Paige | A Goalie Graduation

Paige wanted one last, short session before she graduated from high school. She wanted some cap and gown pictures, so what better place to take them then at her high school. Paige also played soccer starting from a very young age, so photos on the field were a must, especially in the soccer net. Oh, and Paige was goalie, so the net was perfect for her. We finished off her session with a couple photos in front of her school sign, and lastly we had to make sure we got a few with her holding out her tassel with graduation year. Scroll a bit to see how cute her cap and gown photos turned out!

Like what you see? Let’s plan your dream senior session!

If you’re interested in having your senior pictures taken by Amanda Photography, please fill out the form with any other questions you may have, or let me know if you’re ready to schedule a consultation call so we can get your amazing session set up!

You’ll hear back from me within 48 hours, Monday through Friday (unless I’m on vacation traveling the beautiful USA.)

Meagan | A Wild Love for Wildflowers

Meagan wanted flowers for her senior pictures, and that's all she was worried about. So, I delivered flowers. We went to Shaw Nature Reserve and their wildflowers were blooming so well, and the field of flowers quickly became all our favorite spot for Meagan to twirl, run, and walk around the beautiful fields. We were very careful to tread lightly as we didn't want to harm the flowers though. But I will tell you that Meagan was in heaven surrounded by all the flowers. Oh, and she loves purple, so I was sure to capture her with some purple flowers as well. I'm pretty sure she's one of my happiest clients ever. If you want to see how cute Meagan's flower portraits turned out, scroll down!

Shaw Nature Reserve

The best place for a flower lover is Shaw Nature Reserve. Whether you’re wanting to walk amongst the flowers, twirl down a pathway, or sit next to your favorite blooms, you’re bound to fall in love with the abundance of flowers that grow here. And if you’re mainly looking for flowers, but want a little more than that, there’s a couple of wood buildings, a brick building, lake, and plenty of woods for more of just a one with nature feel.

Check out my list of the top senior picture locations in St. Louis, MO to get inspired by more locations to have your senior pictures taken.

The Best Part About Shaw Nature Reserve

Whitmire Wildflower Garden is the highlight of Shaw Nature Reserve and for good reason. With its abundance of wildflowers, you’re sure to capture exactly the flower vibe you’re looking for. With the variety of colors and species of flowers, you won’t be disappointed.

The garden is beautifully decorated with logs and rocks throughout the garden. These make for the perfect spots to stand and sit amongst the flowers so you can help preserve them for the next person, while also being surrounded by them. There are also benches and steps along the path that are great for sitting along the edges of the flowers.

Walking down the pathway is also beautiful as you stroll through the midst of flowers. Portions of the path are gravel while others are a paved stone, helping keep that naturalesque feel. The path makes for great walking back and forth photos as you’re surrounded on both sides with flowers.

Featured in the garden are also a few buildings. There’s a large, wooden gazebo that you can view from many angles. You can stand in front of it, sit under it, or lean against the rock wall below it. A small building with a wooden door is also on the property. You can stand in the doorway for some poses or lean up against the door. The 1879 Joseph H. Bascom house is the large, brick building with a small porch that features white polls to lean on or peak around, beautiful benches to sit on, and a white doorway to stand in.

Nearby the garden is also a lake that is great for sitting in the grass or standing in front of. Surrounding the garden are plenty of woods with some trails to walk down to feel surrounded by nature, peak around trees, or squat on the pathway. There’s also plenty of wide-open grasses to twirl around in.

What to Expect Each Season

Spring

With flowers being the highlight of Shaw Nature Reserve, spring is a fantastic time to capture all those wildflower vibes. Having fields of flowers blooming and patches of a variety of flowers growing around Whitmire Wildflower Garden, you’re bound to find not only flowers you love, but be surrounded by them as well. The garden can be a popular spot on the weekends with prom groups taking pictures around April.

Summer

June is peak bloom for the flowers at Whitmire Wildflower Garden, so if you’re looking for a warm day for your senior pictures while being surrounded by flowers and nature, summer is the perfect time to visit. There are also a variety of shady areas from trees and other buildings that can help you get out of the sun for a bit. The woods are also a great, shady area for woodsy and nature senior pictures out of the sun.

Fall

Fall has a different variety of flowers blooming than spring and summer. While flowers are still blooming, there aren’t wide open fields of them, but smaller patches around the garden of select wildflowers. With a large number of trees and forest, you’ll have plenty of fall leaves as well.

Winter

Shaw Nature Reserve is pretty dead during the winter. Not much is really growing. Some tall grasses will still be growing, the lake makes for a great background, and the exterior of the Joseph H. Bascom house is great for incorporating architecture. The amount of nature and forest does create a perfect snowy day backdrop though.

Pricing and Accommodations

Shaw Nature Reserve costs $5 per person. If you have a Botanical Gardens Membership you can get in for free. There are bathrooms located at Whitmire Wildflower Garden just a short distance past the Joseph H. Bascom House.

Hours vary by season and the last entry is 30 minutes before closing:

January - March: 8am - 5pm
April - May: 8am - 7pm
June - August: 8am - 8pm
September: 8am - 7pm
October - December: 8am - 5pm

Address

4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110

Senior Pictures at Shaw Nature Reserve

Meagan
Shaw Nature Reserve

Meagan wanted flowers for her senior pictures, and that's all she was worried about. So, I delivered flowers. We went to Shaw Nature Reserve and their wildflowers were blooming so well, and the…
Read More

Maggie | A Future Broadway Star

Maggie is a superstar, and what better location for a superstar’s senior pictures than Downtown St. Louis' very own, The Loop. With Maggie's love for music, she wanted to go to Vintage Vinyl for some record shop portraits. She also loves theatre and acting, so we stopped outside the old Tivoli Theatre for a few shots too. With all this crazy rain we've been having, we ended up having to do a lot of her session inside, but that didn't stop Maggie from having fun and showing off her personality. We went inside Blueberry Hill where Maggie sat in a phone booth, played some videogames, hung out with Pac-Man, and even found a spot to "dine-in." She is the master of facial expressions, and one location led to the next with her personality shining. We even went in the golf course, bowling alley, and ended the evening with a soda from Fitz's. But just because it ended up raining and we were inside a lot, doesn't mean we didn't get some spectacular images of her up and down the streets before it rained, and even during. With buildings to lean on, doorways to stand in, and windows to stare at her reflection, Maggie did not fall short of modelish poses. She easily knows how to strike a pose. Oh, and we can't forget the striking light post portraits in front of The Pageant, or how excited Maggie got when she found Tina Turner’s star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Be on the lookout because you may see Maggie's name in fame someday too. For now, check out her gorgeous photos below!

Colin | Crusin’ in His Mustang

We kept things simple for Colin's session and stayed in his hometown, which was perfect because he loves his Mustang, we needed a safe road to take pictures on, and there was an awesome dead-end road in his town. Not far from the dead-end road is a brick building with woods nearby and an old stone bridge that was perfect for finishing off his session with a small urban feel. From leaning against the building to sitting on the steps, there was plenty of photo opportunities for Colin right in this one, small spot. Check out some of his awesome photos by scrolling down!