Wauwatosa East class of 2027 Sneak Peek | Leo
How do you pick a senior portrait location?
Most people start with the pretty one. The park everybody uses, the mural downtown, the idyllic spot they saw in someone else’s senior photos. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but Leo started with a better question: where do I actually like to be?
And this courtyard answered. He walked in, sat down on those steps, folded his arms over his knee, and looked completely at home.
The earthy tee matched the old wood. The red high-tops did the talking (and to be honest, after his session I finally bought my own pair of red Chucks!). Between his outfit and his personality, I’m pretty sure this courtyard was built just for him.
That’s the thing - the best locations aren’t necessarily the prettiest one. It’s the one that fits the person standing in it. A senior who feels at home looks like themselves in every single frame. A senior planted somewhere random looks like they’re waiting for a bus.
Leo made a great pick. You can just feel it.
When your senior floats a location idea that doesn’t sound portrait-y, listen to it.
The spots they pick are rarely random. A kid who actually likes where they’re standing gives you the real smile, not the school-photo one. That ease you see in Leo? That’s what a good location does.
And if nobody has a spot in mind yet, that’s my job. We’ll talk it through. I keep a running list of places with character all over Brookfield, Wauwatosa, Elm Grove, New Berlin, Pewaukee and the rest of Milwaukee and Waukesha County.
I photograph high school seniors from Wauwatosa West, Wauwatosa East, Brookfield, Elm Grove, New Berlin, Pewaukee and all over Milwaukee and Waukesha County, from my studio at 155 S. Executive Dr. in Brookfield to a park near you.
