Aya’s Senior Portrait Session at Goat Rock Beach

Aya’s senior portrait session was an absolute dream. I photographed Aya at Goat Rock Beach up in Jenner, California. It’s not only an epic location for a photo session, but it’s the beach where the final scene of The Goonies was filmed. #dreamcometrue

Aya created a Pinterest board ahead of time for her session to convey the style and feeling she was hoping to capture in her senior portraits. She wanted her session to be beachy and casual. Think laid back, barefoot in the sand, T-shirt and jeans kind of look. I’ve gotta say, I think we totally nailed it! We had a blast running up and down the beach, catching the wind, finding the perfect light, and creating blur in some of the images.

Aya is a beautiful soul. She’s a social butterfly, charming, relaxed, and down to earth. She is the daughter of one of my dear friends, but I only met her for the first time when I photographed her. My partner has known her since she was four years old and he could hardly believe she was already graduating high school. I tried to imagine being a parent myself and watching my child grow from infancy to adulthood. It’s hard to put myself in the shoes of someone who has raised a child for so long, as much as I may try. One day that will hopefully be me. Until then, I’m grateful to document these moments for other seniors and their families.

We talked about her future hopes and dreams of how she wants to travel the world, become fluent in Spanish, and maybe become an ultrasound technician. One of my favorite things about working with seniors is talking about their future hopes and dreams. It brings me back to my younger self and reminds me that it’s never too late to start chasing your dreams.

Aya, thank you so much for trusting me to capture such an important season of your life. I am so excited for what your future holds and I hope these images remind you of your strength and independence in your senior year!