Senior Sessions

My senior portrait sessions this year are a total blast, because this year I am offering sessions that will really encompass, you, who you are as a kid next door, as an athlete, a rocker, or a starlit. Lauren and Casey were perfect models (especially Lauren who bared the cold, changed in the forest and laid in the ice) because they where so willing to be themselves. My make up artist Anna and I had so much fun learning about them, and being able to use my artist insight to help them embrace their individual, unqiue and amazing sides.

Wheaton North Cheerleaders

Last Friday my make up artist, Anna and I went to Wheaton North High School and photographed the cheerleaders! We had so much fun! Especially since I am a WN grad, I felt just at home. The girls did awesome and were great models. We will be photographing more students in action, doing what they love, weather it's dance team, football, drama team, or chess in the coming weeks. Contact us if you'd like for us to visit your team next! Thanks to their coach Stephanie who was such a help! Here are a few of our favs :)

Honored & Humbled

This morning, I was honored and humbled to see my work on the Foundation homepage. There were so many talented photographers so I was certainly surprised to see mine. If there is anything I wish I could have from that night would be a tape recording of the things that were said to me, now I only remember bits and pieces, but the feelings will stay with me, and be ingrained  in everything I shoot from now on. I am really looking forward to pursuing some personal projects after this experience.

The last night

The last night, was unreal. It was the night we showed the entire group our finished projects. However, the work we showed that night, was not the final project, it was and is the lessons we learned that week and the experience that would follow us. Oscar, started the night off with some tears as he described the lessons he learned. The thing was, was that I had been crying all day and he had been there for me, so the tears continued. It really is such an emotional experience, as you shoot with your heart and show your work.

(these pic's were taken by Matt Kim - Thank you)

My Assignment: The McKinney Senior Activity Center

Oscar looking at the world with no fear. And Jessica noticing the beauty of the world around us.

Being photographed with no fear gives me the freedom to be silly behind the camera and the peace to just be.

Without Fear

Our fearless leader Amy, sat us in a group in a beautiful field just as the sun was setting. She asked us to pair up so Oscar ( from Chicago too) and I paired up, Amy had us stare at each other tell each other what we would do with NO FEAR, would we live the life we dreamed, would we waist time doing what we loved but would never let ourselves to because our to do list was too big. It was awesome, to think about those things, for just a moment and to think about them, and to face them. Those fears that hold you back because you have no idea why. For instance, if you wanted to pull over and take a picture on the side of the road, would you hesitate, cause you might look funny, you might get cold, or you don't have the time, those might be reasons that hold me back. Truly, and why ? That was the point.

Foundation Workshop

Last week, ok, well two weeks ago I had the awesome pleasure and challenge of attending the Foundation Workshop to enhance my photojournalism skills. This was an amazing and life changing experience where I overcame personal challenges and learned to trust myself, and my vision. I meet so many amazing pj photographers and made some friends, whose words and lives will continually inspire me. 

The foundation experience is this, participants are grouped into teams of five, and are sent out on assignment on two days. Each night their pictures are edited by their team leader, and mine Amy Deputy and her assistant David Bick was a perfect fit for me and a total blessing. 

Here is my portrait exercise in which I  was paired with Dan Johnson who had traveled all the way from the UK and was the best model!