It was almost three years ago to the day that I met Sadie Brewer for the first time.
Being a life long resident of the East Marshall community, I know most if not all the kids at the high school.
I know their parents... in many cases, I know their grandparents.
By the time the kids reach high school age, if they haven't been in front of my camera yet... they usually end up there several times. All the sports, homecomings, proms. You get the idea.
So when an unfamiliar face pops up, seemingly out of nowhere. It makes me raise an eyebrow.
Such was the case with Miss Brewer.
Just a quiet little freshman in the front row of the Mustang cross-country team, I hadn't recognized her before this day. A forgotten order form forced me to get to know her just a little bit as I let her go through the line for individuals without said form. Clearly she was in a new place... I thought she had that freshman look of being scared to death and just wanting to fit in. So I thought I'd make her day and be a friend and bend the rules a little for our new gal in town.
The EM open enroller eventually ended up back at South Tama after a couple years, which allowed me to see her another time or two as a Trojan cheerleader. But I secretly had hoped that my kind gesture her freshman year might pay off in a future senior session down the road.
Fast forward another year, and indeed, Sadie Brewer did seek out Stewart Photography for her senior session. Still the shy type, our guest of honor with the fab hair and piercing eyes brought a few requests to the table, but most of all, just wanted me to do my thing.
She warned me about her excitable 2 year old lab, Phouka (yes... it's from the Spiderwick Chronicles if you were wondering). I said it wouldn't be a problem, but as her sister, mother and I will now attest, it was a problem. You're seeing the one shot Phouka let me get. :) Luckily Sadie didn't suffer a separated shoulder in the ordeal... but I wouldn't have been surprised if she had. :)
We did capture her love for reading and naturally had to work in some cheer stuff, but it was the last photographs of the day that were the most moving.
In twenty-one years on the job here, I had never been asked to photograph in a cemetery... and in the big picture, maybe that's a good thing because I wouldn't want to make a habit of seeing the hurt in my client's eyes like this regularly.
Sadie's brother Joe, was taken from this Earth far too young. Just over a week past his 26th birthday... and only three days after he welcomed his first child into the world. Joseph Starits was struck in a head on collision on Highway 30 East of Tama. Sadie's mother, Sandy shared with me many of the sad details around the accident that day and what has happened since the brother, son, husband and friend to many was taken that day in March back in 2011. I thought it was brave of Sadie to want to pay tribute to her brother, and I only hope that the images we created up on that hill overlooking the little town of Chelsea did justice to her vision.
Thank you for choosing me, Sadie... and more importantly... trusting me with images that mean so much to you.
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