The CMP senior experience
What a senior session with CMP really looks like
Senior pictures can feel like a lot at first. What do I wear? Where do we go? What do I do with my hands? How do I make sure the photos feel like me?
That is exactly why I built the CMP senior experience the way I did.
As a Grand Rapids senior photographer, I want you to feel prepared before you ever step in front of the camera. Not overwhelmed. Not guessing. Not trying to figure it all out on your own. From the Client Lounge to your questionnaire, FaceTime planning call, outfit help, location ideas, and full direction during your session, every part is there to make the process feel easier, more personal, and true to you.
This is a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens from the moment you book to the moment you see your final gallery.
Before Your Session
Once you're booked, you get access to your own Client Lounge. I’ve created one for girls and one for guys, because the planning is different — and I want it to feel easy from the start.
Inside, you’ll find outfit ideas, location inspiration, hair and makeup tips, grooming tips, what to bring, and little reminders so you’re not trying to figure everything out the week of your session.
A couple weeks before your session, I hop on a FaceTime with you and your family. We talk through your outfits, locations, what you’re hoping for, and anything you’re nervous about. You’ll also fill out a senior questionnaire so I can get a better feel for your style, your personality, and what matters most to you.
By the time session day comes, we already have a plan — and you’re not walking in wondering what happens next.
What Session Day Feels Like
Before I ever start shooting, I walk you through how the session will go.
I explain how I’ll direct you, how we’ll create movement, and how we’ll make little adjustments as we go. You do not have to know how to pose. That is my job. I’ll guide your hands, your posture, your movement, and all the small details that make a big difference on camera.
One thing I love doing during sessions is showing you the back of my camera. You get to see what we’re creating in real time, and that changes everything. Once you see how good the images already look, you relax. You trust the process. You start to have fun with it.
That is when the best images happen — when you feel comfortable, confident, and like yourself.
Multiple Looks, Multiple Locations
Every Grand Rapids senior session at CMP is built around you — your style, your locations, your vision. Whether you're doing one location or multiple, we move with intention and find the light wherever we are.
After the Session
After your Grand Rapids senior session, I send you a sneak peek of some of my favorites. It's one of my favorite parts of the whole experience — watching you see your photos for the first time.
Your full gallery comes next, and from there you choose your images based on your collection. Online or in person — whatever works best for your family.
This is the heart of a CMP senior session — planned with intention, guided every step of the way, and built around who you are.
Ready to start planning your Grand Rapids senior portraits? Sessions for the class of 2026 are filling up.
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