Meet Joanna. Class of 2022. This little dynamo was supposed to graduate NEXT year, but why wait if you can put in the work and graduate in 3 years? Joanna calls Indiana home and came to Sarasota for Spring Break….she thought it would be the perfect time to have her Senior Portraits done, and she...
Meet Gabbie. Parrish High School Class of 2021.
When Gabbie’s mom first messaged me, she suggested doing the session at their home, which also happens to be a farm. When most people think of Florida, they think of beautiful beaches and Disney. But just take a drive and soon you will be among tall golden grasses dotted with horses and cows.
Their family home was the perfect location for Gabbie’s Senior Portraits. Here are few favorites from our session, including a cow photobomb!
I honestly can’t think of many things that are more beautiful than the beach at sunrise. The serene tranquility of the waves lapping the shore. The cotton candy skies. The beach is mostly empty at this time of day. A few walkers and shell seekers lazily meander by. Long gone are the racous crowds and it’s the perfect time to capture beautiful senior photos.
When Abby’s mom reached out to me, she told me they would be visiting Sarasota from the midwest and Abby would love to have her senior photos taken at Siesta Key Beach(https://www.visitsarasota.com/siesta-key). Sign me up! I’m in!
When I met Ellie and found out she was a pianist and wanted to include her music in her senior session, I was beyond excited. Meeting the next generation of musicians seriously geeks me out. Is there anything more attractive or inspiring than talent? I think not!
I got busy planning her session and knew that the grand piano at Sarasota’s Art Ovation Hotel would be the perfect setting for our photo session. Not only do they have a gorgeous grand piano in the lobby, but they also have a funky painted upright piano outside. Rounding out our photos would be the eclectic and fun backdrop that is Downtown Sarasota and the beautiful Bayfront.
Senior Year. (gulp) Nobody claps for the mom who`s holding it together while her kid gets ready to leave.
So I will.
This season is a lot. The pride and the grief show up in the same breath, and that`s not something people talk about enough. If you`re in it right now, I see you.
#SarasotaSeniorPhotographer #SeniorMom #ClassOf2027 #SarasotaMoms #SeniorPortraitPhotographer #SarasotaFL #MomLife #SeniorYear
That thing where you`re just scrolling, minding your own business, and suddenly you`re wrecked over a photo of them missing their two front teeth?
Yeah. Senior year does that. Every time.
Be honest, how many times has this happened to you this month? 👇
#SarasotaSeniorPhotographer #SeniorYear #ClassOf2027 #SarasotaMoms #SeniorPortraitPhotographer #SarasotaFL #MomLife #seniorphototips
🚩 Red Card Offenses: Senior Photo Edition
I’ve seen it all. Swipe through so it doesn’t happen to you.
Fall books up fast, Class of 2027. Let’s talk. Link in bio.
Before I ever pick up a camera, I want to know one thing: who are you, really?
I send a questionnaire. I get mom on the phone. I want to know the giggle, the vibe, the thing you light up talking about. That`s what the photos are built on.
This is Sydney. Beach-waved hair, that laugh that shows up when she talks about her boyfriend, somehow both little girl and grown woman at once. I knew all of that before we ever met on location.
Some seniors walk in with a vision. Some need a minute to warm up. Both are exactly right, and both deserve someone who`s actually paying attention.
I wrote a new blog post with 5 questions worth asking any photographer before you book, because the best photos happen when someone knows you first. Link in bio 🔗
This is what it looks like when a session actually goes somewhere.
Not four poses. Not a checklist.
Four real moments from one afternoon with a real teenager who showed up a little unsure and left feeling like herself.
That’s the whole goal, every single time.
If you’re starting to think about senior photos for fall, I’d love to talk about your daughter before anything else. Not a booking link, not a checkout page. Just a real conversation about who she is.
That’s where the good photos start. Link in bio if you want to grab a fall date before they’re gone 🌾
.
.
.#sarasotaseniorphotographer #sarasotaphotography #sarasotaseniors #classof2027 #goldenhourportraits
Sydney, this one`s for you.
You belong on the beach. Your mom knew it. I knew it about thirty seconds after we started talking. And these photos? They prove it.
Sometimes the best sessions are the ones that almost didn`t happen.
Sydney, you were an absolute joy. That smile, that hair, that sunset that showed up just for you. I could not have planned it better if I tried.
If you have a Class of 2027 senior who belongs somewhere specific, let`s go there. Link in bio.
Michaela Ristaino Photography
michaela@ristainophotography.com | 941-957-8088 | Sarasota FL
