Senior Sunflower Session –

Sunflowers are in bloom here in Kansas and as a photographer I could not be any happier. To me, sunflowers are the definition of happy. They are yellow, they look like the sun, they just make you want to be cheerful! I dare anyone to walk into a sunflower field, spread your arms, twirl around in a circle and not be completely happy and content in that moment.

I am not the only one in love with sunflowers. I have had so many request from seniors wanting their photos in the fields as well. Lucky for all of us, a few field have been blooming early this year around the state. Below you will find my favorite photos from the various sunflower sessions I have had already this month.

Sunflower fields are tricky to find as they are usually tucked away off of a highway and they also have a really short bloom time. I’ve read it’s only 7-14 days and I have found this greatly depends on the weather/storms.  Since I live in Kansas I feel like I, and all other Kansans feel a special bond to sunflowers as one of our state nicknames is “the Sunflower State” and our state flower is the wild sunflower.

The local paper, The Wichita Eagle, called me last week and we chatted about the sunflower fields. I was so excited that not only did they publish the article online (you can find it here), but today it also made the front page of the newspaper! I was excited so I took I posed with the paper!

The large photo is actually my husband’s. He owns Mickey Shannon Photography and he was also quoted in the article. The smaller photo on the front page with the three girls is mine!

If you love sunflower fields as much as I do, here are a couple of guidelines I’ll give you if you want a Senior Sunflower Session. Please be respectful of the fields. This is someone’s crop, someone’s job and the way that someone puts food on the table for their family. Try to ask permission to use a field whenever possible. If you walk through the rows do so very carefully and slowly as to not harm the sunflowers. Never pick any of the sunflowers without permission. That is stealing!

With all that being said, please enjoy these beautiful sun-filled, senior, sunflower photos!