From a Model Call to Modern Miss Magazine: Creating Something Special with Emily

Sometimes a photo session starts with a booking.

And sometimes it starts with an idea you simply can’t get out of your head.

I had been envisioning a creative portrait session at the beautiful Paine Art Center & Gardens in Oshkosh. I wanted to give myself the freedom to create — no predetermined shot list, no expectations — just an opportunity to make something beautiful.

There was also a business purpose behind it. I wanted to create images that would inspire future high school seniors to think differently about what their senior photos could look like.

I knew the location.

I knew the feeling I wanted.

I just didn’t know exactly how it would all come together.

And then I found the gown.

A Facebook Marketplace Find That Changed Everything

Of all places, I found this incredible gown on Facebook Marketplace.

It was listed for FREE — with the tags still attached.

Seriously. What are the chances?

The moment I saw it, the vision started coming together. I could picture the soft layers of the gown against the architecture and gardens at the Paine.

Now I needed the right person to wear it.

Then Came Emily

I put out a model call and asked parents to nominate someone they thought would be a wonderful fit for the session.

Emily’s mom, Sarah, sent me a nomination I won’t soon forget.

I already knew Emily. I had photographed her during a ballet portrait session two years earlier, and I knew she was beautiful in front of my camera. But Sarah’s words allowed me to see another side of this young woman.

She described a daughter who had navigated tremendous change at a young age while continuing to demonstrate resilience, kindness and compassion.

But there was one sentiment in Sarah’s nomination that stayed with me.

She wanted Emily to have an opportunity to see herself through her mom’s eyes.

Not simply as a beautiful girl, but as the strong, courageous young woman her mom already saw.

That’s when I knew.

Emily was my model.

When the Vision Becomes the Photograph

And then came the day of the session.

The gown.

The gardens.

The architecture.

The light.

And Emily.

Everything came together.

There are moments behind the camera when I know we’re creating something different. I remember looking at these images and feeling incredibly proud of what we had created.

This was exactly what I’d hoped for when I envisioned the session.

And at that point, that was enough.

I had no plans to submit the photographs for publication. This wasn’t a session created for an award or recognition.

I simply wanted to create something beautiful.

Which makes what happened next even more special.

Five Images. Modern Miss Magazine. ❤️

Later, Modern Miss Magazine posted on Facebook inviting photographers to share an image for potential publication.

I decided to submit one.

And then I received the news…

My work had been selected for the October issue of Modern Miss Magazine.

And not just one photograph.

FIVE images from Emily’s session were selected for publication.

OMG.

I am so incredibly honored.

As a photographer, there are certain sessions that remind you why you love what you do. This was already one of those sessions for me.

To now have this work recognized and published?

I’m incredibly proud.

And I hope someday Emily looks at these photographs and sees some of what her mom wanted her to see that day.

Strength.

Confidence.

Beauty.

Courage.

And a young woman becoming exactly who she’s meant to be.

To the Seniors Who Are Reading This…

Here’s what I hope you take away from Emily’s session:

Your senior photos don’t have to look like anyone else’s.

They can be elegant.

They can be edgy.

They can be downtown, in a field, at the beach or in a garden wearing an incredible gown we found for free on Facebook Marketplace.

They can incorporate the things you love and the places that mean something to you.

And they can be an opportunity to see yourself a little differently.

My goal isn’t simply to give you beautiful photographs.

I want to create an experience that feels like you — while giving you permission to step outside your comfort zone, try something different and maybe discover a confidence you didn’t know was there.

Want More Than Senior Pictures?

That same philosophy is a big part of why I created the Images by J. Lynne Senior Ambassador Team.

It’s about beautiful photography, yes.

But it’s also about confidence, friendships, using your voice, leadership, and growing through change.

Throughout the year, my Senior Ambassadors participate in creative photo sessions and experiences designed to give them more than beautiful senior pictures. My hope is that they walk away from the experience seeing themselves a little differently, too.

If you’re a future high school senior — or the parent of one — and this sounds like the kind of senior experience you’ve been looking for, I’d love to hear from you.

And Emily…

Thank you for trusting my vision and absolutely bringing it to life.

Five published photographs later, I’d say we created something pretty special. ❤️

— Janet
Images by J. Lynne