HOPE Outdoor Gallery – Senior Photo Session

by admin | Feb 28, 2026 | photography, seniors

What’s a Senior Photo Session like at HOPE Outdoor Gallery | Austin Family Photographer

If you want a colorful and unique Senior Portrait Session, check out the newly re-opened HOPE Outdoor Gallery.

Located near the Austin Airport, this open-air, multi-story event “paint park” has rotating murals and public walls you can contribute to.

map of the hope outdoor gallery in austin

If you’re a Senior that appreciates artistic expression, I recommend this space for your photo session. Get ready to leave your mark on Austin.

HOPE Outdoor Gallery wall with senior holding spray paint cans in front of it in Austin

So what’s it like to have you Senior Portrait Session at HOPE Outdoor Gallery?

I’ll make sure to take your photo in front of any murals that appeal to you.
We’ll explore all the different areas of the park, using the art for framing, composition and mood.
I’ll end your session letting you do some spray painting yourself on the outside walls.

If you’d also like to have a Senior photo session at HOPE Outdoor Gallery, here are some tips below:

PARKING: There is plenty of free parking in their lot
OPERATING HOURS: The gallery is open Wednesdays – Sundays from 10am- 6pm.
LOCATIONS: This venue has two levels on an eight-acre community art park.
WARDROBE: You’ll be in front of lots of bright, colorful walls. And we’ll make sure any wall you’re leaning against is dry so we don’t get paint on your clothes.
SCHEDULE: Check their Events page before you book. They are more crowded on weekends.
FOOD / RESTROOMS: There’s a coffee bar inside the event space as well as gender-neutral restrooms.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, this park is definitely dog-friendly
NEARBY RESTAURANTS: If you want to go out to dinner after your photo session, a nearby option is: Live Oak Brewing.
WHAT TO BRING: Spray paint to use on the outside concrete walls. They have an art supply shop is on-site if you need to stock up as well while you’re there.

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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 Portrait session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

stephanie friedman headshot

Stephanie Friedman first picked up a camera in high school, went on to study photojournalism in college (Hook ‘Em), then worked as a photo researcher in educational publishing for over 20 years.

During all that, she’s been photographing Families and Seniors for the last 10 years. You can count on her to be communicative and organized before your session. She’ll help you feel relaxed and confident during your session. And you’ll have a smile on your face after your session once you see your new photos.

Interested in Booking a High School Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Tips for Photo Sessions at Pease Park

by admin | Feb 21, 2026 | photography, seniors

Tips for Portrait Sessions at Pease Park | Austin Senior and Family Photographer

Whether it’s for a Family or Senior Portrait Session, one photo location I recommend year-round is Pease Park.

Located in Central Austin between along Lamar Blvd. from 15th St. to 31st St., their main entrance is at Kingsbury Commons (1100 Kingsbury St.)

This 84-acre district park in the heart of Austin has a mix of greenery and hardscapes to explore. It was also Austin’s first public park (it was established in 1875).

high school girl in front of the metal treehouse pod at pease park in central austin

If you’d also like to have a Family or Senior photo session at Pease Park, here are my tips below:

PARKING: There is a small parking lot at 1100 Kingsbury St with 18 spots. There is limited parking available on Parkway, south of Kingsbury, that is free during the week and pay-to-park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Live Oak Meadow also has a small parking lot and street parking along Parkway, North of Kingsbury. More details HERE. I usually recommend parking near the Live Oak Meadow.
OPERATING HOURS: The park is open from 5am-10pm daily.
LOCATIONS: Main features include the Live Oak Meadow, the Tudor Cottage (with string lights across the courtyard), the metal Treehouse Observation Pod and Malin the Troll sculpture. Shoal Creek also runs through the park (water levels vary throughout the year).
WARDROBE: We’ll be doing some walking from one of the park to another, so wear (or bring) comfortable shoes.
SCHEDULE: Check their Events page before you book.
FOOD / RESTROOMS: There are currently three food trucks on site – Tex-Mex, Coffee and Snowcones. There is also a restroom near the Treehouse.
NEARBY RESTAURANTS: If you’d like to go out for dinner after your photo session at Pease Park, some nearby favorites include: Galaxy Cafe (very kid-friendly), Jeffrey’s (upscale date night), Cipollina (Italian bistro).
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, this park is definitely dog-friendly.
WHAT TO BRING: It’s optional, but some prop ideas are listed HERE for families and HERE for Seniors.

