Stephanie Friedman, Author at Austin Senior Photographer | Stephanie Friedman Photography

Upper & Lower Falls at McKinney Falls State Park – Senior Photos

by admin | May 28, 2025 | photography, seniors

Exploring McKinney Falls State Park | Austin Senior Photographer

This High School Senior (and future Texas State student) chose McKinney Falls State Park for his photo session location.

mckinney falls lower falls park senior photography session

The park wasn’t too crowded for a week night in late Spring. (Though I did photoshop out a few swimmers in the background)

If you live in Austin and are also interested in having your High School Senior Photo Session at McKinney Falls, check out my tips below.

Tips for Photo Sessions at McKinney Falls State Park:

Park reservations are required, so make sure you get a day pass in advance of your chosen session date.
Entrance Fees are $6/adult.
The Park has over nine miles of trails, but I like the Upper Falls and Lower Falls along Onion Creek the best.
There are several restrooms off the trails to use for outfit changes.
Springtime can bring wildflowers to the Park (keep an eye on their social media to see how the blooms are looking – and any other useful Park alerts).
Pack water shoes and a towel since we might get our feet wet for part of your photo session if the water is high.

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own High School Senior photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more Senior portrait sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

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McKinney Falls – Shared Senior Photo Session

May 3, 2026

McKinney Falls Shared Sisters Senior Portrait Session | Austin Senior Photographer A perfect combination for a Shared Senior Photo Session is when one sister is graduating from High School and another is graduating from College. This Austin High Senior and Texas State...

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University of Texas – PhD Graduation Photo Session

by admin | May 22, 2025 | photography, seniors

PhD Graduation Photo Session | Austin Senior Photographer

For this Graduation Photo session on the University of Texas campus, we made sure to hit all the popular spots (The Tower, The Fountain, etc.) And since we met up one early morning after graduation, we had the place mostly to ourselves.

But some of my favorite moments came when we went to her lab building.

EER building on the UT campus for graduation photo session

The Engineering Education and Research Center (EER) is a gorgeous, window-filled building. And it’s not every photo session that gets to end with liquid nitrogen.

liquid nitrogen photo session on UT campus

If you’re also graduating from the University of Texas and are interested in having your Senior Photo Session on Campus, check out my tips below.

Tips for College Senior Photo Sessions at the University of Texas:

Right before Graduation, Campus gets pretty full of photo shoots, so try and plan early or choose off-times for your photos (or be okay with waiting for your turn in front of popular spots)
Iron your regalia and bring it on a hanger
You can pose in your full cap and gown, part of your regalia, regular dressy clothes or any combination of the above
If you have a particular spot on campus that means a lot to you (ex. where you took the majority of your classes), let me know so we can include it in our route
I’ll send you a list of popular spots before your date so you can give me your top 4 to 5 choices to visit in your hour-long session
If your family will be in town, we can add-on a mini-family photo session
If you want to end your session in the Littlefield Fountain – bring some champagne to “pop” as well as a towel for drying off and flip flops to wear for afterwards
If you’re interested in a group session with some friends, contact me for group pricing

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own College Senior session in Austin, Texas. Explore more Senior sessions on my blog.

Client Feedback and Advice

What prompted you to have this photo session? I wanted to get professional pictures to remember this accomplishment.
What do you plan to do with your digital photos? I will print some of them for my family and probably post a few on instagram.
How did you choose your location for your session? I chose the iconic locations at UT for classic UT grad pictures, but I also wanted to capture my personal experience on campus in my research lab. As a graduate student, I spend most of my time in the research lab and don’t walk around campus much, so I wanted to capture that in my graduate pictures as well.
What advice would you give to others planning a similar Senior photo session?
I especially love the pictures from my lab. I would advise other PhDs to make it personal and have some ideas/props ready to display your project. It helps to have example pictures.
Anything else you’d like to add about working with Stephanie Friedman Photography?It was great working with you Stephanie! You are very easy to talk to and make the photoshoot fun!
Can you share some details about what’s happening in the lab photos? My dissertation thesis focused on developing an electrospun wrap to improve bone healing. All of the items I was playing with were parts of how I fabricated the wraps. The big orange box is an electrospinning box where we apply electric charge to our materials to spin it into a mat that is made of micro-scale fibers, kind of like fabric. The syringe with multiple needles is a custom made electrospinning syringe to spin multiple jets at the same time. The gross tissue I was holding was small intestine. We use small intestine as a material in our wrap to help guide the body to make more blood vessels that will help bone regeneration and healing. The big hood that I was working in with a pipette is a biosafety cabinet (BSC). We use it to work with cells and bacteria in a sterile environment (to protect us and the cells). The big tank that sprayed up a bunch of white smoke was a liquid nitrogen tank. We use this to freeze samples very quickly to preserve their structure. The liquid nitrogen is -196C, so when it hits room temperature air, it vaporizes instantaneously. Once the container gets cold enough, a liquid will start to collect that we can submerge our samples in to freeze them.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

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Commons Ford Ranch – Senior Photo Session

by admin | May 16, 2025 | photography, seniors

Spring wildflowers and playing guitar | Austin Senior Photo Session

This high school musician chose Commons Ford Ranch in Southwest Austin for their senior photo session.

guitar playing high school senior photo session in austin

We got some photos with his guitar and had fun exploring around the Park. It was blooming with late season Spring wildflowers.

rustic old barn at commons ford ranch in south austin for senior photo session

If you live in Austin and are also interested in having your Senior Photo Session at Commons Ford Ranch, check out my tips below.

