As a former high school teacher, I’ve always had a soft spot for this age and these sessions—the almost-grown, figuring-it-out, becoming-who-you-are season.

There’s something really special about photographing someone right on the edge of what comes next. I want these sessions to feel like them—not stiff poses or pictures they’re taking because their parents told them to, but an experience where they can relax, have fun, and let their personality show.