Time for a Kuehl change...

If at first you don't succeed...

Reschedule!

Callie Kuehl's long awaited day in the sun... was anything but on her first trip to Montour.   A cold... blustery and wet October day, Mama Chris, Callie and I were nearly resigned to the fact from the git-go.

They were going to be coming back.

In the meantime, we took care of Round One in typical Stewart Photography fashion... LOTS of images...  a ton of smiles... and a few stories.

Well... ONE in particular.

On our second go around a week and a half later... I asked Cal what we talked about on her FIRST session... and she, unlike me... had a sharp tack memory.

"You told us how you got into photography."

If any of you have had the 20 minute story fed to you, you know what Callie is talking about.   Part wrong place at the right time... part big mouth meets opportunity... and a whole lot of God's plan for my life... the Kuehl's got the whole story as we were in our typical "rain delay" mode hoping it might let up and we'd get the session in.   But on this day... the rain wasn't gonna quit... and the Kuehl's got my auto-biography in verbal form.  :)

Maybe they were regretting why they even asked... maybe they enjoyed the story... I can't be for sure.   Regardless... whether they gained any insight or not... Callie was coming back for more.

Cal made her triumphant return to much better conditions, and with a different escort this time around.

You know you've got clout (and PERMISSION) when you get the school's superintendent to come with you to your senior session.

Okay, okay... it just so happens that Gladbrook-Reinbeck's district chief also has the title of "Callie's Dad."

Tim Kuehl got assigned to do the dirty work on round two and poor Cal... she stood no chance with two guys talkin' football and flickin' her crud the entire day.  :)

She was a great sport, however... and if you take one look at that smile.. it's obvious to see that my job was an easy one... not just once... but twice.

Queen Katherine: ♪ She's a New.... House ♪

We've had quite a run with the Marshall County fair Queen of late it seems.

If my memory serves... We've photographed senior images for two of the last three queens... and the last three first-runner ups.

The latest?  West Marshall High School's Katherine Newhouse.

It didn't take long to figure out why the judges tabbed Miss Newhouse for this year's honor back on July 12th this past summer.   Katherine bopped in to our studio, showed me her outfits and ideas with excitement and passion... and I KNEW we were in for an action packed session.

The only question was whether the WEATHER would cooperate.  At first it looked like the rain might keep us in for the day... but after getting a couple of outfits in... it broke and we were back on track to getting our queen photographed.

And it's a good thing too, because we had been warned, not surprisingly... that our appointment would require a more-than-usual amount of outdoor images.   Seems to make sense for a gal that's interested in agriculture, right???

So,  we busted out the plaid shirt... we were off.   In my mind, Katherine looked most at home in this outfit, so we shot the most in it, and the fall color couldn't have agreed more.   There wasn't a LOT of fall foliage left, but what there WAS... we found.  :)

The only battle left was the wind... and our royal visitor, not surprisingly, handled it with patience and grace and in the end, we got every shot we needed, and sometimes it even added a little extra flair to the image just because of the added wind.

The day ended with Katherine and I showing off her membership with the State Champion West Marshall Drill Team.  I had already photographed a teammate of hers earlier in the senior season (hi, Alexandria!!!) so I was familiar with their accomplishments.   The challenge was to have a different approach... and I think we did that.  A special shout out to Mama Chellney for all her help during the session... assistance with hair and clothing cannot be underestimated in wet windy conditions... and we found out that she's an excellent flag thrower-upper.  ;)

My understanding is that Katherine is out of state currently at a huge sheep show in Louisville, Kentucky... so it may be awhile until she can retrieve her proof book... but perhaps this will be a pleasant surprise while the Queen is off doing her ag swag thing in the Bluegrass State.

Shufflin' to Higher Ground: Blood, Sweat and Blake Magik

To say this kid has mad game is an understatement.

Blake Roseland's playground is the game of life itself... and he's maximizing his time at recess.

You'll have to forgive me if I leave out some of the details her for those of you that don't know the kid.   I've watched this kid grow up.  Photographed family (they're the Roselands... they're seemingly related to everyone around here)... rooted for him... marveled as his drumming... floored by his singing.

On top of all that, he's a HULK of a young man, but a ornery smile that lets you know that while he COULD squash ya like an ant... he won't.   Flat out a nice guy that's well rounded... grounded... and humble, despite all that's going for him.

To say that I was looking forward to this session also grossly undershoots the mark.  Mama Kelley was in the year prior for Cousin Karly's session, and the fun this lady like to have... well, anyone that knows her... knows it's infectious.   Add in a couple of amazing sisters (Samantha is already jockeying for 2014 favorite senior status a year in advance) and we were set up for an session of epic proportions.

The day began with a trip out to Uncle Bob's farm south of LeGrand on Highway 146.   Have you ever driven by that beautiful log home and unique barn and wondered to yourself if that's as cool as it looks?   I can end the suspense for ya.  

It is.

Id always wanted to photograph around that Amish built barn... and that day was my chance.  What's more Iowa Boy than Blake Roseland in a pair of jeans, plaid shirt and a hay-filled barn?   Answer?   Nothing.

After catching up a bit with Bob, we were off to get a bit of the other side of the spectrum with some urban images.   The street of Tama did the trick and we then headed back to Montour to knock off some indoor.   But before we could get there... I could feel the vibe from Kelley that we were missing something.

That something?  Fall color.

