When most seniors picture their portrait session, high school isn't exactly the dream location.


It's not the golden field, the downtown mural, or the aesthetic coffee shop everyone's tagging on Instagram. And honestly? That's fair. Your school probably isn't going to win any awards for beauty.


But here's what I've learned photographing seniors year after year: the prettiest backdrop isn't always the one that means the most.


That's exactly why McKenna wanted a mini session at B.B. Comer High School, woven right in with downtown and the areas around it. Not because the hallways or the front steps are the most photogenic spot in town, but because that building holds four years of her life. The early mornings, the late nights, the version of herself she became while she was there. A photo like that isn't about the location being beautiful. It's about the location being true.


And McKenna's four years added up to something worth celebrating. She graduated as salutatorian, which if you know anything about that title, means countless nights of studying long after everyone else had called it a day. So when it came time to celebrate, we didn't pop champagne. We popped an Alani. It's a small detail, but it says everything about who she is. Every all-nighter, every ounce of dedication, distilled into one sparkling, slightly ridiculous, entirely perfect celebration moment. That's the kind of detail that makes a gallery feel like her story instead of a generic senior shoot.


If you're a senior (or a parent of one) wondering whether it's "worth it" to include your school in your session, here's my honest answer: it depends on what you want to remember. If you want purely beautiful images, there are plenty of stunning spots around Alabama that'll deliver that. But if you want to remember the actual place where you grew into who you're becoming, a mini session at your school does something those other locations can't. It documents your time there, not just your appearance during it.


McKenna got both. The downtown shots gave her the polished, editorial portraits she'll treasure forever. The school session gave her something else entirely: proof. Proof of where she spent her days, what she worked for, and how she chose to celebrate it, her way, with her own tradition, in her own honest, driven way.

That's the kind of story I love telling. Not just what you looked like at eighteen, but who you actually were.



Enjoy my favorites, everyone!!


 

A young Black woman in a dark dress poses confidently in front of B.B. Comer Memorial School entrance.
Young Black woman with long braids in black dress sitting on steps, resting head on hand.
A young woman in a black dress poses near B.B. Comer Memorial School sign surrounded by lush green trees.
Woman holding a colorful Alani Nu Hawaiian Shaved Ice Energy drink can outdoors.
Comer Memorial School sign with tiger mascot and Student Council 1977-1979 plaque on brick wall.
Exterior view of B.B. Comer Memorial School brick building with arched windows and lush greenery.
Smiling young Black woman with long braids wearing a black dress, sitting on outdoor steps.
Black and white Tigers mascot logo featuring a roaring tiger head on a white wall surface.
Young woman smiling in Alabama Crimson Tide t-shirt leaning on white fence outdoors.
A joyful young Black woman with long braids walks along a sidewalk in a pink top and blue jeans against a green wall.
Young Black woman in black dress smiling outdoors near brick building and flowering bushes.
Young Black woman with braids smiling confidently in black dress, posing outdoors near brick building.
A young Black woman with braids sits on steps in a black dress, smiling warmly at the camera outdoors.
Smiling young woman with braids in black dress poses on outdoor stone steps.
Young woman in black dress posing on steps of a red brick building with white columns.
Black and white portrait of a smiling woman in a puff-sleeve dress, posing outdoors near a building.
Joyful young woman in black dress celebrating in front of B.B. Comer Memorial School brick building.
Smiling young Black woman in black puff-sleeve dress standing outdoors near brick building.
Young Black woman in gray shirt and jeans sitting on white concrete steps outside modern building.
Young woman in black dress poses by B.B. Comer Memorial School brick sign surrounded by trees.
Smiling young woman in Alabama Crimson Tide gray t-shirt and jeans sitting outdoors on steps.
Young Black woman in pink shirt and jeans standing against green wall outdoors.
Joyful young Black woman in black dress dancing on crosswalk in front of brick school building.
Pink roses blooming on a lush green bush in a garden setting with soft bokeh background.
A woman stands on steps in front of B.B. Comer Memorial School, a brick building with arched windows and a clock tower.
Young woman smiling in Alabama Crimson Tide shirt, sitting on steps with braided hair and jeans.
A smiling young Black woman in a black dress sits on stone steps outside a brick building.

 

Hi, I'm Kariann


 

 

Wife, photographer, creative, and self-proclaimed Dr Pepper addict. I'm someone who loves love in all its forms, quiet and loud and everything in between, and I've built an entire career around making sure the little things don't disappear. Since 2020, I've been capturing portraits, milestones, and love stories across the Southeast, and I'm so glad you're here.


 

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Senior portraits at B.B. Comer Memorial School featuring student in black dress posing outdoors.