Senior and Family Photo Session at Commons Ford Ranch

Spring wildflowers for a Senior and Family Portrait Session | Austin Senior Photographer

This Westlake High School Senior requested Commons Ford Ranch as her photo session location. She chose the Senior + Family Package (and had her boyfriend in some photos as well).

class of 2026 sunglasses on couple of high school graduating seniors

Commons Ford Ranch is located in West Austin off Cuernavaca Dr.

This lakefront park has a rustic barn (currently being renovated), wooden fences, large prairie fields as well as a small wooden dock on the waterfront.

After all our April rain, we finally got some beautiful fields of wildflowers at the park.

commons ford ranch high school senior photo session among the spring wildflowers

If you’d also like to have a Senior photo session at Commons Ford Ranch, here are my tips below:

PARKING: There is parking along the road you drive in on. I recommend starting near the barn and parking over there.
OPERATING HOURS: The park is open from 5am-10pm daily. Admission is free.
LOCATIONS: This park is 215 acres. Main features include the barn, the fields, the trails and the waterfront area. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the barn to the dock.
WARDROBE: We’ll be doing some walking from one part of the park to another, so wear (or bring) comfortable shoes. Since you’ll be standing in tall grass, I recommend boots for some of your outfits (lots of wildlife call this park their home).
SCHEDULE: This park is very busy during peak times (October/November for Family photos and March/April/May for Senior Photos). It’s also very popular with birders.
RESTROOMS: There are two port-o-potties by the barn. There is one other restroom near the waterfront. Plan to change outfits in your car.
NEARBY RESTAURANTS: If you’d like to go out for dinner after your photo session at Commons Ford, some nearby options include: Patrizi’s for Italian, County Line for BBQ or bistro & bakery goodies at Ronnie’s Real Food.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, this park is definitely dog-friendly.
WHAT TO BRING: It’s optional, but some prop ideas are listed 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 Photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Client Feedback and Advice

What prompted you to have this photo session? We wanted this session to capture Leili before she heads off to college.
What do you plan to do with your digital photos? We plan to print some and share the rest with family.
How did you choose your location for your session? We chose Commons Ford Ranch because its a good location with a variety of settings.
What advice would you give to others planning a similar photo session? Advice: Just relax and have fun!
Anything else you’d like to add about working with Stephanie Friedman Photography? We had a great time working with you!

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.

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.