Because Seattle had months of intense sunshine and high temperatures throughout this past summer, finding a day that would be bearable and without the blinding sun to do photographs outdoors was not easy to come by.

The other challenge of this senior portrait session was that the unique location I had scouted was a work-in-progress since it was a salvage yard: what I had planned to use for a great background on one day was not there when I returned a few weeks later because people were buying up pieces of my intended backgrounds as we waited patiently for a day without constant sweltering sun!

Despite these challenges and the long wait for one of the very few days this summer that had some clouds in the sky, we finally made it happen and I’m pleased with the results as was the mom who liked and wanted all of the photographs I sent her to review. The wait and agony over the weather and changing location were worth it for these precious photos. “We got our selection down to about 50 favorites. There are so many good ones, this is definitely going to be a book…”–Kendra’s mom. Because there were so many photos we all loved, I added a slideshow to this post with some additional favorites.

“I’ve never had my photo taken by myself, it’s always been with my family or with my sister…” Kendra shared with me towards the end of the portrait session. What a precious gift to allow a young woman to experience herself as the beautiful and special person that she is at this juncture in her life, a short time before she leaves for college. And to see that reflected back in the photos, now to be treasured by her family as her journey takes her away from home.