Blair is graduating.
I got the call back in 2004 from employee, Brooke Allison, asking about the house next door to where the author of this blog lives in LeGrand.
I asked why, and soon I had my answer.
Her Aunt Tara and Uncle Jarrod were looking at moving in.
And they did.
It was eight years ago... And the Ulery's oldest offspring, Blair Elizabeth, was just in fourth grade.
To say that I've watched her grow up would be too cliche'... too much of an understatement. I really have.
Miss Blair Bear called me back in June to ask me about this whole senior picture thing. I was in denial then... and I'm in denial now.
This cannot be happening, can it?
The connections to this family and Stewart Photography stretch far and wide. The aforementioned cousin Brooke worked for us for three summers... and her older sister Brittany... the three years prior to that. Add in a multi-year stint by Blair's grandmother, Linda as our secretary... and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this senior is special to us.
I cannot tell you how many times I looked thru the lens on that Monday and had flashbacks of seeing Brittany and Brooke. The trademark big curly hair... the infectious smile... the undeniable sass.
This hardly felt like a session to me. It was more like hanging out with old friends... and, oh-by-the-way... we happened to take a few images in between stories and flickin' each other crap. Just like any other time I hang out with Team Ulery... minus the Nikon D3.
The highlight of the day was making a return trip to Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jack's. We went off roadin' in the H3. Up and down some seriously steep inclines to get back into the timber... I assured Linda the H3 could handle it... and it did. Perhaps I finally got my monies worth out of the Hummer's capabilities, and somehow that made me feel good. ;)
I know the Ulery's felt like we may have just missed the fall season's very best offerings for color, but a quick glance through this blog makes it clear to me that Jack and Linda's property was a virtual goldmine for us on this day. Windy? yes. A lack of fall color? No.
After killin' it at Casa de Rouse... we zipped up to Garwin and then went a step further and went to Gladbrook for some urban images to compliment our countryside style. Anyone that knows Blair and Mama Tara will attest to the fact that there's never a dull moment when hangin' with 'em!
After our extended roadie, we zipped back to Montour to polish off the session. And just like my disbelief when Blair Elizabeth first inquired about session options... when I took the last image on this day, I felt that same sense of denial... all over again.
I'm old... I get that... but somehow I still wanna believe that the little girl next door is still little.
Truth is... she's all grown up... and I'm just glad I had the opportunity to make her senior images for her. Blair has always had a style and a swag that is uniquely her own... and she isn't afraid to speak her mind and give her opinion... and in a world that is way overboard politically correct and a country of candycoaters, there' something refreshing about that.
Do we always agree? Of course not... and that's okay... If we all agreed, the world would be a pretty boring place.
Thanks for not being boring, Miss Blair Bear. :)
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