Senior Photos That Actually Look Like You | Charlotte + Lake Norman Senior Photographer

Senior pictures have gotten a reputation for being a whole lot of standing in fields and leaning against things.

Which, listen. I can absolutely find you a nice field.

But if you spend your weekends on Lake Norman wake surfing behind a boat, it seems a little ridiculous to leave that part out.

Meet Grace.

Grace lives in Ohio, but her family spends weekends here on Lake Norman. She plays volleyball, wake surfs, has a dog named Teddy, and apparently had enough going on that one location wasn't going to tell the whole story.

So we did two.

Part One: Flowers, Teddy & McLawland Farms

We started Grace’s senior session at McLawland Farms in Charlotte, where we had greenery, flowers and plenty of room to wander around with Teddy.

And yes, your dog can absolutely come to your senior session.

Actually, if your dog is a significant character in your life, I’m probably going to encourage it.

Teddy gave us exactly what we needed: some sweet photos with Grace, a little extra personality, and the very important reminder that dogs have absolutely no interest in our photography agenda.

Fair enough, Teddy.

Grace brought a couple of different looks, and McLawland Farms gave us plenty of variety without having to go far. We could make some photos feel soft and summery, then walk twenty feet and have something completely different.

But the second half of this session was where things got VERY Grace.

Part Two: Senior Photos on Lake Norman

Grace’s family spends their weekends on Lake Norman, and she wake surfs.

So naturally, we needed a boat.

We headed to Cornelius for the second part of her senior portraits, and instead of simply using Lake Norman as a pretty background, we actually used the lake.

There were photos around the marina. There was golden evening light. There was a graduation cap.

And then Grace got on a wake surfboard.

In her graduation robe.

Now THAT is a senior picture.

These are always the sessions I love because we're not trying to manufacture a personality for the camera. Grace already has one. My job is to figure out how we photograph it.

For her, that meant going from flowers and her dog to boats, water and wake surfing.

Senior photos don't have to fit into one neat little aesthetic.

Neither do seniors.

Your Senior Session Doesn't Have to Stay in One Place

One of my favorite things about planning senior pictures is figuring out what actually belongs in them.

Maybe that's your sport. Your dog. Your favorite place. Your car. Your instrument. The lake you've spent every summer on. The coffee shop where you've practically lived through high school.

Or maybe we need two locations because you're not one-dimensional and pretending otherwise would be boring.

Grace's session moved between Charlotte and Cornelius, giving us two completely different settings while still making the entire gallery feel like her.

And that's the point.

I'm not interested in giving every senior the exact same set of photographs with a different face dropped into them.

Tell me what you actually like.

We'll start there.

Senior Photography in Charlotte & Lake Norman

If you're looking for a Charlotte senior photographer or planning senior pictures around Lake Norman, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville or Mooresville, your session can be as simple or as weirdly specific to you as you want it to be.

Bring the dog.

Bring the volleyball.

Bring the boat.

Apparently, we can even bring the graduation gown wake surfing.

I now have photographic evidence.

Want senior photos that look a little more like you and a little less like everyone else's? Get in touch with Mia Rose Photography CLT and tell me what you're into. We'll figure out the rest.