Ian’s Senior Portraits

It’s been quite a while since I last posted. I’ve been crazy busy, but it’s been so much fun. This month has been especially wonderful since I’ve been shooting more portraits and events than I have in so very long. One of the portraits I did this month was for Ian. He’s quite a talented young man and I’ve been very impressed. He’s quiet, doesn’t say much, but he does have a very sharp sense of humor. He’s a Eagle Scout, so you know that he’s dedicated and works hard. Those rewards aren’t just handed out. In addition, he’s a cross country runner. The morning we took these pictures he clocked his personal best time for the event.

Ian doesn’t smile much but he did for me. His mother was pretty amazed that I got that out of him. I’ve been around Ian since he was small and he’s always been a great kid. He’s related to the folks who live next door to me and though I didn’t see him often, it has been fun watching him grow up. He does have some plans for after college and I’m sure that what he sets his mind to, he will succeed. I’m hoping to keep an eye on him to see if he fulfills his goals.

We shot these images at one of the local metro parks. I’ve lived here for a long time and this was the first time that I had been in this particular park. What a gem it is. The landscaping was fantastic and they had finished putting in all the fall flowers. The weather was perfect for the day, mid-70s with some clouds, and gorgeous sunshine.

There were lots of really cool places to pose for pictures. Near the entrance to the park is a large rose garden with a wonderful pergola and bench area. We didn’t get up there today. There were two wedding parties shooting up there.
Next, they have a large herb garden with beautiful walks and hedges. Beyond that is a waterfall with walkway that goes down a hill until you get to the collecting pool at the bottom. We didn’t get much beyond that, but I think that the paths continue on for a long way.

We got into trouble with that third image. There was a spot there where you could see that other people had been standing to capture an image. Just as we were finishing there, one of the park rangers scolded us for being in the flower bed. He was right to give us a hard time, but I was very careful to make sure that Ian stepped only on the bald spot and didn’t disturb any of the other flowers. I know that the Ranger was there to protect the flowers and the grounds and we were in the wrong, but it was such a great spot for a photo, I couldn’t resist. Maybe I better make a donation to the park to pay for my stepping into the flowerbed.

Daniel’s Senior Portrait

Daniel-1

Originally uploaded by Elessar

I was asked to do senior portraits for my friend’s son (and my friend), Daniel. We’ve planned to do some studio stuff and some outdoor stuff. Daniel is really into music. He plays percussion for the Marching Band and Clarinet for the concert band and saved up money to buy this electric guitar.

He’s a great kid, bright, witty and good natured. I wanted to capture something of that in the portraits, as well as his love for music. When we started with the guitar, I asked him to start playing something. You could see the focus in is face as he started to play. I think that I captured a real part of his spirit in this image. The guitar is black and the shirt and pants are black and white. It just seemed natural to do the whole image in black and white. I believe that this image was the best of the day. Please tell me what you think.

Dorothy, my grandmother

Dorothy King (nee Kintigh)
Originally uploaded by Elessar

This is my paternal grandmother. She’s the only surviving grandparent I have right now. I’ve really enjoyed growing up near my grandma. My family is mostly farmers and she’s no exception. She grew up on my great-grandfather’s farm, and lives right next to his farm house. My grandfather passed away back in 1980, so she’s been on her own for a long time. She turns 91 on June 10. I really enjoy when when she and her sister get together. Then look out. They are so ornery, even today. I could just picture the two of them as young girls running around the farm, looking for trouble. She had 4 other siblings: three brothers and one sister. Only one brother and the sister are left.

My grandfather was a very quiet man and didn’t talk much. When ever I would visit, I would ask him how he was doing and Grandma would answer for him. I used to think he was a ventriloquist and say, “Grandpa, I didn’t even see your lips move.” She’s been a great woman to grow up with. She has a great sense of humor and has always been a caring person.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!