Working with Brett was a blast with a capital B. He was so easy-going, relaxed and in case you haven’t noticed, he’s got looks that could kill. He flashed that smile with those baby blues, and we could practically hear the girls swoon every time we clicked the shutter. Brett is currently a senior at Chaparral and crushing it on the school hockey team. When we asked him about his plans for next year, we found out that he comes from a house divided. With one sister at ASU and one at U of A, he’s got a pretty serious decision at hand, so we didn’t waste any time trying to convert him into a full-fledged Sun Devil. Whichever school gets him next year is going to be a lucky one. Brett has it all, and it was truly an honor to take his senior pictures. Here’s a little look at some of our favorites.

If we’ve ever encountered a senior that could change the world, this guy is it. Grayson is intelligent, articulate, compassionate and, on top of all that, he’s got a smile that could kill. He’s graduating from Scottsdale Christian Academy this spring, and with his passion for politics, he has everything he needs to make a serious difference out there. We were so impressed with him. Jordan is quite the political junkie himself, so he and Grayson hit it off faster than you can say election year. We had a great time making one outrageous statement after the next, and we laughed the entire way through his session. Grayson, thank you for letting us capture who you are this year, and if you ever need a campaign photographer in the future, you know who to call!

It was truly a pleasure getting to know Justin during his senior portrait session. He was such an intelligent, mature and just all around classy guy that he made it very easy to forget he’s only seventeen. And did we mention Justin had s-t-y-l-e? He could have popped right into the J. Crew catalog without a second thought. Justin is a senior at Scottsdale Christian Academy, rocking AP classes and still deciding between a few great colleges. It only took a few minutes with Justin for us to be sure that wherever he chooses to go, this guy is going places. With only a few days left until graduation, we couldn’t resist sharing a few of our favorite from our time with Justin.

Jordan and I had a blast with Michael. The word of the day was “rockstar.” He definitely brought his A-game. He also brought his awesome parents who acted as a fabulous entourage throughout the session, and the more we talked, the more we discovered how much we all had in common. Not only were they big fans of some our favorite tv addictions: Modern Family, Parenthood and Grey’s, they also started attending our church, CCV, at the exact same time we did. It was easy to see why Michael is such a stud of a senior. He plays soccer AND football for Northwest Christian, and is still choosing who he is going to play for in college. He has a great sense of humor, and we could have shot him all day long. Here’s a little look into our time together:

Michael rocked  these awesome glasses for part of the session, and I just loved the whole look.

Michael changed, and we headed off to shoot a more rural look

And we couldn’t end the session without grabbing a few shots in both of his jerseys. 

We met Megan for her senior portrait session at the breathtaking Desert Botanical Garden, and I’ve gotta say, there are few people that would cause you to forget you’re shooting in one of Arizona’s most beautiful locations, but Megan did just that! We could have shot Megan in front of a dumpster and the images would be just as radiant. She was breathtaking. And those eyes? Holy smokes. I’ve never seen anything like ‘em. Don’t adjust your monitors, folks, her eyes have not been digitally enhanced in any way. She really is just that stunning. Megan was a true beauty inside and out. She is a senior at Horizon (whoop whoop!), plays softball nonstop, and also serves on the student government exec board. Jordan was senior class prez in the very same stugo when we were at Horizon, so you know we were getting all the stugo dish from Megan, and so happy to hear awesome events like Hoopcoming are still alive and well seven years later. Soon, she’ll be moving on to bigger and better things at U of A this fall, and rooming with Shay, one of our other senior clients! Those two girls are going to be unstoppable. Watch out, Wildcats, here they come.

No, you are not seeing things! Those baby blues do not have one ounce of retouching.

Megan had a great smile

And she wasn’t afraid to bring out her inner fierce-ness either

Jordan was the first to spot this gorgeous light, and he practically fell over himself making sure we didn’t miss it.

I just love the way she sparkles in this light

Megan and her mom came across this great blue door on the outskirts of the garden, and with Megan’s eyes, it was a must-have.

