Meet Sophie.
This North Scott High School beauty and I met up in the fall of 2020 for her senior shoot.  I knew heading into Sophie’s session that we would capture some amazing shots as I LOVED her wardrobe selections.  She had these super awesome tights that literally took her senior photos to the. next. level.  Sophie really wanted to incorporate some art and color into her photos, and when scouting her, I stumbled across this amazing mural that was kind of tucked away from everything, but was still close to other locations along with a park where I knew we wanted to shoot as well.  This girl has a killer smile, an awesome fashion sense and is absolutely gorgeous!!

Here is a little about what Sophie had to say about her session with Moxie:
“Karen made my session so stress free and fun! I was worried about how I would look in the end but Karen made me feel like a model, something I have never felt before.  My favorite part of the day was how much fun Karen was to converse with – she made me feel special and comfortable.   My pictures turned out so amazing and I would recommend her to anyone who asks!  She made sure I was satisfied with my pictures and locations.  I wanted to show my creative side with colors and art so Karen picked out the perfect spot with a mural. I also wanted to incorporate my car in some way because I love my car with all of my heart and I’m so glad she let me include it.    It was truly amazing how she coordinated all of my outfits with the perfect location! Her assistant Sam was very funny (even if she wasn’t trying to be) and her and Karen together make the perfect combo of fun and professionalism.  Go to Moxie it’s seriously so worth it! Karen takes the time to truly know you and makes the whole session so much fun, plus you get snacks when you pick up your bag!  I love Moxie Design because it’s the most fun experience I’ve ever had!”

One piece of advice that Sophie has for other seniors getting their photos taken?
“Stay confident and trust your photographer!”  <– BEST. ADVICE. EVER!!!

If she could describe her overall senior session experience in one word, she would choose  “11/10”

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, Sophie!!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline &  Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.  Karen Bishop, owner of Moxie Design, has been recognized on both a national and international level as one of the top up and coming high school senior photographers in the industry.  Moxie Design will offer you not only images that represent the awesome person that you are, but an experience that you will remember for years to come. 

Meet Aidan.
This handsome Geneseo senior and I met up early last September for his senior pictures and it was unseasonably cold and spitting rain for his entire session.  We started off doing some bowling shots under a bridge overhang to keep Aidan dry in hopes that the weather forecast was correct in that there was ZERO precipitation appearing anywhere on the radar map.  Unfortunately, I don’t think it ever stopped misting and I remember we took a couple of warm up breaks where Aidan and his mom could get into the car and crank the heat.  I kept asking Aidan “do you want to reschedule?” and he repeatedly would say “no, let’s keep going.”  I loved his positive attitude and the fact  that he incorporated bowling and long boarding into his pictures!  Here is a little about what Aidan had to say about his session with Moxie:

“My overall session experience was great. Everyone was very nice. The weather was bad, but we made the best of it.  I tried to make the session as much like “me” as possible.  I really didn’t have any fears or worries going into the shoot and I would say that my favorite part of the session was getting the photos taken in my suit.  The most memorable part was the rain!  Karen and Sam were very kind and helpful and my pictures turned out fantastic.”

One piece of advice that he has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Don’t be nervous, just have fun with it!”  Great advice, my friend!

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, Aidan!!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline &  Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.  Karen Bishop, owner of Moxie Design, has been recognized on both a national and international level as one of the top up and coming high school senior photographers in the industry.  Moxie Design will offer you not only images that represent the awesome person that you are, but an experience that you will remember for years to come. 

