seniors - Stephanie Friedman

Sekrit Theater – Senior Photo Session

by admin | Feb 25, 2025 | photography, seniors

Sekrit Theater Senior Photos | Austin Senior Photographer

As a Senior Photographer in Austin, I always get excited when my client wants to use Sekrit Theater for their location.

Between the iconic glass greenhouse, the old schoolbus, the vintage truck and the rainbow wall of flowers, it’s well worth the location fee.

Besides using all of those backdrops, we also got to recreate some of the shots we took 5 years ago in the same locations.

Photos at the back of the greenhouse 5 years apart.

Photos at the school bus 5 years apart.

If you live in Austin and are also interested in having your Senior Photo Session at the one-of-a-kind Sekrit Theater in East Austin, check out my tips below.

Tips for Senior Photo Sessions at Pease Park:

Check their calendar to make sure your preferred session date and time is available
Sessions are often booked back to back so make sure you start and end on time
The restroom and changing room is in the Tiny House (directly across from the Greenhouse Patio)
When you are finished with your session, remember to turn off any lights, and shut the doors
In the summer, pack bug spray and water
Feel free to bring your own props – this mom came with a bubble machine and flowers for us to use
Head’s up: Sekrit does not give refunds, only reschedules

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Senior session in Austin, Texas. Explore more Senior sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Sekrit Theater – Senior Photo Session

Feb 25, 2025

Sekrit Theater Senior Photos | Austin Senior Photographer As a Senior Photographer in Austin, I always get excited when my client wants to use Sekrit Theater for their location. Between the iconic glass greenhouse, the old schoolbus, the vintage truck and the rainbow...

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How to Display & Use your Senior Photos

by admin | Jan 22, 2025 | photography, seniors

Top 5 ways to use your Senior Photos

Your senior photos are more than just pictures—they’re a celebration of your educational journey and a way to preserve this important time in your life.

But once you’ve had your Senior Photo session and received your digital images, what’s next?

Instead of letting them just sit on your phone or computer, here are some creative and meaningful ways to showcase your senior portraits.

1. Graduation Cards: Announce & Celebrate

One of the most popular ways to use your senior photos is for custom graduation announcements and invitations. These cards are a great way to share your achievements with family and friends while giving them a keepsake of this special time in your life.

Choosing the Right Design

Select a template that matches your personality and style—modern, classic, rustic, or bold.
Opt for a single-image or collage-style card to showcase multiple looks from your session.
Incorporate school colors or your future college’s branding for a personalized touch.

What to Include

Your name and high school
Graduation date and ceremony details (if applicable)
A heartfelt message or quote
Party invitation details (if you’re hosting a celebration)

Where to Order

Many online retailers, such as Minted, Shutterfly, and SnapFish, offer beautiful custom templates for graduation cards.

2. Wall Art: Turn Memories into Home Decor

Displaying your senior photos in your home is a great way to cherish these moments every day. Some print options include:

Canvas Prints: A timeless option that adds warmth to any space.
Framed Prints: Available in various sizes and styles to match your décor.
Photo Collages: Create a gallery wall with multiple images from your session.

Your online gallery will let you shop directly for framed prints and other wall art options.

3. Photo Albums: Preserve Your Story

You can design your own personalized photo album through your online gallery. This treasured keepsake is a perfect way to document your senior year.

4. Photo Gifts: Share the Memories

Senior portraits also make great gifts for family members. Consider:

Custom mugs or phone cases with your favorite shots
Personalized photo calendars for grandparents
Photo keychains, puzzles or ornaments

There are loads of fun things you can make with your pictures.

5. Digital Displays: Showcase Your Photos Online

In today’s digital world, sharing your senior photos online is just as important as printing them. Consider:

Social Media Posts: Share highlights from your session on Instagram, SnapChat, or TikTok.
Digital Photo Frames: Upload a rotating slideshow of your senior portraits to a digital frame at home.
Custom Screensavers & Wallpapers: Use your photos as backgrounds on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Tips for what to do with your digital files

Your senior photos are meant to be enjoyed and shared! Whether you’re sending out graduation cards, decorating your home with prints, or gifting keepsakes to loved ones, make the most of your images and celebrate this milestone in style.
Investing in high quality prints and products ensures your images will last for years to come.

