The Stephanie Newman Photography Journal

Carys crushed her Lakeville senior session with sunshine, flowers, and theater-star energy! Hanging out with her, her family, and capturing her personality near the Guthrie made her Class of 2026 photos pure magic.

Chloe is sister #2 of the Shibata trio I get to photograph this week, and let me just say—she brought all the sparkle. Literally! She showed up in the cutest lavender dress paired with the most fabulous glitter shoes, and I was instantly obsessed. (If you know me, you know lavender has been my thing […]

Sammi kicked off my Class of 2026 seniors, and wow—what a way to start the season! She’s one of three triplets, so you’ll want to stick around because her sisters will be making their debut here soon too. This was actually my very first time photographing multiples, and let me tell you—it was such a fun new adventure!

Choosing to invest in a senior photographer is a big decision. With so many talented photographers out there, finding the right one for your budget and style can feel overwhelming—especially if you’ve never hired a professional photographer before.

Whether this is your first time “shopping” for a photographer or you’ve had family portraits done in the past, navigating all the options can be a lot.

Senior photo sessions are always exciting, but sometimes, a little chaos can make them even more memorable. That was certainly the case for Emily’s session in downtown Northfield. It was the first day of Defeat of Jesse James Days, one of the biggest events in town, and let’s just say I wasn’t fully prepared for the festival vibes to kick off so soon! I had thought the event started the following day, not on the day of Emily’s session. That little mix-up led to an unexpected twist in our plans, but one thing remained constant—Emily’s amazing energy, which kept the session fun and relaxed from start to finish. 

When you plan a senior session, you always hope for the best: the perfect weather, the ideal location, and a relaxed, fun atmosphere. But sometimes, you get a curveball—like the day I met Nathan for his summer senior photos in Savage. Let me take you through the session that turned out to be a beautiful blend of improvisation, family, and an unexpected dose of joy.

Ava was my second to last senior girl of my Class of 2024. I was a little sad that my season with this senior class was coming to an end, but happy that I got to spend it with this beautiful bubbly girl. It was windy and a little chilly the day we met for her session and that didn’t seem to bother her at all. Girl was so used to being outside in cooler temps as a cheerleader. The wind helped create some great Beyonce moments when we were down by the lake. Which sometimes is awesome, others it was a pain in the behind trying to not let her hair get into her face so much.

Just like my own child’s senior year was coming up and me being in denial that he is old enough to be graduating from high school soon. All the feelings and thoughts are copied and pasted for this young lady. This girlie is one of my son’s best friends and one of my bonus children. Luke and G, along with G’s boyfriend, Charlie became fast friends during our church’s Christmas Musical, where the trio played knock off Star Wars characters.

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