Cookin' on Turkey Day...

It took three stabs at it, but we finally got it done.

Late October found me reuniting with a ol' classmate of mine dating all the way back to 1st Grade.   Shauna (Swift) Cook and I were two of about 22 SEMCO (Southeast Marshall County for those that are acronymically unaware) High School students in the class of 1990 that eventually were part of the first of three LDF-SEMCO graduating classes (or in other words, the birth of what is now East Marshall High School.

The point is, Shauna and I go way back.   So it's always neat for me to have a long-time friend (and one that alphabetically always had my back in the lunch line) bring me one of their children for something as important as senior images.

I had photographed Mathew as a little fella several years ago.. and various times in little league, etc.  But this was the big one... the time to really show off the young man that Mathew had become.

We just had one little problem...

The weather.

As it often happens when we get to the latter parts of October and into November, the leaves and temperatures drop... mix in some wind and rain and what you get is a bona fide photographer's fiasco.

The solution?  Keep on rollin' the dice.

Mathew's first attempt got most of his indoor done as the rain kept on a comin' down.  We put those in our hip pocket and rescheduled for the next week.

Next week rolled around and the forecast (and the green blob of a weather radar) caused an 6:13 a.m. text from my ol' pal Shauna...

"Hey, Shauna here... Another beautiful day on tap... Wanna even attempt it, or pick another day?"

We opted for another day, and as JUST as soon as we pulled the plug, the rain dissipated.

Meteorolgist Shauna Cook texted back at 9:19 a.m.

"And now it looks like the rain is holding off!!  Grrrr!"

Alas the return of Mathew finally happened a week later and while it was certainly cold, windy and damp... it was do-able and in came the mounted turkey, deer, motorbike and off we were to finally get he's long lost outdoor images captured.

Matt's main desire was to get out and play on his bike at a track over near the junction of highways 30 and 330 at a place they merely refer to "Goat's."   (I guess the owner has goats... seems fitting).   Shauna and I trudged thru the mud without falling (a small miracle) and got in position while young Mathew tore off and did his thing.

I've done lots of football, basketball, baseball, softball and track sports collages over the years, but never a motocross style one.   Never one to shy away from a challenge, we had to get Matt catching some Marshall County air and tearin' around in the mud.

After several laps Shauna looked at me knowingly and said... "you probably have what you need, don't cha?"

I did.  But it was clear to Mathew's mother that he wasn't done yet.  I bid Shauna farewell as she began the process of trying to pry her son off the track.

Of course there's been a delay since then till I finally go to Matt's images.  Fittingly the dude with a stuffed turkey (believed to be the first turkey to be photographed at Stewart Photography) gets blogged on this day when we all look back on this past year and be thankful for all that we've been blessed with.

I'm thankful to all of our clients that have ever spent their hard earned money at Stewart Photography.   Whether it's a $10.50 sports memory mate or a $1000 senior order, I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to do this job for you all and to support my wonderful wife and three amazing kids.

Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, with many more blessings in the future.

Having Kac's back...

I've seen this play out a few times before.

Late October senior.... told mom several times that he doesn't even wanna do this... said mother tells me I have my work cut out for me.

Four words:  Not. My. First. Rodeo.

The most current installment of the Reluctant Senior Guy Show is Marshalltown's  Konner Kacmarynski.

I was fortunate enough to photograph Konner's darling older sister, Kaylee three years ago.   And Miss Kaylee was the other end of the spectrum.   Excited... all kinds of ideas... props... even brought Grandma Gielselman along for the event!

While Grandma was back for another afternoon of photography, little else was the same.  Konner requested our smallest session, and they were no more than in the door and Konner was putting on his first outfit when Mama Amy said with a smile, "Good luck with this one."

Quiet and reserved as we went through the pre-session talk, I told Mr. Kacmarynski that I would try my best to minimize his torture.  Additionally, I mentioned, like I often will when I sense a potential difficult session coming on that if a young man doesn't like doing this ONCE... he most CERTAINLY won't like having to do it a SECOND time if mom isn't happy.

Whether that flipped the switch, or perhaps Konner's reluctance was grossly overestimated, it took only two shots into to the session and a big ol' smile was flashed without any prompting even.

Once that seal was broken... there were more pearly whites here than in a dentist's office for the rest of the day.

Even better, Konner and I got to yappin' about his job as a life guard.   His gal... his thoughts about next year and college... and then the hot button topic got pushed.

Track.

As in running.  

That's when the old trackster in me started talking times with the lanky Bobcat runner.   400 times... 800 times... Successes... failures... and yes... even injuries.

We got to talkin' so much about it... that before you knew it... it was a Track and Field Roundtable with just a few pictures mixed in between.   Perhaps it's my reliving old glory... or maybe... just maybe it's my sinister plot to fool Mr. Reluctant into forgetting that he was supposed to hate this whole deal?

Or maybe it's a little of both?

;)

Regardless, I think Amy and Joan got a kick out of seeing another session... Konner's torture was indeed kept to a minimum... and I can't be for SURE... but he even might of had a little bit of fun along the way.

