Chandler is not only the first senior I’ve photographed for the class of 2012, she also happens to be my baby sister!  That’s the only reason she was able to sneak in while I’m still on maternity leave.  I’ve got to admit, it was a pretty surreal experience.  There are over 11 years between us, and I think in my head I will always see her as a little kid.  Needless to say, after taking her portraits I’m not sure I’ll be able to photograph my own two girls when their day comes … eek!  It was emotional!  I couldn’t be more proud of the beautiful, kind, and godly young woman she has become.  She is such a shining example for my girls, and I’m so glad that she is a part of our lives.  We didn’t have much time to shoot this day (we literally shot until the sun was down), so I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of her gorgeous face in the future too.  We will call this the “Fall Edition.” Chan, I love you so much!

After an initial reschedule during our crazy week of storms, I finally had the chance to meet up with Meagan last week in one of my favorite urban spots!  We were a little worried about the wind, but it ended up being a perfect evening.  Love it when that happens!    Meagan is such an incredibly sweet AND beautiful girl, and like most of my seniors this year, she is very talented!  She sings, acts, and is a soccer star too.  She brought along her mom and a good friend (who also happens to be my baby sister), so needless to say, there was lots of laughing.  I had such a great time finding a bunch of new spots at a “well-used” location, and Meagan had a killer wardrobe and was up for anything so it worked out great!  Thanks for a wonderful evening, and enjoy your sneak peek!  P.S. I want her hair!!!

After an initial reschedule on a very windy day, we ended up with the most beautiful weather for our session!  Not only that, but I picked up a cool new prop earlier in the day that I decided I couldn’t wait to try out … I’m sure you’ll notice it’s brief debut below!    Christine (and Mom) were such good sports – this particular location is HUGE and I dragged them all over the place, and well off the beaten path.  Christine has the sweetest laugh and the most awesome serious face (yes, it looks like she is channeling Natalie Portman in some shots) - it is a killer combination, I tell ya.  Put that together with her awesome wardrobe, and I knew this session wouldn’t disappoint.  Thank you for being so willing to go along with all of the crazy ideas I had for you, I hope you’ll think it was as worth it as I do!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

You would be hard-pressed to find a more laid-back, up-for-whatever girl than Kirby.  She really didn’t have a strong peference about a location or her wardrobe – she just wanted some great images documenting this time in her life and left the rest up to me (and Mom)!  Love it!   I had such a great time dragging them ALL over this very spacious park – I hope it will have been worth it for them too.  As you can see from these images, Kirby has a super-fun personality – thanks for indulging me on our “goofy” shots!  I hope you are enjoying your spring break, now enjoy your sneak peek!

UPDATE: Voting is now open, so YOU can go vote for this image by heading over to the I Heart Faces page and finding me – #274!  You aren’t required to enter any information, just click vote!   Thanks! 

This week’s theme over at I Heart Faces was favorite February faces.  Now there is NO way I could pick a favorite face image from February, there are way too many gorgeous faces in there.  I decided to submit this one because it was a little different.  Carly was kind enough to indulge me a little in playing with her scarf, and I think the result is jaw-dropping gorgeous.  I love the way her face is framed so perfectly and you are drawn straight to her eyes! 

Make sure to head on over to IHF to see more beautiful faces!

I couldn’t have imagined a better way to kick off my 2011 schedule than with photographing Lindsey!  Lindsey found me online back over the summer, so it seemed like this session had been in the works for quite some time.  She really wanted something different for her senior portraits, and I was honored that she trusted me to accomplish that for her.  Speaking of accomplished … Lindsey plays the fiddle, is a fabulous artist {see below}, AND is a natural in front of the camera!  She has such a wonderful presence about her –  you can tell she truly has a heart to serve others.  I really enjoyed the couple of hours we spent together at an awesome new location.  And I really love the fact that she brought so many great accessories and props all on her own to incorporate into the session.  That is what can truly make your session unique!  Thanks again for allowing me to capture these special moments for you Lindsey, and enjoy your sneak peek! 

Chandler is the last (but certainly not least!) of my 2011 Senior Reps. We met up a few weeks ago on a stifling hot evening. Chandler was looking for a really woodsy feel, and when I stumbled upon this gem of a location I knew it would be perfect! It was nice that we got to stay in the shade, but that also meant we were getting no breeze – I’m amazed that Chandler managed to look so fresh the whole time! And can I just say that I would kill to have her hair?!? Oh my, the light was just hitting it so perfectly this evening. I also got to use the vintage suitcases I’ve been stockpiling, and I was really pleased with how they came out. Chandler is an amazing singer and performer, and I LOVE that she brought her “faces” of theater for some fun shots. That just goes to show that you don’t have to be an athlete or play a musical instrument to use a cool prop! I really look forward to working with you this year Chandler, enjoy your sneak peek!

Jett is the first of my Class of 2011 Senior Reps that I photographed this summer.  We had a great session on a cool post-rain evening, evenings like that seem like a distant memory at this point!   I’m really excited to work with Jett this year.  Not only is he an awesome football player, but he’s also a very accomplished actor and singer – I’ve seen him in action!   Not surprising that one of his favorite TV shows is Glee.    The only hiccup to our session was when a stray cat surprised us on top of the shed we were shooting in front of.  How do cats sense that you hate them, and why do they torture you?!?  Thanks for a great session Jett, and I’m looking forward to working together this year! 

Wow, this was such an amazing session!  Ashley braved the very cold and windy conditions (along with her mom and sis – both excellent comedians and reflector-holders) for almost a full two hours last weekend.  She is a very accomplished dancer and wanted to incorporate that into some shots.  She is SO good that she was able to go up on point on an unstable floating wooden pier for these shots – what a rock star!   I can’t imagine a more beautiful backdrop for these … they turned out just how I was hoping!   Then we had a wardrobe change for some casual shots.  And, I got to bring out the big red chair again!  We dragged that thing about 40 yards up a hill to set up the perfect shot, and it was totally worth it.  We also stopped several bikers in their tracks who paused to check out what was going on.    This session was such a great example of why you should really consider booking a full session to get the complete senior portrait experience.  The thirty minute mini-session definitely serves a purpose and is great to get some quick shots with a few different poses in a single outfit, but the full session really gives us the flexibility to cater everything exactly to your needs.  We had time for wardrobe changes, walking all over a very large area to get lots of shots in different locations, using some fun props, and just some good old creative experimentation.  And most importantly, we had a blast!  Thank you so much Ashley for being such a wonderful and willing subject.  Enjoy your massive sneak peek!

More of this gorgeous young lady coming soon!