This one was special to me.

Addie is my niece and she has been excited about her senior photos since seeing her older sister do them last fall, and I was equally excited to capture this milestone a second time for their family. Knowing that they choose me because of my work (and not just because I'm family) is seriously one of the biggest compliments I could receive—and our session ended up being even more fun than I imagined it would be.

We started out with an outfit snafu that dropped Addie down to one outfit instead of two. But like the rockstar she is, she rolled with it and we made the best of the situation (and man did Addie deliver in the dress she wore), and we both had a blast. We hiked up cliffs, splashed around in the water, posed next to a porta potty (the glamorous side of photography no one talks about 😂), ran around in the middle of a field, and ended up with too many beautiful photos for me to even narrow down. Addie is completely game for whatever gets the best shot, and let me tell you—we got the BEST shots.

About halfway through our session, we saw a couple finishing their shoot by jumping off the dock into the lake. Half joking, I turned to Addie and asked if she wanted to do the same at the end of her session.

She was in, and despite a few nerves and multiple opportunities to back out, she stuck with it.

That pretty much sums Addie up. She is adventurous, joyful, and willing to lean into the moment instead of trying to control it. She loves horseback riding, is heading into her senior year this August, and hopes to become a teacher someday—which feels so fitting for her. She has such a kind heart and such an easy way of making people feel comfortable and included. She’s funny, thoughtful, and somehow manages to be both quietly steady and completely up for an adventure.

So as the sun started setting and the sky was painted blues and purples, we took the leap. And it was incredible.

The water was cold, the light was perfect, and Addie absolutely stole the show.

Senior year is such a sweet season—full of anticipation, big dreams, and becoming—and getting to freeze a tiny piece of that for Addie was such an honor.

I cannot wait to see where this next year takes you, Addie. You are amazing.

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