Pictures of a Southern Senior

North Florida Senior Photographer

Peyton Hilyer – Class of 2019

It is always a joy to take pictures of a southern senior, Peyton is no exception. This girl is a sweetheart, regardless of how many times I said “please don’t call me ma’am, I’m not old!”, she could not help herself from being polite. I appreciate that, and I know many others in our hometown do too. Not only is Peyton a doll, she’s gorgeous too! As with most seniors, confidence is something that you have to find before you can bring it out in the photos. It didn’t take Peyton long to figure out how to work the camera. By the end of her session we were having a blast, I couldn’t stop smiling at my camera! Ask her, I definitely paused for several seconds (longer than I care to admit) just in awe of the beautiful photos that I knew we were capturing.

We began Peyton’s session in White Springs, Fl, a hole in the wall town not far from our hometown, Live Oak. I enjoy taking pictures in White Springs, it’s a very small and relaxed town that you can just walk around. Every time I travel there, I find a new place to take photos. This time around I enjoyed the picket fence, it was a great contrast to Peyton’s awesome flare pants (hello, 90s!). After finishing up in White Springs, we headed to Peyton’s family farm. I love, love, LOVE, going to family farms. There’s a lot in our area as most people are farmers in our small town. What makes farms so special is that the seniors grew up there, they sat on their dad’s lap as he drove the tractor through the fields, they played hide and seek in the tall grass, they helped pick and shuck the corn, they grew up there. That’s what makes it so special, you can tell in the photos that the girls feel at home, they’re comfortable, they’re reminiscing. It’s fun to hear about their memories there. I don’t care if I’m asked to take pictures in front of a chicken house, or on an irrigation system, if that’s what gets the memory film rolling, that’s what we’ll do and we will make the best of it. I actually LOVE how Peyton’s irrigation photos turned out, to me, and her, they’re perfect.

I really try to get my seniors to dig deep and think about what’s the most important to them. If you’ve hired me, you’ve heard that phrase. Let’s find what is invaluable to you and take your senior portraits there. Peyton took my advice and that’s what we did. I knew I had the memory film rolling when I had to bring out the box of tissues during her photo reveal. Find what tugs at your heart strings… let’s capture that. Peyton, it was surreal to take your senior photos. I hope you cherish these for decades to come.

-Shelly