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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 + Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

stephanie friedman headshot

Stephanie Friedman first picked up a camera in high school, went on to study photojournalism at the University of Texas (Hook ‘Em), then worked as a photo researcher in educational publishing for over 20 years.

Interested in Booking a Senior or Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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High School Senior Year Checklist – February

by admin | Feb 3, 2026 | photography, seniors

High School Senior Year To Do List | Austin, Texas

Happy Winter!

High School Seniors (and your Parents):

See below for your February To Do List to keep on top of your college applications and a reminder to keep an eye on your School Calendar for events and traditions. And don’t forget to make time for fun as well.

february to do list for austin high school seniors

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Please contact me if you’d like to book a High School Senior portrait session in Austin, Texas this year.

Ready to reach out to book your photo session?

Contact Me

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Baseball Senior Pictures – Toomey Fields

by admin | Jan 25, 2026 | photography, seniors

Tips for a Baseball Senior Photo Session | Austin High School Senior Photographer

If you’re a High School baseball player and want to include your sport in your High School Senior Photo Session, I’ve got you covered.

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Here are my Top Five Tips:

1) WHEN TO BOOK: Book during your off-season (for this high school athlete, we met in early January before his baseball season had started). If you play multiple sports, pick your least busy time of year.

2) WHERE TO GO: Plan to meet at a Baseball Field (this Senior had access to Toomey Fields in South Austin) – but you could also ask about access at your school campus. We took shots in the dugout, on the bleachers and on the field. I also loved the views of the Austin skyline from this angle.

high school senior baseball photo session in south austin by stephanie friedman photography

3) WHAT TO BRING: Bring all your gear – we made use of his baseball hat, bat, ball and glove. His mom also brought his first uniform from his T-Ball days (from this very same field!) as well as a photo from that younger era (see gallery pics below). This Austin High Senior also brought his fishing gear. Then we got some fishing shots around Lady Bird Lake as well.

4) WHAT TO WEAR: Outfits – we took photos in his baseball uniform, cap & gown as well as in a more casual outift. Variety is the key to a well-rounded image gallery.

5) HOW TO POSE: I’ll give lots of instructions, but overall we’ll do a mix of action, posed and detail shots during your photo session.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

stephanie friedman headshot

Stephanie Friedman first picked up a camera in high school, then went on to study photojournalism in college at the University of Texas in Austin (Hook ‘Em Horns). After that, she worked as a photo researcher in educational publishing for over 20 years.

Besides that, she’s been photographing Families and Seniors for the last 10 years. You can count on her to be communicative and organized before your session. She’ll help you feel relaxed and confident during your session. And you’ll have a smile on your face after your session once you see your new photos.

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

← Previous Post Next Post →

Tips for Graduation Photo Sessions at the University of Texas

by admin | Jan 9, 2026 | photography, seniors

Planning your UT Photo Session | Austin Senior Photographer

When planning a University of Texas college graduation photo session, I tell my senior to pick their four anchor locations on campus. Then we’ll plan the flow of their session around these spots.

Outlining the route:

For this graduating Biology major, she picked the:

MLK Statue on the East Mall
Turtle Pond
UT Tower

as her must-haves.

university of texas college graduation senior photo session on campus by stephanie friedman photography

I suggested we fit in the Biology building exterior as well since it’s so close to the Turtle Pond. And since the Tower is now partially covered in scaffolding, we also made our way down to the Littlefield Fountain to get Tower views (but with less construction mess).

