Senior Ambassador Team
What is a senior ambassador?
Being a senior ambassador means that you have the opportunity to represent the face of Novella Photography for your entire Senior year. Senior Ambassadors receive multiple perks including, lifelong friendships with other Novella Photography Senior Ambassadors, a complimentary mini session before your senior year with professional hair/makeup, participation in a full styled group shoot with hair and makeup included (individual pics will be taken of you this day as well), TONS of digital photos to share online with friends, YOUR individual senior session, cash bonuses, group activities and prizes along the way! Your spokesmodel position would start the spring of your junior year and will continue until the end of your senior year. SO much time for pictures, friendship building and getting comfortable in front of the camera before your own personalized senior session.
What you will get by being a senior ambassador:
- Meet & Greet Party along with other Ambassador Only Events
- Mini Session with complementary hair/makeup (you will get individual pictures as well)
- Group Styled Shoot with complementary hair/makeup (you will get individual pictures as well)
- Individual Personalized Senior Session
- Cap & Gown group session (you will get individual pictures as well)
- Additional modeling opportunities throughout the year
- Opportunities to win CASH, Prizes, additional shoots, additional images.
- $50 back per referral (up to $600) then $25 after.
That's a minimum of 4 shoots for the price of 1! SOOO many pictures to share and so much time to get comfortable in front of the camera. You'll be a PRO by the time your personalized senior session comes around!
Requirements:
- You will be required to attend our spokesmodel meet & greet event (to take place int he early spring of your junior year)
- Participate in a mini session with the full team (to take place in the spring of your junior year)
- Participate in our styled group session (to take place in the summer before your senior year)
- Book your senior session with Novella Photography - $599 - This will be required to be paid at the time of your Ambassador acceptance. (this is the ONLY fee you will incur during your time as a Ambassador)
- Participate in a Cap& Gown session at the end of your senior year.
- Use Novella Photography as your sole photographer during your senior year
- Post on social media (instagram, snapchat) frequently about Novella Photography
- Notify parents of your application. Your parent will be contacted first if you are chosen as an ambassoder, so please be sure they know you are applying.
Who makes a good senior ambassodor:
- Someone that is fun and outgoing
- Someone that is involved with extracurricular activities
- Someone that is involved in their community
- Someone that is comfortable in front of the camera or is applying in ABLE to get comfortable in front of the camera before their OWN personalized senior session
- Someone that can listen to direction well & is responsible
- Someone who is active on social media and isn't afraid to post about their experiences
- Someone that can represent my brand well.
The JOURNEY as an ambassador
1. Apply
Applications to become a Senior Ambassador typically open in February each year. You should apply in February of your JUNIOR year.
Once applications have opened, you will find it here on my webpage. On the application, the dates of each of the required event/photoshoot you are required to attend will be there. If you are unable to make one of those dates, please still apply and notate the date you will not be able to attend. Please understand that I will not have a makeup date so you will be forfeiting that particular shoot. The Meet & Greet is absolutely required as I will be answering questions and it is the time for you to get to know the rest of the team.
2. the chosen ones
If you are chosen to be a Senior Ambassador, your parents will be contacted by the end of March. Please be sure to have the conversation with them prior to applying that you are applying as well as all of the required dates listed on the application. Once your parent/s has given permission for you to be a Senior Ambassador, as well as paid for your own personal senior session, it is time for the fun to begin!
3. Setting up your personal senior session
After our first Mini Session together (our second time meeting), we’ll set a date for your personal Senior Session—your time to shine! While the mini session, group styled shoot, and cap & gown session are all based on my creative vision, your senior session is all about you.
You get to decide when you want to capture this exciting milestone—whether it’s during the golden days of summer, the crisp colors of fall, or the fresh bloom of spring in your senior year. From there, we’ll design a session that reflects your personality and style. I’ll guide you through outfit choices, location options, and the overall vibe to ensure everything comes together perfectly. When your session day arrives, you’ll feel confident, comfortable, and ready to make memories!
4. the fun continues
The fun doesn't end after your own senior session though! As mentioned, there will be opportunities throughout the year where I may need a model to show off a new couture dress, a new location, etc. You will also get to have one last hurrah in front of the camera when we have our group Cap & Gown session! Don't worry...mom will get some individual pics of you in your Cap & Gown as well!
5. tell the others
Tell all your friends (and younger friends) about your experience as a Senior Ambassoder! If you loved it, encourage others to apply for future years!
Apply to be an ambassador
What's New on the 'Gram
Is it just me, or did January feel like the longest month ever?
