Senior Session in the Boise Foothills – Kemeny

Michael grew up playing in the street with Kemeny’s cousin, and we’ve all lived in the same neighborhood together for years and years. When we were first starting out, Kemeny’s mom Celina contacted us about capturing Kemeny’s Quinceanera. This is such a huge moment for a Hispanic family, and we were honored that they trusted us to capture it for them. I was astonished that it had already been about 3 years since Kemeny’s quince and that her mom was contacting us once more for her senior photos. They were hoping for a senior session in the Boise foothills. It’s crazy to see how fast life goes by, and especially how fast kids grow up. Kemeny is now a graduating senior at Rocky Mountain High School, the same high school we graduated from as well.

Senior year is such a huge milestone in people’s lives. Now that we’re in the midst of graduating season, I can’t help but feel very sad for all those graduating this spring in the midst of a pandemic. You work so hard for years and years to get to this point. From past experiences graduating from high school and college, I can say that hearing your name being called and receiving your diploma or degree is so satisfying. It makes you look back and realize that all the hard work was so worth it. Seniors this year had to miss out on all the big year end events like Prom, their final pep rally, signing yearbooks together on the football field, and getting to walk across that stage. I can’t imagine how devastating it must feel to have your senior year come to such a disappointing and unfulfilling end.

I think many people during this time realized the everyday things we have been taking for granted. We would roll our eyes at how our parents are so excited to see us dress up in a silly robe and hat, but now teens who don’t have the opportunity to do so is heartbreaking. We used to take any opportunity to skip class, but many seniors today would do anything to be back in the classroom. Senior year is such a huge deal, and we know now how precious moments like these are.

Although these are all things we don’t have control over, one thing you do have control over is your senior photo experience. Parents receive keepsake prints that they will cherish forever, while teens receive an amazing experience documenting a huge milestone in their lives. Each photo experience should reflect that, and be tailored to showcase your graduate and their personality.

For this session, Kemeny and Celina met up with us downtown for the senior session in the Boise foothills. We took a short hike up to the top of the hill and were able to enjoy the golden sun on its way down. The lighting was gorgeous and seemed to be exactly the type of signature golden hour Boise sunset that they were both hoping for. Kemeny decided on a super cozy oversized fleece jacket and jeans. We switched out the oversized fleece for a cute jean jacket for a while as well. Although October is generally pretty cold already here in Boise, the month was uncharacteristically warmer than usual. Thankfully Kemeny didn’t seem to be too uncomfortable in the fresh air, especially with her big jacket to keep her warm in between shots.

With couples, it feels as though it is so easy to be able to get them to relax. Having another person right there and helping each other to have fun and to interact with helps them to loosen up a lot quicker. For the most part we find that most seniors have never had a photo experience either by themselves or at all. If they have had professional photos done before this point, it’s usually with their entire family. It’s nerve-wracking for adults to step in front of the camera all alone, so can you imagine how it must be for a teenager?

Honestly though, Kemeny did such an amazing job. She may have been a bit nervous in the beginning, but you would never know it. She was down for our ideas, and (thankfully) didn’t look at us like total weirdos when we gave her a couple of out-of-the-box prompts. Her mom was helpful in trying to make her laugh, as well as giving ideas for what she wanted as well. Moms are such a huge part of a senior shoot, and oftentimes it means more to them than to the senior. It’s nice to have Mom there to be able to experience another huge milestone in their baby’s life. We all had such a fun time, trying to get some natural laughs out of her, and running around the foothills as the sun went down and afterwards as well.

By the time we headed out, we could see the remnants of the sunset on the horizon, and we could hear the sound of coyotes howling in the distance. The moon was shining brightly, and we could see the beginning of the stars winking on in the sky. This senior session helped remind us why we love doing these portraits. We love having a balance of couples, weddings, elopements and senior portraits to help mix things up and help keep us creative. This adventurous senior session in the Boise foothills was perfect for that.

After going through it with a global pandemic, it seems that people are starting to understand the true significance of these senior sessions. We are definitely hoping to see a rise in seniors looking to have an amazing photo experience to commemorate their accomplishments!