I'll let you be the judge...

It's understandable.

Almost all seniors have at least a touch of anxiousness.  

Uncertainty. 

Apprehension.

Nervousness.

What if it rains?  What do I need to bring?  Will I remember everything?

What. If. The. Pictures. Don't. Turn. Out?

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.   Whoa... back that up.

Excuse me, girlfriend?

That question was posed to me by the ultra discerning East Marshall senior Katie Brafford.

Twenty-one years and over 3500 seniors into this career, I looked her in the eye and confidently promised her... that won't be an issue at this studio.

"If anything... you're gonna hate me for having too many to choose from."

Overconfident?   Arrogant?  Braggadocios?

Probably.  But if you ask me... anyone worth their salt at their craft has to have at least a little bit confidence in their ability.

So Monday rolled around and it was put up or shut up time for me and Miss Katie Marie.   I knew she looked around at all of her options... and was well studied in what my competition can do.   Letting Katie down was not an option.

I was aware of KBraff's look and style from brief encounters at East Marshall events... ballgames, homecomings... proms.   So I wasn't surprised when she showed up with a super model's array of clothing and accessories.   She would also be the first to admit that she spent a super model's amount of time in front of the mirror prepping herself as well!

A few times I was on the verge of wondering if she hadn't passed out or something in our changing room, but no worries... she was fine... just working on her game until it was spectacular.  :)

Having a couple of those types at home myself, I joked with Katie about the Brad Paisley song, "Waitin' on a Woman."  Knowing exactly how it feels on a daily basis in my house... this was just more of the same.

Why wasn't I surprised when Miss Brafford told me she was most likely going to cosmetology school after graduation?

Fittingly then, for the first time in my 21 years of photography, I had a senior ask if they could have a pose in front of our changing room mirror.   I didn't know if the tight quarters would allow it... but sure enough it  did... and Katie now has an image that is most certainly uniquely her.  

Straight hair... Curly hair.   Wet hair.  

Cowboy boots, heels, wedges, tall boots, bare feet.

There wasn't a base we didn't cover on this day.  BFF Abbie Charlier and I were there every step of the way to make sure no stone was unturned and no Pinterest Planned Pose wasn't at least attempted.

At the end of the day I can talk till I'm blue in the face about how well I think the images turned out.  But ultimately, I'll have to let Katie and the general public decide.

I'll say this.  I don't think Katie will be needing a re-shoot any time soon.

That being said, a request for another session just because she would love to do it all over again would suffice as an apology for ever asking, "what if they don't turn out?"

Promise delivered.  ;)

Schildroth smiles...

I

I found the perfect remedy for a dark stormy Friday morning.

I half expected a panicked phone call from Chris Schildroth at about 6 or 7 a.m. before she and her daughter, Jenny, shoved off from Reinbeck.  But evidently they KNEW they were gonna turn around the rainy morning with their mere presence.

Perhaps the fact that the ladies pulled up to the door in a sweet Hummer H3 shoulda been my first karma clue as to how this day was to turn a 180, but I still had much to watch unfold first.

Miss Schildroth hopped over puddles with an umbrella over her head on the way into the studio, but it didn't take long for our photographic fortunes to improve dramatically.

A quick peek at the radar and both Chris and I agreed, we were gonna get this session in for Jen, we just needed the last of the showers to pass.

In the meantime, I began my several-hours-long interrogation trying to get to the bottom of this Jenny character.  I learned that she's pretty much locked into the idea of attending Buena Vista up in Storm Lake next fall.  While that wasn't the "correct" answer (either Central College in Pella... or the University of Iowa are acceptable responses), I did admit that BV was my second choice back in the day... and as a consolation, the Schildroth's told me that sister Jill is currently attending college at Central.   So we had that at least.  :)

At the end of the indoor portion of Jenny's first outfit... I took a another glance at the radar, this time using the extremely accurate look-out-the-back-door-to-see-if-it's-still-pouring Bryan Mega Doppler and I felt like it was worth giving it a shot.

While we got dripped on for that first outfit... it didn't take long for Jenny to flash that perfect smile and like clockwork the clouds were chased away.   So we got a little of the best of both worlds... super soft overcast morning light, followed by the brilliance of dramatic sunshine.

Either way... I noticed this future business/marketing major, once she got comfortable... had anything but an all-business approach.

Several times during the session, usually with Mama Chris at close range holding a reflector, Jenny was TRYING to do her best to pull off a serious pose... but without fail, she could just FEEL her mom's presence there (and undoubtedly a goofy stare) and inevitably... the BOTH of them would bust out laughing.   

Hence the couple of black-n-white images you see in this blog.

