The market was kornered on all the K's...

Thursday rolled around and for ONCE this month we didn't have rain... but what we did have... was a downpour of K-girls.

Senior Kallie Hala brought her mom, Karla... and BFF, Kloey Fairall (who also served as the resident hair/makeup expert).   I was clearly outnumbered, but that's oKay... I knew exactly what to expect.

Karla had been in a couple years prior with son, Nate... who I hear is doing quite well at the University of Northern Iowa now.   Furthermore... I had met Kallie dating back to her freshman year of track pictures at South Tama... and if memory serves... she tagged along at Nate's session back in the day as well.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Kallie was going to be easy to photograph.   She was at ease in front of the camera... and she had a whole lot planned for me on this day.   Fortunately, the weather was on point for once... and we were armed and ready with all our K's.

Most of the session felt like more like just old friends gabbing while we mixed in a few images along the way.   Lots of STC sports talk... catching up about each others families... discussions about the past... the future.

In between advising Kallie on where to exactly place her headbands and how much bump to put in her hair, Miss Fairall got about as healthy of a preview for her own session as one could possibly get.   I offered Klo a full-time position as reflector and auxiliary flash holder in addition to her advice on vanity after the blonde jack of all trades proved to be so very proficient in so many areas.  :)

Truth is... I probably won't see Kloey again until her August 18th session... in which I fully expect Kallie to return the favor on that day!

In the meantime... we had to plow through about eight outfits... go from straight to curly and then quite literally stop traffic in down town Toledo before our day was complete.

With a smile as dazzling as this blond haired, blue eyed girl has, it's no wonder she has tentative plans to help others with their smile someday as she told me she's considering dental assisting after graduation.  Since I'm married to a former dental assistant... we had a lengthy discussion about her options there.   But on this day, it was all about HER smile... on just a few occasions she went all serious on me.   It was difficult for me to even ask her to try to go all B.A. on me... and she gave it a solid effort (especially on the sports images, appropriately enough), but in the end... the pearly white would not be denied.

Even at the end of the lengthy session, we had busted out the Larry Peters Eyelighter to cap off the day and Kallie was trying her very best "smolder" face... and after struggling to hold it... the giggle in her welled up from deep inside and bubbled up and over the top until it burst through again, like it had about 200 other times on this day.  It's the picture in the orange dress... on the orange colored drop down below here with her hair blowing to the side.   It could not be contained... and at that point... I didn't want it to be anymore.

A perfect ending to an awesome day.

Thanks, Team Hala for choosing Stewart Photography!  

Breakin' the Code...

If there was a common thread for June and most all of our earlybirds.... it can be summed up in one word...

Rain.

Rare was the day that we avoided at least a threat of it... and in many cases, it severely hampered our efforts to make our senior magic happen.

Cody Kellogg's session couldn't escape it either.

The threat of rain brought a phone call from super mom, Lana, the day before.   We talked options.   I got the vibe she was inclined to reschedule if the forecast rain came to fruition.

The morning broke... the rain came... and so did the Kelloggs despite the conditions!

Love the fighting spirit!

So the 8 a.m. date with the baseball field in Tama was put on hold due to the precipitation.   We knocked off a little indoor instead... and then headed to Tama anyway... with our defiant hopes firmly in tow... and at the very least... we would not be denied images in the STC football locker room.

And we weren't.   But as the rain subsided... there was one other problem that we hadn't banked on.

The STC baseball field was now occupied with a Trojan middle school game.

If it wasn't one thing... it was another.

Our best calculations put us at a 2 p.m .rendezvous with the ol' ballpark... and in the meantime... we got most everything else knocked off.   But by the time 2 p.m. rolled around.... you guessed it... Cruel Mother Nature was dumping on us once again.

The only logical solution at that point was to reschedule to elusive baseball images... and we set it up for two days later... on Friday morning... 8 a.m.

Anyone remember what it was doing Friday morning?

Of course it was.

Raining once again.

Like the senior picture warriors we were.... Cody, Mama Lana and now even little brother Cael were NOT going to be denied.   A few raindrops were not going to stop us... and sure enough... they didn't.

