Quad Cities Senior Photography | Meet Rachel

Meet Rachel.

This beautiful girl and I met up last fall for her senior session.  If you follow our social media accounts and are thinking that Rachel looks familiar it’s because we have worked with her sister Grace a lot in the past and they look like they could be twins!  I loved the time we spent with Rachel and her awesome mom Robin.  We started out at Blackhawk State Park to capture some fall vibes and I was so excited that Rachel was down to experiment with some accessories and she even let me get creative with a mirror that I had brought along for her session!  After we finished up at the park, we headed to the District where we were able to take advantage of the awesome colors and textures of the downtown buildings. Rachel had brought along an umbrella, which we were able to play around with and it ended up with an amazing shot!

Here is a little about what Rachel had to say about her session with Moxie:
“”My overall experience was outstanding! I had so much fun with Karen and Sam – they really knew how to get me out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t really quite sure what exactly I was going for, but Karen had no problems making the photos look absolutely amazing!  I was really hoping to accomplish a fall and woodsy vibe and to no surprise, Karen absolutely crushed it!  My biggest fear was being awkward in front of the camera and not knowing how to pose. Karen is so creative and had a variety of different poses that she suggested and all of the photos turned out so amazing! There wasn’t a part of the experience that I didn’t love, but if I had to choose a favorite it was probably getting to know Karen and Sam. They were so sweet and made the experience amazing. I absolutely loved every single photo that came out of the session. My absolute favorite is the one of me looking right into the camera and I am sitting on the ground with the trail behind me.  I think this photo really accomplished the fall look that I was going for! Karen is one of the best people to get your pictures taken by. She knows how to work the angles. She is amazing at putting accessories on you that she thinks will look amazing (and they always do). It was one of the best experience I have ever had. I love Moxie Design because Karen and Sam really knew how to take me out of my comfort zone.”

One piece of advice that Rachel has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Try not to be uncomfortable with being in front of a camera. When I went into the photoshoot, I was super nervous and uncomfortable because I had never had anything like this done before. Now that I look back on it, I had no reason to be uncomfortable or nervous. Make sure you have fun while doing it! Take every moment in. It feels like it is over in a blink of an eye.”

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, Rachel!!
xoxo,

Karen

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. 

 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Rachel

Meet Rachel.
This Assumption beauty and I met up last fall for her senior photos on yet another day that was threatening rain.  Thankfully, the only rain drops we encountered were when we were under a tree canopy!  Rachel had some amazing outfits that she had chosen for her session – I loved all of the looks because they gave a ton of variety in her final gallery.  She wasn’t afraid to experiment with accessories and color and I absolutely love that!  We were able to spend the afternoon together sharing some laughs and getting to know each other. Rachel is such a kind and sweet person and I’m honored that she chose us to do her senior pictures!

Here is a little about what Rachel had to say about her session with Moxie:
“It was wonderful! Karen was so much fun and so good at helping me relax! I really loved the opportunity to get my picture taken with her.  I was going for something that just looked like me, something that I could look back on and know that it represented me. My biggest fear was that I would hate myself in all the pictures no matter what, but I really loved all of them! My favorite part was definitely when I was able to chat and laugh with Karen in between pictures. I really don’t have just one picture that I love, but I do have a few that I loved because they made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself. The most memorable part for me was about midway through our session when I was finally relaxed and really having fun. I also feel like that’s when Karen took the best pictures of me. It was so much fun and such a confidence boost. I really think everyone should go to Karen for their pictures at least once.  I love Moxie Design because they helped me feel beautiful and have fun!”

One piece of advice that Rachel has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Just relax and have fun! You look your best when you’re truly happy.”

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

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

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Taylor

Meet Taylor.
This Class of 2022 Moxie model and I have had the opportunity to work together a few times over the course of the last year and I love having Taylor on the opposite side of my camera.
She is absolutely stunning! When we met up for her full session, I asked her who her celebrity look alike is – and then it hit me: a young Elizabeth Hurley.  If you don’t know who Elizabeth Hurley is, she is a famous actress and model and she is also drop dead gorgeous.  I was excited for Taylor’s session because we were featuring two sports AND she was up for getting into my favorite waterfall.  We had a beautiful day to shoot and when we were taking her track photos, the sky was absolutely perfect! Taylor has been featured nationally numerous times and I just love how sweet and genuine she is.  Thank you for being a part of the Moxie model team, Taylor!!

