I love portraying emotion, connection and tangible warmth with my photography. In a family session, that doesn’t take much to make happen. With a single baby or toddler, they pretty much wear emotion on their face like last night’s spaghetti. So, again, no problem-o. But a senior is an adult. They’re poised. They’re mature. They don’t wrinkle their nose at me and tell me I’m silly while they throw a block at me. So, I come ready with little tips or “just relax” things to do in between their adult poses. If I see a smile freeze, we do it again, and take a different approach to getting the smile. I tell my seniors that we’re going to have fun, so don’t just think we’re going to sit or stand this way and hold their head like this or that. We’re going to have fun. We’re going to get real smiles.
And that’s the spiel I gave Hannah and her mom as we were walking through Pattison Park to the first chosen photo spot. All for not, though, because she gave such spectacular smiles that many of my little tricks stayed as reminders on my paper, not even needing use. Her smile reaches right up to a sparkle in her eyes, and in the short time I was with her, a laugh was always ready to bubble up in a moment. Walking the park, crawling over fields, or hiking in heels down the road, Hannah was an absolute joy to capture. I so wish the best for your last year of high school, Hannah, and heaps of success and excitement as you hit the road for the next chapter of education. Thanks so much for gracing my camera with your charming smiles.
