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.
Carina Senior Portraits - Mercer Gardens
Carina was for sure she wanted outdoors shots with green and nature. Mercer Botanical Gardens is an excellent location choice for such pictures. We started the shoot in a pretty red strapless dress which really popped in the scene. Carina plays the violin in her school Orchestra so we got some shots with her violin to honor that. Later she switched into a more casual outfit with jeans. She really wanted to get some shots with some long grass. Thankfully, Mercer has a new expanded section in the back and there was some long grass back there for this shot. One of her favorite shots was her squatting in this grass. We finished up back towards the front of the gardens with her school t-shirt and letterman. Her mom really wanted a nice shot with her letterman and we definitely gone one with that. Overall this shoot went really well and Carina was quite pleased with her results, as was I.
Lily's Senior Portraits at East End Park - Kingwood, Texas
Lily is a family friend of ours who was a cheerleader with my daughter, so making sure we got great senior portraits was definitely a must. She was really into something outdoors and wanted tall grass. At the time of year we were shooting, the tall grass was a bit of a challenge, but East End Park in Kingwood, Texas came through in the clutch with their ever popular tall grass.
Lily showed off her excellent long flowing hair and did a great job of not over-bearing her makeup. I liked the color pallet she chose for her outfits for this shoot. She also made sure to accessorize as well.
We started our shoot at the pier walk way that goes to Lake Houston. There was some nice green surroundings and some water areas that fit her future career, marine biology. She is studying at the University of Southern Mississippi, as you can see in one of her photos. We got some casual shots there and her cap and gown photo as well.
We then made our way back to the open fields of grass for some shots in a beautiful brown skirt and also an orange dress as well. My favorite shot with a lot of grass surrounding her in and around the frame was made with a 70-200 2.8 lens. I had to change perspectives to make that shot by getting down low and shooting from literally ground level.
For the grass shots, we got some near the edge, some deep inside the grass and some in between. At the end of our shoot her dad put a little flower on her ear to really set up a cute shot of her. Little things like this are so cute and really make neat shots.
Overall, I’m really pleased and excited with how her photos came out and so was Lily and her parents.
Rylie's Senior Portraits at City Place in Spring, Texas
Rylie and her mom knew right away they wanted to have her senior photos that were both a little urban and also outdoors, so my typical park/garden or Downtown Houston wasn’t going to be the best fit. I had only shot one engagement session there before, but I definitely thought of City Place near The Woodlands, Texas.
Rylie did her own makeup and hair which were beautifully done. She had her eye on a few different outfits for the shoot. Her first outfit was a lovely white dress that went really well shooting in the green, outdoors areas. She also had a coral colored dress, a college t-shirt and these awesome jeans with cute heart patch/ruffles.
At the start of her session, we started at a bridge and worked our way to some tall grass and a bridge on the pond. I used my pop up tent for outfit changes, which is really helpful for senior portrait sessions. We then made our way back to the small park area and then to some spots along the shopping area. We also squeezed in a few cap and gown shots with a borrowed gown from her friend.
I did use some off camera flash. I used a Godox AD200 with the new Magmod XL that is great for run and gun shooting outdoors. It was actually a must because of the strong wind that would have took out any umbrella or softbox. She wanted a confetti shot which came out perfect with the wind.
After shooting my first senior session at City Place, I definitely can see myself going back to shoot there. It’s got a variety of spots for different shots, which can be a bonus for someone not wanting to commit to a park or garden, nor downtown either. I’m quite pleased with the results of this shoot.
Matison Street at Mercer Botanic Gardens
Matison and her mom knew right away they wanted to have her senior photos taken at Mercer Botanic Gardens in Humble, Texas. I knew right away that this was an excellent choice because I’ve shot many times there in the past. Needless to say, I was excited about going there again for some beautiful senior portraits.
Matson chose two outfits for this shoot and I think they were absolutely beautiful for her look and really made the portraits shine. She chose a green dress and a white sweater with orange skirt. The hat she brought was so cute and just added extra to the outfit for sure. Matison came to her shoot, makeup all done and looked ready to rock her session.
At the start of her session, we started up front at the Gardens with mostly greenery and a pop of other color. We did the ivy column, which is a fun spot. We also shot on the wooden bridge there as well. After that we went to the restroom (very handy for portrait sessions with outfit changes) for Matison to change outfits. We then went more to the back, where the roman columns are and the skinny Cypress trees are. We grabbed a few by a pond and then finished up with some color at some flower beds in the back.
Mercer Botanic Gardens asks for no extra equipment like lighting, so we worked with the natural sun that we had. A late afternoon start helped us a ton. I also brought a reflector/skim as well. We wanted a confetti shot, but they ask for no confetti on the grounds either. That’s no problem as I simply photoshopped in some Confetti. I’m definitely going back to shoot at Mercer as much as possible. It’s a green location, for both the girls and the guys!
Kaitlyn Senior Portrait Session
Kaitlyn looked fabulous for her senior portraits this year. The location she chose was Mercer Botanical Gardens which was a beautiful choice this early spring, where there were lots of colorful blooms all throughout. Kaitlyn is a 2020 graduate of Atascocita High School in Texas. She is planning to pursue nursing and is slated to attend Texas Lutheran University next fall. The outfits she chose were very nice and stylish. I’m glad Kaitlyn chose Zam Photogrpahy for her senior session!
How to Personalize Your Senior Session
Your senior session is all about YOU! We want to make sure that we really show off your personality and make your photos unique to you. Now is the time to start planning your session so we can fully showcase you during your photo shoot. Think about your routine – where you like to go, what you like to do, etc. We want to get to know you through your photos. We’d love for you to take a list of your hobbies and extra-curricular activities and send them over to us so we can help you prepare your perfect session.
Below are some ideas of things you might want to incorporate in your session. These are just suggestions to get your brainstorming started:
Sports
Art/Theatre
Music
Favorite movie or book
Your job or the career you’re planning on going into
Your car
Your school
Your future college
Your pet
Your BFF
And don’t forget about your favorite hang out – whether it be a coffee shop, park, football field, book store, etc. We can try to add this location to your session.
Alyssa incorporated basketball into her shoot because that was her biggest passion in high school.
Best friends Hailie and Sean had their senior shoots together on the same day so they could pose for a few pictures.
Hailie Senior Portrait Session
What a beautiful senior portrait session for this class of 2019 graduate from Hargrave High School. Hailie is one of my former students for the past three years. It’s been so cool to watch her grow these past few years. Hailie chose this beautiful location at Mercer Botanical Gardens near Humble, Texas. The garden is beautiful with lots of shade, color and different backgrounds. My personal favorite is the bamboo garden. I love that spot!
