Rockin' it with the fellas...

Sometimes duty calls.

A year ago, I photographed Rean Webb's senior session... and of all the senior mom's that year... I would venture to say that NONE relished the moment and experience more than Tara Webb.

I've joked over the years about how the mother/son dynamic is so much different than it is for mother/daughter.   Namely, girls look forward to this day to play supermodel more than, well... anything.   And guys?   Not so much.   So to see a senior mom PUMPED about her boy's session... it was kinda cool.   Not only that, but I'm not so sure she didn't spend MORE money on the outfits than she did the pictures!   (more on that in a minute... but again... rare for a senior guy's session)

So when little brother, Seth was due for pictures just one year later, I was super psyched to see our excitable senior mom... dressing her son up, yet again... like she owned stock in The Buckle.   The morning arrived.... The car pulled up.

Out pops Seth.

No Mama Tara to be found.

WHAT!?!?

Seth and Papa Tracy came through the door... arms full of clothes, and I asked Tracy, "did you get sent to do the dirty work?"

"Yup."

It is a rare occasion to have dads here for the session... not that it isn't encouraged or welcomed.   It's just usually a Mom Thing.

As things turned out... Tara was caught up at work... state inspectors were there... and there was NO WAY she could get away, unfortunately.   So Tracy was pressed into service... and there we were... just 3 guys... trying to find our way, knowing FULL well that even though she wasn't there... there was ONE person that we had to make sure these images were up to snuff for...    You guessed it.    Mama Tara.

Not surprisingly, she again had already left her stamp on the session, even from afar, because there was Seth, dressed up like an advertisement for the Buckle.   "Only" three pairs of Rock Revival jeans.   It was just a year ago that brother Rean introduced his old photographer to these super cool jeans that take half a paycheck to purchase.   I was so impressed that guess what I asked for for my birthday and Christmas a year ago?   Yep... now even I have a light and dark pair of Rocks.   I blame the Webb brothers.  :)

So with such an urban look in hand... we were off to the city to get him that edge Seth needed to match his attire.   Seth, Tracy and Bryan... marching around Marshalltown... making a spectacle of ourselves.

Although Tara couldn't be there... it was kinda fun showing Tracy the ins and outs of how this is done.   I find that dads usually end up asking lots of questions on the SCIENCE part of my job.   Angles... lighting... light meters... f-stops... lenses... reflectors... grey cards.   All stuff that many have never really seen in action... so... it was a field trip of sorts for our "guys club."

Seth was a simple guy.... traveled light despite his high end attire.   And more than anything... I have to give him this... He was consistent.   He wasn't gonna give me a big senior smile if his life depended on it... but he didn't go all teen angst mad at the world either.   Just a calm demeanor.   Easy goin.   Comfortable.

Just like those jeans he was wearing.