Session Spotlight: Cricket’s Senior Portraits – An All-American Adventure

Hey y’all! It’s time for another Session Spotlight, and this week we’re shining the light on Cricket, a soon-to-be graduate of Pangburn High School (Class of 2026!). I recently had the absolute pleasure of photographing Cricket’s senior portraits, and let me tell you, this session was a blast from start to finish. Cricket is the definition of an all-American Southern girl—archery, trapping, hunting, you name it, she’s all about it. So naturally, we had to make her session a reflection of everything that makes her, well, Cricket.

A confident senior in a stylish leather jacket poses in a serene woodland setting during her graduation portrait session with Knapping Dragon Photography.

The Outdoor Adventure

Cricket showed up ready to roll, bringing along her bow and her favorite hunting rifle—props that screamed her personality. And because my husband’s a trapper (and I’m still waiting on him to take me out to use the gear he got me—honey, if you’re reading this, the mink traps are gathering dust, let’s get a move on!), I raided his stash and snagged a few traps to add to the mix. It was the perfect touch of rugged charm.

A senior at Pangburn High School in Arkansas poses in the woods, draped in an American flag and wearing a cowboy hat, captured by Knapping Dragon Photography.

We kicked things off outside in my side yard, where I’m lucky enough to have plenty of wooded areas to play with. The trees made for a gorgeous natural backdrop, and we started with some relaxed poses up against them—simple, timeless, and totally Cricket. Then we broke out the rifle, traps, and bow for some action shots. She also brought an American flag (because of course she did!), and those shots turned out so stunning that one of them has already snagged me a ViewBug award. Cue the happy dance!

Senior portrait at Pangburn High School captures a confident archer in the woods, showcasing a mix of adventure and style with a purple bow and cowboy hat. Photo by Knapping Dragon Photography.

A student from Pangburn High School channels focus and determination with a vibrant pink bow in this senior portrait by Knapping Dragon Photography, set against the backdrop of an Arkansas forest.

A senior portrait session for Pangburn High School captures a student embracing American pride in a natural setting, featuring a cowboy hat and the U.S. flag. Photography by Knapping Dragon Photography.

Moving Indoors: Studio Vibes

After nailing the outdoor shots, we headed inside to my studio—or, as I like to call it, my “living-room-turned-temporary-studio-until-the-real-one’s-built.” It’s still a work in progress, but I’m beyond excited to get the actual studio up and running later this year—eeek! Cricket brought some outfit changes, so once we wrapped up with her first look, we switched gears for some fun indoor magic.

For the next setup, I stuck with my trusty continuous key light paired with a reflector, but I added a honeycomb grid and barndoors to focus a narrow beam right on Cricket’s face. She’d slipped into a yellow dress for this part (more on that later), and I decided to spice things up with colored lighting—an orange light on one side, a red light on the other, bouncing off a mylar background. The result? A jaw-dropping “lake of fire” effect that looked straight out of a dream. To make it pop even more, Cricket’s mom jumped in and shook the background while I snapped away. Teamwork makes the dream work, y’all!

Senior portrait of a Pangburn High School student, captured by Knapping Dragon Photography, featuring a warm and vibrant background.

A senior portrait featuring a student from Pangburn High School, Arkansas, captured by Knapping Dragon Photography, displaying a vivid and colorful background.

Light Painting Fun

Now, here’s the thing—Cricket wasn’t thrilled about the yellow dress. It was more of a “wear it for Mom” situation, bless her heart. But I wasn’t about to let that dress go to waste without having some fun with it. So, we dove into light painting! I grabbed some red, yellow, and orange tissue paper—the kind you’d stuff in a gift bag—arranged it into a cone, and dropped a cheap little flashlight inside. Standing behind Cricket, I turned the light on and off in a circular pattern while the camera did its thing, creating a flame-like glow around her. For that swooshy effect at the bottom? I just kept the light on and swooped it around her continuously. The result was pure magic, and I think we turned that yellow dress into something she’ll never forget.

A student from Pangburn High School poses gracefully in a vibrant setting, captured by Knapping Dragon Photography during the senior portraits session.

Senior portrait of a Pangburn High School student adorned in a vibrant green dress, captured creatively by Knapping Dragon Photography with a backdrop of illuminated, colorful fabric art.

Wrapping It Up with a Lightsaber Twist

For the final round, Cricket changed back into her original outfit, and we brought the bow back out for one last hurrah. This time, we grabbed a toy lightsaber from Walmart (because why not?) and went to town with some light painting. The glowing streaks paired with her bow made for some seriously cool, dynamic shots that tied the whole session together.

A student from Pangburn High School poses with a bow and arrow in an electrifying senior portrait by Knapping Dragon Photography, set against a dynamic backdrop of vivid red light trails.

The Wrap-Up

Cricket’s session was everything I love about senior portraits—capturing who they are, what they love, and having a ton of fun along the way. From the wooded outdoor vibes to the fiery indoor creativity, we made memories and images that I hope she’ll treasure as she heads into her final year at Pangburn High School. Here’s to you, Cricket—keep shining, and happy hunting (and trapping, and archery-ing)!

Stay tuned for the next Session Spotlight, y’all—I can’t wait to share more stories and snaps with you!

Senior portraits capturing the adventurous spirit of a Pangburn High School student in the woods of Arkansas, complete with archery and vibrant light effects by Knapping Dragon Photography.