Every once in a while, I photograph a session that reminds me why I love portrait photography. This Sundance Creek, WY portrait session was one of those mornings, although the funny part is that Mariliis isn’t even a senior.

Mariliis Kalinina is 24 years old and from Tallinn, Estonia. She is spending her summer in the United States working with Southwestern Advantage while finishing her law education. I met her because she knocked on my front door selling educational books. What started as a conversation about books quickly turned into a much bigger conversation about education, homeschooling, Estonia, law, life, and everything that had brought her all the way to Wyoming for the summer.

Somewhere in the middle of listening to her story, I knew I wanted to photograph her. There wasn’t a traditional milestone we were documenting. I simply felt like she was in one of those seasons of life that deserves to be remembered: somewhere between where she has been and everything she is working toward next.

A Smoky Morning at Sundance Creek, WY

We headed down to Sundance Creek, WY on a beautiful summer morning when smoke in the air had softened the sunlight over the water. Instead of fighting the haze, we let it become part of the session. It gave the lake a warm, quiet feeling and created some of my favorite light from the entire morning.

We started with more traditional portraits around the dock and lake before letting the session become more relaxed. Somewhere along the way, my cowgirl boots also made an appearance. Mariliis had some summer tan lines on her feet that we wanted to cover, so loaning her my boots solved the practical problem while also giving her a tiny piece of Wyoming to take home in her photographs. If you spend a summer in Wyoming, I think you deserve to feel at least a little bit country before you leave.

As the session continued, the posing became less important and her personality started taking over. There was laughing, movement, and eventually a willingness to walk straight into the water. Those are some of my favorite photographs from the morning because they feel less like portraits she posed for and more like a glimpse of who she was during this particular chapter of her life.

Why This Session Made Me Miss Senior Photography

While photographing Mariliis, I realized that what I used to love about senior photography was never really about senior year itself. I loved photographing people during a transition, when one part of their life is ending and another is beginning.

For a high school senior, that might mean leaving home, starting college, beginning a career, or simply figuring out adulthood. Mariliis is in a completely different season, but the feeling is similar. She is thousands of miles from home, working through the summer, finishing her education, and preparing for a career in law.

That space in between is worth photographing. There is something special about having photographs that show not only what you looked like at a certain age, but who you were becoming.

A Peek Into This Sundance Creek, WY Portrait Session

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Mariliis, thank you for trusting me with this morning, borrowing my cowgirl boots, walking into the water, laughing through my ideas, and simply being yourself in front of my camera. This session reminded me that some of the most meaningful portraits happen before the big milestone is complete, when someone is still right in the middle of becoming.

And maybe, after this one, I’m not quite finished with senior photography after all. 🤍

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