She’s only this version of herself for a little while longer
Senior portraits for Merrimack Valley families who want to remember who she was at seventeen, not just what she looked like.
36+ 5-star reviews | Photographing seniors since 2016
Senior Portrait Photographer | Merrimack Valley & North Shore
Most senior photos don't age well. Here's the thing nobody tells you.
Pull up a senior portrait taken five years ago. Really, pull one up. And the first thing you'll notice isn't the senior, it's the aesthetic. The filter that was everywhere that spring. The pose that every photographer in town was using for six months and then nobody used again.
Then, eventually, you find the senior inside the photograph.
That's backwards.
A portrait that holds up, one that's still hers at thirty, at thirty-five, when she takes it off the wall to show her own kid, has nothing to do with what was on Pinterest the spring she turned seventeen. It has everything to do with who she actually was, that month, in those clothes, with that hair.
I shoot for that. Trend is what we leave out.
Everything is planned so she can just be herself.
01 The Design Consultation
Before anything is photographed, we plan. We talk about her personality, her style, what makes her her. You'll know exactly what to expect before we begin — and so will she.
02 The Portrait Session
Ninety minutes to two hours at a calm, unhurried pace. I direct every moment so she never has to guess what to do. Most seniors tell me afterward they were surprised how quickly they forgot the camera was there.
03 The Gallery Reveal
Within a week, you'll see the finished portraits together for the first time. No rush, no pressure. You decide how you want to preserve them after you've seen who she became in them.
Three rituals that make these portraits mean something.
Three things I do in every senior session that nobody else does.
One for her. One for the two of you. One for the photograph she'll find in a box at thirty.
Every senior session is built on three small practices. Together they're the difference between a portrait that looks like her and a portrait that looks like every other senior portrait on Instagram.
Ritual One
The Three Words
Before the session, I ask her one question. Pick three words for who you are right now. Not what you look like — who you *are*.
Junior year is exhausting. This is the question that wakes her brain back up. Once she answers it, the entire session is built around her three words, not around whatever was on my Pinterest board this week.
She'll spend more time on this question than you expect.
Ritual Two
The Pause Button
Sometimes, twenty minutes into a session, she'll get in her head. It happens. It's not a problem.
We stop. We sit down. We change the playlist. We drink some water and we talk about literally anything else for five minutes. Then we go back to it, and the next photo is the one that ends up framed.
The pause is the work.
Ritual Three
A Note Just for You
Before the session, I send you — the mom, the parent, whoever's writing the check and worrying — one quiet question. Two paragraphs of your answer. No rules. No format. We don't show her what you wrote.
But it's how I shoot her: knowing what you'd say if you were standing next to me.
(This one always lands harder than it sounds on the page.)
No other session in this area is built this way.
She'll surprise herself.
01 She'll know what to do
I direct every moment of the session, from posture and expression to where to look and how to stand. Your daughter never has to figure it out on her own. That's what eliminates the awkwardness.
02 She'll see it working
I show her the images as we go. When she sees a photo that looks like her…really like her…something shifts. The self-consciousness drops and the session becomes collaborative.
03 She'll come home proud
Not because the photos were glamorous. Because they were honest. Seniors who are hard to impress are usually the most surprised by how much they like them.
Straightforward pricing. No surprises.
Sessions begin at $1,290, which includes a $900 credit toward your final artwork.
Most families invest between $2,800 and $6,000, depending on how they choose to preserve the images. Prints, albums, or framed wall pieces. Some invest less. Some invest more.
You'll never be asked to make artwork decisions on the day of the session. We make those choices together after you've seen the portraits.
The investment, plainly
A $500 session retainer holds your date. It applies as a credit toward your final artwork.
The balance of any package you choose is due at your gallery reveal appointment, two to three weeks after your session — never on the day we shoot.
Payment plans are available on any total over $2,500. We can split the balance across two or three months at no additional cost. Just ask.
Three ways to preserve your portraits
Folio Collection
Hand-matted 8×10 prints presented in a luxury archival box. A tactile, personal way to hold this chapter, and pass it on someday.
01
The Signature Album
A custom Italian-crafted 10×10 album featuring 20 or more images. The kind of thing she'll find in a box at thirty and sit down with for an hour.
02
Museum Wall Art
Statement pieces from 16×20 to 40×56, designed and custom-framed to fit your home. See it on your walls before we commission. Every physical piece includes its high-resolution digital file. The portrait that stops people mid-conversation when they walk into your home.
03
“Ian spoke with my daughter and understood her vision — the type of photos she wanted, the place, the feeling. The session was more than we could have imagined. He doesn't just take pictures. He captures who they are."
— Sue LaPorta, Gabby’s mom
Don’t take my word for it.
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![A young woman with curly red hair wearing a white dress standing outdoors near a wooden fence, smiling at the camera, with lush green trees in the background.]()
Maggie Lefebvre
Olivia’s mom
"The photos looked like her. Her personality, her energy — Ian captured it beautifully. Our biggest problem now is choosing just one for the yearbook." -
![A woman with long dark hair smiling at the camera in a white dress near a waterfront with boats in the background during sunset]()
Kiara
Class of 2026 Senior
"With Ian's guidance and ability to make me feel comfortable, my senior photos are something I'm so grateful for."
Things families usually want to know before saying yes.
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Most families book 4–8 weeks before their preferred session date. Summer and early fall fill quickly. If you're thinking about it, reaching out sooner makes the process easier.
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After booking, we'll do a brief styling consult. In general: 2–3 outfits that feel like her, not like a special occasion. Studio has private changing room, pop-up tent for on-location sessions
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You'll receive your curated gallery within one week. Final delivery of physical artwork depends on what you've selected.
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That's the most common thing I hear before a session. The entire experience is designed around it. Clear guidance replaces the guesswork, and most seniors settle in within the first fifteen minutes.
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Yes. You're never locked into a decision at booking. Many families see the portraits first and then decide.
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If you want photos that look like every other senior photo you've seen, I'm probably not your photographer. If you want something that actually looks like her — the version of her that exists right now — then we're likely a good fit. The best way to know is to reach out and have a conversation.
Senior year moves fast. These photos won't.
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I'll reply within 48 hours with one clear next step.
Servicing Senior Portraits Across:
Methuen • Andover • North Andover • Haverhill • Lawrence • Salem NH • Windham NH • Dracut • Bedford NH • Reading