We did a quick-change to end the day with a gorgeous sunset

So I just have to start out with a little math: Private lake residence + Marissa= magic. Marissa was a photographer’s dream. Every time she heard the shutter click, she changed her positioning or facial expression just slightly, and as you’ll soon see, this girl knew how to work it. I’ll tell you one thing, it made my job of selecting photos a whole lot harder! There wasn’t a bad shot in the bunch. Marissa is beautiful inside and out. She is graduating from Mountain Ridge next month and is coming to a final decision on which college she will attend in the fall. Whatever college she chooses, I’m positive she’ll have those college boys drooling in no time! We had so much fun exploring her family’s great private residence near Lake Pleasant and we had the place completely to ourselves. It was so inspiring shooting in a new location with such a great model! Here’s a little peak at our time together:

You all know I have a special place in my heart for Horizon girls! I was indeed a Horizon Husky myself, and it also happens to be the place I met my husband, so when Shay, a senior at Horizon, contacted me, I couldn’t have been more pumped. Little did I know she would be the SWEETEST thing in the whole world. Oh my gosh, I enjoyed every single second with Shay. We had so much fun. It felt like we had known each other for years. Shay is a cheerleader, so needless to say, she knew how to work the camera. And I just loved the outfits, colors and accessories she chose. It gave her images that extra pop. In fact, I made up perhaps the world’s dumbest word while shooting Shay: popalicious. Popalicious? It may be the new lamest word to ever come out of my mouth on a shoot, and I don’t think Jordan will ever let me live it down. But there is no other way to describe it. Shay was just popalicious. Her fun personality, her joyful heart and her fierce eyes just popped. She’s headed to U of A in the fall to pursue criminal justice, and all I know is those Wildcats are lucky to call Shay one of their own. Here’s a little look at our time together:

Shay had the greatest laugh

And eyes!

How cute is she?

Delicious light? Check!

Shay, you’re a rockstar.

Justin is a senior at Sandra Day O’Connor High School and is planning to head off to ASU in the fall (Go Devils!) What is he going to pursue you ask? Well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him on the cover of Fortune 500 in just a few short years. Justin has a solid mind for business, and it’s clear he’s going big places. I mean, come on, he already looks the part! Donald Trump should be shaking in his expensive Italian shoes right about now. Here’s a look at our time together:
Love these next two. Straight out of the Hollister catalog…

Justin has such a great smile

He’s also a die-hard snowboarder, so we couldn’t resist incorporating his board into a few shots
We had to take advantage of the delicious light

And we’ll end with my two faves from the day. Is this guy going places, or what?

It’s true. Great things are worth waiting for. Sidney, a senior at Cactus Shadows, contacted me way back in the fall about taking her senior portraits this spring. She was so sweet, even through email, which made it hard to accept that we wouldn’t meet until the spring.  It seemed eons away. But I’ve gotta say, it couldn’t have been a better choice! Our session was on the prettiest day Scottsdale has even seen. Beautiful sunlight, slight breeze and a whole lot of SIDNEY! Holy eyes, Batman! Do those baby blues take your breath away, or what? The best thing about Sidney is that her beautiful outside matches her beautiful inside. She is headed to ASU in the fall (Go Sun Devils!) to pursue a nursing degree, and I was blown away with her maturity, her sweet-as-pie demeanor and her captivating personality. This girl is going to go far. Here’s a little peak at our time together:

Sidney was a natural in front of the camera
Did I mention the light was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s?

Beautiful light + Sidney = Magic
I love this door Jordan spotted:Some fun with flare

Sidney did such a great job styling her shoot. This jacket is one of my faves. Girl knew how to work it.

These last two might be my favorite from the whole session. Her laugh is infectious. There couldn’t have been a better way to end the day.

Well, it’s official. I can now confirm that it is true what they say about twins. They really are double the fun. And as for Anya and Katya, they were double the everything: double the sweet, double the laughter, double the awesome. And those eyes? Double the stunning! Anya and Katya are Arcadia’s own Venus and Serena as they crush it together on the tennis court. Both are planning to attend U of A this fall, and from the short time I spent with them, I know that the Wildcats are lucky to have them. We had so much fun and laughed our way through the entire session. These girls are truly beautiful inside and out, and I am honored to be their photographer. Here’s a little look at our time together: