Silver Lake Regional High School Senior Portraits

South Shore Photography, based in Rockland, MA, serves seniors throughout Kingston, Pembroke, and the surrounding South Shore. Photographer Chris McCarthy has worked with Silver Lake Regional students for years, and knows both towns' best portrait locations intimately — from Kingston's tidal waterfront to Pembroke's quiet conservation meadows.

Silver Lake Regional High School draws students from two very different towns, and that is actually one of the best things about photographing Silver Lake seniors. Kingston gives you waterfront access — the bay, the river, the rocky coves — while Pembroke delivers open farmland and conservation land with a pastoral New England character that you simply don't find at coastal schools. When a Silver Lake senior sits down with me to plan their session, I immediately start thinking about both towns, because the combination of landscapes available to these students is genuinely hard to beat anywhere on the South Shore.

Silver Lake Regional: Seniors From Two Great Towns

Most high schools serve a single town, which limits your portrait location options to whatever that one community has to offer. Silver Lake Regional is different. Because the school pulls from both Kingston and Pembroke, seniors have two distinct character zones to work with — and the two towns could not be more different from each other photographically.

Kingston is defined by its relationship with water. Kingston Bay opens to Plymouth Harbor, the Jones River winds through the center of town, and Rocky Nook provides quiet residential waterfront that feels like a hidden gem. The light at the water's edge in Kingston is genuinely spectacular — especially in the evening when the bay reflects the sunset and the marsh grass catches that last warm glow before dark.

Pembroke reads entirely differently. It is one of the more rural communities on the South Shore, with conservation land, open meadows, and wooded paths that feel miles away from the coast even though the ocean is only a few minutes' drive. For seniors who want that classic, timeless New England landscape rather than a waterfront backdrop, Pembroke delivers it authentically.

Many Silver Lake seniors choose to combine both towns in a single session — starting in Kingston for waterfront shots, then moving to Pembroke for a completely different look. The towns are close enough together that the transition adds only 5 to 10 minutes of travel time, making it easy to build a session with real variety without feeling rushed.

Top Portrait Locations in Kingston

Kingston has more portrait-worthy locations per square mile than almost any other town I work in. Here are the spots I return to most often for Silver Lake senior sessions. You can also explore the full location guide on the Kingston senior portraits page.

Gray's Beach / Kingston Bay. This is my most-used Kingston location and for good reason. The waterfront park at Gray's Beach gives you a mix of open lawn, tidal marsh grass, and bay views that photographs beautifully in almost any light. The boardwalk that extends into the marsh is a particularly strong element — it creates a natural leading line into the frame and positions your subject against an open water background that feels expansive and cinematic. In the evening, Kingston Bay catches the sunset in a way that is hard to find anywhere else on the South Shore. The combination of warm sky, reflective water, and amber marsh grass creates a backdrop that looks almost theatrical without any manipulation on my part.

Jones River Landing. The Jones River is one of Kingston's defining natural features, and the landing area near the historic canoe launch gives access to a wooded river corridor that feels completely different from the open bay. Overhanging trees create natural frames, the river surface reflects soft light even on overcast days, and the historic character of the area adds a depth to images that purely natural backdrops sometimes lack. This is a great choice for seniors who want something slightly more intimate and sheltered than the open waterfront.

Rocky Nook. Rocky Nook is a quieter residential waterfront area in Kingston that most people outside of town don't know about. The rocky shoreline, small coves, and wooded edges give a rugged coastal character that feels more raw and natural than the polished park settings. For seniors who want something that reads as “authentic New England coast” rather than “public waterfront park,” Rocky Nook delivers it.

Silver Lake itself. The actual lake the school is named after sits in the Kingston/Pembroke border area and is one of my favorite spots for Silver Lake Regional seniors specifically because of the connection it carries. The wooded shoreline reflects beautifully on the water's surface, the peaceful setting creates a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere that helps seniors loosen up naturally, and there is something genuinely meaningful about photographing a Silver Lake senior at Silver Lake. I recommend it particularly for golden hour sessions in late summer and early fall when the evening light angles across the water.

Kingston town center. The historic architecture along Main Street and around the Kingston Public Library area offers a classic New England small-town backdrop — brick buildings, mature shade trees, and the kind of established character that reads as timeless in photographs. For seniors who want an urban-influenced look without driving to a city, Kingston's town center is the answer.

