Wyatt: Class of 2018

Wyatt, I had the privilege of meeting your amazing mother this summer. She's one of the most selfless people I now, and when she asked me to take your picture, I was so excited to meet you! Thank you so much for letting me take your senior photos! It was so nice to meet you. I loved talking about Orono & realizing nothing has really changed there since I've graduated. I hope you enjoy the rest of your senior year, and best of luck with your goal of studying computer science!! I can tell you are very intelligent and it will be exciting to see the amazing things you decide to do!

Hannah: Class of 2018

Let me tell you one thing about this amazing girlie. Hannah had ONE request for her senior photos: she wanted to recreate the J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive album cover! That's when I knew she was seriously awesome. She also has the coolest aspirations ever... she wants to go to flight school and be a pilot. Talk about a one-of-a-kind wonder. Hannah, you amaze me, girl!

Not only are you driven and fascinating, but you are sweet, funny, and oh-so-smiley. Not only did I love taking your photos and hanging out with you, but editing your photos gave me so much joy because I can experience your happiness and cheerful presence all over again. You are remarkably easygoing and fun to be around. I truly enjoyed getting to know you!

I hope you have an amazing senior year. I will be very excited to see you chase after your dreams after high school. I have full faith that you are 110% capable of achieving your dreams! 

Shannon: Class of 2018

Miss Shannon, you are quite the exquisite young lady. I am astounded by your confidence and how sure of yourself you are - it is truly a gift. I still have a hard time believing you are only a senior in high school - you seem far more mature! I enjoyed getting to know you throughout the evening! I wish you the best with pursuing your dream of being a teacher :) Enjoy your senior year!! 

Simone: Class of 2018

Simone, your senior session was so much fun! From the get-go you knew exactly what you wanted for senior photos... nothing to do with a field and everything to do with a trendy urban setting. You're a distinguished lady with awesome style and downtown Minneapolis was perfect for you. Oftentimes throughout your shoot it felt like were having a fashion shoot instead of a senior shoot. You could totally model!

We probably walked 3+ miles during your shoot, which means it was also a workout. Senior pics + exercise: killing two birds with one stone, brownie points for us. Also, we definitely confused the valet drivers at Hewing Hotel when we walked past them 7 different times (I counted!), usually with you wearing a different outfit. No shame. Throughout the couple hours I got to hang out with you, I enjoyed talking about life and hearing all about what my alma mater is like three years later! (Keep living it up on student council and golf team!!!) Seriously though, you are so easy to talk to and you have an amazing sense of humor! I'd absolutely love it if you came and visited me at the U of M sometime! (P.S.: we bonded over our mutual love for chai tea, so that automatically makes you ten times more cool then you already were. I'm glad I could introduce you to the chai at Aster Cafe, a.k.a. the best chai on this planet!)

One last thing: you honestly remind me of Beyonce. For real. You are naturally breathtakingly beautiful, confident, and glowing. Iconic, just like Beyonce. As I've been editing in my new apartment now that I'm back at college, my roommates saw your pictures in my editing program. We laughed about how seniors nowadays, like you, are models. I'm pretty sure when I was a senior in high school I was still in my awkward middle school age, lol. Regardless, I am so happy that I got to meet you and take your senior photos. I wish you an amazing senior year!

Kelly: Class of 2018

Kelly!! You are amazing. From the moment our shoot started, I knew we would have so much fun. I am so happy you were down to explore some new locations with me!! I'd been waiting all summer to do that, and I am so happy we did. Field + a barn + a willow tree + flowers... the perfect senior photos setup. Each location complemented your outfits and beauty in a unique way, and it was nearly impossible for me to choose my favorites to upload! 

I'm so impressed by you and I cannot believe you are only a senior in high school. Not only are you a photographer's dream because you are such a natural in front of the camera + stunning (seriously, please model for me again sometime), but you are also so sweet and down-to-earth! I absolutely loved getting to know you. It's awesome how you have big dreams for next year and your future - let them guide you and I am confident that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Whether you end up in California or some other cool place, I know you'll kill it! 

Oh yeah... thanks for bringing your lovely momma and puppy to your shoot :) I am glad I got to take some pictures of the three of you!! You and your mom are one of the most photogenic mother-daughter duos I've ever seen.

I hope you enjoy your photos :) Thanks again for letting me take your senior photos, it was an honor!

