Senior season is officially here and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick things off than with Aspyn’s session at Roland Cooper State Park!

Aspyn first reached out to me after seeing some of my work online and falling in love with my photography. After a little schedule coordinating, we decided on Roland Cooper State Park for her senior session. Neither of us had ever been there before, but after looking through a few photos, it seemed like it would be the perfect fit for the vibe she had in mind. Sometimes the best locations are the ones you’re discovering for the first time!

It rained briefly on my drive down, but by the time I arrived there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. There was, however, a whole lot of Alabama humidity! I had to give my camera a little time to acclimate before we could get started.

We ended up starting at a completely random spot in the park that I happened to pass and immediately loved the light. I wish I had been recording the moment I showed Aspyn the back of my camera because her reaction was priceless! One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is watching someone see themselves through my camera for the first time. There’s something so special about that little boost of confidence when they realize, “Wait… I look GOOD!” Yes, girl. You do!

From there, we ventured down to the pier and captured some of my favorite images of the entire session right along the edge of the water next to a tree. Then we headed out onto the pier, where we embraced the bright afternoon sunshine and let the scenery do its thing. For the final spot, we found a low-hanging branch covered in leaves and Spanish moss and the light was absolutely perfect. It was the best ending for an already great session.

Aspyn, thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your senior portraits! I had a great time exploring this new location and documenting this milestone for you. If this is how senior season is starting, I already know it’s going to be a good one!