Top Portrait Locations in Pembroke

Pembroke's portrait locations have a completely different character from Kingston's — more pastoral, more rural, more open. If Kingston is about water and history, Pembroke is about fields and quiet conservation land.

Pembroke town center. Pembroke's center has a genuine rural New England quality that is increasingly rare on the South Shore. The open common area, historic church, and surrounding residential streets feel like a small town that has not been over-developed — which is exactly what makes it work photographically. For seniors who want that quintessential “small town New England” character as their backdrop, Pembroke center delivers it without artificiality.

Tubbs Meadow conservation area. Tubbs Meadow is one of the most underused portrait locations on the South Shore and one of my personal favorites. The open meadow fields, seasonal wildflowers, and long grass create an airy, soft backdrop that works especially well for spring and early summer sessions. The sky opens up here in a way that wooded or urban locations cannot match, and in the right light the meadow takes on an almost painterly quality. Seniors who want something that feels a little different from the standard coastal backdrop should strongly consider Tubbs Meadow.

Herring Run. The herring run area in Pembroke — active during spring herring migration — offers wooded paths, water features, and a natural setting that feels genuinely wild. The combination of moving water, dappled woodland light, and seasonal plant life creates a portrait environment with real texture and depth. Outside of herring season, the paths and water features remain accessible and the wooded character persists through most of the year.

Open fields and treelines near the Old Colony YMCA area. The recreation fields and surrounding open land near the YMCA give access to the kind of open-sky, wide-treeline backdrop that families have come to associate with classic senior portraits. This is the location I recommend when a senior's vision board is full of wide open fields and soft natural light — it is versatile, consistently photogenic, and accessible year-round.

Kingston vs. Pembroke: Choosing Your Setting

When Silver Lake seniors ask me how to choose between Kingston and Pembroke, I always start with a simple question: do you want water in your portraits? If the answer is yes, Kingston is your primary town. The waterfront character at Gray's Beach, Jones River, and Rocky Nook is Kingston's defining advantage, and those images read immediately as coastal Massachusetts in a way that resonates deeply.

If the answer is no — or if you want a mix — Pembroke's rural landscapes offer something genuinely different. Open fields, wooded paths, and conservation meadows create portraits that feel unhurried and natural, with a timeless New England quality that does not date the way highly location-specific images sometimes can.

The good news is that most Silver Lake seniors do not have to choose. Because the towns are so close together, combining a waterfront start in Kingston with a pastoral finish in Pembroke is one of the most popular session structures I offer Silver Lake students. You get variety — two completely different looks in one session — without sacrificing quality or feeling rushed. I plan the session so we are moving with the light rather than against it, which usually means starting at whichever location is optimal earlier in the evening and finishing at the one that benefits from the last light.

Best Seasons for Silver Lake Senior Sessions

Every season has something to offer Silver Lake seniors, but certain locations really shine at specific times of year.

Summer at Kingston Bay is the classic Silver Lake senior experience. Long evenings mean golden hour falls at a civilized time — typically between 7:30 and 8:30 PM in June and July — and the waterfront is at its most vibrant. Gray's Beach is active with summer energy, the marsh grass is lush, and the bay light in the final hour before sunset creates portraits that look genuinely stunning without heavy editing. Summer is also when sessions at Silver Lake itself are most popular — the lake is calm, reflective, and surrounded by full green foliage that creates a beautiful natural frame.

Fall along the Jones River is something I recommend every year and is consistently underbooked by Silver Lake seniors who focus only on summer. The wooded river corridor at Jones River Landing turns extraordinary in October — the overhanging trees go gold and amber, the river reflects the colored canopy, and the light at golden hour takes on that particular low-angle warmth that makes fall the most photogenic season in New England. If you can get a Jones River session scheduled during peak foliage, the results are genuinely exceptional.

Spring at Pembroke conservation areas — particularly Tubbs Meadow and the Herring Run area — is a season that I wish more seniors took advantage of. The wildflowers come in during May and early June, the fields are their most vibrant green, and the soft spring light has a quality that is completely different from summer's harder sun. Spring sessions at these locations produce portraits with a fresh, airy, almost ethereal quality that summer sessions at the same spots cannot replicate.

