Wayne’s senior session was a little bit of downtown Des Moines, a lot of golf, and a very special visit with a three-year-old quarter horse named Duke!
We started with Wayne and his mom, Joan, at the upper parking lot of the SCI building, where we had a fantastic view of downtown Des Moines. Wayne cleaned up beautifully in a dapper suit as we talked about one of the biggest questions facing him right now: where he might play college golf. He’s considering Dort University or Northwestern College in northern Iowa, both of which would give him the opportunity to continue playing Division III golf. There’s also a family connection to that part of the state, with a family farm nearby that his parents plan to move to after Wayne graduates.
He’s the baby of the family, which means the reality of becoming empty nesters is getting very real for his parents! From SCI, we headed to Glen Oaks Country Club, where the family lives, to bring Wayne’s senior session into his happy place: the golf course. We photographed him on hole 10 for some putting shots, then moved back to hole 1 for a change of outfit and some tee-off images.
It might sound like we moved quickly from one spot to another, but creating variety on a golf course takes a little more setup than you might think! Finding the right angle, working with speckled shade, and making sure the background works all takes time. But the variety was worth it, and we were able to create a completely different look while staying true to something Wayne genuinely loves.
Then it was time to head north to Dallas Center for the final stop of the evening: Duke!
Duke is Joan’s three-year-old quarter horse and had just returned from showing at the State Fair. Despite being a young horse with plenty of personality, he was remarkably comfortable with the sound of my camera shutter. Wayne was completely at ease around him, too, which made these some of my favorite images from the entire session.
And that’s really the secret to a great senior session.
Put your senior in their happy place.
Whether that’s a golf course, a wrestling room, a music room, a family farm, a bee yard, a favorite trail, or somewhere completely unexpected, when seniors are doing something they genuinely enjoy, their expressions change. They relax. They have something to talk about. They stop thinking about being photographed and start being themselves.
That’s why I love personalized senior pictures so much. The goal isn’t simply to find a pretty location. It’s to find the places, people, and passions that tell the story of who your senior is right now.
Wayne, I’m so glad we got to capture this season of life with a little golf, a handsome suit, a gorgeous view of Des Moines, and one very photogenic horse. I can’t wait to see where college golf takes you next!