Tough to argue with those kind of results.

CK Genes...

This might have been just a three outfit session... but it felt like so much more.

Carly Kielman and her mom and sister, Emma were in a while back for the eldest of the six Kielman siblings' senior session.

It was all there out in front of me... Do a good job... Make them feel how Stewart Photography seniors feel... And HOPEFULLY, I'll have earned even MORE business down the road.

Being a small business family themselves (Papa Dirk runs Iowa Bath Systems) they know how this goes.   Treat people fairly... give them an honest days work... and never forget the Golden Rule.

So we set out to treat Carly how I would want my own daughter treated.  We made great images... had lots of laughs... shared stories getting to know one another... talked family (my youngest son has played Carly's brother Ben alot already in their young sporting lives) talked sports (Carly's senior cross country campaign at West Marshall was drawing to a close) talked even more sports (what is it that makes teams successful?) and even education (public school vs. home schooling).

But most importantly... we talked about God.

It's not always that my senior sessions get this deep.  But I knew after a few minutes I had a like-minded audience.   So when I was asked HOW it was that I ended up in photography, Carly, Emma and Sarah were then given my how-I-became-who-I-am story.   And for those of you who have heard it before... you'll also know it's my testimony.

There's not enough space in this forum to steal Carly's thunder and go into it... but rest assured... God wanted me here in this small town of Montour... doing what I do.   Not being the math whiz making copious sums of cash... or even the sports writer that I thought was gonna do when the math thing fell through.

The girls got a blow-by-blow account of how God spun his complicated web around my life that eventually turned a no-grey-area kinda guy who didn't care for art because there wasn't a specific "answer" to a question that could get me an A grade.   Yet somehow... I ended up in an art field.

So I encouraged blue-eyed Carly... like I do to most seniors that I photograph... to go into a field that makes them happy... that if they could do ANYTHING... regardless of schooling... costs.... years invested... or earning potential, what would it be?

It's a liberating way to look at your life... especially when you're in your late teens... or early twenties, but what better time is there to look at the world, and hopefully use God's guidance to steer you in a direction based on your heart.   I might be just their photographer... but I hope that I've gotten a few seniors over the years to examine things this way.

The bottom line is that I was very impressed with Miss Carly.   I found Mama Sarah easy to talk to as well, and anyone that encourages me to blab, takes on the role of "insta-fav" overnight.  :)

Luckily for me, the Kielman's weren't done with me after Carly's three outfits.   Not long afterwards, Dirk and Sarah set up family pictures where I got to be introduced to Dirk's goatee (thickest one you'll ever see) the three boys... Ben, 11 years; Danny, 9 years; and Joe, 3 years.   Of course I can't forget the cutest lil' girl you'll ever see in one year old Ruthie.   It may have been COLD that afternoon, but the results were totally worth it. It was clear to me that FAMILY meant a lot to them... and I was honored to document this landmark year in the Kielman's family history for them.

I can't be totally sure that I'll eventually see the remainder of the Kielman kiddos down the road.  As we both know... none of us is promised tomorrow (or repeat business for that matter!).   But I do know one thing.  The Kielmans are rooted in the way, and I'm glad that we got to know each other.  Regardless of where Carly's travels take her in the year's to come, her heart is in the right place... and as long as that is her guide, she can't go wrong.

You've done very well, Sarah and Dirk.  Just five more to go.  :)

Aicher's Army...

I've been seeing more and more of this lately... and I'm not sure why.

Typically the dynamic that I'll see most often for senior sessions is that I'll have a team of two.

The senior.   The mom.

Obviously, there's exceptions, but for the most part, I'd guess eighty percent of the time or more... it's the senior-slash-senior mom duo.

Occasionally, sis comes along... maybe the BFF... sometimes even the main squeeze.  

And then there's sessions like Raelynn Aicher's.

Oh sure... Mama Malynda was there.... gotta have someone to foot the bill and make the final decisions later, right?

Right.

But then it didn't stop there.

Malynda asked the day before if it would be alright if they brought in a hairstylist to be The Czar of the Locks for the day.  I of course agreed and the result was the coolest funkiest purple hair stylin' Lynnette McWilliams walked in.   Credit Miss Aicher's good hair day to Lynnette.

Grandma Schiebel also made an appearance.   It rare, but I think it's always awesome to have someone here two generations removed from the process.   If you think mom's are wowed by how much things have changed since they did THEIR senior pictures... grandparents are blown away with the process of excess that this has become!

I can't tell you HOW many times I've heard about entire senior classes being loaded up on a bus... taken to a studio... and having a handful of images taken (a couple over each shoulder to find their "good side") and that was it.

Finally... I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a repeat offender as Raelynn's Aunt Nicole was back for more craziness.   Nicole was here for the epic Maddie Olson (BCLUW - 2012) two years back.   Nic and I talked Hawkeyes and tailgating (or my lack thereof this season)... and we reminisced about Maddie's incomparable model pout... you remember... the one that looked like someone had kicked her dog?   Yeah that one.  Anyway, it was good to have Nicole back to lend a hand.

