Confession time, friends: I went a little overboard with my perfectionistic tendencies when it came to finalizing images of this shoot for Elizabeth. I couldn’t help it though! I absolutely LOVE this family and I wanted everything about her senior session to be flawless!
I first met the Wright family when I photographed Elizabeth’s older sister, Madeline, in 2016. My love for them was instantaneous the moment I connected with their mom, Jerri. She is such a gem and I’ve been anxiously awaiting my turn to photograph little sister ever since. And she did not disappoint!
Elizabeth has such a kind heart and trusting nature. During our consultation I mentioned that she shouldn’t be afraid of a casual outfit. Often, girls who seem really chill and casual in their “real life” end up choosing outfits that are much more formal for their portraits. With that said, having at least one jeans/shorts look is something I encourage for girls who are not into high heels and dresses. The ultimate goal of every senior session is to relax and feel comfortable in your own skin. Also, it’s really helpful when we’re having fun and rolling around in the grass for a shot…we don’t have to worry about nice clothes ending up with nasty green stains!
Anyway, I mentioned this to Elizabeth because I’ve had two unique ideas that I had really been wanting to try out and she seemed like such a great candidate for both! One of the concepts had to do with incorporating twinkling lights with formal dress attire, and the other was photographing a senior in Lulelemon sportswear. For the longest time I’ve wanted someone to jump at my offer to go for yoga pants in a session and Elizabeth totally did. Apparently this is her everyday look so it was a natural fit. (Hey, if I had a figure like hers it would be mine too!) Combine her sporty workout outfit with the cutest ponytail on planet earth and that part of the shoot was everything I hoped it would be. Her beautiful black dress with the twinkling lights was just as amazing. I love that we went from sparkly glam to Lulu and tennis shoes!
Speaking of sparkling, I was able to score the Firefly Complex at the last minute (thank you Alyse and family!) and it was the perfect spot to try out the special lighting I had in mind for Elizabeth’s session. It was magical and I think her photos tell the tale!
What a wonderful day. Honestly, this time with Elizabeth and her mom made me equal parts ecstatic and sad because there are no more Wrights to photograph. When families start to “graduate” from me I really start contemplating a return to family portraits just so I can reconnect with these wonderful people that I love so much. Hugs and lots of love, Wright family!
Elizabeth’s senior portrait session at the Firefly Complex | Grapevine Faith Christian School
