Blown away...

It almost NEVER failed... and it was our little joke.

One of the neat parts of working with East Marshall seniors for me is the little inside jokes that we develop over the years of doing sports pictures... proms... homecomings... or just seeing each other in the community and knowing what makes each other tick.

So when I looked at the weather forecast the day before Haley Long's senior session... I was looking at one thing, and one thing only.

The forecasted  WIND speed.

Let me explain.

It goes all the way back to when Haley was in junior high.   Long before she was ever an all-state softball player... or a homecoming queen candidate.

I was prepping to go to the middle school to do track pictures and, like many spring days in Iowa... it was windy.  Like WAY windy.   It was one of those sustained 30 mph days that threaten to leave your face red with wind burn if you're out in it for any length of time.

I know you're probably thinking... no big deal... it's just sports pictures, right?   What's the problem?

The problem?   Hair.

For the fellas, it's usually not a big deal.   And while the gals who compete in athletics normally wear their hair up in a pony... or do a french braid or something of the kind to make them "game ready" my experience with picture day has told me this with the gals...   Picture Day does not equal Game Day...

Translation?  It might be "just track pictures," but I'll be darned if the gals don't wanna look like they just stepped out of a salon anyway!

Which is fine... I don't look good unless THEY look good... so normally I'm all for it.   The exception?  When picture day feels like a minor HURRICANE has swept in!

Some gals had taken precautions... used the ponytail holder... dropped in a headband... extra hair pins... you name it.   One that didn't?   You guessed it.   Eighth grader Haley Long.

As the case would be, the strong wind was at her back (because we HAD to face the the kids away from the direct sun) which, of course... blew her hair consistently, persistently and annoyingly in her face.

After a couple of minutes of fighting with it, trying to be patient and realizing that we simply weren't gonna get that lull that we needed, young Miss Long snapped.

"CAN'T YOU JUST TURN US THE OTHER WAY!?!?"

Naturally, I refused to take subpar images with the kids looking right into the midday sun... so we were stuck.  

The fallout was... that THAT encounter became our joke for the next four years.   Inevitably, and sadly... it seemed to reoccur more often than not.   I can't say how many times softball pictures brought gale force winds with them, but it seemed like you could almost set your watch to it.  

Heck, even when I would show up to volleyball pictures in the gymnasium.... Haley and I would joke around about it.  "At least we don't have to deal with wind in here!!!"

So, when Haley booked her senior pictures with Stewart Photography, I was just SURE that I was going to be blessed with a breezier than normal day.

That being said, when I checked the Weather Channel app on my phone the day before Haley's session, to my disbelief it said - "sunny with winds at 2 mph."

Praise the Lord!

If anyone deserved a calm day for her day, It was her.

The only wind she faced on this day was generated in the studio... by my Stanley brand three gear shop fan to make things more dramatic.  (in addition to the hot air that ALL seniors have to put up with once they get their "windy" photographer talking about things he's passionate about!)   But other than that?  It was THANKFULLY not a factor!

So we went where we wished with no fear of wind direction.   We were all over Marshall County... hitting bridges, train tracks and even making an appearance at Grandma Bev's, but my favorite spot was going to her place were we shot with her puppy... worked in a couple places they NEVER thought would make a good picture... and then even made time to take some images by the side of grandpa's old rusted 55 Chevy.   We got really unique stuff for Hales, which felt particularly good to me, because I consider her folks, Todd and Darla, personal friends... Papa Todd has come thru for us time and time again with construction projects at our home... doors, windows...  our amazing deck.  It was only fair that I return the favor this time!

We saved the best for last however, as we usually leave sports images to the very end.   Haley had told me the day before her session that she was very nervous about the whole deal.   I suppose that's natural.  But I assured her, that she was just hanging out with her old friend, Bryan... and heck... this was NOTHING compared to auditioning for All-State Choir (one of her loves) and taking pictures flat out PALES in comparison to getting the starting pitching assignment with the first state softball tournament bid for your school in seventeen years on the line. 

Yet... she got that assignment... and just like her senior session... she came through with flying colors.

And that's anything but a lot of hot air.

Makin' his way... the only way he knows how...

This one was a tough one to read... and then I got my lucky break.

Adam Johannsen came our way from Gladbrook-Reinbeck's Class of 2014 and judging from his first impression, he seemed none too thrilled about being here.

I couldn't quite figure it out, but all I did know was the dude wasn't too hip on smiling for me.

I stopped about 3 shots in and asked Mama Jodi if that was going to be ok, and she assured me that she and her husband John were used to it by now.... So, I proceeded. 

Like most guys... Adam had one thing with him that REALLY meant alot.   But in this case... it was kinda of 1) and 1a).

A future mechanic that's looking forward to going through the ag/diesel program at Hawkeye Community College a year from now, it then came as little surprise that Adam wanted to feature his pickup truck and his car.

