Brett's Lincoln Senior Session | Pioneers Park, Football & Sunset
When families reach out about Lincoln senior pictures, the first question is almost always, "Where should we go?"
My answer is always the same: let's figure out who you are first. The location comes after.
Brett is a senior at Northwest High School in Lincoln. When I hopped on his consultation call with him and his mom, one thing was already clear: Brett wanted simple. One location. No fussing over a bunch of outfits or props. Just Brett.
What he wasn't sure about yet was where.
So we talked. About what he loves, where he feels most like himself, and what he wanted these photos to say about him. By the end of the call, we had two places in mind: the Fallbrook area and Pioneers Park.
After thinking it over, Brett made the call: Pioneers Park in Lincoln.
That's exactly how I want it to go. You don't need to show up to your consult with a plan. Figuring it out together is my job.
Coming Back to Pioneers Park
I've been photographing Brett since he was about five years old.
Think about that for a second. I've watched this kid grow up in front of my camera, and now here he was, a senior in a letterman jacket. That's not something I take lightly.
It also wasn't our first time at Pioneers Park together. I photographed Brett's family here a few years back, so walking in felt a little like coming home.
We revisited a couple of the spots from those family photos, and we also explored new corners of the park that gave his session its own look. That's one of my favorite things about Pioneers: one park, a dozen completely different backdrops.
Fun fact: Some of Brett's senior photos were taken in the same spots as his family photos from years ago. That's the kind of full-circle moment I love getting to be part of.
A Hot Evening (Like, Really Hot)
I'll be honest. I did not expect it to get as hot as it did that evening. I don't think Brett or his family did either. If I had known, I might have checked in about rescheduling.
But Brett was a trooper the entire time. Not once did he complain, and you would never know from his photos that we were all melting. Not many people were out in the park in that heat, which meant we had a lot of spots all to ourselves.
Senior Guy Outfit Ideas: Simple Outfits, Lots of Variety
Brett brought a pair of slacks, but between the heat and the tops he'd picked out, we decided his jeans worked great all the way through. Comfortable clients take better photos. Every time.
Here's a trick for anyone who doesn't want to change a dozen times: layer.
Brett started with a white tee under a short sleeve blue button-up, worn open for a relaxed, casual look. Then he simply took the blue shirt off, and we had a whole new look in the white tee. Two outfits, zero trips to the car.
We started by the trees, then moved to a totally different part of the park for his next look: a short sleeve pale yellow sweater. That light color against his tan skin and dark hair was so good, and I loved how the texture of the knit showed up in the photos.
Exploring the Park
With the pale yellow sweater on, we worked our way toward the nature center area. We also trekked (in the heat!) to a cool little building that gave us something different from trees and grass. A change of texture in the background keeps a single-location session from feeling repetitive.
Next, we headed over by the bison and the little bridge over the water. By then, the sun was starting to give us beautiful light, and that spot opened up new posing options: sitting on a bench, leaning on the wooden rail, relaxed and natural.
Football Senior Pictures with a Letterman Jacket
Brett loves football. But he didn't want to go to his field or wear his jersey. He wanted to show his love of the sport in a way that still felt low-key and true to him.
So we kept it simple: his letterman jacket over that white tee, and a football.
We went to the pillars in the park for these. (No proposal sightings this time, if you were wondering. If you want that story, check out Allie's senior blog.) We did some of Brett sitting with the football, totally relaxed, then a few standing with it and tossing it in the air for a little movement.
This is what I mean when I say your session should look like you. Brett didn't need a stadium. A jacket and a ball told the story.
Flannel Season
Brett's dad brought along his last outfit so he could change right there, which saved us a walk back in the heat.
A grey tee and a flannel. And if you know Brett, you know he loves a good flannel, so we had to get it in his photos.
We grabbed a few with the flannel by the pillars, then had him take it off for some in just the grey tee as we walked to the next spot. The football came back out for a few of those too.
Sunset Senior Pictures at Pioneers Park
We saved the best light for last. Right at sunset, we ended at one of my favorite spots in the park, with a hill and an open view that catches the sun beautifully.
Brett put the jacket back on for a few, then the flannel for a few, so we got lots of variety from one spot. And one of my favorite images from the whole evening came from here: Brett with his back to the camera, the back of his letterman jacket showing, football in hand.
It's About More Than a Pretty Location
Pioneers Park is gorgeous. But the reason this session worked wasn't the park.
It worked because it was built around Brett. One location, because that's where he's comfortable. Jeans, because that's what felt right. A jacket and a football instead of a jersey and a field, because that's how he wanted to show what he loves. And a flannel, because, well, that's Brett.
Brett chose my 1.5 hour session, and it gave us plenty of time to move through the park at an easy pace, even in that heat. More time doesn't mean more pressure. It means room to slow down and get it right.
After seeing his gallery, Brett's family picked out his 30 favorite images for a 9x12 custom album.
It's leather, with one of Brett's photos on the cover, and I design every page inside so his session reads like the story it was, from the first look by the trees to that last shot at sunset. The pages are thick and lay flat, so nothing gets lost in the middle and it's built to hold up to years of being flipped through.
Now that sweaty, sunny evening at Pioneers Park lives on a shelf at home instead of getting lost in a camera roll. That's my favorite kind of ending: photos you can actually hold.
Planning Your Own Lincoln Senior Session
If your senior wants something simple and true to them, or something with every outfit and location they can think of, I'm here for both. Every session I plan starts with who your senior is, not with a pose list.
I'll walk you through the whole time, and if you want to try a pose or a spot, just say so.
I'm Kate DeCoste, a senior and portrait photographer based in Lincoln, Nebraska, photographing seniors across Lincoln, Omaha, and southeast Nebraska. If you're ready to start planning your Lincoln senior pictures, reach out and let's talk about your senior's story.
If you're looking for Lincoln senior pictures that actually feel like you, I'd love to hear your story. Reach out here to start planning your session.
Quick Answers
Where were Brett's senior pictures taken? At Pioneers Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, using several areas of the park, including the trees, the nature center area, the bridge near the bison, the pillars, and a hill at sunset.
Can you get variety from just one location? Yes. Pioneers Park has many different backdrops in one place, and simple outfit swaps like layering add even more variety.
What should guys wear for senior pictures? Whatever feels most like them. Brett wore jeans throughout and switched between a layered button-up and tee, a pale yellow sweater, his letterman jacket, and a flannel.
How long is a senior session? Brett chose a 1.5 hour session, which gave plenty of time to move through one large location without rushing.
Where does Kate DeCoste Photography offer senior sessions? I photograph seniors in Lincoln, Omaha, and across southeast Nebraska.
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