Hiya!

First things first: you do not need to have everything figured out before we talk. That's literally the whole point of this guide.

I’ve been photographing seniors around Madison for fourteen years. The sessions I love most aren’t the ones with a rigid shot list and a massive Pinterest board. They’re the ones where you just show up—maybe a little nervous, a little excited—and we figure it out together. I’m not here to manage you or force a posed, perfect version of who you are. I’m just here for the real stuff—which, in my experience, is always the most gorgeous anyway.

Here's what I know after all these years: the moment you stop worrying about looking perfect is usually the exact moment you do. That's not a trick. That's just how this works.

This covers the practical things: where we can go, what to wear, how to prep, what happens when Wisconsin weather has other plans, and when to expect your gallery.

Take a look, share it with your parents, and drop me a line when you're ready. I’m super easy to work with, and I love this part of the process. We’re going to make something gorgeous.

I love it when seniors have a place they actually connect with—the pictures will hold so much more meaning for you if the location is part of your childhood, family memory, or high school experience. This can be a space I suggest below, but it can also include your own property (farm, pier, front porch, golf course, sailboat, horse).

If you have time, visit the location you want just in case there is surprise construction or none of the flowers you love are in bloom. I’m happy to chat through these — don’t worry, we can text.

Location Ideas Around Madison

Bring options. There is no limit on outfit changes, but 2-3 is common. Four is (usually too) ambitious. You can send me photos beforehand, scroll social media, thumb through last year's senior yearbook for inspiration. I'm always happy to weigh in before we meet.

Think of your session as a stepped-up version of how you already dress. Not a costume. Not prom. Just you, on a really good day.

I want you to show up exactly how you envisioned. The suggestions below are just in case you’re feeling stuck or you need to kickstart your own ideas. I absolutely, 100 percent, do not want you to have a cookie-cutter session.

Ideas about what to wear to your senior session

The overall 2026 aesthetic

Trends have been moving toward relaxed and lived-in — wide-leg denim, soft tailoring, vintage textures, things that look like they have a history. Less stiff, more effortless. That said, we're in Wisconsin, not LA, so fast-moving micro-trends tend to arrive here a season or two late. Don't stress about being on the cutting edge. Wear what actually feels like you.

Girls

Slip dresses, matching two-piece sets, low-slung skirts with a tank, overalls with a cropped top, subtle vintage-inspired prints. Flowy fabrics move well and give you something to work with in all locations. Consider other fabric textures, such as linen, eyelet, lace, ruffles, denim, crochet, and smocking, to give some depth.

Guys

Wide-leg or straight-fit denim, relaxed chinos, heavyweight cotton tees, a coastal terry top (I just made that up), chambray, casual button-downs worn open over a tee. Linen is still a great call for summer sessions—breezy and relaxed. Just make sure it's not your only option. The guys whose sessions feel most like them usually have at least one outfit more grounded in how they actually dress — your favorite dark jeans with a clean tee, a well-fitted crewneck, a casual short-sleeve button-down you'd actually wear to hang out. The goal isn't polished-for-the-sake-of-polished. It's you — just without the wrinkled shirt you grabbed off the floor.

Accessories

These are the easiest ways to change a look without a full outfit swap — and honestly, some of my favorite session moments have come from what people throw in the back seat on a whim.

Bring fav shoes, layered necklaces, a cool belt, a baseball or sun hat, or sunglasses for a few frames. But don't stop there.

A lightweight scarf or blanket is more versatile and creative than you'd think — something to sit on at the beach, hold loosely while we walk, or use playfully (I have some ideas). It sounds simple, and it photographs beautifully.

(One of my all-time favorite session moments involved a jar of bubbles. Just saying.)

Colors that photograph well

Here's what's actually working right now — colors that look beautiful in natural Midwestern light and will still feel like you when you look back at these in ten years.

The sorbet/pastel moment is real

….and that’s great news for portraits. Butter yellow, lavender, dusty rose, pale eggshell blue, sage and mint, soft coral, and lilac are all having a genuine moment right now — and they happen to be some of the most flattering, photography-friendly colors out there. They glow in natural light without washing you out or casting color on your skin. If you've been eyeing anything in this family, go for it.

Don’t sleep on neutrals

Warm whites, creams, oatmeal, sandy tan, warm taupe, warm stone, soft denim blue, chocolate brown, and even washed black are timeless and incredibly wearable in summer light. These aren't boring — they're the colors that make everything else in your outfit pop. Think clean, sun-washed, and effortless — the kind of outfit that looks like you spent the morning at the lake without trying. Soft denim blue works for everyone and bridges the gap between neutral and color without trying too hard. Chocolate brown might surprise you in summer, but paired with the sorbet palette, it's genuinely gorgeous.

Mixing is encouraged.

Some of the best outfits I've shot combine both — a dusty rose dress with warm stone sandals, lavender with warm cream, soft coral with chocolate brown. Don't feel like you have to commit to one lane.

Best to Skip

Leave the bright neons at home. They don't play well with natural light and throw wild color casts on your skin, and we want the focus on you, not a highlighter-pink shirt.

Large logos, busy graphics, and all-black or all-white, head-to-toe looks, anything you’re meh about are also better left out of this sesh.

Hair, Make Up, Skin, & Nails

Hair

Fresh-ish trim/highlight beforehand if you can swing it. Movement is your friend — light hold, not stiff spray. Think your hair on its best day, not your hair auditioning for something. Guys, the same goes — a fresh-ish cut and product make a real difference, and you'll be glad you did it.

