Gillian | UC Davis Arboretum GATEway Garden - Davis, CA (Davis Senior Photography)

One of the things I try and focus on in my senior sessions is capturing sights familiar to the area; little signs and symbols of where you were and what was special about that place--things you might miss once you're gone and off in college in a different part of the state, or a different state all together.

For this session, we focused on all things California and Yolo County: shots in front of Putah Creek, among golden poppies and other California wildflowers, wrapped in the blooms of a western redbud and on the train tracks which connected early Davis with the rest of a growing California.

I love this approach, because in the Great Debate we photographers have over how to make a senior session special and unique, this is one of my favorites. Surround your subject in all the things which shaped them, and just see how it brings out their character and most unique qualities.

Shoot type: 60 minute basic session
Location: UC Davis Arboretum, GATEway Garden - Davis, CA