Here is a little about what Taylor had to say about her session with Moxie:
“My overall experience during my senior session was amazing. I had so much fun with Karen and Sam – they were both so kind and engaged with me during my session and the whole time I felt so confident because of how encouraging and welcoming they were. My biggest fear going into the shoot was that I would be uncomfortable in front of the camera and none of my pictures would actually look like me. Thanks to Karen and Sam this fear quickly disappeared because of how easy they made it to stand in front of a camera by always saying something encouraging. I think my favorite part of my experience was when we took pictures at the cute little house by the park. This was my favorite because not only did I like the location the best, but by this time I felt way more comfortable in front of the camera and I was actually excited to take more picture. My favorite image is one of me in the blue pants romper that I have my arms crossed, looking to the side, and smiling. If I were to pick one thing that was the most memorable about my shoot it would have to be the way that Karen and Sam were so good with breaking the nerves I had in front of the camera and helping me become more comfortable. I had an amazing time, and I felt more and more confident in myself the longer the shoot went on.  My sports pictures were amazing, especially how cool the way Karen used the lighting in the pool was to make the pictures look so good.  I love Moxie Design because you will leave your shoot feeling so much more confident than when you go there.”

One piece of advice that Taylor has for other seniors getting their photos taken? “One piece of advice I would give the incoming seniors would be to go into your senior pictures with a positive mindset and know that you and your photographer just want you to shine in front of the camera no matter how nervous it might make you.”

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

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

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Meet Lillian

Meet Lillian.
I have had the pleasure of working with this beauty over the past year as she is one of the Class of 2022 models.  I remember the first time that I met her at the prom session – she showed up wearing this absolutely breathtaking pink dress and we found a tree that matched it pretty perfectly.  That image was featured nationally (along with pretty much every other image that I have posted of her)!  During her full senior session, we experimented with smoke bombs, which was super fun!  As per usual in 2021, we had some rain drops fall in the middle of Lillian’s session, but only a few, so we were able to keep shooting. Lillian has the brightest blue eyes and a smile that could light up any room and I am so thankful that she was a part of our model team this year.

Here is a little about what Lillian had to say about her session with Moxie:
“My overall senior photo session experience was amazing! I am so glad I chose to have my pictures taken by Karen she made it such a fun experience!  I went for looks that I felt comfortable in, I wanted to wear outfits that I knew I loved so I felt more confident. I tried to branch out of my comfort zone for the extra shoots we did, and those pictures turned out amazing! My biggest fear was posing, I have never been able to look super comfortable in front of the cameras, but Karen was awesome I have never had a photographer help me with poses and make me feel so comfortable as well. My favorite part was branching out of my comfort zone for the thrift challenge, I wore something that I wouldn’t usually wear and the pictures came out amazing! My most memorable part of my session was doing the smoke bombs, I have never done anything like that and it was so fun, the outcome of the pictures were amazing!  If I were to tell my best friend about my experience I would tell her how confident Karen makes you feel in front of the camera even if you are shy she will help you get out of your comfort zone. I would also tell them that not only is it a wonderful experience, but the pictures she takes come out amazing.  I love Moxie Design because Karen is like your personal hype man! She makes you feel so confident!”

One piece of advice that Lillian has for other seniors getting their photos taken? “One piece of advice I would give to seniors getting their photos taken is to branch out of their comfort zones, most of my favorite pictures taken were the ones where Karen asked me if I wanted to do editorial photos and things I wouldn’t normally do.”  <– This advice is epic!!!

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

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, beautiful girl!!
xoxo,

Karen

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. 

Quad City Senior Photography | Meet Averie

Meet Averie.
We met up with this gorgeous MHS beauty at the Brewed Book over in Davenport for the first part of her session.  What a great spot to capture Averie’s love of reading and literature!  Averie showed up looking like she had just stepped out of the pages of a magazine, and we were able to get some amazing shots (my favorite being the one where she is laying on the floor holding the book).  I love when my seniors incorporate things that mean a lot to them, and Averie was able to bring her love of travel into her images along with being able to capture some images with her Grandpa’s truck and her dad’s car.  We had so much fun and shared so many laughs over the course of the afternoon/evening.  When I came home to load her photos, I was like a kid on Christmas morning, going through all of the images.  The only hard part about her session was trying to narrow down what images to post as her previews on social media!  Averie, you are such a kind and beautiful soul and I am honored that you chose to us to create your senior photos!  I can’t wait to see what your amazing future holds!

Here is a little about what Averie’s awesome mom Jenna had to say about their experience with Moxie:
“The session with Moxie was incredible! We had such a great experience working with Karen. She had us laughing from the start. Her laid back nature and warmth helped Averie feel relaxed and confident, and it shows in all her gorgeous photos.  We were going for something that felt uniquely and authentically Averie. Karen and Averie nailed it.  The whole afternoon from start to finish went flawless and Karen allowed Averie to feel like her best self. Our favorite part of the senior experience was watching the slideshow of her final looks. We were over the moon in love with how they all turned out. There may have been some tears.  My favorite shot from the session would have to be her headshot at Lindsay park. She was sitting on the park bench with her hand gently on her face. And the bookstore pic on the floor! Gah, they’re so perfect. The most memorable part of the session was seeing a part of Averie that she keeps hidden emerge. She absolutely glowed, and owned the moment.  If I were telling my friend about senior photos with Moxie, I would say make it happen. Karen is so easy to work with. The whole experience was effortless.”