I had been told that Jenny was convinced to try Stewart Photography by first cousin and photographer favorite from the class of 2013, Paige Kromas.  The to-that-point quiet and somewhat reserved senior we had in Jenny, had suddenly turned into a laughing, joking, sarcastic ball of unbridaled fun.   It was at THAT juncture it all made sense to me.   Lord help the attendees at THOSE family get-togethers!

So, we danced through the sunshine and giggles the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon (despite some BRISK wind that nearly destroyed our gobo umbrella creating some comical adventures between Chris and I trying to get Jenny shaded on the haybale shot below.  Dang, after that fiasco, I think the Schildroth's should be REQUIRED to purchase that image!)  :)

A couple of images that I'm quite certain that will be part of Team Schildroth's order capped off our day.   

Jenny's time this summer gets spent primarily as a lifeguard at the Reinbeck pool.   But when she's not doing that, there's a decent chance she's focused on volleyball.   A gal that's spent alot of time over the years playing club ball, the Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior leader had a couple of requests for me.   Instead of one of our trademark sports collages, Miss Schildroth opted for a different route.

One was a showcase of all her club jerseys in an old school Me-And-All-My-Stuff approach... but the second one is where it got fun.

In yet another chapter of what has already become the Summer of Pinterest Requests,  Jenny was gonna take her shot at pulling off something she had spied on the social network craze.  

She wasn't sure she could pull it off... but was willing to try.

The idea was to do a pushup of sorts... but instead of planking with her hands on the ground... her palms would be planted on a couple of volleyballs.

While I was dumping digital files after outfit four, evidently Jen was in the back in the cameraroom practicing this feat just to see if she had any prayer of executing it.  I emerged from the work area to her telling me that she MIGHT be able to do the modified pushup on her knees... but doing the full thing probably wasn't gonna happen.

I told her that maybe we cold use some Photoshop magic to make it work... so we went with that approach -- Just shoot a couple images... then combine them for the desired effect.

Then somehow, like the theme of the whole day... Jenny turned another 180 and mustered up the strength to do the pose for real.  (Granted it wasn't for real LONG... but nevertheless, the girl showed some serious suck-it-up and get-it-done!)

The result was awesome.

What's also awesome is the fact that Jenny is currently with a group of students from her church down in Kentucky helping the less fortunate.   It's something that she's done at least once a year for several years recently, and I applaud her for her volunteerism and compassion.   She left the day after her session with us, and I'm not sure she's got internet where she's at... but whenever she does get the chance to read this, I just wanted to let her know that I was highly impressed and felt fortunate to get to know her and her mom a little better on that day.

Thanks for all the smiles, Team Schildroth.  :D

 

Keepin' an eye on Ehlers...

If one were to make a list of attributes that make a guy tough, Bryce Ehlers has a pretty good start.

1)  Middle Linebacker

2) Catcher

If you're THOSE two things, it's a pretty safe bet that your man card has been been punched and given a lifetime membership.

So it should come as no surprise that when I asked Bryce which position was his favorite when he donned the Gladbrook-Reinbeck blue and silver... he paused, thought long and hard... and then paused some more.

I wanted to know which sport to highlight the most on his collage he was requesting, and while he eventually gave an ever-so-slight lean towards the gridiron over the diamond, I could tell he was torn.

The solution?   Take our dual-masked man and morph them into one.

Not surprisingly, Bryce seemed stoked about the prospects of his photographer morphing the two things he loved the most into some athletic frankenstein hybrid butt kicker.   I knew it was gonna be alot more photoshop time that just allowing his lukewarm lean towards football carry the day and plopping his #52 in the middle, so the challenge was on, and I wasn't about to let him down.

Despite the fact that Bryce insisted on wearing that Green Bay Packers shirt for his session, I decided to look place his misled allegiance and try to bend over backwards for our Rebel tough guy.

In all seriousness, it was easy going overboard for a kid like Bryce.  Even though he plays positions usually reserved for the biggest B.A. on the team, he couldn't have been more polite, conversational and he even was chomping at the bit to try to help me around every corner to make my job easier.   Holding the door for me... helping with the backdrops... the kid just gets it... so a tip of the cap to Mama Val and Papa Dave.   Someone got something very right with this one.

About mid way through the session, however, I noticed Bryce was doing something that I usually deem unacceptable at a senior experience at Stewart Photography...

Yawning.

When I then started to razz Bryce about it, he told me he had a excuse.

"I baled hay all day yesterday."

Why am I not surprised?

Keep in mind heat indexes were in the triple digits and photoshop has removed the "evidence" that was all over Mr. Ehlers' forearms from the brutal day's work.

