There’s something extra magical about the first shoot of the year with the KNP Senior Team—especially when the sun shows up after a week of nonstop rain.
In April, 12 of the 16 girls from my Class of 2026 Senior Team met up in the prettiest open field in St. Mary’s City, Maryland to kick off our year together. Hair and makeup started at my studio in Leonardtown, thanks to the amazing glam team at S&T Beauty, and then we headed to the field just in time for golden hour.
This year’s team is the biggest we’ve ever had—16 girls total—from 9 different high schools (Chopticon, Leonardtown, Great Mills, St. Mary’s Ryken, Boonsboro, La Plata, Calvert, Patuxent, and Archbishop Spalding) and 5 counties across Maryland (St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles, Anne Arundel, and Washington counties). It’s such a cool mix of personalities and schools, and it’s already been amazing watching them all connect.
The theme for this shoot was springtime simplicity with a twist. For look one, each girl wore jeans and a spring-colored top—some from Sage 47 Boutique, others from my KNP Client Closet—and we styled the set with wooden ladders and stools for a little creative edge. It was the perfect way to ease everyone into the shoot and get comfortable in front of the camera. And for look two, the girls changed into flowy dresses that felt made for twirling in the breeze.
And let me tell you—this team showed up.
Even though most of them had just met, they were instantly supportive, silly, and full of contagious energy. I caught them taking selfies, cheering each other on, and hyping up every single look. Shoutout to Kira, who brought her digital camera and started documenting behind-the-scenes moments while waiting for her turn to shoot. (A future content queen in the making?)
We got lucky with the most incredible weather—warm but breezy, with a glowing pink-orange sunset that wrapped around the field. Watching the girls run around barefoot in the grass, laughing, posing for each other, and feeling so at ease—it reminds me why this team exists. This is exactly what the Senior Team is about: showing up as yourself, forming genuine friendships, and getting to create something beautiful together.
If you’re new here and wondering what the KNP Senior Team is all about, here’s a quick rundown:
- It’s a team of upcoming seniors I work with all year long.
- We do multiple styled shoots, exclusive events, and bestie sessions.
- Team members get a full individual senior session, plus access to my client closet and exclusive perks just for “KNP Girls”
- It’s about more than just photos—it’s a whole experience to celebrate you and your last year of high school.
If you’re in the Class of 2027 or 2028 and this sounds like your vibe, you can head over to my [links page] to get on the waitlist for your class year!
In the meantime, enjoy this first peek into our 2026 KNP girls—it’s already shaping up to be such a fun year.
xo,
Kristen
Southern Maryland Senior Photographer | St. Mary’s County Senior Team | Maryland Senior Photos
