I love photographing seniors in Southeast Kansas.
There is something special about telling a senior's story in the place they grew up. The fields, the river, downtown Iola, the family farm, and the school they have walked into for years. Those places matter.
But sometimes a senior's story reaches beyond home.
I have photographed seniors in Memphis and London, and destination senior sessions have taught me an important lesson. A destination session is not about chasing a famous location. It is about going where the story makes sense.
When that happens, the portraits feel different.
What makes a destination session different?
A destination session changes the energy.
Your senior is out of the everyday routine. They are not thinking about who from school might drive by. They are not standing in a place where they already know exactly how they are supposed to act.
Something loosens.
For some seniors, that unfamiliar setting helps them relax. They are more open to trying something different. They move more freely. They stop worrying so much about what everyone back home might think.
That can be powerful, especially for seniors who want portraits that feel unique, editorial, adventurous, or connected to a place they love.
Memphis senior portraits
Memphis made sense for a senior who loved music.
It was not just a random city. It was connected to her interests and her personality. That matters.
A city like Memphis gives you texture, color, history, music, brick, neon, river views, and neighborhoods that look completely different from Southeast Kansas. It offers a visual story that we simply cannot recreate in Iola.
But the best part was not the scenery.
The best part was watching a senior step into a place that felt connected to something she loved. That connection showed in the portraits.
The London session will be different from Memphis in every way.
This senior has a family connection to England on her mother’s side, so this will not just be a pretty location for portraits. It will be personal. Her grandmother grew up in South London, and that history gives the session a deeper meaning before I ever pick up the camera.
London is going to give us a portrait environment that we simply cannot recreate here in Southeast Kansas. The architecture, the streets, the color, the texture, and the soft English light will all become part of her story.
We will plan the session around locations that feel connected to both the city and her family history. Places like Notting Hill, with its painted houses and charm, will give us color and personality. Southwark and the Borough Market area will bring in more texture, history, and movement. The South Bank, with the Thames and the bridges behind her, will give us that classic London feel without making the portraits look like tourist photos.
The goal will not be to make portraits that simply say, “We went to London.”
The goal will be to create portraits that feel like she belongs there.
That is what makes a destination senior session so special. It is not just about traveling somewhere beautiful. It is about choosing a place that means something, then building the session around that story.
It could be Memphis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Denver, Charleston, Rosemary Beach, San Diego, Vancouver, or a small town three hours away that your family visits every summer.
It could be a college town your senior loves. It could be the city where they were born. It could be a place connected to music, sports, art, history, or family.
Destination simply means we are choosing a location outside the usual area because it adds something meaningful to the session.
KC Senior Destination Sessions
AKP offers a KC Senior Destination Session for seniors who want more variety and a more elevated location experience without planning a full out-of-state trip.
For Kansas City, seniors choose from locations such as the West Bottoms, Unity Village, and the Nelson-Atkins area. KC destination sessions require the Platinum Collection because we need the extra time, outfit flexibility, planning, and artwork options to make the experience worthwhile.
If your senior wants two KC locations, that can be planned. The key is making sure the locations actually work together, that outfit changes make sense, and that we are not spending the best light of the day sitting in traffic.
Out-of-state and international destination sessions
Out-of-state and international destination sessions are quoted on a custom basis.
Most families plan them around a trip they are already taking, which can make the experience more realistic than people expect. The family typically handles travel and lodging logistics for the trip, and we build the photography plan around the destination.
The session fee and collection structure are planned in advance, so there are no surprises.
What needs to be planned
Destination sessions require more planning than a local session.
We need to think about travel, timing, permits, weather, transportation, crowds, outfit changes, and backup locations. We also need to think about how the location supports the senior's story.
This is not the kind of session where you show up and hope it works.
The planning is part of what makes it work.
What to bring
For destination sessions, outfits need to travel well. Shoes need to be practical enough for walking. Hair and makeup need to hold up in the local weather. We also need to be thoughtful about what can be easily carried from one location to another.
This is where simple, strong wardrobe choices matter. Layers, textures, and well-fitting outfits are your friends.
Is a destination session right for every senior?
No.
Some seniors are most themselves at home, on the farm, in their town, or in the studio. That is beautiful too.
A destination session is best for a senior who has a meaningful connection to a place, wants something different, enjoys adventure, or lights up at the idea of being photographed somewhere beyond the everyday.
It should never be about doing something just because it sounds impressive.
It should be about doing something that feels true.
The bottom line
A destination senior session is not about a famous city or a fancy backdrop.
It is about putting your senior in a place that helps tell their story.
Sometimes that place is Memphis. Sometimes it is London. Sometimes it is Kansas City. Sometimes it is a family farm five miles outside of town.
The location only matters if it brings us closer to who your senior really is.
If your senior has a place that belongs in their story, I would love to hear about it.
Email Hello@AprilKroenke.com or visit AprilKroenke.com.