One piece of advice that Jenna has for future seniors getting their photos taken? “Enjoy the moment. It’s all about YOU!”

If she could describe the overall experience in one word, Jenna would choose  “magic.”

Thank you for being awesome, Jenna and Averie!!

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Nick

Meet Nick.
This high school senior / pilot and I met up last fall on a perfect afternoon.  I knew that Nick wanted the majority of his photos to have a pilot theme to them, so we met up at the Davenport Municipal Airport, which ended up being the perfect location for all of his pictures!  I loved getting to know Nick and seeing his passion for aviation was inspiring.  When he talked about any aspect of flying or when he was showing me the inside of a plane – I could actually see this spark in his eyes and they just lit up.  Hearing about where he has flown/ his pilot experience was so cool and I’m so proud of all he has accomplished before graduating from high school!

Here is a little about what Nick had to say about his session with Moxie:  “My session turned out to be a ton of fun. At first I didn’t know what to expect, but it was great and the pictures turned out amazing!  I was going for different looks and styles, but mainly aviation themed shots. I was afraid that I wouldn’t look good in the pictures, but I was very impressed when I saw the outcome of the photos. They turned out better than I could have hoped for! Talking with you and Matt and learning new things about photography was probably my favorite part of the session. All of the photos turned out amazing, I couldn’t choose one favorite.  I love Moxie Design because of the overall fun and memorable experience, and amazing photos!

One piece of advice that Nick has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “I would tell them to not be nervous like I was, and to trust you because you are a professional, and you take amazing photos.”  Awe, thanks for the kind words, Nick!!

If he could describe his overall senior session experience in one word, he would choose  “amazing.”

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, Nick!! I can’t wait to see what amazing things are in your future!

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

 

Quad Cities Senior Pictures | Meet Delaney

Meet Delaney,
This beautiful North Scott senior and I met up last October for her senior pictures.  Since the warmer temperatures lingered into fall this year, we were able to take advantage of that and utilize locations that we typically wouldn’t mid October.  We had some beautiful flowers that we were able to capture and we actually got into a creek – which is unheard of for that time of year!  The water was a bit cold, but Delaney didn’t allow that to get in the way of her getting into the stream, where we captured some beautiful images.  I was so pumped when I saw images of Delaney’s wardrobe selections, especially the Def Leppard tshirt/beanie look. It was so editorial and at the same time, felt true to Delaney’s fashion style.  At the end of the night, we got to take some photos with the most beautiful sunset – it was a beautiful color splash with pink purple and orange, and it added an extra layer of awesome to those photos.

Here is a little about what Delaney had to say about her session with Moxie:
“I had a lot of fun. I loved how all of the photos turned out. Everyone was super nice and it was such a relief to have everything go smoothly. I wanted some more traditional looks and some that were more my style. I was nervous that I wouldn’t know how to pose, but Karen was super sweet and really helped walk me through everything. My favorite part was when we got the pictures with the sunset in the background. They turned out so pretty!!  really like the mural pictures or the sunset pictures. I think they both turned out super pretty! The most memorable part of my session is when we got in the creek and it was super cold. I couldn’t feel my toes but ended up getting used to it. I had a lot of fun and would totally recommend getting your senior pictures done by Moxie Design. Karen walks you through everything so there’s no stress.   I love Moxie Design because the experience was super fun and I felt like a model.”

One piece of advice that Delaney has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Don’t stress about it. Just relax and have fun with the photos.”

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

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

 

 

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. 

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Meet Cael

Meet Cael.
This handsome MHS senior and I met up last fall for his senior session and I knew from the first few minutes of his session that we were going to be friends.
We started off his shoot with some photos incorporating his pup, which was awesome because #1 – his pup is adorable and #2 – we got to meet both his super cool mom and dad as dad brought the pup to meet us for the first fifteen minutes of the session.  We started off at Blackhawk State Park to get an outdoor/ park look and then headed downtown Moline where we were able to get some shots with more of an urban flair.  During Cael’s shoot, we wanted to incorporate his love and talent for skiing, but it was a warm fall day with no snow in sight.  I decided that we could shoot this two different ways – #1 using a wall that has a natural whitewash to it to get more of a studio feel, and then #2 heading to the top of a parking garage where I could capture just Cael, his skiis and the sky.  I love how these nontraditional skiing images turned out – the sky was perfect that day and gave us all sorts of beautiful blue color.  I had so much fun with Cael and his mom – we shared so many laughs throughout the afternoon and when we were finished up for the day, I felt as though I had known Cael and Jamie for years.

