I believe the worst thing a senior portrait can be is forgettable.

You already know you don't want what everyone else has.

Let's build something that's actually yours.

Your senior year is about to begin.

You’re right on the brink. Old enough to know what you want.

Still surrounded by everyone else’s opinion of who you should be.

I ask the questions other photographers skip — and we build your session around the answers.

I’ve learned to start with questions.

Most photographers show up with a shot list, and a vague idea of what you might want, and that's about it.

I show up with a conversation.

Before we ever pick up a camera, we talk- a lot.

I’ve spent over 15 years figuring out how to ask the right questions, until what a senior actually wants finally comes out — sometimes surprising even them.

I’ve had parents tell me afterward that I captured a look in their kid they’d never seen before. That’s not luck. That’s what happens wen someone actually listens.

Senior year doesn’t wait. Neither should this.

The session that’s built around you starts with a single conversation. No pressure. No obligation.

Just two people figuring out what your senior portraits should actually look like.

Your Senior's Story, Told Their Way.

Most senior portraits look just like most senior portraits.

Same location. Same poses. Same backgrounds as all the other seniors. That isn't authentic to who you are.

I built this entire process around one belief: you cannot fake a great senior portrait. You can only create the conditions for one.

We Talk

You reach out and we have a real conversation — not a sales call. I want to know who you are, what matters to you, and what kind of session would actually feel like you. No pressure. No commitment yet

We Build Your Session

Based on our conversations, I design a session around you. Your locations. Your gear. Your people. The version of you that doesn’t get enough airtime. This is where the real work happens — before we ever take a photo.

You See the images

At your reveal, you’ll see what we made together. These aren’t just good photos. They’re the truest version of you at this exact moment in your life. The kind your parents will hang on the wall and your future self will be glad exist.

Ready to Begin the Journey?

Let's Make Senior Year Unforgettable

The process is where the magic actually happens.

Most photographers skip straight to the session. I’ve learned that’s where most of them go wrong.

Step 1- The first conversation

We figure out if we’re a good fit.

You reach out. We get on a call. I’ll ask you questions that might surprise you — not about locations or outfits, but about what you actually want these photos to feel like when you look at them in ten years.

This call is free. There’s no pressure. And if I’m not the right photographer for you, I’ll tell you.

What I’m listening for: the thing you almost didn’t say. That’s usually where the session lives.

Step 2- The planning session

We build the session around you.

Not around what’s easy.

Before your session, we’ll have more conversations. About locations that mean something to you. About the sports, hobbies, or pieces of your life you want documented. About the version of yourself you want captured before this chapter closes.

If you want to shoot at your grandpa’s farm — we’ll talk about what that means and how to do it right.

If you want to shoot at sunrise in the middle of nowhere — we’ll figure out the logistics together.

By the time we show up to your session, nothing will be a surprise. You’ll know exactly what to expect, and I’ll know exactly who I’m photographing.

Step 3- Your session

This is where the breakthrough happens.

Sessions feel nothing like what most seniors expect. There’s no awkward posing in front of a wall. There’s no ‘say cheese.’

There’s just us, your locations, and the story we’ve already planned together.

I’ll guide you through everything. You’ll forget there’s a camera. And somewhere in the middle of it all, something will happen — a look, a moment, a frame — where the photo becomes more than a photo.

That’s what we’re both there for.

Step 4 — The Reveal

You’ll see yourself the way I saw you.

At your reveal session, we sit down together and go through everything we made. You’ll choose your wall art, your album, your prints for family.

But mostly, you’ll see the version of yourself that was there the whole time — the one that comes out when someone asks the right questions and gets out of the way.

Parents cry at reveals. Not from sadness. From recognition.

I believe every senior is sitting right on the brink of who they’re going to be. My job is to document who they are right now, before the world finishes telling them.

A few things worth knowing:

I’m based in Huron, South Dakota, and I travel for sessions when the story calls for it.

I work with a limited number of seniors each year — on purpose.

This isn’t a volume business. Every session I take gets my full attention; it's a process that starts weeks before we ever meet at a location.

I’m a dad.

I know what it means to watch your kid at this moment in their life. I take that seriously.

I believe in quality over quantity.

Instead of delivering hundreds of “just okay” shots, I prefer fewer images that truly capture who your senior is now—pulling out their energy, style, and identity.

If any of this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, let’s talk.

The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. It’s just two people figuring out if this is a good fit.

Most of the time, it is.

TESTIMONIALS

What others are saying

For Senior photos, we knew we wanted an iconic location in Omaha that meant a lot to our family. Craig Lee was our first choice for these photos, but he was in Huron.
After researching other photographers in the Omaha area, we knew they wouldn’t be able to capture this memorable moment in the unique way that Craig could.
We reached out to Craig about the idea of traveling to Omaha for these photos and were thrilled when he said yes!
Craig made the process easy, even from a distance, and we felt prepared and comfortable going into our session.
“I was excited and a bit nervous as the session started, but all nerves melted away at the first click of the camera. The session was fun as it was a celebration of all things that were special about me, and I loved seeing how the pictures turned out! Craig brought out the best of me!”


The Petersen Family- Marshall, MN

When it came time for Kaitlyn’s senior pictures, she honestly wasn’t sure what she wanted.
That’s where Craig worked his magic.
He listened—really listened—to her. He took what little direction she gave and turned it into an experience that felt effortless, fun, and completely her. From wading through the creek to exploring our family farm and capturing moments in the barn, the whole session was filled with meaning and memories.
What could’ve felt overwhelming ended up being one of the most special mornings we’ve had in a long time. We can’t wait to see the finished photos.

Michelle Stahl- Huron, SD

Craig did a wonderful job making my son Ryley comfortable and kept him smiling the whole day! Leading up to the session, we had many questions about clothes and settings. Craig patiently answered them - even looked over our choices - and made us feel confident about the big day. Craig was patient, funny, willing to hike 10 miles to the best spots, and he honed in on what was important to Ryley. Instead of just taking fantastic photos, he took a phenomenal photographic journey of Ryley’s story. I 100% recommend Craig to anyone who wants an absolutely terrific experience and beautiful results! Thank you, Craig Lee Studios!!

Jen McKeown- Brandon, SD

There’s a children’s book my kids loved when they were small. It’s called "The Monster at the End of This Book". Grover — lovable, furry, terrified — spends the whole story begging you not to turn the page. Something scary is coming. He can feel it.

Spoiler: he was the monster. And it wasn’t scary at all.

When my oldest, Kaiden, was a senior, that book kept coming back to me. Every week that passed felt like another page turning. We were getting closer to something — the end of a chapter I wasn’t ready for. Even surrounded by the noise of his brothers and sister and everything pulling at our attention, I made a conscious decision that year to slow down. To actually feel it instead of just surviving it.

I’m a photographer. I know better than most people how fast it goes. And I still almost missed it.

We get 18 summers. That’s it. And somewhere around summer 15 or 16, you start to feel the pages turning, whether you’re ready or not.

Kaiden’s session changed how I do this work.

Not the technical part — the human part. Because when I was standing there photographing my own kid, I understood the weight of what I was creating. These weren’t just photos. They were proof. Proof that this version of him — right here, right now, at this exact moment before everything changed — existed. That we slowed down long enough to document it.

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of doing this for other families:

You might not feel the importance of these photos today. You might not feel it for five years, or ten, or twenty. But the day will come when you’ll reach for them — and you’ll be so glad they exist.