Ask a senior guy what he wants from his senior photos and you’ll usually get a shrug. Ask him what he loves, and you’ll get somewhere. Jacob — Class of 2027 at Bishop Chatard High School — is an Eagle Scout, a volleyball player for the Trojans and for The Academy’s club program, indoor and beach. And when he’s not on a court, there’s a decent chance he’s got a fishing rod in his hand.

So that’s exactly what his senior photos became. (Planning photos for your own Class of 2027 senior? Start with a style & concept consultation — it’s a planning conversation, not a commitment.)

The suit-and-volleyball portrait

Jacob wanted volleyball in his session, but between school, club, and a summer that goes by too fast, he didn’t want to burn an evening traveling to a court. He didn’t have to. We built his volleyball set in the studio — including the frame I keep coming back to: navy suit, striped tie, volleyball under one arm. Half formal portrait, half athlete, entirely him.

Then we turned the lights down, added smoke, and let him fly. A jump serve, frozen mid-air in his Academy jersey — the kind of image that usually requires a gym rental and an evening of setup, done inside a session that also produced portraits his grandmother will frame.

Fishing where he actually fished

For the outdoor half we went to Monon Central Park — not because it photographs beautifully (it does), but because Jacob grew up fishing there. So the fishing images aren’t a prop and a pose; they’re him, in a place that’s been his since he was a kid. We kept it understated: a rod, the light coming off the water, done.

That’s the question I’d put to every senior family: not “where should we take pictures?” but “where does your story already live?” Sometimes it’s a brick street, sometimes a barn, sometimes a pond you’ve been casting into for ten years.

Why Jacob shot in July — and why that was smart

Here’s the part worth stealing: Jacob booked his session and finished it in July, before his senior year even started. No competing with fall sports schedules, no yearbook-deadline panic, no waiting on the one golden October weekend everyone else wants. Summer evening light at the park, a relaxed studio session, and his fall left completely open — his family is using it for a family session instead.

Good senior photos don’t have to happen in the fall. They have to happen when there’s room to do them well.

Bishop Chatard Senior Photos — FAQs

Do senior photos have to be taken in the fall?

No — and summer is often better. The light is warm, schedules are open, and you beat the fall rush entirely. Jacob’s session happened in July before senior year began, which left his fall free and his yearbook deadline a non-event.

Can we include a sport without going to a field or court?

Yes. Volleyball, basketball, dance, golf — we can build a full sports set in the studio, from clean uniform portraits to dramatic action lighting like Jacob’s jump serve. No gym rental, no scheduling around practice.

When should Bishop Chatard seniors book?

Three to four months ahead of when you want to shoot. For summer sessions, that means booking in spring; for fall, by mid-summer — senior yearbook deadlines arrive faster than anyone expects.

Your senior’s story is worth more than a fall Saturday rush

LV Portrait Design photographs seniors from Bishop Chatard, Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, and schools across the north side — full styling guidance, complete posing direction, and finished artwork for your walls, not just files.

Here’s the next step: book a style & concept consultation. Thirty minutes, complimentary, no commitment — we design a session around your senior the way Jacob’s was designed around a volleyball and a fishing pole. Fall weekends go first, and Jacob would tell you the summer dates are the smart play anyway.

Prefer to talk first? Call or text (317) 605-2571 or reply to any email — you’ll get me, not a form robot.