Starting Moxie nearly 8 years ago, I had so many questions, worries and concerns – would I be successful? How would all of this come together? Would people actually pay me to take pictures of their families?
I remember back to when I first started taking photos and I was doing every type of shoot except for weddings – newborns, families, couples, corporate shoots, headshots, engagements, you name it.  I was taking the first steps of actually living out my dream and I was petrified, so basically, anyone that wanted me to do work for them was an immediate “YES!”  One night, my husband asked me what I wanted to make my specialty and then what would the steps be to make that happen?  I remember asking him “why do I need a niche?  I’m actually doing pretty darn good with my business.”  He then told me that if I didn’t focus any one thing, that I would never be the absolute best with any specific market.  That if I focused solely on my favorite type of shoot, that I could perfect posing, lighting, etc. and be the “go to” photographer in that genre.  The very next week I shot my first senior and it all clicked.  I absolutely loved everything about it – the fashion aspect, posing only one person and having so much fun from start to finish, laughing and experimenting with different locations and poses. It was way different than hours of waiting for a newborn to sleep or trying to bribe a family with five kids to all want to look at the camera at the same time.  So I started shooting as many seniors as I could and made a business plan of how I could take my business to the next level.  That’s when Matt mentioned that he thought I should meet Cameron at Haus of Heir with the idea of a potential partnership in having my girls go to HOH for hair and makeup prior to their sessions.  What happened next was magic.  At first, I would say fifty percent of my girls would add hair and makeup on to their sessions and when they did, the difference was amazing.  Not only did they show up to the session looking flawless, but their self confidence was already through the roof – and that is because of our amazing family at Haus of Heir.  Taylor, Ramiro and Cameron are not only the owners of Haus of Heir, but literally a huge part of the Moxie family.  Their uber talented staff never disappoint and always leave my girls feeling their absolute best, which seriously kicks off each and every session on the right foot.  Now, roughly six years later, nearly every girl that I work with goes to Haus of Heir before their senior session.  The beauty of the artists and creators at Haus of Heir is that they literally leave all of the decisions up to my girls – they can go from looking totally natural (but camera ready) to taking it next level GLAM for those that want to add an editorial edge to their senior pictures.  What most of my girls end up doing is somewhere in between totally natural and supermodel bold, and I love when they arrive to set with an extra spring in their step.  I cannot thank our Haus of Heir family enough for helping me to create a business that I absolutely love and take pride in, but allowing me to partner with a company that helps to take my work to the next level.  I love and appreciate each of you so much!!

Below are some of the hair and makeup looks that Haus of Heir did for my girls during the crazy year of 2020.  Can’t wait to see what magic they will create in 2021!!

I met up with Hailey early last fall for her senior photo session at this amazing horse stable.  The entire area looked like it was from a fairytale and the sky views we were able to capture there in her photos are priceless. Hailey is so sweet and we had a blast getting to know each other during her session.  It was a bit cold on the day of her shoot, but at the end of the day, she got into the water at Wildcat Den State Park (no shoes in a cute little dress) to capture some beautiful shots.  Having photographed multiple seniors with horses this year, I learned a lot about how they are supposed to look in photographs.  Hailey’s Grandma was absolutely awesome because she did anything and everything she could to get Bob to look at the camera and have his ears in proper form.  Grandma had me cracking up with her dances and whistles and it set the tone for the rest of the shoot.

When I asked Hailey about her shoot, she sent me the following as to how a typical convo would go when someone asks her about her senior photos – it really warmed my heart!!

Me: Shows friend my senior pictures from Moxie Design.
Friend: OMG those are the best senior pictures EVER!!! Who was your photographer?
Me: Karen from Moxie Design!

Here is a little about what Hailey had to say about her session with Moxie:
“My overall senior photo session experience was extremely enjoyable.  I never knew you could have so much fun doing a photo shoot! The kind of look I was trying to portray during the shoot was definitely striving to be able to showcase my passion for my horses and nature. My biggest fear about have my senior pictures take was that it would be awkward and that I would be extremely self conscious about my overall appearance. However, the outcome was a once in a life time experience that I will never forget- Karen made me feel comfortable and confident.  My favorite part of my Moxie Senior Experience was getting to take pictures with my best friend, my horse, Bob.  Our first location was at our barn so that my horse would be in a familiar environment so that he would be comfortable. But, my second location was at Wild Cat Den State Park and I choose this location because I love nature and the amazing bridge there. The most memorable moment of my session was taking pictures with my horse and my grandma behind the scenes. I love Moxie Design because they are friendly and make you feel like the best possible version of yourself.”

One piece of advice that Hailey has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Always take into consideration what your photographer has to say about posing and angles. They are the professional and don’t be afraid to try something new or unnatural those just might turn out to be the best photos.”

If she could describe her overall senior session experience in one word, she would choose  “exciting.”

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, Hailey!!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline &  Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.  Karen Bishop, owner of Moxie Design, has been recognized on both a national and international level as one of the top up and coming high school senior photographers in the industry.  Moxie Design will offer you not only images that represent the awesome person that you are, but an experience that you will remember for years to come.