I may have looked like a trainwreck that had rolled around in the mud/grass/dirt combo to get the angles we needed... but as long as No. 10 looked killer... that was all that mattered.... and in the end... I believe he did.

The calendar is about ready to turn to July... and, I don't know about you... but I'm hoping for a drier month ahead.

Thanks for your flexibility and dedication, Team Kellogg.

 

 

Nabbing Nablo...

I knew this day would come.

Hang around long enough, and we all get reminders of how old we're getting.

So when Tyler Nablo's grandmother, LuAnn called to set up senior pictures for her daughter's son... it hit me.

I tried to think if there were any others previously.   I asked my wife (because that's what men do as they advance in age... ask their better half because their minds are SHARPER).   She couldn't think of any exceptions either.

So it must be the case.   This edition of "you're getting old, Stewart" is brought to you by East Marshall senior, Tyler Nablo... The very first Stewart Photography senior to be the offspring of a...  you guessed it... a former Stewart Photography senior.

Tyler's mom, then Amanda Cooling... visited me way back in 1997 as a member of EM's class of 1998.   Yep... I just dated ya that way, Amanda.   Sorry... you're getting old, too.  :)   Nevertheless, Bill Clinton was president... the Y2K hysteria hadn't hit yet... and I was just a handful of years into running this place down here in Montour.

Fast forward 18 years or thereabouts, and it can no longer be denied... when you're shooting seniors born of former seniors... you've been doing it awhile.

Tyler and I were "flying solo" on this day, so I didn't get to catch up with either LuAnn or Amanda, but it was all good.   I got to hear all kinds of stories about how Tyler was gonna be rich someday (that's why he had to be photographed in a suit)... and about his hybrid trapshooting team of Mustangs and Comets called the Sharpshooters.   I heard about him possibly going to college way out west, and of course there was a healthy dose of discussing East Marshall athletics... namely baseball and football.

It was a pleasure getting the Stewart Photography Second Generation kicked off with Mr. Nablo.    God willing, the club that he started will continue to grow in the coming weeks, months and years.   Evidently after all these years... Team Cooling decided that we still got it down here in this little town... and for that, I'm thankful.

Kellerfest: The Sequel...

 Day two, as predicted, was much easier.

And Mama told me there'd be days like this... literally.

As previously mentioned in the last blog post, Jolene Keller predicted that I'd have an easier time photographing her daughter than I would the twin brother.   And while that not a news flash of any kind that a senior girl would be stoked for an experience that most senior guys are somewhat indifferent to, the "easy" part had far less to do with boy versus girl than it did with the weather.

Brother Blake battled like a trooper through blustery and rainy conditions on Monday, but when sis showed up the next day... then sun was shining as bright as the broad smile on pretty young lady.   It was a nice reward for Team Keller and I after fighting through the elements the day before.   And as mentioned, Blake DID return for day two despite not "having" to be there for sibling images like he did the day before.   He can play it off like he just wanted to even the tables and help out his photographer from being ganged up on by his mom and sis... but the truth is, I think he really wanted to be there for the gals.

Awwwwwwww.  :)

So it was Brooke's time to shine as we hit the road for some urban looks with our Tama-Toledo Family Aquatic Center lifeguard.  (She knew who my 12 year old was without ever formally meeting him... so I'm guessing that's a really bad sign for my son's typical pool behavior when he frequents the facility... and she now has my permission to be especially hard on the yay-hoo in the American flag trunks).

And while her day was indeed much more tolerable because of the excellent conditions, one thing remained the same from the day before.   Brooke was Blake's exact equal counterpart in the awesome individual category.   Polite, funny, witty and cooperative... I couldn't have asked for a better couple of kids to spend two days with.  I feel blessed that they picked my studio to make these images happen for them.  

According to Jo, she says she's spied me making images for other seniors over the years near her workplace in Toledo on a few occasions.  Evidently her stealth like prior knowledge wasn't enough to keep her from bringing her twins our way... and for that, I'm thankful.   If indeed both of the kids end up at Wartburg next year... Waverly is getting a couple gems.

Thanks, Team Keller for joining Team Stewart Photography.  I appreciate it.