The LPJ Senior Rep Team 2027 is officially underway! And if our first group shoot is any indication, this is going to be a really fun year.

We kicked things off with a little Red, White & Blue in honor of America’s 250th birthday this year. Four very different personalities, different schools and backgrounds, and somehow, by the end of the afternoon, they already felt like a team.

I love that about senior rep teams. They may start out as strangers, but give them a camera, a little time together, and a shared experience, and friendships start forming pretty quickly.

But before we headed out to the farm, we started the afternoon in the studio with a little Posing 101.

A Little Posing 101

After handing out their LPJ Photography T-shirts, we spent some time going over a few basic posing tips before heading outside.

I do a lot of coaching during my senior sessions because, let’s be honest, posing can feel weird. You don’t really know what you look like from the other side of the camera, and it’s hard to relax when you’re wondering, What am I supposed to do with my hands?

That’s where I come in.

A big part of what I do during a session is simply watching. I watch how someone naturally moves, how they stand, where they’re comfortable, and what feels like them. Then I’ll tweak things when needed—a hand here, a shoulder there, a little shift in weight—to make the final image feel natural.

Because here’s the funny thing: some of the things we do to create a natural-looking photograph aren’t necessarily natural at all.

That little turn of the shoulder? The way I ask you to shift your weight? Where I have you put your hands? Those tiny adjustments can make a huge difference.

My job isn’t to make you look like you’re posing. It’s to help you relax enough that the photograph looks like you.

And once we had a few basics down, we headed to the farm, put those LPJ Photography T-shirts away, and got to work on our first themed shoot.

So, let me introduce you to the LPJ Senior Rep Team Class of 2027!

Grayson | Brunswick Academy

And then there’s Grayson.

Our lone guy on the 2027 rep team—and a Brunswick Academy Class of 2027 senior.

I had never met Grayson before his parents came to our initial meeting. His mom and dad sat down with me without him, and his mom told me that she had actually decided back when Grayson was in middle school that she wanted me to be his senior photographer.

No pressure, right?

So when Grayson showed up for this first shoot on his own, I wasn’t quite sure how he’d feel about being the only guy on the team. He’s also not from my immediate area, so he was coming into the afternoon without the built-in familiarity that some of the other reps had.

But he handled it like a champ.

Actually, he did more than handle it.

He was so much fun.

Grayson is a mild-mannered Southern gentleman who happens to be an athlete in just about every direction you turn. His sports resume includes football, basketball and baseball, although baseball is definitely his first love.

And he was such a good sport throughout the entire shoot—pleasant, easygoing and just genuinely fun to have around.

Then came the last part of our shoot.

The light was fading, but the sky had turned these incredible cotton-candy colors that seemed almost surreal. There was something deeply beautiful about the way everything looked in those final minutes of daylight, like we’d stepped into a completely different world.

The whole last part of our shoot took place in front of this incredible tapestry of sky, and some of those images ended up being some of my absolute favorites from the day.

Take a look for yourself.

But there’s one more thing we have in common:

She’s a photographer.

And this year, Aubrynn and I will actually be working together.

I’ll be mentoring her as she assists me at shoots and helps with social media content. I’m really excited about this part of her journey and can’t wait to see how she grows—not only as a photographer, but as a young woman figuring out what she’s passionate about and where those passions might take her.

And yes, I have a feeling I’ll be learning a few things from her, too.

What’s Next for the LPJ Senior Rep Team 2027?

This Red, White & Blue session was just the beginning.

Over the next few months, I’ll be photographing each of these seniors individually for their senior portrait sessions. Planning sessions are already underway, and I’m excited to see how we can make each session completely personal to the senior we’re photographing.

Then, before we know it, the holidays will be here. Seriously—how does that happen every year?!

We’ll take a little break and then come back together for our next themed group shoot in the winter.

I have a few ideas up my sleeve already, but you’ll have to stick around to see what we come up with.

For now, enjoy a few favorites from the LPJ Senior Rep Team 2027 Red, White & Blue shoot.

I think this team is going to be pretty special.

And we’re just getting started.