Meredith: Class of 2018

Oh Meredith, I had so much fun taking your senior photos. It had been quite some time since I'd seen you at the last big Swanson family reunion, so I loved getting to catch up with you and hear all about your life! It was so special that I got to take these photos because I know how exciting this time of your life is. You have so much going for you, and I am looking forward to seeing all the amazing things that you'll do, on and off the soccer field. Which, by the way, I am so proud of you and your commitment to play D1 soccer at the University of Michigan! That is no easy feat and I know how hard you have worked for years to make that dream a reality. You did it, and I'm so happy for you. I'm a very proud cousin to say the least!

As I went through the hundreds of photos we took, I loved how genuinely happy and cheerful you were in all of them. The laughing ones are just too cute... maybe my lame jokes do work sometimes, after all ;) However, my favorite photos by far from this session are the ones with the long dress. Side note: we may or may have not have 'accidentally ventured' into a private residential area for a quick 5 minutes to snap those photos. Totally worth it. What can I say, as a photographer, there is a certain instinct that cannot be ignored when there is a beautiful goldenrod field, golden lighting, and an elegant yellow dress! 

Thank you again, Meredith! This was so special to me, and I hope we can find excuses to hang out more outside of family gatherings :) 

Tori: Class of 2018

Tori!! You are sophisticated and delightful. I loved meeting you and hangout out with you and Nikki for the evening! You have an amazing sense of style and such natural beauty. I love how unique your session was... starting off with your very own backyard, where the photos ended up looking like a Free People advertisement, to driving all the way to Minneapolis just to have to turn around because the clouds looked dark and scary, to talking about life with Nikki in the car, to finally making it to Wayzata where the clouds weren't ominous and we could finish the second half of your session. Despite the weather-induced change of plans, thanks so much for being so easy-going the whole time! 

Nikki: Class of 2018

It was such a joy to take senior photos for this sweet soul. Nikki is one of the most genuine people I know. She's also made an appearance at three of my senior sessions which is totally awesome :) It all started last summer when she tagged along for Mattie's senior shoot when the three of us explored uptown, jammed out in the car, had heart-to-hearts, and ate Mesa pizza. (That's called senior pics done right.) We made a full circle because Mattie came to Nikki's pictures this year! Nikki, I'm so thankful for photography because without it, I probably wouldn't have gotten to know you more or been able to call you a friend! I am so excited for you to come visit Mattie and I at the U of M this school year!

Thanks again for letting me take your photos - it was such an honor and I always love the time I get to spend with you. I hope you have a blast with senior year, and I cannot wait to see the exciting things that your future holds.

Nicole: Class of 2018

Nicole!!

I've known you for a few years now, and I was so excited when I got your senior photo inquiry. Something I really appreciate about you is how genuine you are! You also have a subtle sense of humor which is just awesome!! (Thanks for trying out some new 'silly' poses!!) I had so much fun running around snapping photos with you - even though it was super early in the morning and neither you nor I were awake yet! It was worth it for bright sunshine and gorgeous floral background. 

You are talented in so many ways and it's been fun to hear all about your hockey career and how you are exploring that passion of yours! I hope that you have a great senior year. I know you'll kill it out there on the ice and in the classroom. 

God bless!

Kayla: Class of 2018

Kayla is one of the most cheerful and vivaciously bubbly humans I have ever met!! She is rarely not smiling or laughing! She is one of those individuals who is like an instant ray of sunshine when she walks in the room -- total day brightener whose smile is contagious! Her presence is a blessing to say the least :) I always aim to capture raw and true emotion in my photos, and because Kayla is naturally upbeat and smiley, this was quite easy to do! 

This is definitely my new favorite senior session that I've ever shot, for a variety of reasons! The first time we had Kayla's photos scheduled, we got rained out, which was a huge bummer at first. However, Kayla had the jackpot for weather when we rescheduled! It was overcast for part of the time and bright and sunny for the second part of the shoot. Because of this, we got the benefits of both... photos with rich tones and details from the overcast lighting, and bright and vibrant photos from when it was sunny. Best of both worlds! PLUS... Kayla was my very first senior session with my brand new camera and lens that I had gotten that morning!! I couldn't have asked for a more awesome, genuine, and remarkably stunning senior to use my new camera on :)

Kayla, thank you again for letting me capture your beauty - you are just darling! I had SO much fun hanging out with you for the evening. You're an incredible human and I am pumped to see what you decide to do next year!! 

