Des Moines Senior Photographer
A guided, start-to-finish senior portrait experience so you never have to figure any of it out on your own.
Senior year is full in the best way.
The games, the late nights, the college visits, the friendships they'll talk about for the rest of their lives. This is such a special season, and it goes so fast!
Senior pictures should be one of the highlights of senior year - fun, relaxed, and completely true to who your senior is.
Not stiff. Not stressful. Not one more thing to dread.
From your planning consultation all the way to the moment your portraits arrive at your door, I handle everything. Locations, outfits, posing, the whole ordering process: all of it guided, start to finish, so you never have to figure any of it out on your own. You just get to enjoy it.
(And whether your senior has been planning their outfits since January or would honestly rather be anywhere else right now, this experience was made for both of them!)
“Wendy did a fantastic job! We had her take our son’s senior pictures…she had some great ideas for poses and locations. I would highly recommend Wendy if you are looking for a photographer.”
Lorrie R., Adel, IA
Featured Des Moines Seniors
your Des Moines senior photographer
Hey there, I’m so glad you’re here!
I’m a Christ follower, wife, boy mom, and former registered nurse who has been photographing seniors in the Des Moines area since 2015. (Yes, I really did trade scrubs for a camera. Best decision I ever made!)
I genuinely love what I do. I love the planning conversations, I love watching a nervous senior loosen up about 15 minutes into a session, and I really love the ordering appointment when a mom sees her kid’s portraits for the first time and just tears up a little. That never gets old.
As a boy mom, I also have a soft spot for the guys who show up not totally convinced this was a good idea and leave genuinely proud of how their photos turned out. It happens more than you’d think!
PRESS & FEATURES
I’ve been recognized as a Des Moines Parent Family Favorite and a 2025 Community Votes West Des Moines winner, and my seniors have been featured in several national senior photography publications including Senior Style Guide, Senior Muse, Senior Year Magazine, Senior Luxe, and SeniorSZN. With 11+ years of experience photographing seniors throughout the Des Moines metro, including Waukee, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and Grimes, I bring the experience and genuine care that families in this community have come to trust.
“Wendy did an outstanding job for my daughter’s senior pictures, making her feel at ease and capturing her personality beautifully. The session was fun and relaxed. She understood and delivered exactly what my daughter envisioned.”
Stacey P., Des Moines, IA
the SENIOR Experience
This is going to be FUN!
So what does this actually look like?
It starts before your session even happens.
We’ll have a planning consultation (in person or over Zoom, whatever works for you) where we go over locations, map out outfits, and talk through exactly what to expect so nothing feels like a surprise on session day.
On the day of your session, I’ll have cold water and snacks ready, a pop-up changing tent so your senior isn’t changing in the car or hunting for a (likely nasty) gas station bathroom, and a whole plan for how we’re spending our time together out on location.
I’ll guide every pose so no one ever has to stand there wondering what to do with their hands.
About two weeks later, we’ll get together for your ordering appointment. This is honestly one of my favorite parts!
You’ll see all of the portraits for the first time in a slideshow set to music (mom - you might cry just a little bit!), and then we'll go through them together and start designing something beautiful for your walls and your home.
From albums to wall portraits, I’ll help you find something that actually fits your home and your walls, not just something that looks pretty on a phone screen.
When your order is ready, I hand-deliver it to your door. That’s it. Start to finish, I’ve got you!
Ready to chat? I’d love to hear about your senior!
A free Pre-Booking Consult is just a relaxed phone call or Zoom chat where we can get to know each other, talk through the experience, go over timing and investment, and figure out whether we’re a great fit. No pressure at all, and no obligation to book. Just a real conversation.
Looking for family photography?
I photograph families with the same easy, guided approach.
Not quite ready yet? No worries!
Senior year has a way of sneaking up on you faster than you’d expect.
Drop your email below and I’ll send you helpful tips on timing, what to wear, location ideas, and more, plus early access to booking dates when they open up. Totally easy to unsubscribe if it’s not your thing.