We also took advantage of the South Mall T-E-X-A-S letters left on campus from the Longhorn Lights Holiday display for some cap throwing as well.

If you’d also like to have a Graduating Senior photo session on the University of Texas at Austin campus, here are my recommendations below:

TIMING: Right before Spring Graduation, Campus gets pretty full of photo shoots. So try and plan earlier in the semester or choose off-times for your photos (or be okay with waiting for your turn in front of popular spots) – We met over winter break for her photo session and only saw three other seniors getting photographed at the same time.
PREP: Iron your regalia and bring it on a hanger.
WHAT TO WEAR: You can pose in your full cap and gown, part of your regalia, regular dressy clothes or any combination of the above.
LOCATIONS: 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.
ROUTE: I’ll send you a list of popular spots before your date so you can give me your top 4 choices to visit in your hour-long session.
MINI ADD-ON: If your family will be in town, we can add-on a mini-family photo session.
CELEBRATE: 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.
WALKING SHOES: Since we’ll likely be doing a lot of walking around campus, wear or bring comfortable shoes to change into between spots (I’ll have my blue rolling cart to help carry everything).
GROUP SESSIONS: If you’re interested in a group session with some friends, contact me for group pricing.
TOWER CONSTRUCTION: Keep an eye on the latest UT Tower construction updates.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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

stephanie friedman headshot

Stephanie Friedman first picked up a camera in high school, went on to study photojournalism in college (Hook ‘Em Horns), then worked as a photo researcher in educational publishing for over 20 years.

Interested in Booking a College Senior Photo Session?

Contact Me

← Previous Post Next Post →

High School Senior Year Checklist – January

by admin | Jan 4, 2026 | photography, seniors

High School Senior Year To Do List | Austin, Texas

Happy New Year!

High School Seniors (and your Parents):

See below for your January To Do List to keep on top of your college applications and a reminder to keep an eye on your School Calendar for events and traditions. And don’t forget to make time for fun as well.

january checklist for austin high school seniors

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Please contact me if you’d like to book a High School Senior portrait session in Austin, Texas this year.

Ready to reach out to book your photo session?

Contact Me

← Previous Post Next Post →

What’s a Senior Photo Session like at HOPE Outdoor Gallery | Austin Family Photographer

So what’s it like to have you Senior Portrait Session at HOPE Outdoor Gallery?

If you’d also like to have a Senior photo session at HOPE Outdoor Gallery, here are some tips below:

Interested in Booking a High School Senior Photo Session?

More From This Category

Tips for Portrait Sessions at Pease Park | Austin Senior and Family Photographer

If you’d also like to have a Family or Senior photo session at Pease Park, here are my tips below:

Interested in Booking a Senior or Family Photo Session?

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High School Senior Year To Do List | Austin, Texas

Happy Winter!

High School Seniors (and your Parents):

See below for your February To Do List to keep on top of your college applications and a reminder to keep an eye on your School Calendar for events and traditions. And don’t forget to make time for fun as well.

Ready to reach out to book your photo session?

More From This Category

Tips for a Baseball Senior Photo Session | Austin High School Senior Photographer

Here are my Top Five Tips:

Interested in Booking a Senior Photo Session?

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Planning your UT Photo Session | Austin Senior Photographer

Outlining the route:

If you’d also like to have a Graduating Senior photo session on the University of Texas at Austin campus, here are my recommendations below:

Interested in Booking a College Senior Photo Session?

More From This Category

High School Senior Year To Do List | Austin, Texas

Happy New Year!

High School Seniors (and your Parents):

See below for your January To Do List to keep on top of your college applications and a reminder to keep an eye on your School Calendar for events and traditions. And don’t forget to make time for fun as well.

Ready to reach out to book your photo session?

More From This Category

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