Do I need a permit for senior portraits at Cathedral Rock or Bell Rock?

Yes, commercial senior portrait sessions at most City of Sedona public locations, Coconino National Forest land, and Red Rock State Park require a Special Events Permit (City) plus a commercial filming permit (Forest Service). Permit lead time is 14-30 days. We coordinate the permit pull as part of the booking workflow.

What's the best time for Sedona senior portrait sessions?

Golden hour (45 minutes before sunset) lights the red rocks like nothing else. Sunrise is also stunning and far less crowded. We avoid midday, high contrast, blown-out red rock, harsh shadows. Plan for arrival 60-90 minutes before golden hour for setup + crowd control.

How long is a senior portrait session?

Standard sessions run 60 minutes to 2 hours, including 1–3 location changes and 2–3 outfit changes. Longer 'epic' sessions (half-day) are available for seniors who want to capture multiple settings, a redwood look, a coastal look, and a hometown look, across one production day.

Where do you shoot senior portraits?

Anywhere on the North Coast that means something to you. Common locations include Sequoia Park, Trinidad State Beach, Patrick's Point, Founders Grove, Halvorsen Park, downtown Eureka, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Lost Coast. Indoor sessions are available at our Eureka studio.

When should we schedule?

Senior portrait season peaks late summer through early fall (golden hour + fall colors). For best variety, schedule 6–10 weeks before yearbook deadlines. Spring senior sessions for class-of-following-year are also a popular alternative for less crowded locations.

What should the senior bring?

2–3 outfits (more for longer sessions), any meaningful props or items (instrument, jersey, pet, vehicle), and snacks/water. Tex sends a full prep guide once we book, including outfit suggestions, location-specific notes, and a timeline for the session day.

How long until we get the gallery?

Edited galleries are delivered in 2–3 weeks for standard sessions. Print orders and yearbook-ready files can be expedited if there's a deadline, let Tex know up front.

Do I need a permit for senior portraits at Cathedral Rock or Bell Rock?

Yes, commercial senior portrait sessions at most City of Sedona public locations, Coconino National Forest land, and Red Rock State Park require a Special Events Permit (City) plus a commercial filming permit (Forest Service). Permit lead time is 14-30 days. We coordinate the permit pull as part of the booking workflow.

What's the best time for Sedona senior portrait sessions?

Golden hour (45 minutes before sunset) lights the red rocks like nothing else. Sunrise is also stunning and far less crowded. We avoid midday, high contrast, blown-out red rock, harsh shadows. Plan for arrival 60-90 minutes before golden hour for setup + crowd control.

How long is a senior portrait session?

Standard sessions run 60 minutes to 2 hours, including 1–3 location changes and 2–3 outfit changes. Longer 'epic' sessions (half-day) are available for seniors who want to capture multiple settings, a redwood look, a coastal look, and a hometown look, across one production day.

Where do you shoot senior portraits?

Anywhere on the North Coast that means something to you. Common locations include Sequoia Park, Trinidad State Beach, Patrick's Point, Founders Grove, Halvorsen Park, downtown Eureka, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Lost Coast. Indoor sessions are available at our Eureka studio.

When should we schedule?

Senior portrait season peaks late summer through early fall (golden hour + fall colors). For best variety, schedule 6–10 weeks before yearbook deadlines. Spring senior sessions for class-of-following-year are also a popular alternative for less crowded locations.

What should the senior bring?

2–3 outfits (more for longer sessions), any meaningful props or items (instrument, jersey, pet, vehicle), and snacks/water. Tex sends a full prep guide once we book, including outfit suggestions, location-specific notes, and a timeline for the session day.

How long until we get the gallery?

Edited galleries are delivered in 2–3 weeks for standard sessions. Print orders and yearbook-ready files can be expedited if there's a deadline, let Tex know up front.

$Senior portrait session image from Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona$

Senior Portrait Photographer · Sedona, Arizona

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona, Arizona.

