place. Like, it took me over an hour to curl it all! SOO pretty! AND I got to spend more time getting to know Jaleah and Barb, AND hang out with my friend, Krysta. It was a blast! AND if I wouldn’t have been there, I wouldn’t never known that Molly, one their dogs, was actually once part of the Deafinitely Dogs program (a local non-profit that trains service, disability and support dogs)... which happens to be my mother-in-laws (and her sisters) business! I actually took photos of Molly when she was a puppy!!! What a SMALL world!

We wrapped up Jaleah’s hair and makeup exactly on time. The weather was showing clear the days coming up the photoshoot, but as luck would have it, it started sprinkling pretty much as soon as I headed to their house. I checked the weather periodically while doing her hair, and it said rain, rain, rain, rain.. up until about 5:00. We made a plan to do our best with a clear umbrella for her photoshoot and if she didn’t love how they turned out, we could do another one a different day. I mean, makeup was already done all pretty - we might as well use it! So we headed to Marion.

It was still raining when we arrived.. and WAY more cold than I anticipated. We parked next to Zoey’s, our original meeting spot, and there was construction EVERYWHERE. I had planned on us just crossing the road but we couldn’t get through. So we decided to go around and meet across the street. We froze a little bit, but the rain was really light so we worked with what we had. Which included our first spot, under the outdoor patio pergola of a restaurant. I’m so grateful they let us use it. It was the perfect spot to give us hope for the rest of the rainy session. We explored cute spots and stopped for photos while Barb held the clear umbrella way up over her head! We must’ve looked so silly! But it was worth it! You can’t even tell it was raining unless you look closely. Of course I have to share the unedited, behind-the-scenes photos with Barb’s hand holding up the umbrella!!

Some of these behind-the-scenes aren’t quite the exact pose, but I love how they show the difference between what you see vs. what I see in each location!

We explored some areas, found a blue door that really made Jaleah’s eyes pop, grabbed a coffee, changed outfits and took these amazing pictures. All in the rain surrounded by construction! Honestly, I’m pretty impressed with us - lol!

Then it was time to hop in the cars, warm up and head to Wanatee Park. The rain had pretty much stopped by the time we got there and we took photos in a few of my favorite spots. What a great park with SO many little spots for photos. And I haven’t even hit half of them yet! Jaleah’s next outfits were not so warm, but she was a trooper and powered through. But she looked adorable and it was worth it! The first spot we used is this little tree area off the main road and it’s quickly become one of my favorites! How cute is she?!

Her next outfit was this adorable sundress and cowboy boots. We flew through this set so fast! The “open field” or field of flowers was my most requested setting this year, so I know the poses I typically like to do there, so that saved us some time. And it was super easy to get to. I love how the setting perfectly matched her hair, skin and outfit!

Of course I wanted to show off more of her cowboys boots and had to use the famous Wanatee Park drive with the trees lining each side. It’s the MOST popular spot for photos out there, I think!

Then off to Mount Trashmore we went. We were scheduled to arrive a little before 5:30 and they closed at 6:00 so I knew we’d need to hustle a little. When my GPS said “you have arrived at your destination” and we were in the middle of a parking lot of an apartment complex with no entrance in site, I wasn’t sure what to do. This wasn’t the way I had gotten there in the past. Barb said she knew how to get the other entrance, and I hoped it was the same one I was thinking. I followed her and sure enough it was… but it was gated up and closed. Sigh. They must’ve closed because of the rain. It was getting darker and I had no back-up idea. Jaleah had a trendy outfit left and another sweater/jeans combo if we had time. So we tried taking some right outside of the Mount Trashmore entrance, but it just wasn’t giving me the look I was hoping for with this outfit. And it was one of her faves! I really wanted these to be perfect for her. So I told them I wanted to try a new place, a bridge over the river that overlooked the city. It had a little off-road area that we would be safe to take photos in, and I had driven over multiple times but couldn’t remember where. We sat in our cars and warmed up while I pulled up Google Maps and looked for it. I FOUND IT… but it was under construction… ugh. I found another bridge that had on-street parking that I thought we could try! It was PERFECT!

The skies colors in the background and her dress.. it couldn’t have been better. I got all the amazing photos I was hoping for with this dress/outfit! And another one of my favorite spots was just a few blocks up the road. The sun was pretty much gone by now but I knew it wouldn’t take us long to get down a few blocks and snap a few in her last outfit. Well, I should’ve know for how the day was going that it wasn’t going to be that easy - lol! It turns out that there was a big event in Cedar Rapids that night. There was ZERO parking. So what was supposed to be a 1-minute drive, hop out of the car, take photos for 10-minutes turned into us driving around just looking for parking. We finally did, and ventured back to where we were before, snapping some quick photos along the way. By the time we got to the spot I was planning, it was totally dark except for the street lights that had just come on. We did our best, but we were all pooped out and cold. So we called it a night and headed back. We KNEW we got so many amazing images, so there was nothing to worry about.

Jaleah’s family LOVED all of her images!! I do too! I especially love the blue dress/city-scape with that cotton candy sky! That is the first time I’ve used that location and was able to catch all of those colors and I just love the whole vibe!

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!

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!