Richard ~ Downtown
If there was a soundtrack for this session it would be the ZZ Top song that is known for the catchy refrain "Crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man!" That is because my camera certainly went crazy for sharp-dressed Richard! He is the snazziest, most debonair senior I've had the pleasure of photographing! I mean just look at that tailored, navy double-breasted suit with the perfect fit! Wow! Just wow!
I'm so glad Richard chose downtown for this shoot. He looked right at home with the urban vibe. Wood doors, storefronts, street views, and the iconic courthouse provided the perfect backdrops for this senior who meant business with this shoot. And oh, man, did he capture such a cool and confident aura as I snapped away. Last senior boy I took photos of made me think I was on a countryside Ralph Lauren shoot. This one made me feel like I was on assignment for Gentleman's Quarterly or Wall Street Journal. My senior boys this year have definitely rocked!
I was having so much fun with the supremely fashionable Richard, that it was hard to bring that portion of his shoot to a close. But we had another unique outfit change to get to before sunset that I was excited about. Richard is a drum major for his high school marching band and brought a causal look with his drum major t-shirt and mace! I have never had a session with a drum major before and I'm so glad Richard decided to incorporate this activity into his shoot! The shiny mace and reflections were just a blast to work with, as was Richard. For this part of the shoot, we went with a gray-blue brick wall and several alleys, tucked off the main drag. Again, Richard made an amazing subject and I loved being creatively inspired by this senior's style!
Besides being a drum major for marching band, Richard also plays the piano and is accomplished in JiuJitsu. He is a member of National Honor Society and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). As for college plans, he will be studying Finance and Economics at Ohio Wesleyan University. His choice of major didn't surprise me! I have no doubt he is headed for great success!
Richard, you wowed me with this shoot and I am so happy I was asked to be your senior photographer. I hope you remember your senior session fondly in the years to come and that these images will be treasured by you and your family! It is such an honor to freeze this transitional moment in time, knowing that perhaps when Richard is my age, he will look back at these photos, smile, and think..."Gosh, look at that young, sharp-dressed man. I was pretty dapper back in the day!"
Aiden ~ Arboretum
Weather kept on getting in the way of Aiden's session at the arboretum. We had to deal with two cancellations--first due to rain and the second for cold and wind! It took some juggling, but we ended up with the perfect day weather-wise. Some sun, but not too strong, and a comfortable temperature even though it was late October. It is said good things come to those who wait and these pics were definitely worth the wait! We caught some nice fall colors as well!
I remarked on Aiden's dapper outfit as soon as I greeted him. I told his mom it was very "town and country"--I loved the textured and layered look of his dress shirt with his navy cable-knit sweater and brown corduroy jacket. When I got to the business of clicking away, I kept on having this kind of deja vu moment as I looked through my viewfinder. Especially when Aiden gave me a serious look! It was like I had seen this before somehow. It then dawned on me that it reminded me of ads from a particular designer that always featured serious men with intense eyes and chiseled looks dressed similarly. I had the name on the tip of my tongue but couldn't get it out, so I described what the designer was known for and asked his mom if she knew who I was talking about. She said, "Ralph Lauren" and then the lightbulb went on. That was it exactly! I felt like I was shooting a Ralph Lauren ad with Aiden!
What is funny is that with his smiley looks, it was not a Ralph Lauren vibe. It was the good-natured, friendly, and approachable but handsome boy next door with an affable grin that I caught. Hard to say which look I liked best! I'm just glad I was able to capture both sides of Aiden. And funny side note--it was only after the shoot and I uploaded the photos into Lightroom that I realized he actually was wearing Ralph Lauren! See the polo player emblem on his gray pullover? Ha.
I've known Aiden's family for a long time. My kids are all grown up, but they were lucky enough to cross paths with his parents during their high school years. His mom and dad are wonderful and beloved teachers. So I was super happy and honored I got to be a part of Aiden's senior year. I took his older sister's photos a few years ago and am looking forward to taking his younger sister's in the future!
Aiden is a busy and accomplished senior. He is a 4 year member of the Wooster Blade where he currently serves as Editor-in-Chief. He is a member of National Honor Society and the Student Leadership Team. He is also an athlete, playing on the Generals Basketball team with plans to play tennis in the spring. Last but not least, he is making his stage debut as Mr. Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you've never seen a WHS drama club production, I encourage you to do so! Aiden's dad is the drama club director and advisor and has done a phenomenal job. I'm glad to see Aiden finally stepping into the spotlight before he graduates! His college plans include majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in mass media.
