A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of photographing a delightful young woman named Kiera, for her senior portraits. We chose Blueberry Park (one of my favorite locations), and she brought some very fun props, including a chair and a bicycle (you can't go wrong there!). Before even ten minutes had elapsed, I realized that this was going to be a really meaningful photo shoot.
As a professional photographer, I consider myself really blessed to be able to work with many people who are either my friends, or friends of friends, or acquaintances. It keeps me personally connected with my clients. In this case, Kiera's Mom (who was with us at the shoot) assisted in the delivery of my son. That was a pretty important moment in my life- the start of my life as a mother! Well, as our session progressed, I realized in a new way what an important season of life this is for Kiera (and for her Mom). It's the beginning of a whole lot of exciting things, but it's the end of some things, too. All that afternoon, I was privileged to watch this mother and daughter interact so genuinely, kindly, and lovingly with one another. I heard little anecdotes and watched them laugh at each other and with each other. They seemed like great friends- closer than many teenage daughters and mothers I've met. I was so moved that even after I got home, I looked at my daughters differently. I wondered about that strange and far-off time when they will be in high school, then going off to college, getting married, and so on. I hugged them tighter and watched them more closely as they played, all the while thinking about having to let them go. That's not to say that this session was depressing to me- definitely not! Instead, I found myself full of hope and encouragement. I'm encouraged to be reminded of that stage of life when everything is exciting and new and promising, and encouraged to see a young person like Kiera- ready to go out into the world and make it a better place, bolstered by the love and support of her family. I'm hopeful because I got such a wonderful reminder of all this while my daughters are still little, and I can look forward to years of nurturing, guiding, and preparing them for their high school and college years, too. So, really, while I know that doing portraits for people is something that benefits them, I really came away from this shoot feeling like I was the one who was blessed. (Thank you, Kiera, and Michele- for this sweet glimpse into your lives. The best portraits are the honest ones, and that was really evident with your session!)
Well, that was more philosophizing than I usually do on my blog, but I hope it gives you a lens (pun intended!) with which to view the photos below. Kiera is a beautiful girl inside and out, and she was such fun to work with! Take a scroll through the shots below and see what I mean...
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| See why I love this location? Those bushes on either side of her are blueberry bushes, and they go on for acres. As the summer draws to an end, their leaves turn from glossy vibrant green to rich purples and reds. |
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| This look was all her! You can't fake that kind of youthful, innocent exuberance! |
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| Between her Kiera's red hair and the red and orange rose hips behind her, the colors in this one just blow me away! |
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| Serendipity: I brought sidewalk chalk in my camera bag, in case Keira wanted to use it in the shoot, and it turns out that she loves drawing with sidewalk chalk. What a fun coincidence! |
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| The bike! This was a fun part of our shoot, and we probably looked very silly from an outsider's perspective. :) |
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| This is probably one of my favorite photos from any shoot. There is so much depth here. I love it! |
Well, do you see what I mean? Beautiful. After spending barely two hours with her, I can already tell that there's something very special about this young woman. Blessings to you, Kiera; you are simply lovely!
~
Kathryn
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