Here is a little about what Cael’s awesome mom Jamie had to say about their experience with Moxie:
“Karen is absolutely amazing! She made the session relaxed and fun -it was a great experience. I would highly recommend Moxie Design to all for senior photos! Karen is so organized and communicates throughout the entire process. I truly appreciate how great Cael’s photos turned out and cannot thank Karen enough for the photos I will have to remember his senior year!  His pictures are very natural. They do not look posed. I love that there are serious expressions and his laughing smile! His ski photos are outstanding! Cael does not like getting his pictures taken and Karen did a great job at making the experience relaxed and the pictures are perfect. You would never know he doesn’t like getting his pictures taken! I have two favorites -the first is his ski photo with the sky in the background. It looks like an ad for Atomic skis. The sky is outstanding! The other is him at the park with his green plaid shirt and his hands next to his face. It is his beautiful smile! It just says “Cael.”  The reveal was the most memorable part of the experience.  It brought tears to my eyes! If I was telling my friend about Moxie, I would say that it was the best experience I could have ever imagined! I would definitely pick Moxie design for senior photos!

One piece of advice that Jamie has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  ” Plan in advance!” (great advice, Jamie!!)

If Jamie could describe her son’s overall senior experience in one word, she would choose  “outstanding.”

Thank you for letting us be a part of your senior year, Cael, and thanks for sharing such kind words, Jamie!
xoxo,

Karen

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. 

 

Quad Cities Senior Pictures | Meet Alli

Meet Alli.
This UTHS beauty and I met up last fall for her senior session.
I was super excited about Alli’s outfits – she had these gorgeous leather pants that I am still in love with, and this black dress that we saved for the last part of the session in the river.
A lot of my sessions have memorable moments, but I may have to say that Alli’s session takes the cake on the most memorable of the year for a couple of reasons.  That day in October we were expected to get a storm, and because of that, we had so many different skies to photograph.  At one point, it looked like we were going to get poured on because this black wall cloud came in, but we stayed dry!   At the end of Alli’s session, we were along the Mississippi River and we found some great rocks and logs for her to sit on and create natural posing moments.  I remember asking her if she would be up for putting on a glam lip color and getting into the water for her final photos and she said yes.  I had on my hip waders and I remember kneeling in the river, praying I wouldn’t fall over (because as you know, I’m clumsy by nature) and Alli not only got into the water, but she sat down, fully submerged – during sunset, where we had this absolutely beautiful pink and purple sky.  Keep in mind, this was October, so it was not a warm and balmy day – but she fully committed to the editorial idea and we got some amazing photos!

Here is a little about what Alli had to say about her session with Moxie:
“Everything about my experience was perfect!  My favorite part of my Moxie shoot was that Karen listened to my ideas and then turned them into amazing photos. It was also a lot of fun to have hair and makeup done and change outfits and locations! I wanted to be outside in nature for my shoot. I don’t think I had any fears about my shoot, I just wanted to have fun and I definitely did that! It’s so hard to pick a favorite photo, but probably the one by the river in the back dress where I’m holding the skirt, or sitting on the log in that dress…  The most memorable part of my session had to be getting in the river fully dressed with lipstick on! Karen made me feel like I was her only client from the first questionnaire, all day long during the shoot and when we picked our favorites. She makes the whole experience so fun and personalized. She’s the best.  I love Moxie Design because my photos turned out better than I ever imagined!”

One piece of advice that Alli has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “Have fun, pick fun locations and outfits you love and don’t be nervous!”

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

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

Karen

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. 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Grant

Meet Grant.
This PV senior and I met up last fall on a super warm day that was threatening evening thunderstorms. Thankfully, we were able to meet a bit earlier in the day to keep us out of the eye of the storm.
I was super pumped to work with Grant as he had three different elements that he wanted to incorporate into his photos – fishing, track and football (and he was going to be wearing a suit – AWESOME)!
We had the perfect locations in mind and the route for traveling to each was perfectly executed.  Shout out to Grant’s dad for helping us with the smoke in a can that we used for his football pictures!!

Here is a little about what Grant had to say about his session with Moxie:
“My overall experience with Moxie Design was good! The directions I was given were easy to follow and understand. All I really had to do was listen and strike some poses which allowed me to have a stress free and enjoyable photo shoot.  I was going for a downtown and outdoors look, with sport pictures and fishing pictures. My biggest worry was that getting my pictures taken was going to be really boring but it turned out Karen and Sam were extremely nice and helpful and gave me a great experience. My favorite part of my experience was that while we were taking all of the photos Karen was always thinking of new ideas and ways to take each picture. My fishing photo was cool because it captured the Lost Grove lake in the background with my boat in front. My most memorable experience was having to change clothes in their pop up tent in the middle of the city. I would tell my best friend that Karen made my photo session really easy and smooth and the photos turned out great!   I love Moxie Design because Karen really gives a personal touch to the photo shoot.”

