Mad about Morgan

I've made it no secret over the years...

I grew up around here...

I graduated from here...

Barely have been anywhere but here my whole life

So when I returned from four years of being ALL THE WAY down in Pellla, I married the girl I met here growing up.

We made our home here.

We've worshiped here.

I started my business here.

I've raised my kids here.

So to sit here and pretend that photographing an East Marshall senior somehow doesn't mean anything more to me than any other senior wouldn't be honest.

We've done the best we can to give back to the community... and support those who have so generously supported us.

It's just the right thing to do. Not just financially... but also in person... with our presence.... long before our kids were ever old enough to participate in the events we religiously attended.

Home has, and always will be... home.

So one might think that when Morgan walked in for her session last Monday, it may have been "just" another of what is annually 25 to 35 East Marshall seniors on our schedule.

I never look at it that way.

If anything... I have to work THAT much HARDER on Mustang seniors yearly. Why? Because they've ALL seen my act... over and over and over... 25+ time a year... every year... for nearly two decades now.

Mailing it in is not an option.

Finding "really cool and different" just one more time? That's what they trust me to do... and that's what I bend over backwards trying to find.

I've admitted this fact to competition before... only to find that they'll use it against me... taking every opportunity to rub my nose it in whenever possible when an EM senior will go elsewhere to see if the grass may be greener on the other side.

We can't photograph everyone... despite my always unrealistic expectations to do so.

So, when we get a Morgan... to come our way... after watching her grow up... literally... it feels so rewarding. I'm not gonna pretend to think it doesn't. It's one of the perks of doing business in a small community.

Morgan's mom, Kim, I've known for a long time, too. Always bumping into her at the UPS headquarters over the years (long before there was ever a "UPS Store")... she often told me that the former owner of my studio was "her science teacher."

Mine too, Kim. Mine, too.

So when, Kim's only daughter was a flowergirl for a wedding I did in July of 2002, it only felt natural to do something extra for people you know... and live around...

"Wanna do individual image of little Morgan at the backdrop?"

..."Sure!"

Morgan woulda been about 7 years old then. But it was clear she was gonna a heartbreaker, even then.

Nine years have passed since then... along with crossing paths with Kim and Morgz several times... but one never knows whether you may or may not get the chance to photograph the all-important senior session.

So when I got the email in the spring that Morgan was indeed coming our way... I was happy... for all of the aforementioned reasons.

Kim said the session HAD to rock... and I assured her that it would... that's just what we try to do... every day. :)

All the stops were pulled... another session that went WAY passed the allotted time... and a full day's worth of art today, gives you the results you see here.

I told Morgan today, as she waited patiently for her images to be completed, that no matter what the circumstances were... that it was HER decision to come to me that meant the most to me. And that despite the 10,000 pound elephant in the room, that she would've been important to me in ways that you can't put a dollar figure on, no matter what previous circumstances happened to be.

There's a lot more that could be said... but I won't. What's important to me has been made clear...

Thank you for coming to me, Morgan and Kim. I can't tell you enough how good it feels to be your photographer.

E.S.