Mariah Maude Photography | Adventure in the Fields & Woods

At my family’s cabin in central Wisconsin, I always find so much beauty surrounding me at this second home of mine. The wispy, peaceful fields give way to tall mysterious pines and the blissful, sparkling, blue-green lake. While growing up here, I acquired my love for this landscape; it continues to inspire me to use this setting for my photography. A favorite and memorable photo shoot is the one I did of Emma’s senior portraits. I have known her since she was born; our families are long-time friends. Emma is an artistic, smart, comedic, cheery, caring, gorgeous girl, and I wanted my photos to showcase that. I tried to capture a variety of shots — some that showed her serious and artsy side, and some that showed her lively and joyful side.

Senior portrait of Emma in field with hat

The Journey of Emma's Senior Portraits

Her vibrant vintage dress gave these photos that artistically dramatic look that fit Emma’s style. The streaming sunshine and brightly colored grass shows her cheery personality and the joyful anticipation of her future after high school.

Senior portrait of Emma in field with hat Senior portrait of Emma in field with vintage gold dressBlack and white senior portrait of Emma walking in field

I started the photo shoot with capturing shots of Emma standing in the tall grass, which acted perfectly as a framing foreground. There were, of course, comments about the itchy weeds and bugs, but it was all worth it. At sunset, the golden light gave photos a surreal, romantic look.

Emma's senior portrait sitting in field at sunsetEmma's senior portrait at sunset Emma's serious senior portrait standing in field at sunsetSenior portrait of Emma hand on hip in field

I captured some poses of her sitting or laying on a bohemian-styled blanket, which gave the photos a fun and funky look.

Senior portrait close up of Emma on bohemian blanket

We went out onto a long country road, which added cool depth into the portraits. Thankfully with being out in the country, we barely ever had to worry about cars coming. I played around with having Emma backlit, which gave the photo a serene, dreamy effect, and having the warm light spill vibrantly over her face. Emma even pulled off the country chic look with adding a hat to the mixture!

Senior portrait of Emma on country road Senior portrait of Emma on road with hat

Photography Is My Adventure

The most memorable part of the photo shoot happened at a rustic old building nearby. It was overgrown with weeds and vines and therefore a perfect backdrop for portraits. The building was really close to the road and looked completely abandoned, so we thought it would be fine to take a few photos by it. We had gotten through only about eight photos of Emma against the cracking white siding when we saw a car drive by with an angry woman yelling out her window, “That’s private property!” We all looked at each other in shocked surprise and then started running towards our car while laughing with bemusement — it was like a scene from a movie. I think this is one of the most amusing photos from this shoot, because it shows the fun goofiness that I had with Emma.

Funny mishap during Emma's senior portrait photoshoot

The mishaps of life are what make it an exciting adventure. I love finding my adventure in this world, and part of it is using my photography to capture people’s beauty. Photographing Emma’s high school senior portraits demonstrated how some of the most memorable and fun experiences can be a result of life’s unexpected turns and how you can create some of the most wonderful photos in the process.

Candid senior portrait of Emma laughing in wildflowers

I'm so grateful to be the photographer of Mariah Maude Photography, which is based out of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Using natural light and the wonderful outdoors, I capture high school seniors, portraits, families, and couples/engagements. 

Thanks for your interest! I'd love to chat with you.

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