Zaida's Senior Portraits at Mercer Gardens and UH-Downtown
Zaida, a recent high school graduate, knew exactly how she wanted to remember her senior year — surrounded by beauty, meaning, and a vision of the future. For her senior portraits, she chose two special locations that reflected both her personality and her aspirations: Mercer Botanic Gardens and the skyline of the University of Houston-Downtown.
At Mercer Gardens, Zaida was right at home among the vibrant blooms and peaceful trails. The flowers, soft and full of life, mirrored her grace and natural confidence. Surrounded by bright petals and gentle greenery, her portraits captured the joyful energy of a young woman ready to step into the next chapter of life. Every photo among the flowers told a story — of growth, color, and calm strength.
But Zaida also wanted her portraits to include a glimpse of the future. That’s why her second backdrop was the University of Houston-Downtown, a place she hopes to walk through as a college student soon. With the city skyline behind her and the university buildings rising toward the sky, her portraits symbolized ambition, hope, and new beginnings. It was a powerful contrast to the gardens — from nature’s serenity to the city’s movement and opportunity.
Combining both settings gave Zaida the perfect mix of past and future — a celebration of who she is and where she’s headed. Her portraits are more than pictures; they’re a reminder that beauty is found in both where we come from and where we dream of going. Congratulations, Zaida, on your graduation and your bright path ahead!
NCL Kingwood Trails Senior Recognition Photos
Timeless Portraits at the National Charity League Senior Recognition Dinner
It was an absolute honor to photograph posed portraits at the National Charity League (NCL) Senior Recognition Dinner, held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. This elegant evening celebrated years of service, leadership, and dedication, and it was the perfect occasion to create timeless, formal portraits that families will treasure for years to come.
Before the evening’s festivities began, we set up a classic portrait backdrop in a quiet space just off the main ballroom. Each senior arrived in her formal gown, radiating grace and excitement. We began with individual family portraits—each one a beautiful moment capturing the love and pride shared between parents and their graduating senior. These portraits were poised, polished, and full of quiet emotion.
Next came one of the most memorable moments of the evening: the girls-only group photo. Dressed in elegant white gowns, the seniors stood together, a reflection of years of friendship and shared service. Their joy was contagious, and the portrait captured both the bond they share and the pride they’ve earned through their NCL journey.
We followed this with a special group photo of the seniors and their mothers. This portrait was especially meaningful, symbolizing the time, care, and countless hours these mothers and daughters spent volunteering side by side. It was a moment of legacy, love, and community—and one that truly deserved to be documented with care.
These portraits weren’t just formalities—they were heirlooms in the making.
Emma hits Downtown Houston for Senior Portraits
As Emma prepares to graduate high school, she wanted more than just the standard cap-and-gown photos—she envisioned something sophisticated, stylish, and uniquely her. So we headed to the heart of downtown Houston, blending the elegance of Main Street with the artistic flair of the city’s performing arts district.
From the moment we started shooting, Emma brought a quiet confidence and grace to every frame. In a sleek, neutral dress paired with sandals, she stood effortlessly among the architectural beauty of Jones Hall. The golden afternoon light bounced off the stone, creating an upscale, editorial look that felt straight out of a fashion magazine.
Main Street was the perfect backdrop for her second look: a denim skirt with black sweater top. With the historic charm downtown with beautiful neutral tones and also urban glass looks, Emma looked every bit like a young woman ready to take on the world—poised, joyful, and unapologetically elegant.
What made this session so special was how Emma’s personality truly shined through. Whether leaning casually on a marble column or walking with purpose across the plaza, she gave each moment depth and authenticity. These portraits didn’t just celebrate her milestone—they reflected the confidence and ambition that got her here.
Congratulations, Emma! You’ve stepped into your next chapter with style, and your senior portraits are just the beginning of all the beautiful stories you’ll tell.
Jonas' Senior Portraits At Old Downtown Humble
For Jonas’ senior portraits, we wanted something outdoors with a small town feel to it. One of my favorite local places to suggest is Old Downtown in Humble, Texas. There are lots of different brick and wall elements with a variety of textures and colors. There’s also along the road there for a full small town feel.
I always like to start down on one end (Feed store) and work our way down. I enjoyed learning more about Jonas’ and his future while we were shooing. He’s a smart kid with goals. He’s busy applying to several colleges right now. He plays in the Orchestra and is on the varsity wrestling team. He is graduating in 2022 from Kingwood High School in Kingwood, Texas.
The late afternoon sun with cloud cover helped give us great lighting for our shoot. It’s actually usually not crowded at all down there. That was the case for his shoot. It’s nice not having to rush and/or be patient to get the spots you want. I had a changing tent available for outfit changes for Jonas. These is this rustic, ugly ole patched up wall that I love for shoots. You will see it down further in the gallery.
The upkeep in Downtown Humble is really good. They are hoping to revitalize the area and bring back more business there. There is a nice little park in the middle. I like the feed store down near the railroad tracks as well. I think its an undervalued spot for senior portraits in the Humble/Lake Houston area.
Overall, this session was great. I think we really hit the theme and look Jonas and his parents were looking for. I think his outfit choices were good and I like showing off some school colors for some of them as well.
Austin Senior Portraits at Mercer Botanic Gardens
For Austin’s senior portraits, we wanted something outdoors with some different elements for a variety of looks. One of my favorite places to suggest is Mercer Botanic Gardens in Humble, Texas. Although very colorful with flowers and such, there are lots of different landscape elements, rocks, wood, benches, fences, etc. to get some great variety of poses, even for guys. It was a joy to learn more about Austin as we went around and did our shooting. He’s a smart kid with goals, and was in the band playing percussion. He is graduating from Kingwood Park High School in Kingwood, Texas.
The tree cover helped with lighting. We had to be careful with some posing to avoid harsh highlights, as they don’t allow off camera flash, stands, etc. It’s a very busy location typically, but we went on a weekday evening and this helped limit the crowd for the day. Having a watchful eye is key to try and hop to the different areas while avoiding crowds. They have a restroom on site which is very handy for outfit changes. Towards the back, their is a rock pile wall that I just love for photos. It’s probably my favorite spot in the entire gardens. They were hit pretty hard with the Arctic Freeze we had this winter, but they are recovering well by this point of the year.
If you don’t know, Mercer Gardens is going to have a huge expansion to their location. They plans look absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to see it when it’s done. It’s really a beautiful place for both portrait sessions and other casual photography as well.
Overall, this session was excellent. I think we really hit the theme and look that Austin and his parents were wanting for his senior session. I love senior sessions and still get excited whAustin and his mom love their final portraits.
