2017 Icon Status

Victoria D. Photography

Vicki Duricky of Victoria D. Photography is a senior portrait photographer based in Northeast Ohio. She began by shooting many different genres, but has fallen in love with the senior market. In 2017, she was named to Cleveland’s Hot List in the Top 10 for Portrait Photographers. She loves the teen genre, as high schoolers are at the age where they’re starting to figure out what kind of mark they want to leave on the world. They’re also at an age where they can feel conflicted and lost without the right support. In the spirit of showing teens that their decisions are important, that there are adults who believe in them and that they can make a difference in the world, beginning with the Class of 2019, Victoria D Photography is donating a portion of the proceeds from every teen client to a charity of the client’s choosing.

Stacy Jacob

One of the quotes I have on something in my senior client welcome packet is “At the end of the day your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.” – by Shanti.  As much as I love shooting in studio and shooting bright and pristinely put together looks, my true passion is incorporating nature.  I think anything is better with a little dirt.  My models and even regular senior clients are always climbing trees, laying in water, sitting in the dirt or finding me or my assistant throwing their hair in front of their face.  The power of wind and water ends up in many of my images and I think it somehow reflects the power of these young women.  Even in the midst of chaos there is always beauty.

Although I was that person that “always had a camera in my hand” I didn’t know how to use it well until one afternoon in 2010 a switch literally flipped for me. One day I wasn’t a photographer and the next day I was.  My friend was going through chemotherapy and had lost her hair.  I saw this new reveal of even more beauty than I had seen before, and knew that although she was sick, this vulnerable time was temporary and beautiful.  We had to capture it.  I did a photoshoot of her that day and we captured so many photos of her bald, beautiful head.  Together, she and I started a non-profit providing free photo sessions and a keepsake book for anyone who has lost their hair to chemotherapy.  We would have all sorts of outfits, run around, be silly, have fun, share a few tears, be real, be raw, and be themselves.   I saw people change the way they felt about themselves in a few hours time.  When I opened my studio a few years later Senior Photography was a natural choice for me.  The experience I give seniors is closest to the experience with my friend that drew me to photography to begin with.  Giving them a day they will always treasure, playing dress up, and seeing how it affects their self-esteem to see themselves in photographs, is the most rewarding thing for me. Through my model team I get to pamper them and play with them all year long. I love making my seniors feel special and especially love fostering an environment with a true team approach where everyone matters. It’s such an honor to be a small part of something I hope they’ll never forget.

Sharon McMahon

Sharon McMahon is the lucky mother of four children, wife to an endlessly supportive husband, and reluctant sweeper-upper of fur from her two giant dogs. After living on both the West and East Coasts, she returned to her roots on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. She’s been a full time photographer for five years.

Sean Brown

Sean Brown is a photographer and educator based out of Vancouver, Washington specializing in high school senior portraits. He is considered one of the leading educators for senior photography especially around marketing and branding. His goal is to bring out every senior’s personality in their images and is dedicated to making sure that every senior session is different so that no two seniors’ images are alike.

Nikole Kline

Thats me, Nikole Kline and I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!!! I’ve been playing with cameras my whole life (point & shoot, disposable, polaroid, 35mm film, you name it) and was rarely without one. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that I purchased my first DSLR and quickly realized I wanted to try my hand in the business. At that point I wasn’t sure what areas I would enjoy most, so I accepted anything that came my way… kids, families, weddings, and everything in between. Slowly but surely I eliminated what wasn’t inspiring me, and was just waiting for that “THIS IS IT” moment. Well, I found it 3 years ago when I tried my hand at senior sessions. I had been seeing photographs from some of the leading photographers in the business and was awe inspired by what they were doing. Senior photography had come a long way from what I was offered in the late 90’s, and I wanted to be apart of what I was seeing. While I still have a lot to learn, and a long way to go, I’m loving the process and look forward to what the future has in store for myself and this community!