One piece of advice that * has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “My advice would be to make sure you remember to check your hair before every shot in case the wind messes it up.”

If he could describe his overall senior session experience in one word, he would choose  “enjoyable.”

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

Karen

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. 

 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Breanna

Meet Breanna.
This gorgeous PV senior and I met up last fall on a beautiful day.  During the preplanning for her session, Breanna had expressed an interest in going out to Miss Effie’s flower farm for her shoot. I had never been, so I was super excited to check out this new location! What I wasn’t prepared for is how arriving at Miss Effie’s almost seemed like we were traveling back in time.  Miss Effie’s flower farm is the  most beautiful and magical location.  There are unlimited areas to shoot in and around and we had a blast.  We had these adorable kitties following us around for our shoot and it all just created a very chill and relaxing vibe for Breanna’s photos.  Another element that I loved was that both of Breanna’s parents came along and they were both so amazing and helpful the entire afternoon.  Joe and Sheila – thank you for being awesome!  Breanna, you are such a beauty and I absolutely adored my time photographing you!

Here is a little about what Breanna had to say about her session with Moxie:
“I LOVED my session with Moxie, Karen makes you feel so confident during your shoot. She hypes you up and gets all the right angles! I was looking for a modern/trendy look tied in with nature. I was scared that it would be awkward but Karen is such a fun person to be around and spend the day with. She made the entire experience very enjoyable! My favorite part of my session had to be taking pictures at Miss Effie’s flower farm and being followed by the cats.  I love the photos from Miss Effie’s because the flowers are so pretty.  The part of my session that I will remember the most is clicking with Karen and Sam as soon as we met. Karen makes your session feel like a fun day of hanging out with a friend rather than a stressful day of getting your senior pictures taken.  I love Moxie Design because Karen is so talented!”

One piece of advice that Breanna has for other seniors getting their photos taken?
“Don’t be nervous, Moxie is the best!”

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

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

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

 

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Meet Addison

Meet Addison.
This Sherrard beauty and I met up on a rainy afternoon that was supposed to clear off no longer than 30 minutes into her session.  I had arranged for an  indoor location thinking that we would be covered during the rain and then we could head to our outdoor spots.  Unfortunately, that day the storms continued well into the next morning, so after shooting indoors and then going to a couple more spots that offered natural coverage with bridges and building overhangs, we decided to reschedule the second half of her shoot, but that didn’t stop us from embracing the rain.  I went outside and shot through a window to capture an editorial photo and at the end of her session, Addison was running down the street in the pouring rain and we had an absolute blast! When we met up for the next half, we had a great day and captured some amazing photos, one of which was featured nationally  more than once! Addison, you were a blast to work with and I greatly appreciate you embracing the rainy day and trusting the process!!

Here is a little about what Addison had to say about her session with Moxie:
“My experience was great! Karen has the biggest personality and brings so much energy. She is amazing at making you feel comfortable and confident while also being your biggest hypeman. Karen is also great at posing you, picking out the perfect locations, and her job is general. I was so happy with how my pictures turned out!!!  I was looking for an urban setting and a nature setting mix so that all my pictures wouldn’t look that same. My biggest fear was being too shy and it showing in the pictures. Which was not the case at all!!  My favorite part was the first half of my session. The day of my pictures it rained a lot, so Karen worked with what we had and it was so much fun. At the end of the day we went straight out into the rain and took pictures and it was an amazing memory!  My favorite photos from my session are definitely the creek photos. The background is everything and they all look amazing! The most memorable part was climbing in the tree. It was such a fun idea and definitely one of my favorite pictures!  The Moxie Team is absolutely amazing. From picking out locations, poses, to helping you with anything you need. Karen does an amazing job making sure everything is going to be just how you want! And the pictures turn out better than you could ever expect!! I love Moxie Design because Karen is so fun to be around!

One piece of advice that Addison has for other seniors getting their photos taken?
“Do not worry about being shy or worry about poses. Karen is a huge help in bringing out your confidence and great at posing!”

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

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

Karen

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. 

Quad Cities Senior Pictures | Meet Zane

Meet Zane.  This soon to be Bettendorf grad and I met up last fall to capture his senior pictures. Zane was hoping to incorporate a few things into his session – a graffiti wall, some soccer photos and then a few images with his car. Putting all of this together, I figured out a route where we would easily get all of those accomplished within our three hour window. We started off by hiking to this amazing wall that has some super colorful graffiti, and then stayed in that same area to capture some forest type setting looks.  Then we set up a studio outdoors so we could get a few soccer shots.  After that, we headed downtown Rock Island to capture an urban feel for some casual shots.  From there, we headed to Moline to capture the car photos, but on our way made a quick stop so that we could get a creative basketball shot that we had in mind.  Zane was a really good sport with all of my crazy ideas that I had to get some creative / editorial photos!

