The Ultimate Sweet 16th Birthday Idea?

A SURPRISE Posh Teen Session with Lacey M. Carroll Photography, of course!

Imagine this: You’re child is turning 16 this year and you want to do something for them that will give them confidence, a chance to be themselves, and have lasting memories of? If you’re like Naomi’s mom Tamesha then you already know what the perfect gift would be…a surprise photoshoot with Senior Portrait photographer, Lacey M. Carroll at her Sacramento photo studio! Lacey is known for her incredible and dynamic images that are perfect for a Sweet 16 photoshoot, birthday portraits, and Qinceñeras too!

Tamesha filled out our contact us form we were so excited at the thought of being a part of such a perfect surprise! We spent months keeping this a secret from Naomi…which wasn’t too hard considering they live in TEXAS! Yes, Tamesha was searching online, found our site, saw the incredible images, saw how confident and diverse our clients are, and chose us! It wasn’t until her mom started asking her questions about favorite outfits, cake preferences, and “dream photoshoot” scenarios did she start to get an idea that maybe a photoshoot was going to be her surprise…but it was just the beginning of the surprise!! We coordinated picking up gourmet cakes from Freeport Bakery in Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento, had the phenomenal HMUA team of Heather Grabin and Mai Artistry for her hair and makeup, and secured the Tennis Courts at McKinley Park in East Sacramento for her special golden hour photoshoot.

Take a look at how incredible her first photoshoot ever turned out! Scroll down to read how Tamesha and Naomi felt about this really fun and unforgettable birthday experience.

1. What made you choose Lacey M Carroll as your photographer for your Senior Couture Session?

Mom: The style closet was what originally caught my attention. It was also the fact that Lacey had editorial and teen experience. I wanted my daughter to have unique pictures that were one of a kind and a demonstration of her individuality. That aside, the clincher was the call I had with Lacey about my hopes for the photoshoot.  She made me feel at ease about their ability to work with my daughter’s hair and skin tone. She also reassured me that the photoshoot could remain a surprise and they would support me with anything I needed to make that happen.

Naomi: It was a surprise for me, but I’m so glad Lacey was chosen.

2. What did you envision your photoshoot would be like?

Mom:  I came into the experience hoping it would be a glam experience for a day. A “today is your day to feel special” kind of day.

Naomi:  Well, I thought I was meeting my grandfather, so sneaky sneaky all of you. After the initial shock of finding out I would be in a photoshoot, well, I still had no idea what that would be like, because I’ve never done one. (Can you even believe this was her first photoshoot?!)

3. Which look turned out to be your favorite?

Mom: The floral dress with and without the big hair.  The black dress with the mixed color sweater, hair buns, lace socks and heels.

Naomi:  My favorite was the unplanned jungle fairy look in front of the banana plants.  I feel like that one was original and very high fashion out of all the looks.

4. What was your favorite moment of the photoshoot?

Mom: When the team jumped in to help me get Naomi’s hair big and started taking additional pictures after the shoot concluded.
Naomi: My favorite moment was getting my hair teased to look huge and gorgalicious after the photoshoot was done.

5. Was there anything you'd do differently if you got to do the photoshoot again?

Mom: No, Lacey and the team run a tight ship. They have a lot of experience and execute it perfectly.
Naomi: I think I would go bigger on all of the accessories, clothing, and the hair.  I also would love to do more looks for the hair.  I guess if I had endless time, I would have just added more looks. 

6. Anything you'd like to be included in the blog post about you and your experience?

Mom: I’ll say it again. I highly recommend this experience, surprise or otherwise, for any girl that may need a confidence boost. My daughter learned a lot these past couple of years about how hard it can be to deal with others who put you down and make you lose confidence and belief in yourself. At times, demeaning behavior came from those who she should have been able to look up to.  This experience has helped changed the way she sees and carries herself.  She’s got that spark again and I’m happy to say, this experience contributed to it.  Thank you all again!

Naomi: It was a potentially life-changing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone struggling with self image and confidence issues. 10/10, would do again.

The most favorite look across the board! From the clients, to the HMUA, and to Lacey this look was the top pick.