Sabina: Class of 2018

Alright... story time. I hate snakes. Like, I really dislike them. I'm not too huge of a fan of bugs, either. In fact, I'm definitely more at home in a city than I am out in nature (not to say I don't appreciate it). Whenever a senior I photograph requests the field look, my aversion to bugs and other creepy-crawlies gets forgotten temporarily because I think that field photos are classic, elegant, and timeless, and I love taking that style of photo! BUT... occasionally the novelty of field shoots gets shoved aside and I remember why I am scared of them in the first place. This shoot would classify as one of those occasions. Let it be known that Sabina and I faced the WHOLE NINE YARDS for creepy-crawlies when we were out in that field! Bees, horseflies, mosquitoes, and a SNAKE. Yes, a snake. But, together we held it together and put our fears aside and stayed out in the field and captured some amazing photos. Sabina looked like a total angel, for real. 100% worth it. 

Sabina, you are absolutely darling. This felt so much more like a friend hang-out then a senior shoot!! You even helped me face the fact that I am probably addicted to caffeine when I said I was going to get some coffee after our shoot haha. But I didn't!! A step in the right direction!!) I'm so inspired by how wanderlust you are and all your plans to travel the world and experience life in different cultures and cities across the globe. You are wise beyond your years and it'll be fascinating to see what it is you decide to do after graduation. The possibilities are endless for you! 

Thank you again for letting me capture your beauty. You are remarkably stunning!

Ava: Class of 2018

Ava, you are so sweet and I loved meeting you!! I had so much fun getting to know you and talking about life. Loved loved loved photographing you. Even though I only spent a few hours with you, I totally see your personality shining through in your photos. You have the prettiest dark features. Some of my favorite pictures are the ones of you with the daisies! Thank you for being so down to try out new poses climb through fields!! 

I hope you have an amazing senior year! Maybe see you in Barcelona next spring?!?

Anna: Class of 2018

You know when you haven't seen someone in at least five years and then you're finally reunited!? Anna, it was so nice to see you again! It'd been a few years for sure, and you've grown up into the most amazing person. It's refreshing how you are so unique and confident in your own skin. I absolutely love your style and your hair! And the henna :)

It was so much fun photographing you and Ava! You two are a blast. Thanks for roadtripping all the way to Lakeville for our photo destination!! 

Have an amazing rest of your summer! I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!

Scott: Class of 2018

Scott, I enjoyed meeting you! Thanks for adventuring around Excelsior with me and telling me all about your trip to Europe! Best of luck with soccer, skiing, and senior year -- I hope you enjoy it while it lasts! 

Here's an interesting story: so, if you've read the 'about me' page, you know that I lost my first DSLR camera in a lake. Here's the full story: it happened at Scott's family's cabin in Duluth! Scott's family is great friends with my best friend's family, and two summers ago, they were so kind and let Ariana and I spend the weekend there before we went off to college for the first time. At that point, I barely even knew how to use my camera and definitely had little to no technical understanding of basic camera functions. One afternoon, I had placed my camera and brand new 50mm portrait lens on my towel on the dock so that the towel wouldn't fly into the lake. A couple minutes later after I had walked onto the beach, Ariana and I heard a gust of wind and I looked back, and to my horror, the towel and camera were gone because the wind had picked up both of them. As soon as I realized what had happened, I dove down and retrieved the camera from the bottom of the lake. For the proceeding week, I went through a sequence of remedial attempts -- rice, silica packets, even 'baking' the camera at 100 degrees in the oven. Long story short that camera was never able to be fixed, but the lens was! In fact, the lens I chose to use during Scott's session is the very lens that was on the bottom of the lake at his cabin! Weird, right?! 

Grant: Class of 2018

Quick sidenote: It's always funny when I have a super random connection to a senior who I photograph. In this case, I learned that I used to sit next to Grant's older brother in Spanish class way back in the day when I was a freshman in high school - what a blast from the past. Chandler, if you're reading this, hello, and I hope all is well :) 

Grant, I had a great time working with you! Loring Park was the perfect location for photos -- we got such a cool mixture of urban, nature, and skyline shots! Some of my favorites are the ones we took in the tunnel that leads to the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden. The interaction between the blue of the tunnel and the navy in your shirt makes a sweet shot! Also, thanks for being so down to adventure and walk all around to find photo spots. We put on some mileage during the shoot for sure - worth it though! Between shots it was fun chatting with you about your trip to Peru, your athletic careers, and senior year in general. Oh and thank you for bringing along your adorable dog! I am so happy we got to snap a couple photos with her!