Here is a little about what Zane had to say about his session with Moxie:
“The experience definitely exceeded my expectations.  I was hoping to have a casual look, with different cool settings.  My favorite part was that we got to travel to a bunch of places. I was afraid that I wouldn’t like how the pictures looked,  but I was really happy with them.  My favorite photo would have to be the very last one at the parking ramp where we zoomed in on my shoe. I like it because it’s creative.  The most memorable part of the day was trying to get the right shot on the basketball hoop.  I love Moxie Design because of the quality of the pictures.”

One piece of advice that Zane has for other seniors getting their photos taken? “Trust the process.”

If he could describe his overall senior session experience in one word, he would choose  “unique.”

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

Karen

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. 

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Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Kylie

Meet Kylie.
This Alleman senior and I met up last fall and I was so excited for her session! Kylie had sent me photos of her looks and some ideas on what she wanted and there was just so much creative energy going into her shoot that I knew we would not only have a blast but capture some stunning images.  When Kylie arrived at the park, she looked GORGEOUS!  She had on this amazing red skirt that had an editorial vibe and we had so much fun from the minute that we started taking the first photo.  After we wrapped a couple of looks, we headed down to the water, where we walked into the middle of the river via a sandbar and some very strategically placed rocks.  While we were in the river, there was a water snake that popped his head up and I think all of us screamed for about fifteen seconds.  Kylie didn’t let it affect her for a minute – she even sat down on a log right where the water snake had been.  After our adventure in the river, we headed downtown Davenport where Kylie’s last two looks blew me away. She had pink shoes that perfectly matched her earrings for one look and the second, she put red lipstick on, that matched her accessories. We were capturing such amazing shots so quickly that we had extra time to experiment with different ideas.  We have shot on the top of this particular parking garage dozens of times over the years, but never have we gone all the way to the very tip top, until Kylie’s session.  We scored a few amazing angles overlooking the entire Quad City area from there and they were some of my favorite shots from her shoot.  Kylie has this natural kindness to her, and is so easy to be around. We shared lots of laughs and had the most amazing afternoon.

Here is a little about what Kylie had to say about her session with Moxie:
“My overall senior photo session experience was more than I could have ever imagined. Karen did an amazing job at making me feel comfortable and confident by positively pointing out small things about me that I myself have never even noticed.  Karen is super outgoing and very easy to talk to. It felt like my best friend was taking my photos. I was going for a lot of different looks, but mostly dresses, in which, Karen was able to capture with the most perfect scenery.  My biggest fear was not being satisfied with my pictures. I am very picky about my angles and Karen made sure to perfectly capture each and every angle of mine. My pictures turned out insane.  My favorite part my Moxie senior experience was the experience in general.   The most memorable part of my session was Karen being so willing to try all the cool ideas I had, even the ones I came up with right on the spot. I have and will continue to recommend people to go through her. From the very beginning to the end everything was perfect. Not a single flaw. I love Moxie Design because you can truly see the passion that Karen has for photography.”

One piece of advice that Kylie has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “One piece of advice for others seniors getting their photos taken is to be yourself and don’t feel uncomfortable, the pictures will come out so much better!”

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

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

xoxo,

Karen

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. 

 

Quad City Senior Photography | Meet Rachel

Meet Rachel.
Matt and I met up with this gorgeous Pleasant Valley senior last fall on a beautiful day.  I was so excited that Rachel was bringing her dog along for some photos.  I absolutely fell in love with Tucker – he was the sweetest pup and was so easy to photograph.  Something that I always do prior to a session is to check out all of our locations to ensure that we don’t encounter any elements that would knock our three hour shoot off course – every minute counts!  So when we pulled up to our last location  (a parking garage) to capture some dance images with the sky as the backdrop, I was speechless that they had just blocked off the entrance to pour a new slab of concrete.  We found a different parking garage that was just a few minutes away and it was a blessing in disguise.  This garage was totally different and offered elements that our original location wouldn’t have.  We got some beautiful images there that are some of the favorites of mine from the day.  Rachel was such a sweet soul.  She is such a happy and genuine person and we had a blast with her and her awesome mom, Pam.

