I recently photographed a fun family around historic Charleston when they were in town on vacation. They hadn’t had family portraits taken in ages, and they figured it was time since their oldest daughter is starting her senior year. With all the trends in senior photography right now, I thought it was worth presenting another option from the full-blown magazine-style senior sessions that are having a moment. If you’re the type who takes pride in getting a great deal, then this combo session might be your best family photography value. And it doesn’t involve overzealous Grouponites or newbie Craigslist shooters building their portfolio. Instead, it’s tried and true portraiture with money left over for brunch with the family and a little King Street retail therapy.

Maybe you think $1000-$1500 is a bit exorbitant for more senior photos — especially since most students are still required to pose for the old-school senior portraits at their school. Or if you’re at all like me, maybe you prefer to see your offspring’s true personality (giggly, pensive or anything in between) in a portrait instead of a poetic pout inspired by celebrities and velvet-sofa-sitters on social media. As it turns out, most 17-year-olds are pretty skilled at doing their own makeup (thanks YouTube!), so investing in a dream team of experts to prep your daughter for a fashion shoot isn’t a necessity for documenting the here and now. As for who could really use a makeover, I’d say busy moms could benefit more from that than beautiful teenagers on the cusp of independence. But that’s just me. (Or is it?)

Enjoy this glimpse of a family wandering the streets of city they love. I think their photo session money was well-spent on documenting the family and The Senior. Leave a comment, and let me know what you think.

I love this one of Ava. Her big sis encouraged her to keep those braces hidden, but I managed to capture her full smile in a few images.

If you’re looking a few fun images instead of a model’s portfolio, I hope you’ll reach out. And check out senior sessions of Mackenzie at the beach and Meredith downtown — they did their own hair and makeup, too!