I hope you have a great last year of school -- you have a lot going for you and it will be quite exciting to see what you decide to do after graduation. Best of luck with the upcoming football and wrestling seasons! 

Maddie: Class of 2018

MN weather has been something else this summer. Maddie and I had to cancel her shoot not once but twice because of rain. The worst part? Both days it frustratingly went from stormy to sunny, but only after it was too late to shoot! BUT... I'm not complaining, because our third try was successful, and it was absolutely gorgeous out! Also, we had a fun shoot because her adorable puppy, mom, sister, and friend came along for the ride. :) 

Maddie is the perfect mix of sophisticated, classy, genuine, and fun. Super stunning and easygoing! She killed it with her outfit choices: a classy, timeless white top, a teal dress that brought out her beautiful hazel eyes, and a bold red shirt that complemented her brown hair nicely. Also, coming from a family tree of lots of dentists, you have a million dollar smile.  

Maddie, thank you so much again for your flexibility and good attitude about all the rain and rescheduling hoops we had to jump through in order to finally get the perfect senior photo evening! Honestly, I would go through all that weather frustration again though for this shoot because I love the floral theme that you requested, the perfect summer weather we had when we finally got to shoot, and all the pictures we took. Also, it was fun to take a walk down memory lane and take pictures where I had my own senior photos taken 3 summers ago. Anyway, I had so much fun spending the evening with you and your squad! I wish you a phenomenal senior year! 

Julia: Class of 2018

Julia: you are absolutely darling and I had so much fun working with you! You are a natural beauty and honestly resemble an angel - glowing complexion, gorgeous smile, and pretty hazel eyes. You are remarkably beautiful and made photographing you beyond easy and so much fun. In fact, I was so excited with how the photos were turning out that I turned down sleeping on my 6am flight the next morning to edit :)

Also, Hannah, you win sister of the year award for helping Julia pick out some amazing outfits from your own closet! Nicest sister ever!! Still cannot get over the white floral romper from Zara in Spain. It was perfectly summery and the colors in it matched several walls that we found! 

I was super happy when Julia chose St. Anthony Main as her location because it's one of my all-time favorite photography spots with its variety of rich colors and backgrounds. Out of all the shoots I've had, this was definitely the most adventurous. As a brief recap, we climbed down the sketchy stairway by the Stone Arch Bridge to the Mississippi River, got access to an amazing rooftop overlooking the river and the Minneapolis skyline, encountered some very strange people, and even accidentally photobombed an indoor wedding reception that I didn't realize was happening until I looked in the windows. Major oops, but we still got cute photos! 

Julia, thanks so much for your enthusiasm throughout the shoot and willingness to try various poses. I'm also still happy that we both share a mutual love for candid photos. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and have an amazing senior year!! 

"She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future." -Proverbs 31:25

Andrew: Class of 2018

For those who may not know... Andrew is my little brother :) He and I are pretty different in the sense that I looked forward to getting my senior pictures taken for the entirety of high school while he was absolutely dreading it. "Can't we just take one photo in the backyard?" "Do I have to?" Even though I know being photographed isn't Andrew's favorite thing in the world, this was definitely my most special shoot I've ever had. By far. Even though taking the actual pictures was slightly like pulling teeth, Andrew was a great sport and we had a good time! I've realized this is probably the only time I'm going to have him in front of my camera for a decent amount of time, so this shoot truly meant a lot to me. 

I've shed a few tears as I've edited these photos because it's almost impossible to comprehend that my not-so-baby brother is already embarking on his final year of high school. Just yesterday, I would pass him in the hall when he was just a little freshman and I was a senior. He always brightened my day with his smile! We would drive to school every day that year, and it was always fun starting off the morning with him, even though I made him late just about every day. (Sorry bro!) Even though we were only in the same school for one short year, I cherish that year deeply.

Andrew has the warmest, deepest, most inviting brown eyes I've ever seen. He also has one of the biggest hearts. He's touched many lives with how much he cares. Also: don't be fooled by his quiet presence - he has the biggest sense of humor out of anyone I know. He's clever, witty, and can make me laugh at any given time!

