The Stephanie Newman Photography Journal

As summer draws to a close and the Class of 2024 prepares to embark on the next chapter of their lives, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the unforgettable moments of high school. One standout senior, Isabel, recently had her senior portrait session at Whitetail Woods, capturing the essence of her journey as a vibrant member of the color guard. Nestled in the heart of nature, Whitetail Woods provided the ideal setting for Isabel’s portraits. The lush greenery and stunning landscapes served as a picturesque backdrop, highlighting the beauty of summer. As the golden sun filtered through the trees, it created a warm, inviting glow that perfectly complemented Isabel’s bright personality. Isabel’s dedication to the color guard is evident in her spirit and enthusiasm. As a member of the team, she has spent countless hours practicing choreography, perfecting her technique, and performing at competitions. Her passion for dance and the art of performance shines through in every twirl and spin, making her an inspiring figure among her peers. During the photo session, Isabel brought her color guard flag along, showcasing her love for the sport and adding some extra fun  to the images. 

So this senior is my kiddo. I knew this day would come, but I wanted to be in denial about it all. I actaully was nervous about doing his pictures. Don’t ask why. You’d think I’d be more nervous about doing complete stranger’s senior pictures and not my own kid. But I was. I think we may have both been nervous because we were both giggling and laughing a lot the entire time. I wanted to take maybe an hour to do his pictures and we ended up staying out for 2 hours. It probably didn’t help that he was being a sassy teenager.

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.

What an adorable family!! I mean, look at how cute they all are in their coordinating outfits! I just love the little pops of color from dad, Gerrad and little Adalyn’s dress. ? I was afraid that with most of the colors from the trees being almost non-exsistant this late in October, that their outifits would blend in, but they didn’t. I feel like stood out more with out the extra colors from the trees and it probably helped that it was an overcast day.

I’m nearing my final set of senior sessions for this fall and I’m getting a little sad. ? Greyson was one of the last couple of seniors I get to photograph this year, and I just did not want my senior session season to end.

Jaden’s session at Whitetail Woods started off not so great. He and his mom got lost on the way to the park, and got his car, that he wanted in pictures, full of dirt. But that didn’t sour his attitude for the session, which was good because I would have been so flustered and angry!

Another fun October mini session at Whitetail Woods with a fun and sweet family, the Westlunds! I have been spending a lot of time at Whitetail this year and have found some really fun locations within to take my families to mix up my portfolio and so they can get some variety too in their pictures.