Archive for the ‘Seniors’ Category

The sun was still high and puffy clouds punctuated the bright blue sky. Cortney and I were eastbound on a winding road that dipped and rolled through a breathtaking rural landscape. We chatted about the space between 18 and 28, our favorite music, our common major (creative writing) and how everything was getting more and more beautiful the closer we got to our destination. Driving to Galena always reminds me that God is the greatest architect. Downtown Galena fits right in, a town built onto giant steps, each parallel road even higher than the last. You can drive right up to the top and see everything. It was the perfect setting for Cortney’s senior pictures, and all the plans we had for props and themes gave way to what the town already offered: beautifully painted storefronts, stone & brick walls, and the sun dipping below the horizon on the edge of town. Everything about it was lovely, but especially Cortney. She is wise and beautiful and spirited: everything an 18-year-old girl on the brink of the rest of her life should be.

Allie really rocked her senior session! We had a lot of fun during our shoot which took place in downtown Stillman Valley and near her home. She was not afraid to do goofy things (like whip that gorgeous hair around) and she brought a ton of clothes, which is awesome because I love the variety and style it brings to her whole gallery. I also loved getting to know Allie a little bit – what a beautiful young woman, inside and out!!

(Makeup by IRO Custom Cosmetics)

It occurred to me recently that all the seniors I’m photographing this year are exactly 10 years younger than me. They are the class of 2012 and I was in the class of 2002… such a strange thing to think about! I love senior photography – they are my most enthusiastic subjects.

If there was a prize for the most enthusiastic senior, I’m pretty sure Rebekah would win. She was so pumped for our session and she was a blast to work with. It was so easy to get a genuine smile out of her. Rebekah reminds me of an old Hollywood starlet – I think it’s the eyes and the wavy hair.

Makeup done by IRO Custom Cosmetics. (And to show you how awesome they are at what they do, I did zero skin smoothing on these!)

This is a quilt that Rebekah’s grandmother handmade for her – it’s gorgeous!

Rebekah is a talented softball player, so we did some of her pictures at the diamond where she plays.

When Emily and her mom told me they wanted to do a shoot with Emily’s horse, I was super excited. I instantly had the vision of Emily & her horse riding in the sunset. We had fun with this session, and I have to thank Emily’s parents and grandparents for helping make this whole thing come together. Emily’s mom held the tall & awkward umbrella, her dad helped keep the horse under control when it was freaked out by nearby cows, her grandma drove us out to the location on her golf cart, and they were all helping me lug around the step ladder. There were a lot of challenges, but as I told Emily’s dad, ‘perseverance gets the shot!’