Fall Senior Photos NYC

I never use Chat gpt, however tonight I decided to test it out. I asked for a Nora Ephron-style passage based on my latest Central Park grad photo shoot. Here it is. What grade would you give it?

Some stories begin in January, but this one starts in the fall, on one of those suspiciously warm New York days when the park smells like leaves and pretzels and possibility. She doesn’t graduate until January, but the light was too good to wait, and honestly, New Yorkers have never been known for patience.

We began in her house where I set up a studio. Her cat, small and sweet, was the perfect supporting character.

Then out we went into the park, which was showing off with every warm shade of fall. The kind of day where the leaves look painted on, the sun is soft instead of bossy, and people stroll like they’ve forgotten they have anywhere else to be. As an aside RIGHT NOW, Central Park to me is the most beautiful place on earth.

She climbed up onto the magnificent Manhattan schist—like every true New Yorker has done at least once—and sat with the billionaire’s row skyline standing guard behind her. She looked right at home, as if the city were a familiar friend rather than an architectural brag.

We made our way to the Cop Cot—(or maybe another little spot that looks just like it?) — always charming, always slightly lopsided in the best way—where the vines curled just enough to make the whole scene feel quietly cinematic. Then we wandered to Frederick Roth’s incredible Balto statue, standing there as steadfast as ever. The graduate felt compelled to pose next to it. It really felt especially fitting for a future vet-science grad: an animal cast in bronze, a symbol of loyalty and endurance, posing beside someone who plans to dedicate her life to creatures who can’t speak for themselves.

And at the end, there was one last frame: a bonus shot with her dad, our driver for the day, the silent anchor who shepherded us from spot to spot with a smile. It was a tiny moment, warm and simple, the kind you almost miss if you’re not paying attention. I never forget to take pictures with the parents if they’re around because these photos end up being the most meaningful as the years go by.