fter posting a sneak peek on Facebook earlier this week, I was asked repeatedly if I’m starting to do senior photos now instead of just engagements and weddings. The short answer is, “no, however.” When Kayla contacted me, I knew our styles would be cohesive and, aside from that, she’s an all-around sweet young woman.

Kayla is an aspiring photographer and admitted to being much more comfortable behind the camera than in front. I honestly couldn’t tell though as she was a complete natural!

To put it mildly, this girl is stunning, kind, and genuine. I basically want to pocket her and make her be my little sister since both of my younger siblings turned out to be boys. (Which, at the time, was terribly disappointing to little me.)

Kayla has a really natural, classic style. She’s comfortable in her own skin and is down-to-earth. Because of her love for both rural/rustic and urban, we started her session at an old barn about a mile from my parents’ farm. During the photo below right, a random dog decided to join us, presumably from a neighboring farm. A friendly dog, but he really wanted to hog the camera.

Her laugh is so beautiful!! Plus, I told her I want to take these photos to my hair stylist and get my hair cut and colored exactly like hers. Don’t you want to do it too? I imagine these pictures will show up on people’s hair Pinterest boards.

This makes me start singing Bruno Mars: “Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they’re not shining. Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying. She’s so beautiful and I tell her everyday…” Am I right?

I had been looking for red shrubs since they only last about a week or two in the fall and I knew they would pop behind Kayla’s beautiful skin. We spotted this red bush up the street from where we were at so we hiked there (it was a steep street!) and stayed on the sidewalk outside the house, using the red for the pop of color in the background. It was perfect!

This door provided some of my favorite images. It was accidental how we found it, but I’m so glad we stumbled across it because the instant I saw it, I said, “Kayla, you need to get in that doorway.” I’m so bossy.

Kayla said that she loves relaxed poses and natural light. We had to reschedule her session due to rain, but it turned out to be perfect because we got the most stunning light to work with!

Kayla, thank you so much for going out on a limb to contact a wedding photographer for your senior photos. I had such an amazing time working with you and I truly think you are someone really special. I’m so excited to see where your talent takes you. I know your beautiful heart will leave an impression on so many people you meet in life.

Xo! Emily

See more from Kayla’s session here.