Some photographs are about how beautiful someone looked. And then there are photographs that become a little piece of a life.

Back in 2022, I had the privilege of photographing beautiful Kaity for her senior portraits. But Kaity didn’t arrive alone.

She brought Ellie.

Ellie had been part of Kaity’s life for years: adopted, loved, and woven into the everyday moments of her childhood and teenage years. So, of course, Ellie needed to be part of her senior portraits.

Before the camera, trust

While Kaity was in hair and makeup, I spent that time with Ellie.

The studio was a completely new world to him: unfamiliar people, strange sounds, bright lights, cameras, movement, and an endless collection of things he had never seen before. And before I ever asked him to step in front of my camera, I wanted him to know that he was safe.

There was no rushing. No forcing. Just time. Time for him to watch me. Time for him to get curious. Time for him to decide that I was okay.

And slowly, we became friends. When the time came to bring Ellie onto set, he was ready.

More than a senior portrait session

What we created that day became more than a beautiful senior portrait session. It became a record of a friendship, of a girl standing on the edge of adulthood with her little feathered companion beside her.

One day, Kaity will look back at these photographs and remember exactly who she was in that moment: the dreams she had, the person she was becoming, and the little soul who had been beside her along the way.

Years from now, the value of these images won’t simply be that she looked beautiful. It will be that she can still see who she loved.

That is why I love photographing seniors.

Bring what you love to your senior session

Every senior portrait experience at Shtooka Atelier is designed around the student: their personality, their passions and their future. Sports equipment, musical instruments, hobbies and beloved pets are all welcome, and horse lovers can book a custom equine senior session.

The portraits you treasure most often become wall art your family will live with for years, long after graduation day.