Story time. When we were much younger, my stubborn, independent 5-year-old self got mad at my parents and declared that I was "running away". After my parents responded by asking if I needed a map, I actually walked out the front door and up the street. Andrew was about 3 at the time and started crying hysterically, chasing after me, saying "Who am I going play with?" This memory is precious to me. We were great playmates and friends growing up, and we got along extremely well. I'm blessed to have him as my brother! 

Melissa: Class of 2018

No better way to start off a week than with an energetic, fun senior session with a great, outgoing senior, bright and early on a sunny Monday morning!! Melissa, you are absolutely darling and I had so much fun meeting with you, photographing you, and talking about life! You were so comfortable and confident in front of the camera and you made my job easy. Couldn't have asked for a more photogenic and easygoing person to photograph -- it was no surprise to me that you have modeling experience. As I edited the photos after, I realized that this was probably my favorite senior shoot that I have had yet. Some of these photos definitely are some of my all-time favorite pictures that I've captured in the years that I've been into photography!

To summarize the shoot, we started off the session bright and early at 7:30 am with field photos, a.k.a. one of my favorite types of senior pictures. You definitely killed it with the outfits you chose! Also, fending off the horseflies and mosquitoes for 30 minutes was completely worth it because the morning sunshine in that field was beautiful. I love these pictures and how they turned out, so I'd deal with the bugs all over again ten times if I had to! (For real though I literally had to photoshop out horseflies that decided to photo bomb us.) As I edited these photos afterwards I kept thinking how you should model for Anthropologie or Free People! You are such a natural.

I also love the photos we captured by the water because they complement your pretty blue eyes!! You were also such a sport and had no problem crouching in sand, laying down on the boardwalk, or laughing at stupid things I said to get candid laughing pictures :) 

One thing that I kept thinking as we chatted throughout the shoot is how much you remind me of my senior self (except you're way less awkward and weird as I was LOL). Although I know you're super excited to experience life post-graduation, make the most of your senior year because it sure flies by fast! Enjoy every moment and know that there's nothing but opportunity in your future. I wish you the absolute best with everything, and I'm excited to see where you decide to go next year :) Stay in touch!!

Thanks so much for letting me capture your senior photos. I hope you had as much fun as I did!! 

Andy: Class of 2018

Mr. Andy B. Where to begin?! This guy is an innovative mind and well beyond his years in just about every aspect! He's a fantastic student, son, brother, friend, athlete, public speaker, student senator, the list goes on. Let me shine the spotlight on him for a minute. Andy was an innovator and entrepreneur starting in the 7th grade. He came up with an actionable idea on how to maximize lawn care while providing personalized service, and then followed through with his plan. If you need landscaping or lawn care, Andy is your guy! In between snapping pictures, I got to nerd out and talk about marketing and business strategy (aka my major and one of my areas of interest) with him. Heck yeah! Oh, I might also add that ANDY, an incoming senior in high school, was giving ME, an incoming college junior, time management advice on how to manage a multitude of classes, sports, and extracurriculars. There's much to learn from this guy, no matter your age! 

Andy's entrepreneurial spirit is only the beginning of all that makes him incredible. I've known him and his family for over a decade now and even several years ago I remember how he would strike up complex conversations about various topics with my parents. Politics, foreign policy, international affairs, social issues, you name it. It takes a special type of maturity to be well-versed in such issues at a young age. But, that's Andy for you. His insatiable curiosity and desire to stay informed will no doubt be advantageous as he ventures off to college and beyond! 

(Even though Andy is mature beyond his years, he's also a chill, down-to-earth, humorous guy. Notably, we spent a considerable amount of time laughing about memes and funny tweets. My type of conversation.)

He's been a loyal, godly friend to my brother Andrew, and I know that my parents (and I!) are very thankful for their friendship. Andy, you've been a great role model throughout the years! One of my favorite memories with Andy, his family, and mine is when we went to Costa Rica to volunteer at an orphanage a couple years ago. As some of the few Spanish speakers on our trip, Andy and I were translators for the week!

Well, Andy, it was an honor to photograph you. Thanks for letting me take your senior photos! Even though we battled some intense heat, you killed your senior photo shoot. I had the most interesting time talking with you throughout the evening. You have so much going for you, and I hope you enjoy your senior year. This is going to sound corny, but never stop dreaming big. You're the type of person who can accomplish anything you set your mind to!