Senior Portraits

Life moves pretty fast… This is the moment to make your student’s senior year memorable.

The first two people to enter this senior portrait flash sale will WIN A FREE cap and gown session (a $285 value) next spring!

These mini sessions are a great way to come full circle and capture that graduation milestone from the moment it begins until the actual day they walk across the stage.

This special offer is limited to the FIRST 2 BOOKINGS ONLY, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

If you’ve been thinking about scheduling your senior photos, now’s the time to get it on the books!

*Please note: this offer is for NEW clients only.*

Enter to win today!

MY APPROACH

Photographs of young people should feel natural and real, not stiff poses in a field wearing something that doesn’t feel like them.

My approach to senior photography and youth portrait sessions is the opposite of awkward. Everything should feel easy, comfortable, and genuinely reflective of who each student actually is. This is their moment to be seen, celebrated, and documented in a way that feels authentically them.

Students are encouraged to bring along whatever helps them relax into the experience: skateboards, guitars, sports gear, pets, favorite jackets, or anything else that feels familiar. Those small details often end up telling the biggest part of the story.

Whether the session leans more dressed up or stays casual, everything is flexible. The experience is collaborative from start to finish, with the subject fully in control of how they want to show up.

From location ideas to wardrobe guidance, I’m there to support the process and help shape a portrait session in Milwaukee County and throughout Wisconsin that feels intentional, uniquely personal, and fun.

Book your senior portrait session today!

tips from a lifelong photographer

You’re never going to believe what I’m about to tell you:

Yes, that is my own face, printed out, glued to a stick, and held up in the middle of a public sidewalk like it is a perfectly normal thing.

I have decided to start sharing a little more about how I actually work over the next few months, sharing tips, tricks, and the occasional confession. This month it's locations, because the location is where every session really begins, long before any person becomes involved.

I’m always looking for a nice texture, whether it be a wall, a treeline, or a stretch of old brick that gives the frame something to hold on to. I also try to spot something to sit on that doesn't look like it was put there intentionally. Think rocks, stumps, and low walls. I also consider depth, meaning I want to create visual distance between the subject and the background. The most ideal locations give me three to five different backdrops, so we get real variety without anybody having to load back into the car.

I'm also genuinely open to my client’s ideas, especially when they're personal, like the park where you got engaged, the block you grew up on, your grandmother's backyard garden. Believe it or not, places with meaning behind them tend to photograph better because you relax differently when you're somewhere you’re familiar with. That said, plenty of people want something beautiful or bold behind them, like a cool mural or a good urban wall, and that is a completely great answer, too.

The location also decides when we shoot, not the other way around. A spot that is glorious at seven in the evening can be genuinely unusable at noon, so once we pick the where, the when mostly picks itself.

Which brings me to lighting, and the fact that I am an unapologetic lighting snob. That one is going to need its own post. Stay tuned.

So that's why I'm out here with my face on a stick, holding it up at eye level, checking what the background does behind a head. It looks crazy, but it works so well! I might start filming it. I'm also apparently smiling this hard the entire time I shoot, which explains a lot about my sessions.

GALLERY RECAP

SCOUT GALLERY, SHOPS & STUDIOS

There's still plenty of time to experience “The Modern Portrait,” a juried exhibition celebrating portraiture through a wide range of artistic styles. The show is on view through August 21st, so if you haven't made it over yet, consider this your invitation!

Scout Gallery, Shops & Studios is tucked inside the historic Hide House in Bay View, one of Milwaukee's most vibrant hubs of art, craft, and creativity. Spend an afternoon exploring the gallery, browsing the studios and shops, and soaking in the neighborhood while you're there.

Check Scout Gallery's website for current hours and upcoming events, then make sure to add a Bay View adventure to your summer plans.

2625 S Greeley St #110 | Milwaukee, WI 53207

UPCOMING GALLERY SHOWS

IDYLL COFFEE ROASTERS

I am so excited to announce that I am the next juried artist to have my work shown at Idyll Coffee Roasters in Wauwatosa! This incredible local business features a rotating selection of artists, and I am honored to have been chosen.

Stop in soon to enjoy a delicious sweet treat, a terrific cup of coffee, and check out my cyanotypes on display!

6330 W North Ave | Wauwatosa, WI 53213

ellen gvora

I have a new skirt that I am completely obsessed with, and it all started life as a pile of t-shirts. Tops from Milwaukee coffee shops, Art Bar, nonprofits, local events—basically every place and thing I love about this city—were brilliantly stitched together into wearable art by the magnificent fiber artist Ellen Gvora.

Ellen and I met years ago back when she was doing pop-up art shows, and we recently reunited at the Creative Playground show this past February. She was one of the artists I chose as a speaker to share information about her collaboration piece with another artist.

She's retired now, but she still takes commissions and makes things purely for the fun of it, which you can absolutely feel in the finished piece. I handed her an old grey-green skirt of mine to use as a template, and then she worked her magic. The best part? She makes everything from tops to bottoms for all genders.

Isn’t it time you treated yourself? Follow her on Instagram and get your custom-made piece!

Summer is the perfect season to wander. Everything is so vibrant and blooming, Golden Hour is at its peak, and there’s plenty of daylight to explore.

Here’s a common misconception about location scouting: Some of the best locations aren't famous parks or landmarks at all; they're hidden trails, quiet bodies of water, colorful downtown corners, charming gardens, or places that just feel like they have a story to tell.

Do you know of a location that feels magical this time of year? Whether it's a rustic family farm, a scenic overlook, or a tucked-away piece of architecture that deserves more attention, I'd love to check it out.

Send your suggestions my way. You never know, you could find the setting of a famous shoot in the future!