Cinematic senior sessions, redwoods, coast, hometown settings.

Inquire Call (707) 382-1108

Tex Kelly, senior portraits for Sedona, Arizona

Hi. I'm Tex.

Welcome to senior season, Sedona edition.

I'm a North Coast filmmaker and photographer, voted Humboldt County's Best. Senior portraits in Sedona are some of my favorite sessions of the year, your hometown deserves a senior shoot that actually looks like Sedona, not a generic studio backdrop you could be anywhere.

My job is to make you (or your senior) feel completely comfortable, then put you in front of the most cinematic light Sedona and the surrounding Yavapai County have to offer. No stiff poses. No fake smiles. Just real, beautiful, intentional portraits worth printing big.

Now booking the Class of 2027 in Sedona.

Book your Sedona session →

Senior Portraits in Sedona, Arizona. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Sedona

Destination senior portrait sessions in Sedona, Arizona. Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Tlaquepaque, and Oak Creek Canyon red rock backdrops. Sedona Red Rock High School students + families flying in for destination senior sessions. Permit + scout handled.

The Approach

Senior portraits in Sedona. Made for this place.

The Sedona location

Sedona backdrops, picked on purpose.

Sedona senior portraits are world-class, red rock formations that no other senior portrait location in America can match. Cathedral Rock at sunset is the signature shot. Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte for easier permit access. Oak Creek Canyon for the red rock + water combination. Tlaquepaque arts village for an indoor + outdoor permit-friendly editorial backdrop.

Senior Portraits, Sedona, Arizona — Golden-hour senior session, Yavapai County.

The Sedona session

No stiff poses. No fake smiles.

Most Sedona senior portrait work is split between Sedona Red Rock High School students (the local school) and destination seniors, families flying in for once-in-a-lifetime senior portraits in the red rocks. City of Sedona Special Events Permit + Coconino National Forest commercial filming permit required for most public-land locations; we handle the permit pull as part of the booking. Galleries delivered in 2-3 weeks.

The Yavapai County scouting advantage

Built for Sedona. Scouted for years.

Sedona's red rocks are the most-photographed senior portrait location in the American Southwest, which means knowing which formations are over-photographed (Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock) versus which Cathedral angles are still distinctive at the right time of day. The Crescent Moon Picnic Site reflection at dawn is the same Cathedral Rock but framed in a way most senior portraits miss. The Airport Mesa overlook is the same red rocks seen from a less-photographed angle. Permit complexity, crowd management, and shot-angle expertise compound, and that's what separates a real Sedona senior portrait from a tourist photo in the same location.

Class of 2027, Sedona

Now booking Sedona senior sessions for the year ahead.

Yearbook submissions, graduation announcements, and grandparent prints all run on the same clock. Sedona seniors planning ahead get first pick of golden-hour weekend windows, spring and summer fill from out-of-county requests first, then by school graduation order. Reserve early.

Reserve your Sedona session → or call (707) 382-1108

Recent Work

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona. A look at the work.

$Prescott Langer Class of 2026 senior session. Humboldt County$
$Senior portrait session in Arcata$
$Trinidad nature senior portrait, coastal redwoods$
$Humboldt County girl senior portrait session$
$Scenic Humboldt County senior portrait, wide landscape$
$Humboldt County beach senior portrait session$
$NorCal senior portrait. Tex Kelly Productions$
$Eureka golden-hour senior portrait$
$High-end Humboldt senior portrait, editorial composition$
$Redwood-forest senior session, old-growth canopy light$
$Arcata High sports senior portrait$
$Wide environmental senior portrait in golden hour$
$Trinidad redwood senior portrait$
$Humboldt girl senior portrait session$
$Eureka High School senior portrait$
$Elegant girl senior session, editorial styling$
$Humboldt County senior girl portrait$
$Legacy senior portrait. Tex Kelly Productions$
$Golden-hour senior portrait$
$Eureka High School senior session$
$Humboldt girl senior photography$
$Trinidad redwoods senior portrait$
$Arcata varsity wrestler senior session$
$Humboldt County girl senior portrait$

See full senior portraits portfolio →

Cinematic wedding films. The same eye behind every senior session.