Makeup

Somewhere between everyday and prom. Natural with a little extra polish — not bare, not overdone. Bring your lip gloss because it fades faster than you think. And if you're trying something new, do a test run before your session day, not the hour before. You may want to consider a setting spray if your makeup tends to run in the summer. No raccoon eyes.

Eyebrows

Groom them, but don't do anything dramatic. An aggressive wax or tint right before can look harsh on camera. If you're getting them done, do it at least five days out.

Skin

Good scrub and moisturizer beforehand for a glow. No peels, intense masks, or active skin treatments in the week before — redness and sensitivity show up on camera more than you'd think. Bring blotting papers if you run warm, especially for summer sessions when the heat index is real. Ok to skip sunscreen for this hour since many have that zinc cast or melt off.

If you want a little extra glow, a professional spray tan applied four to five days before your session is cool— just enough time for it to settle into something natural rather than fresh-from-the-booth. DIY self-tanner is fine too; just go with a brand you’ve used and use less than you think you need to. Either way, avoid sunburns—’tis not the vibe, and peeling shoulders in your senior photos is forever.

Facial Hair

If you have it, commit to it. Freshly groomed or cleanly shaved — not mid-growth. The in-between stage photographs harder than it looks in the mirror. Whatever you normally do, just do it intentionally.

Nails

Color or bare & any shape are totally fine — just make sure it's fresh. Nothing draws the eye in the wrong direction like a chipped mani pedi in an otherwise beautiful photo. Guys, this means you too: trimmed & scrubbed. No excuses.

Day Of Suggestions

• Give yourself more time than you think you need. The sessions that start rushed never fully recover. Budget extra time to get ready, load the car, and arrive all calm, cool, and collected. Rushed energy shows up in the first twenty minutes of photos — and that's also the best light of the whole session. We don't want to lose it.

• Lay your outfits out the night before. All of them. With shoes, jewelry, and accessories accounted for. The hour before is not the time to realize your favorite top is in the wash or your cute sandals are at your best friend’s house.

• Iron or steam your clothes, esp if this is the first time you’re wearing it. Photos pick up those “just folded from the store” creases. Give yourself a lint roller sweep if you have pets (solidarity!).

• Bring a touch-up kit. Lip gloss, Chapstick, a brush, a spare hair tie, blotting papers or a dry washcloth if you sweat a lot, and maybe a small mirror.

• Scrub your lips. And brush and floss before you come. Srsly.

• Bug/tick spray. Non-negotiable for wooded or prairie locations. I have pulled ticks off people in parking lots and watched entire sessions grind to a halt because the mosquitoes had other plans. Don't skip this one.

• Leave your phone in the car if you can. We move faster, you relax quicker, and you're actually present for your own session. Guys especially—no phones in pockets! That rectangular outline can be seen a mile away—keep it in mind for homecoming and prom pics, too.

• Bring a parent or friend only if it helps you chill. Just know that sometimes the best moments happen when it's just us — so if your crew is there, give them permission to hang back a little. If you think you’ll feel silly letting it flow in front of them, let’s set a meeting point at the halfway mark to check in on outfit changes and good cheer. If these folks help unleash your inner model, we’ll take the rooting section.

Weather Woes

Wisconsin is Wisconsin. I've been shooting here long enough to have a plan for all of it — and I will always make sure you're taken care of.

Rain

Light overcast is actually beautiful — it's even, diffused light, and we will absolutely use it. Think of it as a giant soft box in the sky. Actual rain is a different story; we reschedule. I watch the forecast closely in the days leading up to your session, and I'll reach out beforehand if things look uncertain. Summer storms whip up outta nowhere here, so we’ll be extra flexible.

Air Quality (AQI)

Wildfire smoke has become a real factor in Wisconsin summers, and I take it pretty seriously. If the AQI is in that 100-150 range, I'll send you the reading and let you decide — you know your own lungs, your own allergies, and your own comfort level. If it hits 150 or above, I'll reschedule automatically. No debate, no guilt, no "let's just try it." And truly, beyond the health piece, that heavy smoke makes the sky look like a dystopian movie set. I mean, it looks weird!

Extreme Heat & Humidity

This level of discomfort can't be edited out. Hair mats against your face, mascara runs, and your session goes from fun to survival mode real fast — and nobody signed up for a sauna experience when they booked senior photos. And it's not just you — cameras have feelings too. Mirrorless cameras generate their own heat, and operating in this temp can trigger overheating and cause sensor issues that affect image quality. So when I say I'm watching the heat index, I'm protecting your experience and your gallery. If we're in the 90–100°+ range, I'll reschedule or shift to an early morning slot when it's actually bearable to be outside. I'd rather give you a session where you feel good than push through conditions that leave everyone miserable and sweaty. Wisconsin summers are gorgeous and occasionally brutal — I've got you either way.

What Next?

Whi-hoo, you nailed it. Ok, go live your life for two to three weeks. I'll circle back with a fully edited gallery of your absolute bests. You'll get an email with a link when it's ready, so keep an eye out (check your spam just in case).

From there, you'll choose your favorite 20 high-resolution images for download — or buy them all, your choice. Once you've made your selections, I'll prep everything for download. High-res files, ready to print, post, and keep forever.

Don’t forget: you'll have a $50 print credit to use in my online store — gorgeous prints, grad cards, or an album of them all (my personal favorite). Don't let it sit there. Prints are how these actually land somewhere — grandma's wall, your mom's desk, a coffee table album that'll be within arm's reach for your parents next year. You know. When you leave. (Sniff.)

Your gallery link is shareable — go ahead and send it to everyone who has been not-so-patiently asking when your photos will be ready.