Looking for more ideas or ready to book your senior session? Contact me today to create stunning Senior Portraits you’ll love!

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Class of 2025 – Spring Senior Photo Sessions

by admin | Jan 14, 2025 | photography, seniors

Now Booking – Class of 2025 High School Senior Photos in Austin, Texas

Now booking dates in January – May 2025 for Class of 2025 High School Seniors in Austin, Texas.

If you live in Austin, and want a Senior Photo Session this Spring, my Calendar is now open.

— The Senior Session —

This session is for High School Seniors in the Austin area who want a creative and comfortable photo shoot that fits their schedule and personality. For $475 plus tax, you’ll receive:

1 hour photo shoot on location in the Austin area
Up to 3 outfit changes
All edited digital hi-res images in an online gallery (minimum 50 images) two weeks after your session date
Weekend and Weeknight calendar options
Posing guidance throughout your session
What to Wear, What to Bring and What to Expect comminucation before your session date
Option to add-on a family mini-session at the end for an additional fee
Option to add-on a second location in a 30 minute block for an additional fee
If you’d like photos in the wildflowers, choose a session date at the end of March through mid-April

This session fee does not include products. You can purchase prints and albums separately from your gallery directly. There is no minimum purchase required.

Ready to book?

Contact Me

Still have questions?

Check out my Senior Photo Gallery HERE.
Check out my Senior Photo Session Guidelines and FAQ HERE.
Check out recent Senior session blog posts HERE.

“A camera is a save button for the mind’s eye” – Roger Kingston

Please contact me if you’d like to book a Senior Photo Session in Austin, Texas. Explore more portrait sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Life Skills for High School Seniors: A Pre-College Syllabus

by admin | Jan 7, 2025 | seniors

Checklist for your High School Student before they leave home for college

Leaving high school and preparing for college is an exciting yet challenging transition.

Beyond academic preparation, developing essential life skills can help set your child up for success.

This blog post provides a bingo-style checklist to guide high school seniors in mastering key competencies before they head off to college.

Financial Literacy:

Goal: Prepare students to manage their personal finances responsibly

What to discuss:

Budgeting basics: Creating and sticking to a budget
Understanding credit: How credit cards work and managing debt
Basics of savings and investments
Navigating student loans
How to pay bills

Resources:

Khan Academy’s Personal Finance Course
“I Will Teach You to Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi
Monarch Money or YNAB (You Need a Budget) apps
Design Mom’s budget game for teens

Practice Activity:
Create a mock monthly budget based on an estimated college student’s expenses.

Cooking and Home:

Goal: Ensure students can prepare healthy meals and understand the basics of good nutrition.

What to discuss:

Meal planning and grocery shopping on a budget
Simple recipes: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
Reading nutrition labels
Food safety basics
How to do laundry
Basic Car maintainence

Resources:

“Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day” by Leanne Brown (free PDF available)
Easy Recipes for College Students
MyPlate.gov
Reddit/how to do laundry
Car maintenance checklist

Practice Activity: Cook three meals using a weekly budget of $50 or less and build a cleaning kit for their dorm room.

Time and Organization:

Goal: Teach students how to prioritize tasks and manage their schedules effectively.

What to discuss:

Using digital tools like Google Calendar and Trello
Effective study habits
Avoiding procrastination
Balancing academics, social life, and self-care

Resources:

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey
Todoist for task management
YouTube videos on the Pomodoro Technique

Practice Activity:

Plan a hypothetical week balancing classes, work, and personal time.

Health and Wellness:

Goal: Promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

What to discuss:

Basic first aid and when to seek medical help
Exercise routines for small spaces
Mental health resources: Coping with stress and homesickness

Resources:

Headspace for meditation
American Red Cross First Aid app
“The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health“

Practice Activity:

Plan a hypothetical week balancing classes, work, and personal time. Also research health and wellness options on campus.

