Oregon High School Senior Photographer | Micah’s Epic Emigrant Lake Senior Session

As an Oregon high school senior photographer, I LOVE when seniors show up to their session with ideas that are completely their own.

Micah arrived at Emigrant Lake with an absolutely epic plan for his senior portraits—and he was ready to make it happen.

He dressed to the nines with a bowtie and suspenders, threw on some sunglasses, and immediately brought a whole lot of personality to his session. 😎

And then came the idea that gave us one of my favorite photos I’ve EVER taken.

An Epic Senior Portrait at Emigrant Lake in Ashland Oregon

Micah wanted a shot of himself stepping off the pier.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Except he wanted to stay completely straight-faced as his foot hit the water.

No laughing.

No breaking character.

And we had ONE shot.

ONE. 😂

He stepped off the pier, his foot hit the water, and we captured the moment perfectly.

Straight face and all.

SO. COOL.

Honestly, it is still one of my favorite images I’ve ever taken.

Senior Photos Should Show Your Personality

This is exactly why I love senior photography so much.

Your senior photos don’t have to look like everyone else’s.

You don’t have to stand in a field, smile at the camera, and call it a day.

Your senior session can include the things you actually love and the things that make you you.

For Micah, that meant bringing all the cool things.

Trucks, Dogs, Wakeboards & Skateboards

After creating his epic pier shot, we spent some time getting some more “normal” senior portraits.

Although honestly… I’m not sure Micah does boring. 😂

We included his truck, his sweet pup, his wakeboard, and his skateboard.

All the things that represented his personality and this season of his life.

And that’s exactly what I want from senior sessions.

Years from now, these photos won’t just remind you what you looked like during your senior year. They’ll remind you of who you were—what you loved, what you drove, what you did for fun, and all the little things that made that chapter of your life yours.

Oregon High School Senior Photography That Feels Like You

As an Oregon high school senior photographer, I want your session to feel personal.

Maybe you want to dress up in a bowtie and suspenders.

Maybe you want to bring your truck.

Maybe your dog absolutely has to be there.

Maybe you want to bring your skateboard, guitar, sports gear, or something completely unexpected.

Or maybe you have an idea that’s so wild that we only get ONE chance to capture it.

I’m probably going to say yes.

Your senior photos should feel like you—not like you copied someone else’s session.

Micah absolutely understood the assignment.

Senior Photos at Emigrant Lake

Emigrant Lake is a fun location for senior portraits because there is plenty of room to explore and create different looks throughout a session.

For Micah, it gave us the perfect backdrop for something a little adventurous, while also giving us space to incorporate his truck, his pup, and the things he loves.

The combination made his final gallery feel completely personal to him.

And that’s always the goal.