08/06/2026
Two weeks ago, I had a senior session with a client who found me from over 3½ hours away. After researching places to meet in the middle, I was recommended to try Mill Bluff State Park. We got there early to scout locations. Mill Bluff State Park is home to sandstone bluffs left behind during the last Ice Age, and it really is a beautiful place.
The mosquitoes and horseflies, however, were also roughly the size of something left over from the Ice Age. Within a few minutes of being on the trail, I knew there was no way I was putting my senior on those trails and asking her to look relaxed while being eaten alive.
On our drive in, I'd noticed a patch of wildflowers along the side of the road. So I made the quick decision to trust my gut. As nervous as I was to say, "Okay... instead of the state park we drove all this way to, follow me into this ditch," I was equally confident we could make something beautiful there....and WE ABSOLUTELY DID. I walked away grateful with the last-minute change of spot. I couldn't get home fast enough to start editing these photos.
The other part of the evening that has stayed with me wasn't about the photos. I have a tendency to become so focused on creating the perfect image that everything else fades into the background. I'll climb on questionable things to get the right angle. I'll walk into the water with my shoes on without a second thought. Or I'll stand in the middle of the road to photograph the senior client I just asked to climb into a ditch.
At one point, my senior's mom leaned over and said, "You're more important than the photo." I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that until she said it. I stopped for a second and just smiled, because she was right. I'm usually the one worrying about everyone else's experience. For a moment, someone was looking out for mine.
I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite session stories, because it gave me more than a gallery.
