The Stephanie Newman Photography Journal

Madelyn’s session was a little cloudy and threatened to rain on us. Which clouds are not the end of the world, it actually helps a little bit in diffusing the light. I just didn’t want the heavens to open and downpour on us. Depsite having clouds all around us, Madelyn brought sunshine throughout her session.

I’m always a little nervous doing shoots with senior guys because they’re either really quiet and it’s hard to have to connect with them during their session or we have a great time and we struggle getting through the shoot because we’re having a good time. At Zach’s session we had a great time! He was so friendly and talkative throughout his session

Sophia is my very first senior for the Class of 2024! I was so excited to get my senior season started and meet Sophia and her mom. I always have my seniors fill out a questionnaire before we meet up, so that I can get to know them a little bit and also, so I have some talking points during their session. It helps making what can be a nerve racking situation for the both of us. Sophia’s answers for the question, describe your personality. She answered with sweet and goofy. And that definitely showed up during her session.

Another year with the Mischke family! I see Allesha and most of her men folk on a regular basis through a boys book club we are both apart of, but it doesn’t hit me until their family picture time, that these boys are growing and becoming more mature. Ben was just a little guy when I started photographing their family and now look at him! He’s half the size of his dad! And Brad is a tall guy!

Family is the most important thing in the world.” – Princess Diana

Sarah reached out to me in early spring to book a family session with her her family and in-laws, as a gift to her mother in-law for Mothers Day. I thought that was the sweetest thing ever. Also something the matriarch of the VanBenthusyen family would cherish for years to come.

I LOVE photographing this family. I’m sure I’ve said this before in previous blog posts about them. But they are the kindest, most wonderful group of people that I have had the privilege to work with. Seriously. I’ve photographed Kayleigh and Taylor’s family with her mom, dad and brother at one session. The next year I worked with them again, but with Taylor’s mom, dad and brother. This year, Kayleigh wanted EVERYONE! They were all together to celebrate little Oliver’s 1st birthday and what better way to continue the celebration than to get some family pictures done!

Kaitlyn’s session is my first spring senior session and I want to do more spring senior sessions! Check out the gorgeous flowering trees in the background. LOVE!! I’ve shot at this park a couple of times in the past but never in the spring when the foliage is so different than late summer early fall.

The weather was playing games with us all day the day of her session. It threatened to rain most of the day, then part of the day and then finally, just a little bit of the day.

You’ve found the perfect photographer for your senior session, you’ve booked a date with them and spent time figuring out the perfect location for your session that speaks to you and your style of what you want your session to look like. Now the hard part, choosing what to wear. It is a HUGE decision that can make or break your senior portrait session! If you wear something that you don’t feel confident in, or that doesn’t photograph well, it can ruin this amazing experience for you. So, here are some great tips on what to wear to help you feel confident and that photographs well.

This year’s senior class has created so many fun opportunities to be creative as a photographer. I’ve done sessions with cars, sports equipment, fun props like wands and light sabers. For Quinn’s session it was planes! It was so cool to head to the small airport in Lakeville and use a small plane for some of his photos!

Also, this is my first winter senior session. And as you all know with Minnesota weather in general, it is unpredictable sometimes