MELODY SMITH PORTRAIT
High School Senior Portrait Photographer Serving Richmond, Petersburg, & Central Virginia
Studio senior portraits for girls & guys
- Class of 2026 & Beyond -
Senior Portraits That Feel Like You
There are no forced smiles, stiff poses or generic backdrops here.
My senior sessions are designed for
individuality, style, and genuine self-expression.
These portraits capture who you are right now
— before everything changes —
with honesty, creativity, and quiet power.
Senior year goes faster than anyone tells you it will.
These portraits exist so you can
look back and remember
exactly who you were in this chapter.
Not a polished, performative version of you.
The REAL you.
Every Detail is Planned
Every session takes place in my private indoor studio
using carefully chosen lighting,
intentional wardrobe direction,
and modern guided posing.
I photograph high school seniors with a
cinematic, editorial eye to creating images that feel
expressive and unmistakably character-driven.
This is not a volume studio.
You will never feel
rushed,
confused,
or like just another senior session on the calendar.
Every detail is planned around you specifically:
Your personality, your style, your energy.
Studio Based Fashion-Inspired Portraits
Whether you're drawn to bold fashion, soft simplicity, or something entirely your own, your session is built to reflect your energy and evolving identity.
This isn't just a milestone,
its a declaration of who you are becoming.
Who is this for?
✦ The high school senior who wants portraits that actually look like her
— not a glamourized, filtered version of someone else
✦ The graduate who is skeptical about being
photographed but knows it's time
— and whose parents know these
portraits will matter someday
✦ The senior student who has a strong personal style
and wants portraits that honor it
✦ The high school senior who isn't sure what they want yet
— and needs a photographer who can draw it out of them
✦ The family who wants something genuinely different
from the standard senior portrait experience
— editorial, timeless, and completely personal
✦ The graduating senior marking the end of one chapter and
the beginning of everything that comes next
These sessions are for rising high school seniors and current
high school seniors in their final year of high school.
This is a separate experience from children's portrait sessions
— visit the Children & Teens page for ages 10 through 16.
What's included
✦ Online Style & Design Consultation
We connect via Facebook or Instagram Messenger
before your session to discuss your personality, style, wardrobe ideas, and how you want to be photographed.
Everything is planned intentionally before you arrive.
✦ Professional Hair & Makeup
— Girls:
Included with every girls' senior session.
Camera-ready, refined and natural, designed to make you
look and feel like the best version of yourself.
*Girls who prefer to do their own makeup are welcome to but
we'll discuss products and technique during
your consultation to ensure
everything photographs beautifully.
✦ Light Hair Adjustments
— Guys:
Senior guys arrive with their hair already styled.
I make light adjustments during the session as needed.
No fussiness, no awkwardness
— just clean, confident direction.
✦ Wardrobe Guidance & Styling
You'll receive detailed guidance on what to
bring from your own closet and an
optionalshopping list for any
additional items to polish off
your looks.
The studio wardrobe is available for
layering pieces and accessories.
We plan your looks together during your consultation
— typically three base looks that we build and layer from there.
✦ Fully Guided Session
Every pose, expression, and detail is directed from start to finish.
You will never be left standing
in front of a camera wondering what to do.
Most seniors are surprised by how natural it feels.
✦ High-End Retouching
Every image presented at your reveal is professionally retouched.
✦ Zoom Reveal & Ordering Appointment
One to two weeks after your session we meet via Zoom to view your fully retouched portraits and place your order.
This is the only time photographs are available for purchase.
Session Fee: $489 — Girls
Session Fee: $389 — Guys
Photographs are not included and are purchased separately at your Zoom Reveal & Ordering Appointment.
Individual digital files from $389 — Collections from $2,250
Payment plans available — ask during your consultation.
Richmond-Area Senior Portrait Photographer | Private Studio in Petersburg, VA
Located just 25 miles south of Richmond
— approximately 30 minutes down I-95 —
my studio serves high school seniors from
Richmond, Chesterfield, Midlothian, Colonial Heights,
Hopewell, Henrico and across Central Virginia.
Every session is completely private.
There is no front desk, no other clients, no one coming in and out.
Just you, your portraits, and a photographer who is fully focused on making this experience exactly what it should be.
Why Melody Smith?
Melody Smith is a Triple Master Photographer
with over 30 years of experience and more than 100 international awards including recognition from WPPI, the ICON Awards,
and Gold & Platinum Photographer of the Year from
Professional Photographers of America.
She has photographed seniors from across Virginia and beyond
and what she brings to every session isn't just technical skill.
It's the ability to make a teenager who doesn't want to be photographed feel completely at ease and draw out
the version of them that their
family will frame and keep forever.
Every session is personally directed by Melody from start to finish.
This is not a volume studio.
There is no assistant,
no second shooter,
no one between your senior and the work.
Just a comfortable, private experience
designed entirely around who they are right now.
Frequently asked questions
When should we book?
Senior portrait season fills quickly — especially late spring and summer ahead of fall graduations.
I recommend booking your consultation as soon as
junior year begins to secure your preferred date.
Sessions are available on a first come first served basis.
(Sessions take place Monday-Friday at 10:00 am)
What is included in the session fee?
Every senior session includes an online style and design consultation, professional hair and makeup for girls, light hair adjustments for guys, wardrobe guidance, access to the studio wardrobe for layering pieces, a fully guided photoshoot with expert posing and direction,
and a Zoom Reveal & Ordering Appointment.
Session fee is $489 for girls and $389 for guys.
Photographs are not included and are purchased separately.
Can my senior wear their own clothes?
Absolutely — most of the clothing from their session should belong to your senior. Your wardrobe should feel like you. We'll plan your looks together and I'll guide you on what photographs beautifully and what to avoid.
Can my daughter do her own hair and makeup?
Girls who prefer to do their own makeup are welcome to. During your design consultation we'll discuss products and technique to make sure everything is camera-ready. Certain products — like glitter, heavy highlighter, or some setting sprays — can photograph poorly, so we'll work through that together ahead of time. Professional hair and makeup is included and always available if you'd like to use it.
Do you photograph on location or outdoors?
At this time all sessions take place in my private indoor studio in Petersburg, VA. I do not offer outdoor or on-location sessions.
What makes this different from other senior portrait studios?
Every session is fully guided, art-directed and personally directed by Melody from start to finish — meaning your senior never has to figure out what to do or how to pose. Professional hair and makeup is included for girls, the studio wardrobe is available for every session, and the result is a curated portrait series that feels editorial and timeless rather than rushed or formulaic. With over 30 years of experience and more than 100 international awards, this is not a typical senior portrait session.
Where is the studio located?
Melody Smith Portrait is located at 3 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, Virginia — just 25 miles south of Richmond, approximately 30 minutes down I-95. Serving seniors from Richmond, Chesterfield, Midlothian, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Henrico and Central Virginia.
How do I get started?
Click the button below to reach out.
We'll connect via Facebook or Instagram Messenger
to talk through the full session experience and pricing
before anything is booked or paid.
Recent work
Senior year is happening right now.
These portraits will outlast the year,
the school, the friends, the plans that change.
When you're ready to capture who you actually are in this moment...
— I'm here.