A California Dream in the Heart of Baton Rouge | Mikayla’s Senior Session at Perkins Rowe


There are some seniors you photograph because they’re graduating.

And then there are seniors like Mikayla — the ones who quietly make you emotional behind the camera because you’ve watched them grow up almost your entire adult life.


I’ve known Mikayla since she was about five years old. Back then, she was the tiny little girl putting on full performances and dance recitals beside my swimming pool like she was already headlining a stage somewhere. Even then, she had that spark — equal parts determined, creative, poised, and completely herself.


Now somehow, impossibly, she’s graduating summa cum laude and heading to University of California, Irvine this fall to study dance and law with dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer.


Honestly? That tracks perfectly for her.


This session at Perkins Rowe was designed around that next chapter — sophisticated, fashion-forward, youthful, and just a little cinematic. We leaned heavily into a California-inspired vibe with palm-lined streets, editorial posing, classic black-and-white moments, and little nods to the creative future waiting for her on the West Coast.

Young woman in University of California white sweatshirt posing on palm tree-lined street in sunny California.
Young woman in black mini dress and heels leaning against white wall on brick sidewalk with palm trees.
Black and white photo of a stylish woman in sunglasses and headscarf sitting at an outdoor cafe table.
Young woman wearing a white University of California Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts sweatshirt outdoors.
Young woman walking outdoors holding colorful shopping bags from luxury stores on a sunny palm-lined street.
Young woman with long braided hair and red lips poses among tropical green plants in natural sunlight.
A young woman in a black dress and heels poses gracefully on decorative tiled stairs with ornate railings.
Woman in dark dress relaxing on outdoor sofa surrounded by lush tropical plants in a stylish patio setting.
Black and white portrait of a young woman in a black halter dress, posing gracefully against a white brick wall.

The early morning light gave us the stillness we needed before the shops opened and the crowds rolled in. Mikayla floated through the session effortlessly — one moment giving effortless model energy carrying shopping bags down the center of the street, the next looking timeless and refined perched on tiled staircases or sitting among tropical greenery with sunlight wrapped around her curls.


And while the session absolutely looked elevated and polished, what I’ll remember most is how grounded it felt.


Her family is simply one of those families you root for. The kind that raises kind kids. Hardworking kids. Kids with talent and ambition who are also genuinely good humans. Sending a child across the country is emotional under any circumstance, but when you’ve poured love, support, discipline, and opportunity into them for years and watch them step confidently into the world like this… that’s something really special.


I know her parents are proud. They should be.


Mikayla is walking into this next season with beauty, brains, discipline, creativity, and big dreams — and I have a feeling California is only the beginning for her.


Congratulations, Mikayla. You’ve earned every bit of this next chapter.

Baton Rouge Senior Photography with Editorial & Lifestyle Vibes


One of my favorite things about senior sessions is tailoring them completely to the senior themselves. No two sessions should feel identical. For Mikayla, that meant blending:


  • fashion-inspired senior portraits
  • California-inspired aesthetics
  • dance and performance energy
  • polished editorial posing
  • authentic personality
  • and meaningful storytelling tied to her future goals


Senior year deserves more than generic photos. It deserves documentation of who you are right now before life changes in the most beautiful ways.


If you’re looking for a senior photographer in Baton Rouge who blends portraiture with storytelling and a relaxed lifestyle approach, I’d love to help create something personal to your senior too.