Papa John had informed me, and without hesitation, that his boy was excelling at being a redneck.  Naturally then, a have-to image at the top of the list was sittin' on the tailgate.   Team Johannsen and I got the pickup in place... positioned our strobes and BAM.   B.A. Country Boy to a T.  (you're welcome for the brand new bumper I "installed" on your truck, Adam!)  :)

The one-A portion of Adam session was something I wasn't expecting... a couple actually.

The first was that Adam is the proud owner of a green 1970 Cornet 440.   A sweet vintage ride to be sure... but what you DON'T know is that his photographer drove a red 1967 Cornet 440 back and forth from Gilman to LeGrand my entire senior year back in 1989-90.   Instantly we had a Dodge-bond then.   My hope here is that my sister down in Kansas isn't having instant flashbacks to being made to ride in the back with Guns-N-Roses Appetite for Destruction BLARING the entire nine mile ride while her brother and her future sister in law snuggled in the front seat.   :)

The OTHER thing I was unaware of, was something far less funny.   And much more serious.... and that would how or why Adam acquired this vintage vehicle.

One thing that no parent should ever have to hear from a doctor is, "Mr. and Mrs. Johannsen... your son has leukemia."

Days and weeks of being lethargic and weak had plagued what, up until that point, had been a pretty normal and active childhood for Adam.   A budding wrestler (like his pops back in the day), Adam suddenly seemed out of gas and when mom and dad looked into it... their worst fears became reality.

As someone who has had his mother go through the same disease recently... I know how trying this can be... and I know that this had to be the trial of all trials on the Johannsens.

When the Make a Wish Foundation gets involved... it's generally not a good sign... but when the organization asked good ol' boy, Adam (and HUGE "Dukes of Hazzard" fan) what he dreamed of... it was, of course... owning a General Lee (Plymouth Charger).

What I didn't know was, Make a Wish doesn't deal with cars... but the good news is, Grandma and Grandpa's sometimes DO.   So it was grandma and grandpa to the rescue, and while it was EXACTLY a Charger... it was the next best thing... the Dodge version... and it's been Adam's since the cancer survivor was eleven years old.

So, I then KNEW how important this vehicle was to him.  Not only did we have something in common, but this car symbolized his struggle and victory over leukemia.  January 21, 2014 will mark the five year anniversary of Adam being cancer free.  Pretty cool if you ask me.

All that being said... I was STILL struggling getting our survivor to smile.   I needed an angle... a spark... SOMETHING.... anything!

And then it happened.

As rare as it is to have senior dad's at their boy's session, one thing I can almost ALWAYS count on when they do make an appearance is a healthy dose of razzing.   It's a father/son thing I think.  Mom's usually not over there relentlessly poking and prodding at the young man and then laughing to herself about how much crap (the words have been dumbed down here to protect our PG-13 status) they've just flicked their kid.   But dads?   Heck yeah... it's on, baby.   You can almost take it to the bank.

And while John Johannsen tried his hand at this approach to get his first son to laugh or smile (or to atleast look down and shake his head like "why are you KILLING me, pops!") neither ONE of us could crack this tough nut.

What we both needed, unbeknownst to us... was a bird.

Or maybe it was a flock of birds?

If you spy the shot of Adam leaning on a orange wall... you'll see it.   Plain as day... a big ol' country boy smile.  What had been hidden all day... that GENIUNE smile... finally surfaced.  Why you ask?

Again.. treading lightly here... Papa John was at my side behind the studio for this aforementioned shot... and went to lean on one of Rube's Steakhouse's garbage dumpsters when, at the last second... he avoided a near disaster.

Coming just mere millimeters from dropping his elbow into... well.... bird droppings... a whole MESS of them... John's reaction was priceless.   And from then on... my job was easy.   All I had to do at that point was evoke the memory of dad stumbling and stammering in order to avoid the poop splash and here came the dental work  bigger than life.  

Thanks John.  :)  And the "helpful" birds... where ever you are.

One after another... pearly white smiles came like there was no tomorrow... and lucky for Adam and all the Johannsen family... there are plenty of tomorrows in the back of pickup trucks and the front seat of Coronets to be savored.

Plaid... a Porsche and the coolest Mom on the planet...

 Dude... maybe, just MAYBE... your torture is over.

Nick Vesely has been paying visits to me since he was nine years old.  

Time after time, most likely against his will, the young man was dragged along side of little sis Lizzie as his mother wanted more than just the run-of-the-mill school pictures for her kids.

And while I could tell that it probably wasn't his FAVORITE thing to do, I could tell that Nick knew it was important to his mom... and out of respect to her... he put up with me.

After awhile, I think Nick knew that I would try to keep his agony to a minimum (within reason) and while it wasn't cool to admit it publicly... he adored his little sis like a big brother always should.

Seven and a half years have passed since young Mr. Vesely first stepped foot in our studio, and while I'm not sure whether it was looked on as a "good" thing... it was his turn to have the day all to himself... his senior session.

