Back in March of 2020, my husband and I took our very first kid free trip for the first time in almost 12 years. Having a kid with autism makes it pretty tough to find adequate childcare, and I often feel guilty for even asking for help. My sweet friend Critsey gave us tickets to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC, so we decided to make a whole getaway from it, while my parents were sweet enough to stay with the kids. While touring the Biltmore Estate, I somewhat jokingly posted in my instagram stories, "who wants to make my senior photography dreams come true?" with a photo of the house. Little did I know, Gracie saw it and took it to heart. Girlfriend was about to make my dreams come true by booking a Destination Senior Experience to the Biltmore.
I do need to give a quick shout out to my girl Lauren who assisted me on many shoots, but literally messaged me the second she saw I wanted to go to Biltmore, offering to assist if it happened. This girl WORKS. She carries my stuff. She gets behind the scenes. She ties shoes, adjusts dresses, and keeps me on schedule. I adore this girl, and it was SO fun having her tag along. Brad-dad was helpful too. Love you, babe. Lol
I've gotten SO many comments on Gracie's stunning cotton candy colored dress since this shoot! She happens to be friends with the owner of Poffie Girls. She said this dress had been sitting there on clearance for a long time, and she decided it was going to be hers. If you've ever met Gracie, then you know this totally fits her personality. She's sweet and beautiful, but with a bit of wonderful drama to her. We started the shoot in the gardens. There happened to be three weddings going on that day (we were thoroughly entertained by the amount of fuss happening and of course seeing the bride that got to get married on the lawn!!). Dodging those plus a few prom kids was pretty funny. Lol. But we managed! The trickiest part is that the Biltmore wants guests out by 6pm, which means I'm shooting in the harsh sun all day. This is when you have to know what you're doing. Do NOT hire a newbie for lighting conditions like this. Trust me. haha
The gardens were so beautiful, but Gracie was clearly the star. We had people constantly stopping to tell her how gorgeous she looked and how amazing that dress was. It's always such a highlight of the day when that happens. Seeing a senior completely light up at all the compliments makes it extra special.
Mood shift!
After we shut the Biltmore down, we headed to another section of Asheville that is officially my favorite photography location there. Gracie is a massive fan of murals and street art, so she had zero interest in ever leaving this spot. haha We had so much fun here and her outfit matched. Kept with the pink theme but made it more casual with some ripped jeans and super cute sneakers.
Story time... I may have traumatized both Gracie and Lauren, but whatever I don't care. Gracie was at a skate park without a skateboard. These super cute college boys walk up with their boards, so naturally I ask if we can borrow one. Gracie is suddenly shy, Lauren would like to hide, and the boys are totally amused. But hey, I got a perfect shot out of it! Lol
I seriously had the BEST time at this Biltmore and Asheville senior experience. I hope this will forever be one of the big highlights of Gracie's senior year!
UPDATE: I recently found out that Gracie's wonderful dad passed away suddenly. So so many prayers and lots of love to Gracie and her family. He was truly such a fun guy. We had a great time chatting with him after her Senior Experience was over. I know he is going to be missed by many.
2 Comments
Sep 15, 2024, 7:30:07 PM
Hailey Kemper - Hi Jana! I would love that! Biltmore is gorgeous especially in spring. :) As for crowds, it's a little of both. There was a big wedding happening that evening, so there were a few people and cars in the background of some of Gracie's images that I edited out. Often times, I just adjust my shooting angle to where crowds aren't visible. I also use a shallow depth of field so most people end up being just colorful blobs in the background. haha Hope that helps!
Sep 13, 2024, 2:15:14 AM
Jana Edwards - My daughter is a senior this year and she would love her pictures taken at the biltmore this spring. I have some questions. Do you digitally erase people from the photos or is it just a timing thing? Also do you get to have special access during off hours so there is no one photo bombing? I’m just concerned about the crowds and how that is navigated. Thank you for your time.