Aiden, you were such a pleasure to photograph! Break a leg in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I hope you enjoy the rest of your senior year! Best wishes as you transition to college life and, in the years to come, I hope these photos bring back fond memories of a very fulfilling and fun senior year!
Liv ~ Downtown, Arboretum and College of Wooster
Liv's wonderful family and ours go back to when Liv was little! Both Liv and my daughter danced for Ballet Wooster and her parents and my husband and I worked together volunteering for the company in various ways. One of the ways I helped out was to photograph the dancers in costume and on stage. Liv was a such a cutie pie then. And now here she is--a beautiful leading dancer in her senior year! I marveled with her mom how that happened. My daughter is now 25 as well! Where did the time go? Anyway, I was super happy I was asked to take Liv's senior pics. I had a feeling they would turn out special and, as you can see, they certainly did!
We started downtown with plans to complete the session at the arboretum. Liv brought her saxophone and I really love the photos with the golden gleam of her sax alongside the brick wall and wooden stairs. Then we took some with and without her letterman jacket in the alley. The lighting was devine there and so was Liv! I actually exclaimed out loud as I was shooting, "Liv, you have the most beautiful smile!" It is actually quite hard to smile naturally for the camera. I personally have that problem myself! But Liv always flashed a bright, wide, and genuine smile without fail. I know it is a cliche to say someone's smile lights up a room, so I will just say Liv's smile lit up my camera instead:) Ha.
After some fun in the alley, Liv changed into a brown sweater, skirt and boots. As we were headed to take some shots across the street, I saw the green and brown backside of a building that I knew would compliment her outfit perfectly. So we stopped for a few spur of the minute shots there and I am so glad we did! Once across the street, I got some great shots near Artfind Tile when all of a sudden my camera stopped working! I always charge my battery overnight before a shoot, but apparently I wasn't paying attention and it was not connected fully. I assumed it was fully charged when I plopped the battery into my camera. It wasn't! I learned a lesson the hard way after all these years I've been taking pics: don't assume--check to make sure! I was embarrassed to make such a silly mistake, but Liv and her mom were so gracious and kind. And thankfully, for some reason, I had built extra time into the session when doing the planning--a premonition, maybe? I don't know. At any rate, I ran home, did a charge to get me through the arboretum part of the shoot, and then met Liv and her mom there with just enough time to complete the session before sunset! Whew!
Liv kept her sweater and skirt outfit on for me to click away at the pond. Then we stopped for a few quick shots by some still blooming flowers as she held a pretty bouquet a neighbor made for her! We used that bouquet with her ballet outfit and the red dress later. So adorable!!! I highly recommend bringing a bouquet! Such a nice added touch. I was pumped Liv wanted some ballet shots as well. They turned out gorgeous. Then came the red dress!!!!!! Oh, my, did it make the pics pop with color! I love the variety of shots we got with Liv--her outfits, the sax, the bouquet. But it wasn't over yet! I needed a model to try out a new upgraded camera I was considering the following week. I asked if Liv was willing. And she was! So she ended up with some additional shots at the College of Wooster using the unique architecture there as a backdrop, along with a red adirondack chair. Her cute sweater dress worked so well for this shoot! But now I don't know how her mom is going to pick favorites with all these looks Liv rocked! I, myself, had a hard enough time choosing pics for this blog post!
Liv keeps a busy schedule. She works at Hebrews Coffee, babysits, plays tenor sax in both Marching/Concert Band and Jazz Band, and volunteers at the New Hope Church Nursery. Not to mention being part of a ballet company and dancing lead roles, which I can vouch is a HUGE commitment! You can catch her in the Nutcracker this year as the glamorous and powerful Mouse Queen--a role she has dreamed about since she was a younger dancer! Despite her demanding schedule, Liv maintains a 4.0 GPA and is in Honor Society. I honestly don't know how she does it all and does it all so well! She is planning on studying Neuroscience and minoring in dance when she goes off to college. This senior is going places, I tell you! I am beyond happy I got to capture Liv in her senior year and hope to hear updates from her mom as she goes off to leave her mark in this big world with her brilliant smile... and her brilliant mind!
Katie ~ Arboretum
I bonded right away with Katie, before I even took my first snap. As we walked from the parking lot to the fall lushness of the arboretum, I asked her about college plans and she said she wanted to study creative writing. My other passion and profession besides photography is writing novels for middle graders--I have books published by HarperCollins and Scholastic! So I immediately felt I was in the company of a kindred spirit and had a spark of connection. I am always excited to photograph every senior client I have ever had, but seeing my younger self in Katie was pretty cool! A long, long time ago, just like her, I was once a senior with dreams of becoming an author and weaving stories.
