The honest breakdown for families who want senior portraits in a meaningful place.
The destination session question usually starts pretty casually.
“We are already going to Kansas City. Could we do senior portraits there?”
“My senior has always wanted something different. Could we go somewhere like Memphis, Charleston, or Rosemary Beach?”
“Could portraits be part of a family trip we already have planned?”
Yes, absolutely.
Then comes the next question.
“What does something like that cost?”
That answer depends on the location, the kind of session we are planning, and how much travel is involved. But I never want families to feel confused about what they are paying for. A destination senior session has a few moving pieces, and once you understand them, the investment makes a lot more sense.
The Two Parts of a Destination Senior Session
There are really two parts to consider.
The first is the photography experience.
The second is the travel.
For my Kansas City Destination Senior Session, seniors book the Platinum Collection + Travel, Permitting Fees, & Lunch; this makes up the cost of the KS Destination Senior Session. This is the full senior experience, including the extra time, planning, outfit changes, location flow, and artwork options that make a destination session feel complete.
The Platinum Collection includes:
- A session planning appointment
- Up to a 2-hour senior session
- 4 outfits
- Up to 4 locations, depending on the destination and timing
- A custom walnut image box
- 40 4x6 proof prints
- Matching digital images
- A $400 print credit
- A family mini session (prints and products sold separately)
For Kansas City sessions, families may choose two of the following three locations: the West Bottoms, Unity Village, or the Nelson-Atkins Museum area. Travel expenses, lunch, and the extra time needed for the day are also factored into the final destination cost.
For destinations outside the Kansas City area, pricing is custom-quoted based on the destination, required travel (travel to get there & two nights hotel stay), and the Platinum Collection.
Why It Is Not Always as Expensive as Families Think
Many destination sessions occur because the family is already on a trip.
Maybe you are already going to Kansas City for the weekend. Maybe your senior has a college visit planned. Maybe your family is already traveling to the beach, the mountains, or a city that means something to you.
When the trip is already underway, photography becomes an added expense, not the entire cost of a separate trip.
That is where destination portraits can become more realistic than families first expect.
If we are building the entire trip just for the portraits, that is a bigger investment. Flights, hotel, meals, transportation, permits, and photography must all be considered. That does not mean it is not worth doing. It just means we need to plan it carefully and honestly.
What You Are Really Investing In
A destination senior session is not just about having pretty pictures in a different place.
It is about creating portraits in a location that actually means something.
Maybe your senior loves the city's energy. Maybe she has always dreamed of portraits at the beach. Maybe Kansas City feels more like her style than a field or downtown Iola. Maybe the location connects to her music, her future college, her family history, or the kind of young woman she is becoming.
That matters.
When a location fits your senior, she carries herself differently. She feels more connected. She relaxes into the experience. The portraits become more personal because the place is part of the story, not just a backdrop.
That is what makes destination portraits special.
Who a Destination Session Is For
A destination senior session is not for every senior, and that is okay.
It makes the most sense when the location has a real connection to your senior’s personality, dreams, style, or story.
It is a good fit when your family is already planning to travel, or when you are comfortable building a trip around the experience.
It is also a good fit when your senior is truly excited about the location. If she does not care about the place, then we do not need to force it. Beautiful senior portraits can absolutely happen right here in Southeast Kansas.
But when the location does matter, when your senior lights up talking about it, and when the portraits would feel more like her because of that place, then a destination session is worth talking about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you give me an exact price for a destination senior session?
The cost for Kansas City Destination Senior Sessions will be $1,600.
For destinations outside Kansas City, pricing is custom-quoted because travel can look very different depending on where we are going.
Do we have to choose the Platinum Collection?
For Kansas City Destination Senior Sessions, yes. The Platinum Collection gives us the time, flexibility, and planning room we need to make the most of the destination.
Can we choose more than one Kansas City location?
Yes. Depending on the locations, timing, outfits, and driving distance, choosing two locations can work beautifully. West Bottoms, Unity Village, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum area all offer a very different look, so we will talk through what fits your senior best.
Is Unity Village included?
Yes, it is one of the three options you can choose for a Kansas City Destination Session.
Can we do a destination session and a local session?
Yes. Some families love having both. A local session can capture the place that raised her, while a destination session can capture the place that feels like her next chapter.
What if we are already taking a trip?
That is often the best time to talk about destination portraits. If your family already has travel planned, we can look at whether portraits can be added to the trip in a way that makes sense.
The Place Has to Mean Something
Here is what I want families to know.
A destination session works best when the location is part of your senior’s story.
Not just “we want something different.”
Not just “we saw this on Pinterest.”
But something deeper than that.
A city she loves.
A place she has dreamed about.
A location that fits her style.
A destination connected to her future, her family, her interests, or her personality.
When the place matters, the portraits feel different.
And when the portraits feel personal, the investment becomes about more than pictures. It becomes about remembering who she was in this season, right before everything started changing.
If your senior has a place like that, I would love to hear about it.
Email me at Hello@AprilKroenke.com or visit AprilKroenke.com and tell me about your senior and where her story lives.
