TO THE BLOG

Hello! Hello! It has been a minute since the last blog post! Back again with another Senior Session to share!

Grant is a Senior at Bartlett HS, he is friends with Dylan who I featured a few posts back.
I was so excited to have more seniors in front of my camera this year! And Grant, well… he hit it out of the park! 😉

We met at the beautiful Danada House in Wheaton, and if you’ve never been, it offers so many wonderful photo locations all in one place. Needless to say, I was very excited when his family chose this beautiful spot for his senior session!

Grant was such a kind, fun, hardworking kid—and his parents were equally wonderful. They were a real pleasure to get to know as we walked the grounds together.

Grant has committed himself to a club baseball team, plays for Bartlett High School, and you could also find him on deck duty at his local pool this past summer. Fun fact: I learned that Grant has been playing summer ball since he was just six years old!

Now that is commitment!

And now, you have to add enjoying every minute of senior year to the list.

The last season.
The last tournament.
The last school dance.
The last year surrounded by the friends you’ve collected over the past four years.

The time is here.

Embrace it. Enjoy it. Soak it all in. And get ready for all that life will “throw” your way!

But those “lasts” are hard on the people who have shared them with you, too.

Grant’s dad wrote him the sweetest note about his final baseball season, and I think it perfectly captures just how much these years have meant to their family:

Grant,

It was hard to pack away Legos and action figures. Pirate ships and Cars toys that you played with so passionately.

It was hard to take down Star Wars and Harry Potter pictures hanging in your room and replace them with decor that is more fitting for a dorm room atmosphere.

But it’s damn near impossible to say goodbye to baseball. It bonded our whole family. Our ultimate connection. The thing we can always strike up a conversation about. The game we played together for your whole life. It’s been the best time just being there with you, especially in dugouts. Cheering. Yelling. Swearing. Laughing. What a ride.

Thankfully, I know that wherever you are and whenever you’re around, we will always have baseball.

We love you bud! Keep making us proud! ❤️

Wow.

The love shared by Grant’s family is so incredibly evident. You can feel the investment they have made in the things Grant loves, the years they have spent cheering him on, and all of the memories they have created along the way.

That is priceless.

And isn’t that what these senior years are really about? The person they are becoming, the people who helped them get there, and all of the memories that brought them to this moment.

I really enjoy capturing seniors because this is such an exciting season of life. There is so much ahead of them, and so much worth remembering about who they are right now.

Grant was so much fun to capture, and I hope his family looks back on these images years from now and remembers not just what he looked like at 17 or 18, but who he was in this moment—the baseball player, the hardworking kid, the kind heart, the son they are so incredibly proud of.

Go get ’em, Grant! ⚾️

I have a feeling you’re going to accomplish some pretty great things.

Renee

Rain, rain, go away! Have you been singing that tune too? It has been such a gloomy August. Trying to ruin the end of summer?!

August always brings that back-to-school feeling. Whether you want it or not, it’s the time of year to get back to the books, routines, early mornings, and all the excitement that comes with a new school year.

Ava is starting her final year of high school next week. And while senior year certainly comes with a few “lasts,” it also brings so many exciting firsts.

The last book pickup. The last homecoming of her high school career. The last time she’ll walk those familiar halls as a student. It all starts next week.

Senior year can bring all kinds of emotions—happy, sad, elated, deflated, and probably everything in between. I’m wishing Ava the most amazing year, filled with friendships, laughter, adventures, and memories that she’ll carry with her for years to come.

Because this isn’t just the end of high school. It’s the beginning of something so much bigger.

Young adulthood. New adventures. New choices. A future that is hers to create.

The days may feel long, but somehow the year will fly by. So, Ava, soak it all in. Enjoy the moments, make the memories, and don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to the next chapter. Before you know it, you’ll be tossing that cap into the air!

Ava is a hard worker, too! She dedicated her summer to being a camp counselor, and I could tell how much pride she took in her job and in working with children. Hard work and responsibility are skills that can’t really be taught from a textbook. They’re built over time, through the people who raise us, the experiences we have, and the choices we make.

And I hope that when Ava looks back at her senior photos years from now, she sees more than just a pretty picture. I hope they bring her right back to this season of her life—young, beautiful, free, proud, and full of possibility.

What a gift it is to capture a moment in time and have a little piece of it to hold onto forever.

Here’s to senior year, Ava. Soak it all in. Your next adventure is waiting. ❤️

Until next time,

xoxo

Renèe

Hello friends! I hope your summer is going swell! My family and I just returned from a magical Orlando vacay! We all had so much fun! Now that mid-July is here, we are going to soak up every last bit of summer break!

A few weeks back, I got a text from my high school friends – Jaime and Joe. (They are high school sweethearts -btw! So cute)

Their son has reached senior year and they wanted to get his photos taken. So many emotions ran through my head upon reading this text message!

-Wow, I miss these two so much. Life has taken us down different paths, our schedules jammed with activities to keep us busy and apart.
–How is their son a senior already?! I remember going to to his first birthday party!
-I am thrilled they trusted me to take Dylan’s photos! What an honor!

