I have been ridiculously excited to share Anna’s senior portraits ever since I took them back in the summer! What a good session!! Anna was such a fun person to hang out with for the afternoon and she picked up the posing and modeling SO quickly!

Usually when my seniors aren’t sure of where they want to do their session, I mention Swannanoa because it’s such a great place for photos! I’ve shot at Swannanoa dozens of times but every time I feel like my creativity is renewed which is rare when I’ve shot somewhere so many times. Most people in my area know this mansion exists but my favorite thing is showing people when they visit. The story behind it is that millionaire James Dooley built it for his wife in 1913. It is partially based off of the buildings in the Villa Medici, Rome and it took eight years to build and 300 artisans to build it. It has 52 rooms, an elevator, and was the first house in Nelson County to have electricity. James ended up passing away and left the estate to his wife and when she passed, her sisters inherited the land. Eventually the sisters sold it to the Valley Corporation of Richmond and in 1942, the United States Navy considered purchasing it as a secret facility to interrogate prisoners of war. That never ended up happening but the history of this place is so interesting and I always love going, even though it’s starting to fall apart. If anyone has a few million dollars, I’m sure you could buy it and renovate it. 🙂 But anyway, moving on to the real reason for this post — Anna’s seniors! Enjoy!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A: Greece to eat real gyros.

Q: What are your favorite clothing stores?

A: American Eagle, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters.

Q: What is your biggest dream?

A: To live in a big city with two bulldogs and work in a children’s hospital.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Crab dip.