Stunning Senior Portraits with a Vintage Twist: Audra’s Testimony

From graduations to anniversaries, life is full of joyful milestones. When we reach these important moments in life, we often want to capture them as treasured memories to hold onto for years to come. What better way to create a long-lasting memory than with a beautiful portrait?

I’m not talking about awkward school photos or a pop-up backdrop at the mall. Professional portraits are much more than just photographs; they’re stunning works of art. I’ll be the first to admit that I hadn’t really thought about this distinction before it came time for my college graduation. My parents kept urging me to schedule seniors’ pictures, but I wasn’t really interested in taking the typical photos that everyone else ends up with after their college career has ended.

I’ve always had an interest in fashion, especially vintage-style clothing and decor. My mom actually mentioned the idea of getting some portraits made with an artist she knew, Isabelle Guillen. Honestly, I figured that I would walk into a generic looking studio with random props and an overly peppy photographer asking me if I liked pose A, B, or C.

You can imagine my surprise when I stepped into Isabelle’s studio for our first meeting. The entire space looks like something straight out of a French catalogue, and the portraits scattered along the walls look more artistic than any others I’ve ever seen.

Isabelle was unbelievably welcoming and began by asking me what types of things I enjoyed and what objects/hobbies I felt really defined my personality. I was amazed that she would spend an entire hour just getting to know my mother and I. It is obvious that Isabelle truly cares about each and every subject with which she works. We even connected on Pinterest so that we could collaborate on outfit ideas for my portrait session AND she agreed to let my dog make an appearance in some of my portraits.

The day of our session, I was greeted at Isabelle’s door with a warm hug and a plate of macarons. She led me to a dressing room and I must say I really did feel like a model showing up for work. Isabelle treated me like a celebrity and worked tirelessly with me for two hours! We worked through countless poses, outfit changes, dog handling and more until Isabelle was happy with her work and I was no longer able to stand in my high heels.

I’ve never thought of myself as particularly photogenic, so I was hoping to be able to pick out a few decent portraits at our follow-up session. Little did I know that Isabelle had captured a woman I didn’t even know existed! I was torn between upwards of 20 images and I left absolutely amazed at how beautifully Isabelle had captured my personality and subtle expressions.

She even managed to capture the moments where my dog was looking at the camera too. Not only did I end up with the beautifully unique senior portraits, but I am left with lasting memories of this pivotal time in my life. I love how much Isabelle cares about the people (and animals) that she photographs, and I can’t wait to purchase more portraits from my original session. If you’re looking for a personal experience that will exceed your highest expectations, I highly recommend investing in a portrait session with Isabelle Guillen.