Katie and I stopped by the pond first. I love the little pond with the goldfish that play hide and seek. Such a great backdrop. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I will catch a few fishies in a shot! I was lucky this time and did indeed capture flashes of gold as they swam around the rock Katie was sitting on. I was also lucky with the subject I framed in the viewfinder, too! Katie has such a gentle and lovely smile, but I also was really taken by her serious looks as well. Sometimes when I ask for a serious look, it somehow inadvertently translates to a frown or angry look and I have to work on softening that. But Katie's serious look was beautiful--poetic and soulful. A still water runs deep sort of look. It was as if I had a window to her artistic nature and I was so happy to capture that.
Katie's green sweater and brown tank top went so well with the golden tones of the pond and also the tall autumn grass. But before long it was time for an outfit change. A creamy turtleneck and soft camel suede jacket was next up. A great town and country look, with a little nod to Bob Dylan as well! I caught a sun and shadows closeup at just the right time--really love that shot. And Katie also looked phenomenal with the brown tones, stones, and wood chair. It's hard to pick a favorite, but the one of her with her knees drawn up on the chair really speaks to me--a quiet confidence shines through.
Last part of the session was time for a dressier look, so we visited the marble table, butterfly bench, and some floral backdrops that were still hanging around! All too soon the sun was setting and it was time to wrap things up. It was great spending time with Katie and her mom. I photographed Katie's older brother and sister and I loved their sessions, too! I guess there is one more kiddo waiting in the wings for me to photograph:) It means a lot to me when parents are happy with my photos and come back with younger siblings.
Katie has many talents. She performed in seven full-length plays with Wooster Youth Shakespeare, including playing the lead Hamlet in Hamlet. She is also involved in WHS Drama Club, plays french horn in symphonic band, and writes for The Blade. She has been writing stories since she was very young and as I mentioned earlier, plans to major in creative writing.
Katie, please keep me posted on your writing! Being an author is wonderful and fulfilling, I can attest, and maybe one day I can take the headshot for the back of your first book cover! It would be a true honor:)
c
Archie ~ Oak Hill Park
Lighting in this shoot was such a challenge, but we ended up with some spectacular photos of Archie! Photographers love overcast days because the lighting is so easy to work with. No harsh shadows, no squinting. Photos also have a uniform look because no matter where you point the camera the even, soft lighting does not vary to a great degree. Archie's session had about the brightest, strongest early evening light I have ever worked with. So at first we sought out shade and I actually shot in areas I've never photographed before--a grassy trail off the asphalt path and we also ducked into the woods where a tree had fallen. Even in the shady areas, the determined sun found its way through! I ended up playing with that light and it was amazing how the direction of the camera and whether I shot up or down at Archie changed the whole look of a scene. I captured effects that just would not be possible on a cloudy day. It was a lot of fun and stretched me in the art of senior photography for sure! I went from worried to thrilled with the way the shoot turned out! Another benefit to the strong sun was that golden hour was truly GOLDEN towards the end of the session! A cloudy day can damper that warm glow the last hour before sunset. So all seemed to work out perfectly in the end!
Archie actually met me right after football practice--still in his workout clothes and he went from old shorts and a t-shirt to GQ worthy and dashing within minutes. Loved his blue dress shirt with khakis and also the navy blue and green sweater with jeans. He nailed the combo of dressy and casual looks. Though it all, Archie was an absolute pro. I had to experiment a lot with with his placement and posing due to the light and he just went with the flow, was incredibly patient, and delivered no matter what! When I suggested going a short way off trail and into the woods to where the large tree had fallen he was totally game. Those ended up some of my favorites pics from the session and they are unlike anything I've ever shot before.
I was so impressed by Archie and my camera was impressed, too. Maybe he should look into modeling part time when he goes off to college! I truly enjoyed chatting with him as we criss crossed Oak Hill Park and I snapped away. A handsome, polite and pleasant subject in my viewfinder. What treat it was to photograph Archie!
On a personal note, Archie is quite the athlete. He plays football and lacrosse and is on the swim team, too! He is also a National Honor Society member. I hope he enjoys the rest of his senior year and I know he is headed for much success when he heads off to college! Thank you so much for allowing me to capture your senior photos, Archie! You were a dream to work with and I hope you and your family will look back fondly on these pics in the years to come!
