I’ve photographed so many seniors over the years.

I’ve stood behind my camera watching parents wipe quiet tears. I’ve captured confidence emerging in real time. I’ve documented that tender space between who they were and who they’re becoming.

But nothing prepares you for when the senior is your own.

This one is for Carter.

Hard Work Over Hype

Carter has never expected things to come easily.

When something doesn’t come naturally to him, he doesn’t shrink back — he leans in. He studies it. Practices it. Works at it quietly until he masters it. His determination has never been loud, but it has always been steady.

He excels academically, yes. But grades have never been the most impressive thing about him.

It’s his character.

He has always been polite. Respectful. The kind of young man who looks adults in the eye. The kind who chooses what’s right over what’s popular. He doesn’t follow the crowd — and never has. He would rather stand alone in conviction than blend in for approval.

As his mom, that’s the part that makes me the proudest.

A Mind That Loves the Unusual

There is so much depth to him.

He loves all things retro — records, old sounds, classic technology. He’s drawn to sci-fi, loves “Back to the Future”, and ideas that challenge the way we see the world. He’s fascinated by innovation, imagination, and the kind of thinking that pushes boundaries.

So it felt only right to photograph part of his senior session in his element at a record shop and around St. Pete — flipping through vinyl, appreciating the weight and history of music the way it was meant to be experienced. He loves to shop local. He loves elevating ordinary moments into something meaningful.

It’s not about trends for him. It’s about intention.

If You Can Dream It…

We also photographed part of his session at Disney — one of his favorite places on earth.

There’s something fitting about that.

Disney is built on imagination and the belief that if you can dream it, you can do it. That message resonates with him. He has always believed that hard work paired with vision leads somewhere worthwhile.

Watching him walk through a place built on dreams while standing on the edge of his own future felt poetic.

Marking the Milestone

In Tampa, we captured more formal images — cap and gown, marking the accomplishment itself.

The diploma will represent years of discipline and focus. But the cap and gown photos represent something more to me. They capture the culmination of quiet mornings, late nights, and a young man who refused to cut corners.

Not because someone was watching.
But because integrity matters to him.

A Foundation That Matters Most

Above everything else, Carter loves the Lord.

Not casually. Not quietly. But boldly and unapologetically.

He has placed God at the center of his life in a way that humbles me. His faith isn’t performative — it’s foundational. It guides his decisions, his friendships, his future.

As a parent, there is no greater comfort than knowing the child you’re releasing into the world is grounded in truth.