Best Chattanooga Photo Locations for Student Athlete & Senior Sessions
Generic portrait locations often don’t reflect who your child has become. If your kid has spent years grinding it out in the weight room, showing up before school for practices, or pouring in long hours at a weekend tournament, they deserve more than a brick wall or plain backdrop.
Student athletes carry stories in their bodies. They’ve built discipline, leadership, and resilience, and the places where all that happened matter too. That’s why the best locations are often personal, gritty, or even overlooked.
Here are four out-of-the-box Chattanooga-area location ideas where great photos can come to life:
1) FORGOTTEN FIELDS AND/OR OLD PRACTICE LOCATIONS
Sometimes the place that holds the most weight isn’t fancy, but familiar.
Places like that scrappy practice field down the road from your home where you’d go to do some drills, the old court that empties out around dusk every day, or the elementary school campus where your child first started competing. These places hold more emotional gravity than a botanical garden ever could. When we shoot in places that mean something, it inherently changes the photos.
And while I’d suggest meaningful locations to any client, I think location is especially important for student athlete sessions. We can revisit the courts, tracks, or stadiums that helped shape them, and capture the value that those places hold for you and your student.
2) UNDER THE BLEACHERS, (YES REALLY).
Okay, hear me out. Shooting under the bleachers at a local school (or stadium after hours) can give you texture, shadow, and mood. It’s edgy, raw, imperfect, and also, full of potential for unique photos.
The bleachers are a great spot for:
Seniors who’ve played around those seats & lights for years
Sports-focused portraits for those of you wanting a cinematic edge
Athletes who want photos that show their personality, not just a jersey
3) LOCAL TRAILS, CREEK BEDS, PARKS, AND VISTAS
These locations are great for the kids who’ve always felt more at home outside - not just as athletes, but as adventurers, nature-goers, or outdoor-activity junkies.
If your kid has spent weekends trail running, fishing, paddle-boarding, or tossing a frisbee in the park, these locations can really let their personalities shine while also feeling comfortable and familiar. Think of the trails near Stringer’s Ridge, the launches on South Chickamauga Creek, the shoreline of McLellan Island, or the wide green spaces at Enterprise South or Coolidge Park. Maybe you and your kid would take walks on Raccoon Mountain or bring the family dog along on the easy, wandering trails at Reflection Riding. If it’s a favorite, frequented, or meaningful spot to you and your child, it’s worth being part of their story.
And you can bring more than just yourselves to the shoot. Bring the mountain bike, the cleats or hiking boots, or even the beloved family dog. Toss a soccer ball in the trunk, or pack the cross-country jersey they’ve been sweating in since sophomore year. We’ll find a place that doesn’t just look good - it feels like an expression of their teenage years.
4) THE PARKING LOT AFTER THE GAME
There’s something sacred about the stillness after the noise.
Think about it: how many times have you been in that parking lot with your child - when the stands have cleared out, teammates are heading home, lights are being shut off…. and you’re sitting on the trunk of the car with your sweaty, exhausted, maybe proud, but maybe gutted, kid beside you. Maybe you’re talking about the winning plays and what a performance they had, but maybe you were also offering some support and feedback after a tough loss.
Those are the moments no one photographs. But they’re the ones that defined this phase of life for the both of you, and we can recreate them or at the very least, pay homage to them.
LET’S MAKE YOUR PHOTOS MORE PERSONAL
Your kid doesn’t need a standard, grey backdrop. They need a setting that lets them drop their guard, and that’s what I love to help create.
If your athlete is nearing their final season, or just going on in on this phase of life and wanting to document it, reach out and we’ll build a photo session that feels like them and marks this moment in their personal history.