Unforgettable Photography By Anna...Stunning IL Senior Session
This beautiful session from Anna Venhaus has our attention today!
From Anna…
When we first photographed Maci McCabe for her senior session, it was everything you’d hope for. It was full of laughter, light, and a young woman stepping confidently into her final year of high school.
None of us could have imagined how much more her story would come to hold.
That winter, Maci was involved in a horrific car accident that changed everything. With a less than 10% chance of survival, she suffered nearly 30 broken bones, injuries to every organ except her brain, and endured seven major surgeries. Her recovery has been long, painful, and filled with challenges that most people can’t begin to comprehend.
But through it all, Maci’s strength never wavered. Her resilience, grace, and quiet determination revealed the kind of courage that goes far beyond her years.
Several months into her recovery, Maci reached out with an idea. She wanted to do another session, one that honored not just how far she had come, but the marks that journey had left behind. “I want to show people what healing looks like,” she told me. Not something to cover up, but something to own.
We worked together to create a session that felt soft, strong, and honest.
She stood in the light and let herself be fully seen, scars and all. There was power in her posture, grace in her smile, and a quiet confidence that moved us all. From the outside, she’s been physically pieced back together. But inside, she continues to face ongoing healing, future surgeries, and new obstacles every day.
Maci’s story is a powerful reminder that senior portraits aren’t just about celebrating one chapter. Sometimes, they’re about honoring the strength it takes to keep turning the page. Hers is a story of survival, growth, and the reclaiming of identity and power after trauma.
It was an honor to photograph both chapters of Maci’s senior year. We are incredibly proud to share this part of her journey.
Gear Used…
Natural Lighting
Reflectors
Wescott FJ400 Light
Wescott Beauty Dish
Canon R6
Canon 70-200 Lens
Canon 85 Lens
Canon 100 Macro Lens
What inspired this session…
This session was inspired by Maci herself, her strength, her vision, and her desire to share something real.
After surviving a traumatic car accident and enduring months of recovery, Maci reached out with a request that instantly moved me. She said she wanted to do another senior session, not just to celebrate how far she’d come, but to show her scars and to honor the journey her body and spirit had taken. She didn’t want to hide what she had been through. She wanted to stand confidently in it.
Her idea was rooted in healing, self-acceptance, and empowerment. She hoped her story might help someone else feel seen, brave, or less alone.
As a photographer, it was one of those rare opportunities to go beyond the surface and help someone tell a story that truly matters. That’s what inspired every detail of this session...Maci’s courage to be vulnerable, and her heart to turn something painful into something powerful.
HMUA | Erin Becker