Senior Photos That Feel Like You | Brainerd Lakes Area Photographer, Minnesota

It’s that time of year! Where us Minnesota Photographers are cozied up in little coffee shops (My favorite is Stone House, right here in Nisswa, Minnesota!) working on all the behind the scenes stuff to prepare for the upcoming season. Or if we are being real, writing a journal entry and reflecting when we should probably be doing something else…

Although I have been a photographer for years, this past season marked my third year photographing here in the Brainerd Lakes Area - working with families, seniors. newborns and weddings. I truly love them all. But with my background as a former fashion, adventure and lifestyle photographer in California, I feel my deepest passion, and expertise lives in senior portraits and personal portraiture.

It’s the perfect blend of everything I love: authenticity, connection and art curated to the individual. Capturing the true essence of a human being, through connection, and giving enough space for that to happen.

I don’t often share this part of my story, as it feels like a lifetime ago — and sometimes I wonder if it makes me sound a bit out of touch, but I was in front of the camera for nearly 15 years before stepping behind the camera. That experience shaped me more than I realized at the time. Working alongside incredibly talented photographers and creative directors gave me a deep understanding of direction, posing and how subtle adjustments can completely change how someone feels — and how they see themselves.

When it comes to personal portraits, especially seniors, that perspective comes naturally to me. I know what it feels like to be photographed, to feel unsure and/or guarded. I understand how a shift in direction, guidance or even space can leave room for a person to be themselves.

There is something extra special about connecting with young hearts in one of the most exciting and transitional times of their lives. Senior year is the pinnacle of where adolescence meets adult hood and often some of the largest transitions we have in this life — a time filled with growth, uncertainty, confidence and change. Senior photos aren’t just about marking a milestone, but honoring who someone is in this moment.

I love showcasing an individual’s personality, inner beauty and authenticity in a once in a life time experience. To show who they are, who they once were and maybe even get a glimpse of where they are headed. It’s a challenge in the best of ways, because each and every person is wonderfully unique. It’s a story that needs to be preserved.

Here are a few of my favorite senior photos here in Minnesota.

If you are feeling all the feels, and this resonates with you. Inquire below.