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Sometimes the best senior photo locations are hiding in plain sight, disguised as a common field of weeds… Let me explain. One of my best girlfriends, opened up her home to an exchange student from Brazil. She thought that since Sofia would be attending 12th Grade in the US, she should experience our way of celebrating high school graduation with a set of Senior Pictures.

At her planning meeting, Sofia admitted that she wasn’t so sure about a photo session. Senior pictures aren’t a thing in Brazil, and she was concerned about looking “overly posed”. She preferred a natural look. 

In spite of her hesitation she decided to indulge us. To give me an idea of her taste, she created a Pinterest board and shared it with me. As an artist, who loves nature, she wanted open fields, possibly with wildflowers. I wasn’t sure right away where I’d take her for her session but I told her I’d be on the lookout for the perfect place.

While driving to work, I spotted a simple hay field. The tall and wispy grass made a soft golden texture across the rollign hills, while a close-by area was thick with goldenrod. A pond created a glassy backdrop behind a lightly wooded area. At the right time of day, the sun would give us the most beautiful backlight. I knew we could create images she’d love here.

When my girlfriend, saw our location she admitted that it didn’t look like much to her. She told me how Sofia had pointed out similar “ideal spots” while they were out driving around town and that her response had been, “So you want a field of weeds?!”

We got to work and Sofia quickly got over her skepticism about being photographed. It was obvious she was having a blast and was a complete natural in front of the camera. 

In spite of my friend’s skepticism, and with a touch of astonishment, she agreed that the photos were gorgeous. I was thrilled with the colors and textures we’d achieved in a simple field that didn’t look all the special at a glance!