Senior portraits at the studio live alongside a full cinematic wedding practice. Same eye for light, same editorial discipline, here's the moving-picture side of the work. Click any thumbnail to play in place.

David & Monica's Wedding Documentary, 35 Years Before They Met, His Dad Saved Her Dad's Life
Feature-length wedding documentary
Brunton Wedding Film
Northern California wedding cinematography
Shane & Sofia Weekly. A 45-Minute Wedding Documentary
Northern California long-form wedding film
Mrs. & Mrs. McClurg
Cinematic wedding film
An Emotional, Romantic & Cinematic Wedding Film. Trinidad Elopement
Trinidad, California elopement

DaVinci Resolve wedding-film edit in progress. Tex Kelly Productions editing suite

The Editing Process

Months in the edit suite, curating the story.

A wedding film isn't shot in a day, it's made over months. Hours of raw cinema footage, multi-camera audio, drone aerial, and second-shooter coverage get assembled, color-graded, and scored frame by frame in the edit suite.

Every transition is intentional. Every cut earns its keep. The goal is a film couples actually want to re-watch, not a montage of clips. That kind of editorial discipline is the difference between a wedding film and a wedding highlight reel, and it's why these turnarounds run weeks instead of days.

Venues + Locations

Where I shoot senior portraits in Sedona.

Cathedral Rock

Sedona's most iconic senior portrait backdrop. Permit + sunset timing for the cleanest shot.
Bell Rock + Courthouse Butte

Easier permit access than Cathedral. Equally dramatic red rock.
Tlaquepaque Arts Village

Spanish-colonial-style village with indoor + outdoor permit-friendly editorial backdrops.

What's Included

What's included with senior portraits in Sedona.

A Filmmaker's Eye on Every Frame

Golden-hour light at Bell Rock and the Airport Mesa overlook, dramatic location work at Cathedral Rock at sunset, and the kind of shots that stop the scroll. Cinematic, never cookie-cutter.
Authentic. No Stiff Smiles

No awkward posing, no forced expressions. Every session is fun, relaxed, and built around the senior. Authentic portraits that capture exactly who you are at this moment.
Hand-Picked Locations Around Sedona

Cathedral Rock at sunset, Bell Rock and the Airport Mesa overlook, and the Crescent Moon Picnic Site reflection at sunrise, the tucked-away spots in and around Sedona most photographers drive right past. Locations curated, intentional, exclusive.
Bring What Makes You You

Two to three outfit changes, casual, dressed up, and something that represents you. Letterman jacket, jersey, instrument, your truck. Earth tones and solids photograph beautifully against Sedona's iconic red rock palette.
Senior Highlight Reels (optional)

Cinematic short-form video for seniors who want something extra to remember this chapter by, a 60–90 second piece that lives on Instagram and lasts forever.
Edited Online Gallery

Private password-protected gallery delivered in 2–3 weeks. Print-quality downloads + web-ready files. Yavapai County yearbook deadlines prioritized when you have one.

How It Works

How it works in Sedona.

01

Inquiry

Send a note with the senior's school, graduating year, and your timeline. I'll share availability and starting prices.
02

Booking + Prep

Signed agreement reserves the date. I send a prep guide with outfit and location guidance customized to your session length.
03

Session Day

I arrive a few minutes early to scout and set lights/lenses. We move through 1–3 locations and 2–3 outfits over 60 minutes (or longer for half-day sessions).
04

Editing

Best 60–120 images selected and edited. Yearbook-ready high-resolution files prioritized if you have a deadline.
05

Delivery

Private gallery email within 2–3 weeks. Download full-res files for prints, social, and yearbook.