Days like this are becoming more and more frequent in the last year or two, it seems, as I'm becoming increasingly baffled at the fact that THIS or THAT person is actually a SENIOR.   And this was one of those moments.

Obviously a relationship had been forged with the Veselys after many-a-session over the years.  Mama Sherri informed me that she STILL proudly displays our work in her home and at her office... and while she may have spent more than many of her counterparts did on pictures of her kids over the years... the continued comments she gets, even to this day about her displays makes it worth every dime.

That made me feel good.

So it was fun to catch up with Nick and Dr. Vesely one more time.

Nick walked in and showed me his outfits and one spin around our images tells me one thing for sure.   Dude likes plaid.

No fewer than 3 of the four outfits he brought were plaider than plaid, and so my marching orders were in place... keep the backgrounds simple!

In addition Nick had brought me a sweet Porsche' Carrera 911 to show off for his session.  Sometimes you do stuff just because... and this was one of those moments.   I can't recall ever having a Porsche' here in the 20 years I've been doing this, so that was cool.

All that aside... the majority of the session was just old friends gabbing.   Talking all things South Tama... and even a little East Marshall (since Nick had spent a year of high school there, too).   What was CONFIRMED for me though, during the session... was something I had always known... and I wasn't afraid to tell Nick...

He has the coolest mom ever.

Sure she's a doctor... and she's easy to strike up a conversation with.   But where things differ here is that in her FREE time... is she knitting?  going to card club?   heading up the PTA?   While I don't know the answers to those types of questions is NO for sure... what I DO know is that she has, and will continue to ROCK OUT with the best of them.  

The list of acts that this woman has head banged to would put even the hardest of hardcore teens to shame... and she's not going to babysit or keep an eye on her kid... she's going to rock out with her smock out.   So whether it's Five Finger Death Punch, Korn, Skillet, Disturbed or the Hollywood Undead... I know this much... if they are playing... Nick is in.   And so is his mom.

So when I told him he had the coolest mom on the planet... Nick smiled... looked down... and said... "I get that a lot."

Dr. Sherri smiled... I smiled.   And I thought... despite putting up with all the torture and killin' him with the mom stuff over the years, Nick wasn't so bad himself.

Not bad at all.

Taylor Takes it to Town...

This one had a twist of irony, for sure.

Why's that you ask?

It has to do with road trips... and where we choose to go.

Often times, especially when looking at young ladies' attire, I'll take a glance at the selections and make a judgment call.

If there's a pair of heels or an outfit that features an abundant amount of bling, I take one look at and think... THAT's not gonna work in this rural town of 200.

The trees, grasses, barns and flowers are nice, to be sure... but what if the senior's LOOK calls for something else?

Enter Taylor Muhlstein.

Sure she had the killer jeans and boots... as well as a super cute white dress...

But then... it was time to go to town.

Here's where the ironic part comes in.

When making the extra effort to get that urban look, it's often the case that I'll swing over to uptown Toledo...  park there on Broadway and pop out of the H3 and start shooting.   Right there along Broadway is a local establishment by the name of Bumblebee's Pizza.  I've shot right THERE many times over the years...

So, what's the big deal?   Well... it just so happens that Taylor's FAMILY runs the place.   I've talked with her grandpa on a couple occasions when I've been over there.  He's even given me a tour of the place and talked small business shop with me.

I bet you're thinking that we took Taylor there for her senior session, right?

Wrong.

My deal is that if I have a South Tama senior, I often times will take them into Marshalltown if we're gonna do the urban thing.   And if we have a Marshalltown senior?   You guessed it... Over to Tama/Toledo.

Sort of the lets-try-something-different or a grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side type deal.

So Marshalltown it was for Taylor, Mama Christi and I.   Oh we knocked off the rural stuff first in her country kicks... but it wasn't long and Miss Muhlstein was turning heads uptown in the county seat of Marshall County.

We hit every nook and cranny between Main and State Streets, and even made small talk with one of Marshalltown's finest policemen before returning to the studio.

Once back, we of course, had to get one more thing taken care of.   And this may have been the reason why she was at our studio in the first place.

Trojan Athletics, of course.

The past two years have found a renaissance of demand for our studio at South Tama County High School.  Exclusively on the girls' side of the fence, so to speak.   Girls Volleyball... Girls Baskeball... Girls Track.  Basketball and Wrestling Cheerleading, Girls Soccer, Girls Tennis.   It's been a wonderfully long list and a evidently a great way to connect with future seniors, because I'm nearly positive that some clients... like Taylor have been convinced of the merit of our work... from some of the very most simple things we do as a professional... our sports stuff.

Not to minimize it... because it's clearly important... but many of the STC gals have appreciated our different approach... and have told us so, by continuing to ask us to come over and shoot their activities... and more importantly... they choose us when it's THEIR image on the line... for senior pictures.

So Taylor wanted another of our trademark sports collages... and I did my best to deliver.

Taylor has waited long enough.... come get your images, girl.  ;)