Nikki Guest

Nikki Guest is an award winning senior photographer based in Katy, Texas (West Houston Area). Nikki has been nationally published in media outlets such as Senior Style Guide, Twelfth Year & Modern Senior. In addition to print & social media publications, she has enjoyed seeing her work featured in Time Square (twice). Having two features on the “jumbotron” is definitely a highlight of her career. Nikki is probably best known for her ability to engage her seniors in a way that pulls out the most natural expressions. Whether they are athletes, performers, or scholars there is always a story to be told. Nikki becomes their catalyst to tell the story. She loves to capture seniors having fun in their own element! She takes fashion forward elements, the personality of the senior and her creative edge to create a time capsule of memories for each senior. Nikki’s goal has always been to encourage her clients the importance of self worth. Living your best life, remember that we all have a story! Telling your own and being true to yourself will always be the best approach. You are guaranteed to win, every-single-time! Nikki is a mom of two boys (she calls herself a ‘boymom’) and a wonderful husband that has supported her through each workshop or camera equipment purchase! The only girl in the house besides Nikki, is the family’s 80lb labradoodle (which is always in the studio during hair and makeup). One day, one day….she will get her own fake eyelashes..it will happen!

Nicki Hufford

Nicki Hufford grew up in Vienna, Ohio where she followed her first dream of playing softball at the collegiate level. She then married her high school sweet heart, Paul and together they now run Nicki Hufford Photography. They have a beautiful daughter named Maddog (aka Madison) and they are both heavily involved in the world of softball.

Misty Doyle

Misty Doyle is a portrait photographer based in Wichita Falls, TX, serving the Dallas & Oklahoma City areas as well. Her career in photography began in 2009 by photographing everything from newborns to weddings until finding her passion in high school senior portraiture. She specializes in giving her clients an exclusive luxury portrait experience like no one else in her area.

Melissa White

Melissa White is a portrait photographer based in San Luis Obispo, CA. She began her photography journey in 2009, shooting her own 4 (darling and extremely photogenic 😉 ) children, family portraits, and a few weddings. It wasn’t until 2012 that she found her true love shooting seniors. It is her passion to give the gift of confidence and to help her clients…especially senior girls- see themselves the way that she see them, the way that our creator sees them. Beauty is truly in us all.

Megan Engeseth

Megan Engeseth is a senior portrait photographer in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN. Megan’s seniors are creative, modern and a little dramatic. She’s obsessed with coffee, rescuing dogs, and swears a little too much. As a trained actor, Megan has focused on creating custom, unique and super dramatic images that really define her senior’s personalities. She looks for inspiration in fashion, art, history and theatre and tries to weave those ideas into sessions for her clients. She’s proud to have been featured both in the local Twin Cities media for her creative styled shoots as well as nationally on the Today Show with her VIP team in 2017.

Kim Stiffler

Kim Stiffler is a portrait photographer from Wichita, KS. She began her career as a photographer in 2013, and at first tried a little bit of everything. She is also a second grade teacher, and does photography on the side, hoping to retire soon, and do photography full time. When she first started photography, she thought she would love shooting children until she started shooting seniors. She fell in love at once and has never looked back. She loves building community with her spokesmodels, and loves connecting and getting to know each senior. As a teacher, she wondered if she would miss impacting lives of students, but has found that she can also have a huge impact as a photographer. Helping girls see their beauty and worth is her passion.

Kia Bondurant

Many people feel the portrait photography business is struggling, and both experienced and new photographers see their struggles as unique. Kia Bondurant spent the first 15 years of her professional photography career as a co-owner of a well-established portrait studio. For the last 5 years, she has built up a small-scale photography business in the new economy. Because of her successful experiences on both ends of the spectrum, Kia believes that professional portrait photography has a bright future. During her career, Kia has been featured on the cover of Professional Photographer magazine twice, named the Kansas Photographer of the Year, the national Senior Photographer of the Year and has both her Masters and Craftsmen for PPA.

Joie Photographie

Hi! I’m Monique! JOIE Photographie’s photographer and owner! So why the name JOIE? Well, I have always had an innate need to document life’s joys,  hence the name JOIE Photographie which means ‘joy’ in French. Technically, it’s pronounced \zhwä\…..but I just pronounce it ‘joy’.

The JOIE Photographie studio is based in Houston, Texas. I have been a full-time photographer for almost 10 years, but I took the jump of specializing only in high school seniors 2 years ago! It was scary letting everything else go, but I think I finally found my niche!

Jessica Heller

Jessica is a 23 years young photographer and mentor from Bismarck, North Dakota playing make believe with a camera! Her passion for photography was first inspired by Conceptual Photographers such as Rosie Hardy over 7 years ago. Since those early days, Jessica has fallen in love with Senior Photography and still enjoys a similar eye of artistry in her work.