Here is a little about what Rachel had to say about her session with Moxie:
“I loved my senior session! It was super fun working with Karen and she made me feel so confident. I love my pictures so much, and they turned out stunning.  I didn’t really have an exact look that I was going for, but Karen helped me place my different outfits with different scenery to create some really beautiful photos with the outfits I had picked.  I was scared I wouldn’t like the way I looked in some of the photos.  Getting in front of a camera where you are the center of attention is not easy, but Karen made me feel so beautiful and confident throughout the whole process, and it ended up being super fun and confidence boosting. I loved taking pictures with my dog Tucker. I knew when doing my senior session I wanted to include him because he is quite literally my best friend. Karen was happy to make that happen for me and I am so grateful. It was super fun to include him and some of my favorite pictures came from that part.  If I had to choose a favorite photo, it would have to be the one with Tucker and I touching noses. It was such a sweet moment and I was so happy Karen was able to capture it. The most memorable part of my session was probably taking dance photos with the sunset behind me. The view was so beautiful, and the silhouette is stunning. It was an amazing way to end my senior session.  If I were to tell my best friend about Moxie, I would tell them how incredibly amazing it was. Karen and her team are all super wonderful to work with and it honestly was a lot of fun. It was super relaxed, and I just felt like a princess the whole time.  I love Moxie Design because they are amazing at everything they do!”

One piece of advice that Rachel has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “BE YOU! Your senior pictures are going to follow you for a long time, it’s a big time in your life. You want photos that you love and that capture your personality. Karen is wonderful at making you feel comfortable, and she does an amazing job of capturing you as a person.”  Awe, thanks for the kind words, Rachel!!

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

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

Karen

 


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. 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Gracen

Meet Gracen.
This Assumption beauty and I met up last fall for her senior pictures on a crazy warm day.  Gracen showed up in the most amazing look – complete with leather pants (during a heat wave with a real feel of 100)!  Having worked with Gracen’s siblings in the past, I was so excited to spend the afternoon with her and her amazing parents.  We started off downtown Davenport and then stopped at Vanderveer for some photos, which worked out perfectly with her outfit choices.  We ended the night on the Assumption athletic fields to capture Gracen’s soccer skills.  Gracen is such a natural beauty and has the most amazing hair, a gorgeous smile and this light and fire in her eyes that translated seamlessly into her photographs.

Here is a little about what Gracen had to say about her session with Moxie:
“I love Moxie Design because Karen surpasses all expectations!  My experience was awesome! Karen really personalized my shoot, made me feel comfortable, and I love all of the final images! I was able to do 4 different looks – a couple modern downtown and the some more traditional outside looks.  My biggest worry was that my pictures would look to overdone or too edited, but that was not the case.  I loved the final result. We had a difficult time choosing our favorites! The photos in the hat and orange outfit are my favorites which is funny because I didn’t even want to wear the hat. Use Moxie! Karen is the best!

One piece of advice that Gracen has for other seniors getting their photos taken?
“Take the time to plan for your session. Choose a variety of looks for your outfits and consider a prop or something that shows your personality.” <– AMAZING ADVICE, G!!

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

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

xoxo,

Karen

 

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. 

Quad City Senior Photos | Meet Blake

Meet Blake.
This handsome senior and I have had the opportunity to work together a few times over the course of the last year as he was a part of the Class of ’22 Moxie model team.
The day of Blake’s full session, we met up on a day where the weather was less than ideal.  We started out at Pinnacle Country Club where we were hoping to get golf photos, but the rain kept us inside (except for the areas that had a cover outdoors).  In checking radar, it looked like the rain would let up for the remainder of his session downtown Moline, so we headed there.  I can’t say that the rain went away – until the last 30 minutes of Blake’s shoot, but he was up for anything, which made his photos really come alive.  We wanted to capture some shots with his car, so we headed to a parking garage, where we would have a lot of cover and we all started towel drying his car to get the rain spots off of it.  We got a bunch of cool shots that way, and then all of a sudden, the sun came out and I remember his awesome mom, Miki, and I getting so excited – there was this beautiful rainbow that we could see shining so bright.  We then made our way to the top of the parking garage where the rain had prepped the area so that the concrete had this beautiful reflection glow to it.  We met up a few days later to capture the golf images that we got rained out on and by the end of that shoot, it felt like we had all known each other for years.  We shared so many laughs going from hole to hole around the golf course – those are the moments that I absolutely love – when clients become friends.

Here is a little about what Blake had to say about his session with Moxie:
“My overall experience was better than I had expected. I was going for a casual look and then wanted to capture some sports images.  I thought that my session would be boring, but Karen made it really fun and I love the way that the pictures turned out. This was the first time I had fun taking pictures!  My favorite photo would have to be the one where I’m standing in front of my car with the headlights on. Because Karen was able to make good pictures out of a crappy situation with the rain.  The most memorable part of my session would have to be the pictures we took on the top of the parking garage with the sun setting behind my car. I love Moxie Design because Karen was fun to work with!

One piece of advice that Blake has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  “trust the process.”  <– great advice, my friend

If he could describe his overall senior session experience in one word, he would choose  “fun.”

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

Karen

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. 