Investment

Standard senior portrait sessions start in the mid-three-figures. Half-day epic sessions and add-ons (extra locations, additional outfits, prints) priced individually. Send a note with your timeline.

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

Do I need a permit for senior portraits at Cathedral Rock or Bell Rock?

Yes, commercial senior portrait sessions at most City of Sedona public locations, Coconino National Forest land, and Red Rock State Park require a Special Events Permit (City) plus a commercial filming permit (Forest Service). Permit lead time is 14-30 days. We coordinate the permit pull as part of the booking workflow.
What's the best time for Sedona senior portrait sessions?

Golden hour (45 minutes before sunset) lights the red rocks like nothing else. Sunrise is also stunning and far less crowded. We avoid midday, high contrast, blown-out red rock, harsh shadows. Plan for arrival 60-90 minutes before golden hour for setup + crowd control.
How long is a senior portrait session?

Standard sessions run 60 minutes to 2 hours, including 1–3 location changes and 2–3 outfit changes. Longer 'epic' sessions (half-day) are available for seniors who want to capture multiple settings, a redwood look, a coastal look, and a hometown look, across one production day.
Where do you shoot senior portraits?

Anywhere on the North Coast that means something to you. Common locations include Sequoia Park, Trinidad State Beach, Patrick's Point, Founders Grove, Halvorsen Park, downtown Eureka, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Lost Coast. Indoor sessions are available at our Eureka studio.
When should we schedule?

Senior portrait season peaks late summer through early fall (golden hour + fall colors). For best variety, schedule 6–10 weeks before yearbook deadlines. Spring senior sessions for class-of-following-year are also a popular alternative for less crowded locations.
What should the senior bring?

2–3 outfits (more for longer sessions), any meaningful props or items (instrument, jersey, pet, vehicle), and snacks/water. Tex sends a full prep guide once we book, including outfit suggestions, location-specific notes, and a timeline for the session day.
How long until we get the gallery?

Edited galleries are delivered in 2–3 weeks for standard sessions. Print orders and yearbook-ready files can be expedited if there's a deadline, let Tex know up front.

Nearby senior portraits cities

Senior Portraits near Sedona, other locations I shoot.

Flexible on where you shoot? Many clients book a hometown location + a destination second location in the same day. Below are the other cities where I'm currently booking senior portraits, same playbook, same editorial eye, different backdrop.

Inquire

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona. Tell me about your senior session.

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Sedona Hub Yavapai County Hub Senior Portraits (All Areas)

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona, Arizona.

Welcome to senior season, Sedona edition.

Senior portraits in Sedona. Made for this place.

Sedona backdrops, picked on purpose.

No stiff poses. No fake smiles.

Built for Sedona. Scouted for years.

Now booking Sedona senior sessions for the year ahead.

Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona. A look at the work.

Cinematic wedding films. The same eye behind every senior session.

David & Monica's Wedding Documentary, 35 Years Before They Met, His Dad Saved Her Dad's Life

Brunton Wedding Film

Shane & Sofia Weekly. A 45-Minute Wedding Documentary

Mrs. & Mrs. McClurg

An Emotional, Romantic & Cinematic Wedding Film. Trinidad Elopement

Months in the edit suite, curating the story.

Where I shoot senior portraits in Sedona.

Cathedral Rock

Bell Rock + Courthouse Butte

Tlaquepaque Arts Village

What's included with senior portraits in Sedona.

A Filmmaker's Eye on Every Frame

Authentic. No Stiff Smiles

Hand-Picked Locations Around Sedona

Bring What Makes You You

Senior Highlight Reels (optional)

Edited Online Gallery

How it works in Sedona.

Inquiry

Booking + Prep

Session Day

Editing

Delivery

Frequently asked questions.

Senior Portraits near Sedona, other locations I shoot.

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Senior Portraits in Prescott

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Senior Portrait Photographer in Sedona. Tell me about your senior session.

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