My last senior session of the season couldn’t have ended on a sweeter note—literally. 🎶
Annie, a senior at Roosevelt High School (go Rough Riders!), is the oldest child of a former teaching colleague. Photographing her felt like hanging out with an old friend and catching up on life. It was also the most poetic bookending of a season I’ve ever had. My first session of the senior season was at Saylorville and now, my last session would be too!
Celebrating All Her Favorite Things
As a Des Moines senior photographer, I love when a session tells a story—and Annie’s told several! We celebrated her love for music (she’s an orchestral viola player), her admiration for Taylor Swift, and her dedication to track and field. Each stop of the evening (Roosevelt High School for orchestra & track, Des Moines’ Art Center for music records and Saylorville for beauty) reflected a different part of who she is: graceful, grounded, and full of quiet strength. Did I mention that the high schools in Des Moines have some incredibly fun architecture to photograph?!
From City Vibes to Sunset Views
We wrapped up at Saylorville Lake, one of Annie’s happy places. The golden light, soft waves, and shoreline breeze made for the perfect ending to her senior portraits. Since her whole family came along for the shoot, we couldn’t resist grabbing a few family photos too—because when everyone’s there, that moment deserves to be captured.
The Power of Preparation
Annie and her mom, Johanna, were the dream team of organization! They used my Session Planner Template to coordinate outfits, props, and accessories for each location. Because everything was prepped ahead of time, the evening flowed smoothly—and we spent our time laughing, chatting, and creating instead of stressing about details.
If you’re planning your senior session soon, I can’t recommend that kind of preparation enough. It frees you up to relax, have fun, and get the most out of your time in front of the camera.
Wrapping Up the Season
Ending my senior season with Annie reminded me why I love what I do. Every session is a story, a milestone, a piece of time you can hold onto. I love giving the gift of imagery to people and serving them in this way, whether I know them personally already or not!
Congratulations, Annie—you’re stepping into such an exciting year, and I can’t wait to see where your music, hard work, and joy take you next.
Take care,
Carrie
PS You can view the rest of our time together HERE.
