May is graduation season here in Atlanta, and a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to photograph a high school senior session that reminded me exactly why I love this kind of work. Senior portraits are about more than caps, gowns, and announcements — they capture someone standing right at the edge of who they’re becoming.
For Ruby’s session, we started at The Carter Center in that perfect early evening light. The sun was low enough to create this beautiful gilded glow around her face and hair, and I spent part of the session experimenting with off-camera flash to try to recreate and shape that rim light effect. Some experiments worked better than others, but I loved seeing how even subtle lighting changes could add definition, crispness, and catchlights to the eyes.
One thing I’ve been learning lately is that portraits don’t always need elaborate posing or rigid direction to feel compelling. Sometimes the strongest images happen when you stop trying to control every detail and let the environment, light, and personality carry the moment. Once we shifted away from the more structured setup and leaned into natural light, everything relaxed.
Later, we headed into East Atlanta to photograph around some of the graffiti walls, including a mural featuring Ruby’s name. Her white dress, dark hair, and striking eyes stood out beautifully against the bright colors and textures of the street art.
We finished the evening at Jackson Street Bridge just before sunset, and honestly, the light there may have been my favorite surprise of the day. The setting sun was bouncing off a massive road sign across from the overlook, acting like a giant natural reflector and washing everything in soft golden light. Photographers spend so much time chasing perfect lighting setups, and sometimes the city simply gives you one.
Sessions like this always leave me inspired to keep experimenting — with light, movement, storytelling, and the balance between structure and spontaneity. But more than anything, I love documenting this fleeting season of life: the mix of excitement, uncertainty, independence, and possibility that comes with graduation.
Congratulations again to Ruby on her high school graduation. It was such a joy to help capture this moment in time.
Lisa Stone Studio 
Leave a comment