Seasons of Love: Meaningful Spring Senior Portrait Sessions for Parents

This blossom filled spring senior portrait session in Richmond, VA reminded me of the bittersweetness that is parenthood. As a mother, I know all too well the heartbreaking, breathtaking beauty of raising little ones. The years we spend pouring our hearts and souls, our attention and time, into raising our children will naturally come to an end, no matter how much we wish we could hold them in our arms forever. Time with them is precious, and never more so than when they are preparing to fly the nest. That is why I find it so incredibly touching when a senior or parent of a senior chooses me to be their senior portrait photographer- I am capturing an important moment of transition somewhere between the final days of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. These are precious moments indeed, and what could be more natural than cherishing the past while embracing the bright future ahead?

Choosing a Spring Senior Portrait Session

A Season of New Beginnings: Choosing a Spring Senior Portrait Session

When I was in high school, autumn of the senior year was the beginning of senior portrait season. And while the rusty amber hues of fall certainly seem to indicate the coming season of change, I don’t think I fully appreciated what was coming until the cherry blossoms were in bloom and I began counting down the days until graduation. 

Senior year of high school is a formative time for most young people. As spring steadily begins its approach, bringing with it graduation season and all that it entails, many seniors will find themselves quite changed. So while booking a senior portrait session is appropriate during any season of the senior year, I find that clients who choose spring senior portrait sessions seem to be simultaneously filled with an added level of confidence and a certain enthusiasm for their remaining days as high schoolers. 

The Season of Cherry Blossoms

Another reason to choose spring senior portrait sessions? Cherry Blossom season. Though cherry blossom season is short lived and somewhat unpredictable – cherry blossoms only bloom for a couple of weeks each year – the beautiful blooms make for a stunning background bouquet. The beautiful pastel cherry blossoms represent rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings. What a lovely representation of this stage in a senior’s life!

For stunning cherry blossom locations in Richmond, VA, I recommend reading Seven Spots to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms in the Richmond Area.

Best Friend Senior Portrait Sessions

I am especially fond of senior sessions, like Keira and Ellen’s, that include a friend. As each senior goes their own separate way, when time together becomes scarce they will look back, cherishing both the experience of a joint senior portrait session as well as the resulting photos. 

Keira & Ellen’s Spring Senior Portrait Session

On the day of their spring senior portrait session, Keira and Ellen donned lovely, feminine dresses in soft pastel hues. They met me in the Windsor Farms neighborhood in Richmond, Va, where we strolled along brick pathways lined with lush green grass and young saplings bearing cherry blossoms in shades of blush and white. Keira and Ellen held hands, laughed, and had a great time while I flitted about capturing their joy.

For more spring senior portrait sessions full of beautiful blooms, check out Dallas’s Monument Ave Senior Portraits.

Choosing a Location for a Spring Senior Portrait Session

The Windsor Farms neighborhood in Richmond, Va is one of my very favorite locations to photograph. Colonial revival homes dot the winding, tree lined streets that filter the light in a most enchanting manner. Museums, clubs, and historic sites abound here; the architectural and natural elements of the neighborhood make Windsor Farms the perfect location for backdrop diversity and visual interest. 

Spring Senior Portrait Sessions: Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Future

In many ways, capturing these moments are a celebration of the young people embarking on the adventures of adulthood. But as much as this blossom filled spring senior portrait session marks a new beginning for Keira and Ellen, it also marks an ending. Childhood, so fleeting, is all but at an end for these young women. In but a few short moments it seems, the softness of childhood will vanish. And in its place will remain the fully formed people they were always meant to be. 

To view more of Emily Bartell Photography’s Senior Portrait session, head over to my portfolio.

For more information about senior portrait sessions with Emily Bartell Photography, contact me today.