Due to the early turn of the season, our color was already dwindling... and yet... I was undaunted.

It became a mission of sorts... and we drove all over, nearly veering off the road while scoping the country side for a tree.. ANY tree that might still have some fall POP to it.

Finally we tracked one down out by Hinegardner Lake and with that in our hip pocket... we finally returned to Montour to get one of Blake's two main passions knocked off.

The first... was football.   This session was SUPPOSED to be in August... but knowing the young man... and his propensity to be JUST like his photographer and sweat BULLETS in the summer heat... I put my foot down.

"No WAY we're photographing THAT kid in August," is what I told Kelley back in July.  :)

So, October 15 is was... and while avoided the perspiration issue when we NEEDED to... there was ONE area we WANTED it.

For the football stuff!

A little oil... and little water... and BAM... ol' No. 75 may not have actually played four quarters... but he looked like it!   Check out that football collage.   KILLER!

We did save the best for last however... as many in this area know Blake for his talents in the band, Minor Night.

He and a group of buddies are throwbacks to a old-time rock-n-roll era.   Inspired by a family full of rockers (and shufflers) the boys can keep you entertained for hours like they've been doing it for years... and, come to think of it... they kinda have... even at their young age.

The plan was to hit up the Roseland Farms, Inc. machine shed at Papa Russ and Mama Kelley's where, with the help of band member, Cousin Trevor Long... a virtual live set was all prepped and ready for me to roll in with full set of photo gear to capture these all-important images.

I couldn't have been happier with the results as one wouldn't think a machine shed would be the best place to make art... but put Blake and I's minds together... and look what you get.  

The day ended with both of us having a little pizza... and reflecting a bit on our several hours of labor (play time, really).   I shook his hand and, as always thanked him for choosing our studio for his once-in-a-lifetime images.

"I wouldn't have gone anywhere else," he said.

Athletic, musically gifted... and smart to boot.

Thanks Team Roseland... you guys rock.

Fire, Frosted Flakes, fishin' poles, fairways and all kinds of hick-style fun...

My sister and I have joked for years that USUALLY there's nothing good that comes after the statement.

That statement?

"Is there ANY way... (fill in the blank)."

Usually the person proposing the question already KNOWS the question is one that is pushing the proverbial envelope, or going outside the box or just generally asking for the impossible.

Enter East Marshall senior, Tony Cowell.

It didn't take me long to figure out that THIS dude has got some kinda sense of humor... and I like it.   He also has quite the imagination... Thus, "the question."

"Is there ANY way you can make it look like I'm walking and being led by two tigers?"

Holy Barnum and Bailey!

Any one that knows me is aware that I'm in the making visions and dreams come true business... but TIGERS?!?  Really?

I hated to disappoint right out of the gate, but short of going to Vegas, I wasn't sure how to ever make that happen!

I told our tiger lover, Tony (get it?) that I couldn't do THAT... but I would try to make up for it in other ways.

In reality, the FOCUS of his session was rooted not in over sized cats... but in something we could much more readily execute...

Bringing out Tony's inner hick.

Bust out the jeans, boots, plaid, camo hat, wrap arounds, rusty pickup, shot gun, fishin' boat and whaddya have?  

Hillbilly Cowell... and dang proud of it.

Mama Tammy and I headed toward the Cowell ranch just north of Ferguson and Tony was following just behind us in his white pickup truck.   The funny thing to me was that NORMALLY when a senior guy wants to work in his vehicle for pictures... they are meticulously taking care of their "baby"... spit shining it... making sure that every last detail (despite the fact it probably wont show anyway) is perfect.

Tony on the other hand?  Follows us for MILES on gravel.  The more dust on the rusting out GMC truck, the better!

When we arrived, I was in a photographer's paradise for what Tony was wanting.   A perfectly laid out property for a morning session, I was a kid in a candy store making amazing fall style images with the aforementioned truck.   But he wasn't done there... we had to get Tony fishin' in the family pond, huntin' in the timber and just general good ol' country boy images everywhere..

Once I got done giggling at all of Tony's ideas to poke fun at himself (who doesn't love self-deprecation, really?), it was time for me to jump into the fray and take his sense of humor and run along side with him.

Tony had mentioned that he REALLY wanted to light SOMETHING on fire.   He had seen that we made a habit of it over the years.  Many times with athletic endeavors.  Footballs, basketballs, bats, hurdles, shoes... you name it... we've probably lit it on fire.

Tammy, Tony and I were throwing out and shooting down several potential ideas... and THEN, we hit the jackpot.

"How about one of my swords?!?!"

YES!!!

I instantly had the vision of making Tony look like a crazed warrior brandishing his flaming weapon... the only question was WHAT he'd be wearing for this potentially epic image??

"How about this t-shirt and jeans??"

Ummm... No.

I stepped in.   "How about you throw on that suit that you brought... and we'll peel off the tie... wrap it around your head like a bandana and we'll wrap that sword up and around your head like THIS??!?!"

I didn't have to ask twice.

It might not be leading tigers... but I think it's kickin all kinds of hindquarters.  :)

Mix in trademark images of Tony loving on his legendary Frosted Flakes (told him to love that box like it was a newborn child), as well as his Green Monster golf driver (go Mustang golf!) and I can safely say that we had ourselves a session that touched on all of quirky quirks that makes Mr. Cowell a interesting cat.

Did we go to Vegas?  No.  Did we make images that folks will be talking about?

I say yes.