Social Skills:

Goal: Help High School students build and maintain healthy relationships.

What to discuss:

Navigating roommate relationships
Conflict resolution strategies
Networking basics and making friends

Resources:

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown
Planned Parenthood

Practice Activity:

Role-play a challenging roommate conversation scenario.

By mastering these life skills, high school seniors can step into college life with confidence and resilience.

Are there any additional skills you’d add to this syllabus? Adjust and adapt for your specific senior’s future plans!

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Seaholm District – Senior + Family Photos

by admin | Dec 1, 2024 | photography, seniors

Downtown Austin Senior + Family Photos | Austin Senior Photographer

This Class of 2025 LASA High School Senior picked the Seaholm District in Downtown Austin for their photo session location. They wanted a mixture of urban and nature for their backgrounds.

Their mom also wanted to add on a family mini-session since it’d been too long since they’d had professional photos taken as a whole family.

The family mini-session photos can be interspersed during the whole Senior session or happen just at the end of the session. For this group, it worked out to do the majority of family photos in the middle.

If you live in Austin and are also interested in having your Senior Photo Session in the Seaholm area, check out my tips below.

Tips for Senior & Family Photo Sessions in the Seaholm District:

It can get crowded with other photo sessions at peak times (weekend evenings in Spring and Fall) – so pick off times if possible.
Garage parking is available at the Austin Central Library or Trader Joe’s nearby (Trader Joe’s will validate your parking with purchase)
Have a spotter when you’re taking photos on the Butterfly Bridge and be ready to get out of the way fast if cars are coming
Bring props that help highlight your Senior Year experience (ex. Letter jacket, photo of you from kindergarden, etc.)
If you need a place to change or restrooms, the Austin Central Library is right there (if your session is during their open hours)
Make a plan to eat downtown after your session; there are lots of great restaurants within walking distance

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Senior photography session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

What prompted you to have this photo session? This was a senior photo session, and we took advantage of the opportunity to add a family photo session, since it had been a while.
What do you plan to do with your digital photos? Share with family and friends, use for senior events.
How did you choose your location for your session? Our senior wanted a blend of urban and nature in their shots, and we loved the recognizable spaces and butterfly bridge.
What advice would you give to others planning a similar Senior + Family photo session? No special tips – Stephanie gave great guidance!
Anything else you’d like to add about working with Stephanie Friedman Photography? Stephanie has so many great traits: good communication, easy booking, very organized…and then once we arrived, she was super warm and friendly and helpful, which made the whole experience easy and pleasant.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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University of Texas – Senior + Family Photos

by admin | Nov 17, 2024 | family, photography, seniors

University of Texas at Austin campus | College Senior and Family Photo Session

Did you know that the University of Texas Tower building will undergo construction starting Fall of 2024 and go until Summer of 2027?

Not wanting construction fencing in her photos, this Class of 2025 Senior’s mom made sure to get her family and senior graduation pictures done early.

And we weren’t alone in this plan, lots of other graduation photos were happening on campus the same night.

If you’d also like to plan ahead, the University Co-Op has cap & gowns in stock (but the 2025 tassel charm was not available yet, so we left it out of our photos). If you’re planning on photos after January 2025, you should be able to get the correct year on your tassel charm.

Tips for a College Senior Photo Session at the University of Texas at Austin:

- Around Graduation, Campus gets full of photo sessions, so try and plan early or choose off-times for your photos.
- You may need to wait your turn in front of popular spots.
- Iron your regalia.
- You can pose in your full cap and gown, part of your regalia, regular clothes or any combination of the above.
- If you have a particular spot on campus that means a lot to you (ex. where you took the majority of your classes), let your photographer know – I also have a BLOG POST with my location recommendations
- If your family will be in town, we can add-on a mini-family photo session
- Bring two bottles of (cheap) champagne if you want to pop the cork (and a towel for after you spray it in the air)
- Get ready to “Hook ‘Em Horns!”

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Senior + Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.