I had no choice to make an exception this time for our linebacker/catcher/haybaler.   Dude works at it and doesn't cut corners... he's entitled to a yawn now and then.

That being said, I also learned that Bryce has a sense of humor.

He and I and his mom got into a deep discussion about life and it eventually turned to them asking about how I got into photography, and, per usual, I then asked Bryce what his plans were.  I framed the question with the caveat that if he could do ANYTHING... and was all-powerful and could snap his fingers and be doing it tomorrow as a profession regardless of cost of schooling and regardless of potential income... what would it be?

"NFL," Bryce deadpanned.

"And if that doesn't work out, the MLB."

From the beginning of the session, until the end... still torn between football and baseball.

How fitting.

Taia to a T...

Her Mom was my teacher.   Her Dad was my baseball coach.   And, oh by the way, she just happens to be my only daughter's very best friend.

To say I knew this session was to be a special one is an understatement.

Toss in the fact that I'd photographed her brothers in what seems like a lifetime ago (Clint 1998, Luke 2000), the connections to this young lady are numerous and far reaching.

Make no mistake, I still put pressure on myself for every session I shoot, but somehow I'm running into a few more than usual this year that make me feel like I'm coming up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs in the last inning all over again... and this was one of them.

She probably had no idea I was feeling it.   And why would she?   It was just hangin' out with Breanna's dorky Dad one more time, right?

You get the picture... Taia Veren wasn't "just another senior" on the schedule.

I planned for it to be a long adventurous day... and boy was it ever.

We started at the crack of dawn out in the sticks on Lafayette Avenue south of Haverhill.   After a meeting of the minds at the kitchen table, it was off to photograph an old John Deere that brother Luke had meticulously restored.   After finding thirty ways to shoot a Deere, we still had to capture the best angle on the myriad of wind turbines that dot the landscape around the Veren Farm.   Taia nearly perished in some tall grass while getting that shot.   There were some ants a couple grasshoppers and a fly or two in there.  ;)

After surviving that vicious attack, we knocked off a few more things around the farmstead.   Mom holding the umbrella... sister Clare holding the reflector.... Brother Luke sawing down branches left and right.   It was a team effort... not gonna lie.

Phase two included a trip to Marshalltown where Taia (I just call her "T") was turning heads in her Jessica Simpson heels.   By the end of the day, Miss Simpson's name was being used in vain.   I've never attempted to walk in high heels, but I think it's safe to say that I'm glad it was Taia's feet crammed into those stilts and not mine.

Phase three included a requested trip to Three Bridges State Park to capture a couple of spots she had particularly wanted.   Folks... if you go there in the near future... bring your bug spray.   That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Finally then... after what would suffice as an extra large session at most studios, we made an appearance at the studio in Montour.   We cycled back through some outfits to give her Stewart Photography experience the proper balance it called for, and then we saved the best for last.

We knew from the git-go that a trip to East Marshall High School was in order.  Taia had told me during her session, all things being equal, being on stage and acting and performing was her true love.   So, our task was to somehow capture all her passion in one image.  

Ok... that's impossible.

Or was it?

Part of what makes me enjoy Taia so much on stage is her brilliant sense of humor.   It's one that mirrors my daughter's, and that's probably why they are BFF's.   In addition, they've been sidekicks in several productions and trips to speech contest, so I've seen her in action many times.   And if she thinks my daughter is funny... where does she think that CAME from?   Anyway, long story short, put her and I's minds together?   And what you get is the totally hilarious nine image "Faces of Taia" collage.   Pretty proud of that one.

Our final stop was the new gym at EMHS.   Cheerleading had to wait to the end as a hair change was in order.   After years of tumbling for Ron Brooks' MAT Club in Marshalltown, Miss Veren has turned her acrobatic arsenal into a flip-flopping, bounding tumble show at every Mustang basketball game.   It wasn't easy getting our timing and positioning just so for the perfect image at the end of a long day... but T is a gamer, and I was tickled with our results.

Before I let Taia finally see her images... I just wanted to thank her for being such a great friend to my kid.  Lord knows that going through high school for girls can be filled will tons of obstacles and enough drama to outdo a state speech festival.   That being said, you've always been there for each other... always level-headed and okay with giving each other space when you needed it, yet the rock each one counted on.   Growing up isn't easy, and I know you've had some unthinkable loss (I miss your Dad, too), but you've emerged from it all a gorgeous, witty, athletic, funny, yet compassionate young lady.   Your Pops would be extremely proud... and I know your mom well enough to know that she is too.

I photographed you at the studio when you were one year old, Taia... Thanks for giving me the honor of doing it again all these years later, T.   <3 br="">