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But GOOD NEWS! Over the next 268 days, our sun will be setting after 5:00pm
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I can already feel the warm sun on my skin and picture wildflowers swaying in the breeze. Those golden, joy-filled days are closer than they feel….and they’ll be here before we know it.
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Below is a full gallery from a past family session in the wildflowers, because the magic isn’t just in one image, it’s in the story they tell together.
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For more family sessions or to explore the other types of sessions I offer, you can find them on my UPDATED website.
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#napervillephotographer #warrenvillephotographer #wheatonphotographer #familyphotographer #thewildflowerfarm
You’ve seen my work… but have you seen the heart behind it?
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Five years ago, I built a website with a dream in my heart and a hope that it would one day truly reflect the photographer, and the experience, I wanted to become.
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Today… it finally feels like home.
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Not only does it reflect my heart, my work, and the experience I strive to create for every family; it was also designed with you in mind.
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You can now browse session offerings, explore full galleries, and officially book both sessions and mini sessions directly through the site with ease.
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Simple. Thoughtful. Seamless.
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Thank you for being a part of MY story.
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https://novella-photography.com
IT`S THE MONTH OF LOVE!
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Feeling extra grateful this month for all the love you’ve shown me over the years. 💕
February is the month of love, so I’m collecting love notes! If you’ve worked with me and feel like sharing your experience, I’d absolutely love to hear it. Facebook and Google reviews mean so much to my small business!
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At first glance, this is a shirtless 4-year-old boy in a red cape playing super hero.
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But if you look a little closer, you’ll see the scars on his chest...marks of a journey most people will never know.
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At his 20-week ultrasound, doctors discovered he had a congenital heart defect. He was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)—a hole between the two lower chambers of his heart. Because of that, the main artery carrying blood from his heart was also narrowed, a condition known as a narrow aortic arch.
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Only 1–2% of babies are born with congenital heart disease.
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This little boy is one of them. I followed his journey from before he was born to present day.
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Those scars tell a story of surgeries, hospital stays, strength far beyond his years, and a family who learned early what it means to be brave. They are proof of battles are fought before most kids ever take their first steps.
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* 3 days old when this guy had open heart surgery
* 35 days in the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) before he was cleared to come home for the first time.
* 4 extubation tries of his breathing tube before he was able to breathe on his own
* 2 minor strokes
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All within his first 5 weeks of life.
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At the time this picture was taken, he was four.
Four years of resilience.
Four years of courage.
Four years of living proof that warriors come in the smallest bodies.
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This is why I photograph scars.
This is why these photos matter.
Because behind every image is a story worth honoring💙
Top reasons I don’t pose families:
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1. Real life isn’t posed!
*and the most meaningful pictures never are.
2. Connection is greater than perfection
When families are free to move, laugh and snuggle, the photos hold emotion, not just faces.
3. Kids aren’t meant to sit still
Kids are curious, wiggly, silly and loud (sometimes all at once). Posing asks them to be something they’re not. Prompts and games allow them to be exactly who they are.
4. Prompts and games create genuine moments.
Instead of telling families where to stand, I guide them to what to DO (walk together, whisper secrets, snuggle). Those moments create real connection…moments you can’t fake.
5. Because your photos should be about how it felt.
Years from now you won’t remember whether everyone was standing perfectly. You’ll remember how their small hands fit into yours…how you all laughed when you talked about dad tooting.
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The most beautiful moments happen when connection leads the way
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#napervillephotographer #warrenvillephotographer #wheatonphotographer #novellaphotography #familyphotographer
Hey Seniors… it’s 2026 and that means one big thing....
you graduate THIS YEAR! 🎓✨
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Are you ready?!
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This session was hands-down one of my favorites of the year, and I’m so excited I finally get to share it with you. When Mom (hi, Melissa!) reached out and told me her daughter was dreaming of a beautiful staircase, and even sent along inspiration photos, I was all in. I LOVE a good challenge.
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I got to work, scouted a few ideas, and once I explored the Art Institute (a photography first for me!), everything just clicked. The light, the movement, the setting...it all came together in the most magical way.
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And yes… your senior/graduation photos can feel this special ✨
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Let’s dream up your vision together and start planning a day that’s all about you—your story, your style, your personality. I cannot wait to see what your heart is dreaming up 🤍
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@alyssamatry
email : knovellaphotography@gmail.com
follow me on Facebook and instagram @novella.photos
located in warrenville, il
serving Naperville, warrenville, Wheaton, winfield, aurora, Lombard, downers grove, Lisle, glen ellyn, Woodridge, oak brook, elmhurst, and other surrounding western suburbs of Chicago