Kibby Part 2

This was session number two with Kibby, and she absolutely nailed it.  We had done some studio stuff earlier in the year and were looking for a perfect Autumn afternoon to head outside, and today was it.  Kibby's a great kid and doesn't view herself as glamorous, but you'd be hard-pressed to believe that from these pictures.  She's also a fine athlete and was really looking forward to her senior soccer season in the spring, but unfortunately tore here ACL.  We wanted to get these in before her surgery next week and I'm glad we did.

Kibby, I think you're a star, and I hope everything goes well.  Thanks for taking chances!

Jamie

Jamie and I have been looking forward to this shoot for quite a while.  She's an awesome kid!  Cheerleader.  Smart. And about as nice as they come.  I really wanted to make sure she had a good experience and we left with some great photos. . . well, mission accomplished!  Jamie did a knockout job of enthusiastically becoming a model.  She was willing to try whatever we suggested, but also came up with a bunch of great ideas on her own.  Mom had some great suggestions as well between the sprints she was running to try and keep warm. . .  : )

Jamie, you're beautiful, and you did an amazing job of making this gritty urban setting come to life.   BRAVO!!

Kelley

Kelley is the sister of Kristen (of the Kristen and Andy blog post from earlier).  I've had the great opportunity to shoot both Kristen's and her sister Gretchen's senior pictures, so it was an honor to shoot Kelley's this morning.  It was cold (in the 40's when we started, but Kelley was tough.  The low morning sun was beautiful and really highlighted her amazing hair.  Kelley has movie-star looks and was a total blast to work with.  She jumped right in and lit up the lens.

Kelley, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me spend the morning with you.  And Mom, I don't know how you do it, but you turn out one beautiful girl after another. . .

Allie

I remember when I first met Allie a couple of years ago when she came into Math Lab for help.  She was a fun-loving squirrely kid who always made me smile.  Well, she's still a little squirrely (and I hope that never changes), but she's grown into a lovely and beautiful young lady.  We met at the train station in downtown Kirkwood and hit a couple of locations.  I love the blue top she chose, so we looked for some simple backgrounds.  You know you've got a good subject when you can put her next to a trash dumpster and she makes it look good (the large photo with the blue and green).

We were heading across the railroad tracks when the sun lit up Allie's face, so we took advantage of the light and got some beautiful shots.

Mom, thanks for helping out.  You've got an amazing daughter, and I know you're proud!

Ali

Ali, you were GREAT!!  Emily, you were. . . well. . . Ali's sister!!  What a fun morning!  Emily was a great helper, offering sound advice and encouragement.  Her best line might have been when I said at one point, "Wow, this looks beautiful" and she said, "Then you'd better get Ali out of there!"

Hah, Emily, the jokes on you.  Your sister is beautiful, and you're just gonna have to deal with it.  Ali actually found a great spot, with a "lush jungle" feel.  I'd never shot there before, but I will use it again I'm sure.

Ali's also a big Cardinals fan, so it was especially fun to reminisce about the amazing Cardinal win last night and the Pujols 3-Home Run game.  We all had a good laugh when Ali's Mom spotted the "Rally Squirrel" in a tree Ali was standing under, only to have it jump down and give Ali a pretty good scare.

Ali, you hit a few home runs of your own today.  Great working with you.  Thanks for such a fun morning.

Yaniece

It was a perfect morning, temperature in the 60's with a beautiful sun rising through some soft clouds.  And Yaniece was ready to get to work.  She has a personality that is as warm and beautiful as her smile.  Her sister, Annisha, was there to help out by offering encouragement and making funny faces.  It's safe to say that Yaniece is NOT the biggest fan of the "Great Outdoors", but she was a real trooper, agreeing to do whatever was necessary.  We hit a couple of spots, and each one worked.  We finished with Yaniece sitting on the wet ground, but when she brought her knees up and her ripped jeans showed, it just made the shot!  And Annisha, you did a great job throwing the leaves!  It sure was fun getting to know you both a little better!  Thanks. . .

