How do you even start?
How do you even start a blog about your firstborn’s senior photos when you are the photographer?
The girl who opened your heart in a way you never knew was possible.
The girl who made you want to learn the camera so you could take her senior photos.
The girl who made you want all girls.
The girl who somehow feels like she was just a newborn in your arms yesterday.
That girl.
I guess that’s where you start—at the beginning.
Dixie is the girl who made me a mom. She taught me the meaning of the love of a mother—the kind that changes you forever. She stretched me, challenged me, softened me, and made me a better person simply by being who she is. She did all of that and so much more. I adore her.
But I also know this truth: every mom reading this could write pages about their own child. There are never enough words when it comes to the kids who hold our hearts. And senior year? Senior year carries a weight that’s hard to explain unless you’re living it.
As both a photographer and a mom, this session hit differently.
I love photographing seniors. I love the in-between season they’re standing in—the mix of confidence and uncertainty, excitement and nostalgia. I always try to think outside the box for each senior session, because no two seniors are the same. When it came time to photograph Dixie, I wanted something I hadn’t done before… but more importantly, something that felt unmistakably her.
Dixie has many sides to her, and this session only captured a glimpse—but it was an honest glimpse.
Let’s start with the dress.
Dixie loves designing outfits and thrifting at Goodwill. She found this pink, ruffly dress and fell in love instantly. It was just a bit too small, so she added a ribbon to the back to extend it and make it fit perfectly. That detail alone tells you so much about her—creative, thoughtful, quietly confident, and unafraid to make something her own.
She also chopped her hair this past year and wears it messy on purpose. It’s her. As a photographer, I didn’t try to tame it or edit it away. I leaned into it. Sometimes honoring your senior means stepping back and letting them show up exactly as they are.
The location was The Meadow in Mesa, Arizona, a place that feels almost magical. Once a quarter, for just one day, irrigation water is released, a beautifully decorated canoe is placed in the meadow, and photographers are allowed to shoot there. Every other day it’s lovely—but that one day is special.
Trying to secure that day felt impossible. Dates are rarely known more than a couple days in advance. It’s often midweek. Sometimes even a Monday. I finally accepted that we’d pivot and take her yearbook photos at the ASU Polytechnic campus in Mesa, with plans to return there again when she graduates from ASU. Same locations. Different chapter.
Then the unexpected happened.
The owner of The Meadow reached out to say the signup link had been posted. It was a holiday Monday. There were only two slots available—the water recedes quickly—and somehow, I got one.
Just like that, everything aligned.
So here we are: my beautiful daughter in her pink ruffly dress, sitting in a canoe in a water-filled meadow in Mesa, Arizona. And then a few more images at ASU Polytechnic—grounding her story in both where she’s been and where she’s going.
Dixie attends school in Buckeye, Arizona, and like so many seniors in the West Valley of Phoenix, she’s standing on the edge of becoming. These photos aren’t just about how she looks—they’re about who she is in this fleeting season of life. And as her mom, getting to freeze that moment in time is something I will never take for granted.
If you’re a senior mom in the West Valley, I see you (heck I am you.) I know how fast this season goes. If your senior is approaching their final year and you want photos that feel real, intentional, and deeply personal, I would love to help you tell their story—through a photographer’s eye and a mom’s heart.
Senior sessions are booking now for the West Valley of Phoenix. Reach out when you’re ready—I’d be honored to photograph this season for your family.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Photographer – Kim