Session day arrives and the first few minutes are full of pure excitement! It had been a long time since we saw one another! We caught up, we laughed (of course) and I got to chat with their sons. They were so kind, funny and a real treat to get to know. No surprise here! Jaime and Joe are such wonderful people! I knew they had been raising two fine boys. As the session went on, it was kind of wild because Dylan reminds so much of Joe in high school- his mannerisms, the things the finds humor in etc. Yet, Dylan is like a really great Jaime-Joe combo pack. He looks like both of his parents! He is sweet, funny, passionate and full of great stories. He mentioned his sweet girlfriend several times during the session. Celebrating two years together! Fresh from his latest baseball tourney in TN, he utilized his newest souvenir in his session. New cowboy boots! HEEYAW! So fitting at St. James Farm!

Back in the day, Jaime, Joe, and I had so much fun together. Our friend group found joy in the simplest things—packing Joe’s minivan full of friends, listening to their band play, wandering all over River Grove (long before “van life”), and just enjoying life . Those days were simple, and life was all about making memories.

Thinking back filled my heart with all those good old high school moments. Go Eagles!

After graduation, we’d drive down to visit Jaime and Joe at the University of Illinois to keep the fun going. This was long before cell phones documented every memory. We simply lived in the moment.

Then came the weddings. Jaime and Joe’s was the very first. I honestly can’t count how many followed! We’d always hope to be seated at the same table, dance until our feet hurt, and sing every song at the top of our lungs.

Dylan was happy to hear that he can totally stay in touch with high school buds once they move on, those relationships remain through all the years! Life changes. People move away. Careers begin. Families grow. But the friendships that truly matter have a way of standing the test of time. The bond, not easily broken, even if life pulls you in different directions.

Dylan is such a fun guy! I can see how many great connections he shares amongst his family, friends and team mates. How much he respects his parents, how lucky he feels to have them in his corner.

His future is so bright. Such an exciting time in his life. So many options ahead. Make the most of the experiences that come your way. The world is your oyster, Dylan!

Time is really the greatest storyteller.

Until next time, friends!

Renèe

Happy Holidays! Hope your season has been bright & merry so far! We have certainly seen a lot of snow, and it is not even winter yet!

Back in the fall, I had the pleasure of shooting Matthew’s senior session at Danada House. The weather was perfect, the leaves crisp and full of autumn colors.

Meeting Matthew was also such a joy. He was kind, sweet, and simply adorable!

I was thinking about how life has changed since I was in high school. We now live in an age of instant gratification—music, movies, and communication all at our fingertips. Folks Matthew’s age do not have to wait for photos to develop, wait in line for a new record, wait for a letter from a long-distance friend to arrive in the mail, or carry heavy book bags! LOL.

Our phones have music, photos, emails, and schedules, which is great—but you can also expect a lot more from your daily life. I enjoyed Matthew’s session so much because he seemed so happy to be there. He realized all of the memories senior year would provide. He is living it; he appreciates it. His last year as a soccer player at Wheaton North. His last homecoming dance. His last year—it is here, and he is embracing it all.

Time is ticking by, but there is so much to look forward to. The future is here. Kentucky is waiting for another Garza!

Matthew was joined by his wonderful parents and charming girlfriend. Everyone’s love and affection clear as day. JOY, simple and pure joy. Their last child off to college. Certainly a milestone for his parents.

Matthew, I wish you all the best in your final chapter of high school! And all that awaits you in your exciting future!

Until next time,

Renèe

Sometimes, things are just meant to be. You know that feeling, like it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

It was a random Wednesday in early October. I received a text message about possibly booking a fall senior session. It was already fall, so my schedule was pretty booked up. BUT I had an opening for the coming Sunday & it worked for the client too! I was going to be in Wheaton for other sessions. The weather seemed pretty perfect, the colors still present. Let’s do it!

So I met Jackson and his lovely mother at Hurley Gardens. One of my favorite photography locations. I must say quickly upon meeting Jackson, I was impressed! He was kind, polite and while speaking to him I learned he was also very smart! Favorite subject, Chemistry. Jackson mentioned PRE MED ! Plus a complete soccer star! Impressive kid!

His mom just really wanted to capture him at this very moment of his life. Paula, I could not agree with you more!

I am excited he was up for the opportunity as well! It is not always the senior fellas who want to hang out in front of my camera, of course, they totally should! LOOK at these amazing results!

Remember folks, take the photos! Soon Jackson will be graduating from Wheaton North and heading off to college. Likely feels like he was just starting Kindergarten to mom. Big things ahead for Jackson! Congrats on graduation and best of luck in the next chapter!

Until next time, friends!

Renèe

Senior year, what a time of your life. Flashbacks appear when I think of it. The friends, the fun, the excitement of a new chapter ahead. Classroom memories, maybe, but more the experiences created during that time.

Kaitlyn’s mom reached out to me in the fall of 2024. Her daughter was not pleased with her original class photos and was eager to retake them. Kaitlyn wished for a forest like location. Challenge Accepted! ✅

I was so excited to provide an exceptional experience for Kaitlyn! And to create beautiful memories for she and her family to look back at.

Kaitlyn accepted the challenge to dress to impress! We decided on an outfit and location change as well. Starting off in beautiful Riverside, IL.

It was fun getting to know Kaitlyn during her session. A smart little cookie, she was also completing her cosmology certification along with her senior year workload. She plans to study business in college and open her own salon one day! Love the goals she has created for her future! You go girl!

Next, we moved over to Brookfield to capture whatever was left of the color in early November.

Kaitlyn, just a beautiful soul inside and out! I wish you nothing but the best! Congrats on your 2025 graduation & best of luck in your next ventures!!

Until next time friends!

Renée