 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Kacie

Meet Kacie.
This Sherrard senior and Moxie model and I have been able to work with each other multiple times over the course of the past year.  When we met up over the summer for Kacie’s session, we started at her high school gym to capture some volleyball images.  Following that, we headed downtown Moline where we started off at a recreational area that has all of these trails and open fields. It was absolutely beautiful, but the downside was that the bugs were out in full effect.  We always carry multiple types of bug spray with us, but that day, nothing seemed to do the trick.  After we finished with our park setting, we headed further downtown and utilized some gorgeous spots along the river.  Kacie has an absolutely gorgeous smile, is so sweet and her outfits were AMAZING!

Here is a little about what she had to say about her session with Moxie:
“It was so much fun! I loved picking out my outfits for my big photo session and working with Karen. I also loved all of the extra mini photo shoots, not only because we got more pictures but because of the different themes. I wanted a summery look for my main three hour shoot!  The most memorable part of my session was that there were a lot of bugs out that day and almost 100% humidity but Karen still made it so much fun and helped me relax and forget about all those things. My favorite part of the Moxie Senior Experience was the thrift store challenge. One of my favorite things to do is go thrifting, so getting to thrift for the perfect outfit and getting photos in the outfit I chose was so much fun.  Karen is so fun to work with, picks the best places to take pictures and will put you at ease in front of the camera! I love Moxie Design because Karen is so much fun!”

One piece of advice that Kacie has for other seniors getting their photos taken?  ” If you go on a really humid/hot day, use lots of hairspray!”

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

Thanks for being a part of the Moxie team this past year, Kacie!!  You are awesome!
xoxo,

Karen

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. 

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Meet Tim

Meet Tim.
This PV senior and future pilot and I met up early last fall for his senior session. I love when my seniors have specific locations that they want to utilize for their photos and Tim had a great spot lined up that we were going to be able to use.  We started his shoot downtown Davenport on an unseasonably hot day.  The last half of his session was shot at a family friend’s property that was absolutely beautiful!  Not only did they have corn fields and a beautiful pond, but they had a barn that they let us go up in, and even though the top floor was insanely warm, we were able to create our own photography studio up there for some really fun drum photos.  We were able to incorporate Tim’s background in trap shooting, his love for music with the drums and then incorporate his motorcycle into the session as well.

Here is a little about what Tim had to say about his session with Moxie:
“I had more fun than I thought I would.  I was going for a part formal, part casual feel for my photos, while capturing my hobbies.
I was afraid that I wouldn’t be photogenic, but I had a lot of fun, and liked the way the pictures turned out.
My favorite photos would have to be my drum photos.  Karen and her assistant made this so easy for me to relax and have fun.
I was not looking forward to this event, but I enjoyed myself. I love Moxie Design because they made this experience very easy for me.

If he could describe his overall senior session experience in one word, he would choose  “fun.”

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

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. 

 

Quad City Senior Pictures | Meet Emily

Meet Emily.

Matt and I met up with Emily early last fall for her senior session.  This beauty has the most gorgeous eyes and such a great smile!  I love that all of her looks were so different from the next – She wore a beautiful emerald green dress and a casual denim jacket look downtown, then had a couple of sundresses that were perfect for our park setting and then we ended the night along the river with her jeep with a jeans look that was absolutely perfect.  I love that Emily was up for anything during her shoot – get into the creek? Sure! Lay down in the grass? Absolutely! Stand on top of your jeep? Okay! Runway walk?  Definitely!  It was so hard for me to narrow down which images to put up on the blog because all of her shots were stunning!

Here is a little about what Emily had to say about her session with us:
“I had a really great time! It was really fun getting to swap outfits and to be able to visit different locations. The scenery was beautiful! Karen made me feel very comfortable the entire time throughout the whole process with posing and all the small things.  I was going for something simplistic that would draw the attention to various features I like about myself. I wanted to incorporate items and things into my photo shoot that truly represented me such as my favorite colors, outfits as well as my Jeep.  I was honestly really worried about the angles of photos and how they would make me appear. Karen did an amazing job regardless of my insecurities.  My favorite part of this experience was taking pictures in the creek! That was really fun!  My favorite photo is of me standing in the creek. I feel like it really expresses my love for nature and I loved getting in the creek to give the picture that extra special effect!  I think taking pictures with my Jeep was the most memorable for me because I love taking sunset cruises in it and I think those pictures really expressed that side of me.  It was such a great experience. You truly need to book with Karen to get the most beautiful pictures and memories.  I love Moxie Design because my pictures turned out better than I ever imagined they would!”

One piece of advice that Emily has for other seniors getting their photos taken? “Stay calm and comfortable because Karen knows what she is doing and knows how to make you feel like you’re in your element!”

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

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

Karen

 

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.