Planning Your Silver Lake Senior Session

A well-planned Silver Lake senior session accounts for the logistics of working across two towns and builds in enough time to capture real variety without feeling rushed. Here is how I approach it.

Booking timeline. For summer sessions, I recommend reaching out in April or May at the latest — June and July golden hour weekends fill quickly. For fall sessions, August is the target. Class of 2027 seniors should be thinking about booking now: the most popular dates disappear months in advance, and locking in your preferred time early is the single most important thing you can do to guarantee the session you want.

Combining Kingston and Pembroke locations. When we plan a dual-town session, I structure the schedule around the light rather than the map. If golden hour is going to produce the best results at Gray's Beach, we start there and use the earlier, slightly softer pre-golden light for Pembroke. If the session priority is the meadow in Pembroke, we start there in the warmer afternoon light and move to Kingston as the sun drops. The drive between most Kingston and Pembroke portrait locations is genuinely short — 5 to 10 minutes — so transitions are smooth.

Outfit changes. Most seniors bring two outfits, and I recommend planning your outfits around the location combination. If you are starting at Kingston Bay, your first outfit might be something more polished or colorful that works with the waterfront backdrop. If you are finishing at Tubbs Meadow or the Jones River, something softer, more relaxed, or layer-based tends to look better against those natural settings. I am happy to give specific outfit advice during the pre-session consultation once we have locked in locations.

Session length. A standard senior session runs 90 minutes, which is enough time to work two locations comfortably with one outfit change. Seniors who want three or more distinct locations, multiple outfit changes, or extended time at Silver Lake itself may want to consider an extended session. We discuss this during the booking process so everyone has clear expectations before we start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we shoot senior portraits at Silver Lake itself?

Yes, Silver Lake is one of my favorite spots for Silver Lake Regional seniors — it feels personal and meaningful to shoot at the lake the school is named after. The wooded shoreline, reflections on the water, and peaceful setting create portraits with a completely different character from the coastal Kingston locations. I recommend it especially for golden hour sessions in late summer and early fall.

Is Gray's Beach crowded during senior portrait sessions?

Gray's Beach can get busy on weekend afternoons during summer, but the park is large enough that we can almost always find a section of shoreline with privacy. I typically recommend weekday evening sessions or early morning weekend sessions to avoid the heaviest crowds. The light at golden hour there is exceptional regardless of the day — Kingston Bay catches the sunset in a way that is hard to match anywhere else on the South Shore.

How do we split a session between Kingston and Pembroke locations?

Kingston and Pembroke are only about 5 to 10 minutes apart by car, so combining locations from both towns in a single session is very manageable. A typical Silver Lake senior session might start at Gray's Beach or Jones River Landing in Kingston for the waterfront look, then move to Tubbs Meadow or Herring Run in Pembroke for a more pastoral setting. I plan transitions into the session schedule so the drive time does not eat into shooting time.

When should Class of 2027 Silver Lake students book their senior portraits?

Class of 2027 Silver Lake seniors should book by late spring or early summer — May or June at the latest for summer sessions, and no later than August for fall sessions. Summer and fall are the most popular booking windows, and popular times like weekend golden hour slots in September and October fill quickly. Reaching out early gives you the most flexibility on dates, times, and location combinations.

Do you know the Kingston and Pembroke area well for senior portraits?

Yes — I have photographed senior portraits throughout Kingston and Pembroke for years and know both towns' best portrait spots intimately. From the tidal marsh grass at Gray's Beach to the wooded river banks at Jones River Landing, from Tubbs Meadow's open wildflower fields to the peaceful shoreline of Silver Lake itself, I can match the right location to your style and vision. During our pre-session consultation, I share location options with photos so you can see exactly what each spot looks like before we commit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris McCarthy

Chris McCarthy is a portrait photographer based in Rockland, MA who has completed more than 500 portrait sessions across the South Shore since opening his studio in 2014. He specializes in headshots, senior portraits, branding, family, and maternity photography — shooting at his studio at 83 E Water St and on-location throughout southeastern Massachusetts at places like World's End, Scituate Harbor, Duxbury Beach, and the North River conservation land in Norwell.