Tips for High School Senior Photo Sessions at Commons Ford Ranch:

It can get crowded with other photo sessions at peak times (weekend evenings in Spring and Fall) – so pick off times if possible.
It’s about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot to the Lakefront area – make sure to wear or bring comfortable shoes for walking between locations
The Lakefront area can be a popular party area – keep an eye out for stray beer cans in your frame and you might have to wait your turn on the dock. (We had some considerate swimmers move out of the way on the dock so we could get the angle and shots we wanted)
Lots of wildlife call this park their home. If you are going to be in the tall grass, wear boots or pants as one of your three outfit options.
Plan to change outfits in your car (the nearest restroom is a port-o-potty)
Springtime wildflowers can be spectacular – peak blooms are usually in March, April and May. Winter has some lovely golden dry grass as well.

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Senior session in Austin, Texas. Explore more Senior sessions on my blog.

What prompted you to have this photo session? I’m not big on Pictures, but I figured that graduation is kinda important and probably worth some good photos to commemorate it.
What do you plan to do with your digital photos? Profile pictures for social media definitely, maybe professional pictures as well.
How did you choose your location for your session? I looked at the website you included in your prep email and Commons ford Ranch really stood out as a place that could compliment my style and personality.
What advice would you give to others planning a similar Senior photo session? Prep ahead of time with your photographer!!! Nothing beats a shooting session with a prepared photographer and an excited model/muse (you!)
Anything else you’d like to add about working with Stephanie Friedman Photography? As someone with social anxiety it was impressive how she charged into public areas while not being rude about it. I was very out of my comfort zone being around people during the pictures but she really made it work regardless!

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

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Picture-Perfect Parties: Decorating your Graduation Celebration with Senior Photos

by admin | May 9, 2025 | photography, seniors

From Camera to Celebration | Austin Senior Photography

You’ve had your Senior Photo Session, got your digital images, and now it’s time to plan your Graduation Party.

Make your Party feel more personal and memorable with these ideas below.

So pick your favorite photos on your computer, then head to Zazzle or Etsy and create some of these items.

First up is making an invitation.

Graduation Invites: Announce & Celebrate

sample graduation card

One of the easiest and most popular ways to use your senior photos is for custom graduation announcements and invitations. These cards are a great way to share your achievements with family and friends while giving them a keepsake of this special time in your life.

Choosing the Right Design

Select a template that matches your personality and style—modern, classic, rustic, or bold.
Opt for a single-image or collage-style card to showcase multiple looks from your session.
Incorporate school colors or your future college’s branding for a personalized touch.

What to Include

Your name and high school
Graduation date and ceremony details (if applicable)
A heartfelt message or quote
Party invitation details (if you’re hosting a celebration)

Where to Order

Many online retailers, such as Minted, Shutterfly, and SnapFish, offer beautiful custom templates for graduation cards.

Once you’ve sent out your invitations, you can plan your decorations.

Decor Ideas using Senior Photos: Creative & Meaningful

Displaying your senior photos in creative ways makes your party feel more personal and memorable. Some options include:

1. Yard Signs: Can help direct guests to where to party is and add curb appeal

graduation party yard sign

2. Custom Balloons: Can be displayed inside or outside the house

custom senior photo balloon 3. Personalized Photo Banner: Hang in a doorway or above a food or drinks table

custom photo banner

4. Cupcake Topper: Picture a dessert table full of your face

senior cupcake topper

5. Guest Sign-in Poster: Use one of your favorite Senior Photos to create a sign-in poster for guests to leave you messages or just their name as a memento

guest sign in poster with senior photo

Senior portraits also make lots of other great personalized items

Temporary tattoos or stickers with your face
Graduation party favor labels
Custom life-size cardboard cutouts
Custom photo confetti
Candy with your face on it

There are loads of fun things you can physically get made with your pictures.

Bonus Idea:

Slideshow or Digital Picture Frame: You can also load a slideshow of your favorite digital images to play during your Graduation Party. Incorporate photos back from your kindergarten days to make everyone feel sentimental.

If you’re still planning your senior session or want fresh images to use in your grad party, I’d love to help you create portraits that feel true to you. Let’s connect and start planning!

Have fun and party on!

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

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Red Bud Isle – Senior + Family Photo Session

by admin | May 8, 2025 | photography, seniors

Red Bud Isle High School Photo Session | Austin Senior Photography

It was a beautiful weekend night in the Spring, and Red Bud Isle was full of people fishing, swimming and walking their dogs. But we still found some quieter spots to take Senior + Family photos.

family photo session at red bud isle in austin, texas by stephanie friedman photography

If you live in Austin and are also interested in having your Senior Photo Session at Red Bud Isle, check out my tips below.

Tips for Senior Photo Sessions at Red Bud Isle in Austin:

This off-leash dog park lies in West Austin on Lady Bird Lake
It has blooming Red Bud trees in early Spring and fall color in late November
Red Bud Isle is popular with dog owners, canoers and kayakers, so be aware the small parking lot may fill up easily
If you’re worried about parking, book a sunrise session or pick a weeknight over the weekend
There’s no restroom at the park, so plan to change outfits in your car
The trail is an easy half-mile loop that takes you out to scenic views of the water under large Cypress trees

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own High School Senior photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more portrait sessions on my blog.