Jen Bertrand

Jen Bertrand specializes in editorial branding + lifestyle imagery. Her formal photographic training from the University of Texas at Austin, combined with her outside-the-box creative eye, allows her to create not just images but works of art. She is known for her modern and edgy approach to photography, as well as adding her personal touch to the entire client experience. Jen also specializes in teaching studio lighting and other photography techniques to photographers through her studio lighting workshop called Enlighten, as well as one-on-one mentorships. She is the go-to photographer for creative professionals, brands, and teens looking for original and fresh images that lean way from industry clichés. Jen is based in Dallas where she lives with her husband, daughter, and their dog.

Heather Allred

Heather Allred is a photographer based out of Baltimore, MD, she also serves parts of PA, VA and DC. Heather tailors each shoot to her clients taste – so no two sessions are alike, and she delivers stunning, high-quality images. Heather has a passion for capturing the beauty of each of her clients and loves to make them feel as beautiful as they are, inside and out.

Dan McClanahan

Dan McClanahan became a photographer in 2009 with the goal of creating a fresh alternative to traditional photography in his market. His quest was so successful that his work quickly made waves in the photo industry with multiple Grand Imaging Awards, WPPI awards, magazine features and becoming one of the youngest photographers on record to receive all three photography degrees bestowed by PPA. Dan has given back to the photography community as an educator, teaching numerous times at Imaging USA, SYNC, After Dark Education, PhotoVision and several smaller events. He owns and operates McClanahan Studio with his best friend and beautiful wife, Alex, and splits his time between advertising photography and modern high school senior photography. The couple lives and works in a 12k sq/ft historic building they renovated and share with nine tenants. Outside of work Dan is a small town Iowa introvert that loves Jesus, his family, punk rock drumming and strong coffee.

Chelsea Taylor

Chelsea Taylor is an award-winning, natural light photographer located in southern Kansas. She specializes in portraits for teen & senior girls and strives to create an experience that makes young women feel beautiful & confident. Chelsea is known for bright, bold, colorful images with lots of sunshine! Chelsea is the wife of a gorgeous bearded man, the mom of a spoiled pitbull and she has a deep love for strong coffee, dark chocolate and the dollar bins at target. Her work has been nationally published in Senior Style Guide, The Twelfth Year & Beauty Revived magazine.

Caroline Madsen

I have loved photography since I was a teenager growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 80’s, plastering fashion spreads from W Magazine all over my bedroom walls. I went on to work in the fashion industry in Milan, Italy for several years and then lived in Paris, France for 2 more before coming to Montana to settle down and raise a family.
I absolutely LOVE shooting high school seniors. Their youthful energy and hope for the future inspires me.
I love to play tennis, travel and enjoy the outdoors in Big Sky Country!

Carly Keowski

Carly Keowski is an award-winning portrait photographer in Cairns, Australia. She tinkered around with photography when she received her first SLR camera on her 21st. But didn’t get right into until she travelled to Europe, the Middle East and Africa for 3 years and found the most amazing subjects to photograph. It solidified her passion for photographing people. It made her realise that everyone has a story.

Carly has been running her business for 5 years, and was lucky to be taken under a local stylist’s wing, who got her into fashion/editorial photography.  She loves working with teens and wants to offer the editorial experience to everyone.   Senior photography is not huge in Australia, but she is determined to make it as the leading Senior/Teen Photographer there and has been mentored by some of the best in the industry!

Carly has been featured in Australian and international media, blogs and graced the covers of Australian publications.  She has also been involved in campaign shoots for Topshop and Australian designers, where her images have hung as feature banners from the roof of the Contemporary Craft and Design Centre in Adelaide.

Beth Seliga

Beth Seliga, of 3 Cats Photo, began her photography career with the exhilarating rush of photographing professional cyclists from the back of a motorcycle. Her sports photography images were featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and Pro Cycling, among other international publications. The start of a family was also the start of professional change for Beth, who has been recognized locally for her portrait photography, and is the proud recipient of multiple Recognition of Merit awards and a 2nd Place award in the Senior category, presented by the National Association of Professional Child Photographers. She has been honored with the Hot 100 ICON Status award from leading Senior publication, Senior Style Guide.