So, there we were.  The shooter and five crazy ladies.   No one crazier than our guest of honor, though.  I mercifully put her in jeans and a killer jacket to start (as it was a cold, damp and windy morning).   But after that... it took some... well... stones to wear what had decided to bring. 

In the end, THIS is the payoff, because Raelynn looks super cute in that little red dress... and her Daisy Dukes and combat boots... but, I'm not gonna lie.  I was cold... and I can't even imagine how little Miss Aicher felt in those last two outfits!

More power to ya, girlfriend... because your images rock!   No Guts No Glory, right, Raelynn?!?

:)

Finally, we had to tip our collective hats to all of Raelynn's activities with another in a seemingly never ending line of requests for sports collage work.   She had a hard time deciding whether to emphasize cheerleading or volleyball... but eventually settled in on representin' for the Class 1A Fourth Place State Cheer Squad (way to go Comets!)   I've made no bones about my not-so-bashful adoration of all things Black-n-Gold from the greater Conrad area... Fortunately, it's a two-way street as the BCLUW love keeps rolling our way annually (two of Rae's besties are yet to come on our blog in the coming weeks... so stay tuned!!!  Holla, Kendall and Ryleigh!)

My understanding is that Raelynn and a couple of cheer teammates (fist bump to Schultz again) are prepping for an honor squad performance at the Iowa High School State Football Finals at the UNI-Dome as we speak.  Perhaps they can get enough cell reception to allow this blog to break up their day... I know they've been anxiously awaiting these images (along with the rest of Aicher's Army!) so, your wait is over.   And when you get the chance to stop dancin' on the floor of the dome and free yourself from the football... you can come get your preview book... it's ready.

Peace out.

Hangin' Banners with the Birthday Boy...

Well... the timing of this couldn't have worked out much better.

While I'm sure Mason Doty and his family would rather not have waited this long to see his senior images for the first time, as it turns out, I get to deliver a birthday present.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Doty!

Grinnell senior, Mason Doty turns eighteen today.   And Stewart Photography sends out our gift in the form of Jpgs.

Convinced for the longest time that this entire process of senior pictures was even necessary, long time friend and former high school classmate of the photographer's wife, Kori Doty, convinced her son that this would be a worthwhile endeavor.

I told Mason that I would try to minimize his torture, and if I could get him to tell Mama Kori on the way home that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was gonna be... then I was doing my job.

I think I found out the reason why Mason didn't want to pause for even a second to do senior pictures.  

That reason?

It's because he's busy.   WAY busy.  

A four-sport athlete for Grinnell High School, he's not just going through the motions there.... He's busy winning...  And winning a lot.

This kids lists of accomplishments not even half way through his senior campaign is impressive.   State in basketball last year.   State in the 3200 in track.   His sophomore year saw the Tigers go 26-5 and be state ranked in baseball... and for good measure... after playing football on Grinnell's perennial playoff football team early in his high school career... he's since traded in his cleats for cross country spikes... and all he did there was finish 10th in Class 3A a couple weeks back.

Dude.

After seeing his mother and I's alma mater go through it's unfair share of hardships in athletics the past several years, we tried to assure Mason that going to state in ANY sport (much less EVERY one) isn't just a God-given right.  Even though maybe it seems that way to him.  

What I've tried to get through to my own kids is that "trying really hard" doesn't make you special... and I think Mr. Doty has that figured out.  Sure it takes lots of work... and extra work... and then some MORE work on top of that.  Add in some great coaching... some special teammates and a healthy dose of athletic blessings from the Lord... and you get what you have here, which are a LOT of Iowa Boys High School Athletic Association banners hanging in the gym at Grinnell High.

Naturally, then, we had to create a sports collage worthy of such a talent.   It was hard cramming in so much awesomeness... but I was happy with the result.   In the meantime... we dodged the raindrops to get the "necessary evil" images done for his mom... we shared lots of old stories from back in the day... lamented the fact that we actually have kids that are old enough to graduate (or soon will be!), and Mason even got the story about how much his mom looked like my wife by in high school that I nearly got slapped on multiple occasions from almost mistakenly grabbing her in a place that is normally reserved just for your significant other.  

Almost.

Whew.  :)

I've yet to hear back from Kori whether Mason did actually break down and admit that senior pictures weren't the torture chamber he expected this to be... Regardless... Everyone here at Stewart Photography wishes you a happy 18th, Mason.  And I would be remiss if I didn't thank Kori for helping out my wife with words of encouragement in our time of grieving over the loss of her father.   Kori, too, went thru this type of loss far too soon, and hearing advice from someone who has walked through the same steps is always comforting... Ironically, Mason and his Grandpa Brush shared a birthday... he would have been 63 today... so this is indeed a special albeit bittersweet day for the Doty/Brush families.   I didn't plan on Mason's blog falling on this day for you... but I'm glad that it did.

Thanks Team Doty.