Mya popped into my inquiry submission looking to combine senior portraits with dance photos. She wanted to combine these sessions for two reasons primarily: 1. To have senior portraits to commemorate her high school experience and 2. To have dance photos use for college submissions and celebrate how far she’s come in her dance journey so far. I think it is smart in many ways to combine sessions like these. I was able to give Mya an experience that was consistent across the board and she has photos that tell her story more cohesively.

We met at Forest Park on a stunning autumn day in early November. (This was actually a reschedule after her original date was gloomy and rainy.) After lots on contemplating and conversations around location, Mya ended up deciding on Art Hill in Forest Park. With the session package she chose, we were able to spend time at more than one set spot. We actually split her session into 3 different “sections”.

We started off with some portraits that she could use for summer submissions and auditions moving forward in her career, but could also double for nice senior headshots too. In the first portion of her session, we focused on the senior portrait side of things. She brought all of her dead pointe shoes along with her to highlight her dedication to her craft in a fun and creative way too!

The second portion of the session was in and around the more classic side of the Art Museum. This is where Mya started moving her body and incorporating dance shots into the photos. In sessions where we are combining a couple different elements, I always advise clients to do the dancing portion of the session last. My reason behind this is to get the photos that you want up close done first, before you potentially get sweaty or dance your nice hair out of position.

The third and final spot, may be my favorite of the session. We took full advantage of the peak fall leaves colors! We had a blast utilizing the various vibrant colors, while waiting and being considerate of other folks doing family and couples photos there too. (Because of course on a beautiful evening right at golden hour and peak fall colors, how could the rest of St. Louis not be there?!😉) Mya and I were super productive with her session and she really shared her talents and devotion to her passion on camera with me. Oh, and not to mention she did this whole shoot with a fractured hand! (Check out those inversion photos down below and tell me she’s not incredible!!)