Going into my senior year, getting senior pictures done was one of the things I was most excited about. I had seen all my friends posting their senior portraits and heard them all talking about how much fun they had during their sessions, which filled me with eager anticipation for when it was my turn. I had only ever gotten family portraits done before, so having the opportunity to have my own session and senior portraits done the way I liked was enticing.
The Process: My Planning & Design Meetings
A few weeks before my session, I came into the studio for my planning meeting, where I got to sit and talk with Teresa about myself and what I wanted for my senior pictures. One of the first things I did was go through a collection of previous senior portraits that Teresa had taken and choose the ones I liked, especially in regard to the background, aesthetics, and overall look and feel. While it did feel a little strange at first to be going through all these other kids’ portraits, I really appreciated it, as it helped me express what I wanted for my session more clearly. We also talked about my hobbies and favorite things in order to have my personality reflected more clearly during my session.
A few days later, I met up with Teresa again, this time through Zoom, so she could help me pick out and curate my outfits for the session. I had one outfit that I knew I wanted to wear, and based on the locations we chose, she helped me pick out two others to bring that would complement both me and my surroundings.
Peyton’s senior pictures in Downton Raleigh were bright, colorful and beautifully ‘her’.
My Senior Pictures: On Location in Raleigh, NC
Once the big day of my portrait session finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to go out and get started with my senior pictures. My mom and I met Teresa at a parking garage in Downtown Raleigh, which also served as our base for the afternoon, so that I could return every time I needed to change outfits.
First, we walked a couple blocks to a quaint and very cool alley to start my session. I couldn’t believe that I had never seen it before, in all the times I had been Downtown. It was perfectly chosen by Teresa and met the aesthetic vibe I was going for. We took several senior portraits there before my first outfit change, before moving on to the next location. Next up was a restaurant that was adjacent to the original parking garage. I knew it well and had been many times, but I loved seeing it through a new lens (quite literally!). The senior pictures that we took in this spot were probably my favorite from the whole portrait session because I loved how the carefully chosen colors of my outfit looked in front of the background (and my hair was cooperating especially well, which always helps!). Teresa had given a lot of thought to where would work best, and I could tell. From there, we walked over to the train station and took a few more senior portraits before going back to our “home base” so I could change my clothes one more time. The final location that Teresa had chosen was about a five-minute drive from Downtown Raleigh, so we got back in the car and let her lead the way. It was such a cute place for my senior portrait session, and I really love how they came out.
Picking My Favorites: The Viewing Meeting
A couple of weeks after my session, my mom and I came back to Teresa’s studio in Downtown Cary to look through all the finalized senior pictures and to choose the ones that we loved the most. This was probably the hardest part of the whole senior portrait experience, but Teresa had an expert system that made it a lot easier to approach. After looking through all of the images, we would go in groups of three, eliminating the ones I knew I didn’t like. That helped so much. Then, we would go through the remaining pictures in order to narrow it down to senior portraits that made me look and feel my best. I was grateful for Teresa’s guidance throughout the process.
Overall, this experience was one of the highlights of my senior year, and having a collection of senior pictures that I can go back to look at whenever I need a confidence boost never gets old.
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