Abby

It's always fun to shoot someone who is experienced or just a "natural" in front of the lens, but it may actually be more fun to shoot someone who "isn't so sure".  Abby is a former student of mine. . .  a quiet achiever, who doesn't crave the spotlight.  She told me last Friday that she, "wasn't all that self-confident" when it came to doing her senior pictures, but you'd never know it from the looks of these.  She was amazing, braving a chilly EARLY morning on a day off of school.

We had a blast at the railroad bridge and were lucky enough for a train to come along.  It's really thrilling to feel the train rumbling by and fun to try to slow down the shutter to convey the speed of the train.  There is a moment in every shoot where the subject just relaxes and you can see it through the lens.  Abby got there on the bridge and was just having a blast after that.

Our original goal was to just come away with 2 or 3 good images, and I think we made it.  Thanks Abby, and Mom!!  It was a great morning!!

Kristen & Andy

Kristen is a long-time friend and current colleague and one of the nicest people I've ever met.  I'd met Andy once before (only briefly) so it was fun to get to know him a little better.  He's a great guy, and hit the jackpot finding Kristen.  There's nothing quite as energizing as being around young people in love, and these two certainly are.  It was next to impossible to get them to stop smiling.

We started at the park for some more "formal" shots, and the morning couldn't have been any nicer.  Next, we headed over to the railroad bridge for a little more "fun".  Kristen had the tough job, walking in heels.  Andy had the easy job. . . just being with Kristen.  We were just finishing up, and as they were walking off the bridge, Andy stopped and dipped Kristen, and it turned out to be an amazing final photo.

Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys, for laughing, and for loving. . .

Hannah!

We've been planning on doing some pictures with Hannah for a while, and she finally got a Saturday morning off, so we headed down to the railroad bridge and then over to the park.  We had helpers, as Hannah's sister, Alynn, and friend Libby joined us.  Dad meet us as we finished up as we headed to the park.  It was almost as much fun watching them goof around as it was shooting the pictures.  Thanks for holding the lights and reflectors, and just making things fun!

This was a special shoot for me, because not only is Hannah beautiful, and a great kid, but I happen to also be a huge fan of hers.  I've been watching her run since she was a freshman, and I've always been blown away by both how good she is, and about how dedicated she is.  She recently set the course record at Parkway Central, and as high hopes for state.

Alynn, thanks for "finding" the flower. . .

Lauren's 17th

Lauren turned 17, and after a makeup and hair session, she and her friends were surprised with a photo shoot at the Turtle Park.  Needless to say, we had a great time!  The girls were "working it", and Mom and Ryan (the driver) helped hold the light.  Six of the girls play on the softball team, and the 7th plays tennis.  I barely recognized them when they got out of the car. . . but that's one of the great things about girl's sports. . . they can be tough and rugged when they need to, and then when they want to be beautiful, they can do that too. . .

Big props to Lauren's younger sister, Sarah, who suffered a gruesome leg injury several weeks ago in softball and has been in a wheelchair since.  She sucked it up and hobbled and crutched around the park, up the hills, on the turtles, and down the gravel paths,  and never complained.  She's WAY tougher than I'll ever be. . .

On a side note, Lauren is in my 1st hour class, and I told them about 3 weeks ago that "I've given up on the Cardinals.  I'm done with them.  I won't watch them any more!". . . So now, I figure, I shouldn't watch them in the playoffs and just be a fair-weather fan.  So I get down to the park a little early, and I figure, "It won't really be cheating if I just listen to the game on the radio for a little."  Well, I turn it on to find out the Birds are up 3-1, but only minutes later, Ryan Howard pounds a 3-run homer and I turn off the radio.  That's what I get, I suppose.

Then, when we've finished the shoot, I return to the car and get ready to leave, only to find that the car won't start because I left the lights on and drained the battery.  I had to call my buddy, Steve Jonak, to come bail me out.  Thanks, Steve!

I wonder if I should watch the game today. . .