Sandi Michelle Photography

Vibrant and joyful senior photos

A Sunrise Session with a Talented Senior

Let’s welcome Carrie to the blog today! She is another talented senior who wanted a sunrise session. That was perfect, because I also love sunrise senior sessions. Carrie was an absolute delight, and I loved how everything about her senior session was so unique. But before I get ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning. 

It was 6:00 a.m. and I had just arrived back from my early morning Dunkin run. It’s a must when hair and makeup starts at O-Dark-thirty. But, we all were up for it. By “we”, I mean Carrie, her mom, her precious pup, Soxy, and my amazing hair and makeup artist, Cami. We all met at my studio at 6:00 a.m. sharp, ready to get the day started. 

We did all of our introductions in the driveway, since we all arrived at the same time. Then we quickly headed upstairs to my home studio to get started. First things first… we passed out the coffee and sweet treats, and then turned on Carrie’s preferred playlist… the 80’s!!! (My favorite decade of music!! So I knew, right away, that Carrie and I would be best friends for her session).

Roller Skates at Sunrise

Once we finished Carrie’s hair and makeup, we headed to our first location. We walked through a tunnel, as the sun was starting to rise. It was here that Carrie put on her roller skates. YES… Carrie loves roller skating and she wanted to incorporate that into her senior session. She had also carefully chosen a super cute and funky outfit, along with some fun, floral earrings to compliment the floral pants. Carrie looked adorable she was skating around in the tunnel. We were able to capture many photos of her skating and sitting as well. Before we left this location, we were sure to grab her precious pup, Soxy, and take photos of both of them together. Soxy just loves Carrie so much and it was so evident in how quickly she jumped into Carrie’s lap and started looking at the camera. Could this day get any better??? Keep reading…

Our next location would be in a field. I had no idea of what I was about to find out about Carrie. It had never been discussed in all of our pre-session zoom calls… and it blew me away!!

Once we arrived at the field, Carrie changed into a formal gown. When I saw her in her gown, I mentioned how beautiful she looked and how the color of her dress complimented her fair skin so perfectly. Truly… it was lovely. Then… she casually dropped this sentence: “Thank you… I made it!”. 

Okay…. WHAT???? She said that she had wanted to make her dress for a formal dance at school, so she did. I was taken aback. Her dress had so many intricacies and it fit her so very perfectly. I could hardly believe it. There were so many questions about everything that goes into making a formal dress, and believe me when I say that I asked alot of questions… LOTS of questions!

A Talented Senior

I had just met Carrie in person, only 2 hours prior to this moment, and I was so proud of her… so I can’t even imagine how very proud of Carrie that her mom was!! Carrie was (and IS) extraordinary. Not only did she create this gorgeous formal gown, she also created the floral wreath that she wore in her hair. It was so pretty! (Sometimes I think that I have the best seniors on the planet! And YES, I am biased!).

Once we started shooting in the field, the sun was up high enough that the morning light was peeking through the branches of the tall trees, making the high grass look so warm and glowy! It was a dream to photograph Carrie, in her home made formal gown. I am still not over it! What a true talent that Carrie has. 

A Senior and Her Pup

After we finished shooting in the field, it was time for the grande finale with her precious pup, Soxy. Soxy had been waiting patiently for her photos since 6:00 am, when we started hair and makeup for Carrie. Carrie changed into her final outfit, and then she took Soxy for a walk on a boardwalk that was close by. We took casual, unscripted photos of the two of them as they were strolling on the boardwalk.. It was the perfect ending to Carrie’s sunrise senior session. 

I was so excited that we were able to capture all of the elements that Carrie wanted to go into her senior session. It was so worth it to get up (way too) early for this sunrise senior session!! I would do it again, for sure. Each element – the beautiful sunrise, the roller skates, her pup Soxy, and the custom, handmade dress… made by Carrie, herself – made for a truly unique and custom senior session that told the story of Carrie. That is what I aim to do with every single senior session… to tell their own, unique story. We made a great team and I am so thankful for another amazing senior session. 

Class of 2024

CLASS OF 2024: If you are ready to book your Winter or Spring senior session, there is still time. Spots are filling up quickly, so be sure to reach out here and I will call you so that we can talk about your custom senior session. I can’t wait to hear from you. 

hang with Sandi daily

back to top

Sandimichellephotos@gmail.com

photography by Sandi michelle photography