Heat-Sieck(ing) Kaleigh...

If there's one thing I've learned through the wonderful connectivity that is facebook... it's that there is a lot of excitement around senior sessions.   And being plugged in to this network gives clients the venue to make sure I know all about it.

Sure, some are more excited that others... but last Thursday afternoon's session made sure to let me know about it...


Regularly.

"It's only SIX weeks away... SO excited!"

"Gettin any good ideas for me?"

"Wow... it's only a MONTH away now!"

"Been seeing everyone's blogs... makes me so PUMPED for mine!"

And so it goes in my life... being reminded... consistently of how MUCH seniors look forward to our experience... it doesn't make it difficult to be equally as stoked to hopefully take those high expectations.... and go higher.

That was my challenge last Thursday as Kaleigh Sieck finally walked through our doors after giving me the countdown to the day all summer long.

Truth be told, I had tried in vain to get Kal in the doors much sooner... Mama Taddy and I were plotting back in May to have her daughter take advantage of our earlybird June special.... and while mom was all in on that idea.... her baby girl was not.

So, like many... August it was... and on yet ANOTHER steamy summer day... we began our quest.   Oh it wasn't without Mom reminding Kaleigh no less than five times before we started that we coulda done this when it was COOLER in June....(and saved some money, of course!)    Taddy knew she had lost this battle, but she wasn't gonna let the moment pass without a couple more digs!  :)

Undaunted by the barrage from her mother, Kal and Co. were off to Marshalltown to get her a more urban look for her first few outfits.   Uptown was busier than normal it seemed... and one look as our senior girl should tell you that you shouldn't be surprised that she had lots of.... ummm...we'll call them "fans."

Not sure why guys feel the need to roll down their windows and holler...

Ok... yes I do.  Never mind.  :)

When we got back to the studio, I got the opportunity to meet more of Kal's family as her twin sisters, Kaiyla and Kelsey as well as Kels' little three-year old fireball, Paisley Jo.

One thing was clear to me... Family means alot to Kaleigh.  While most seniors would cringe at the thought of sharing the stage on their special day with SIBLINGS of all people... Kal insisted on it.   If you check out the very last image on this blog... I cannot help but think that Taddy has to be extremely proud... just LOOK at all those brown eyed girls!   And if that weren't enough... Mr. Nicholas was an impressive young man.   Just a 7th grader this fall... the ladies better start gettin' in line for that one... because not only is he gonna be a heart-breaker... but he was my right hand man all day... and was just dying to help in any way possible.   How cool is that?   No wonder Kaleigh wanted a picture with her only brother, too.   Taddy told me that they are like two-peas in a pod...  I thought it was really cool to see that kind of relationship instead of the  "my-little-brother-annoys-the-crap-outta-me" approach that seventeen year olds will have.

While I had known about Kaleigh from my time spent at her high school doing prom... and more so from watching her launch 3-point bombs for South Tama's highly touted girls basketball team last winter, I came away from last Thursday's session even more impressed with her.  The future nurse practitioner showed me there was a lot more to her than just a jump shot, style and good looks.

There was a lot to feel good about on this day... but my favorite moment was when I asked her a question.   Obviously I knew she was excited for the session.... that was made clear.   But what I often wanna know is HOW seniors come to their decision on a studio... Or why?

So I asked... was it a tough decision?

"Nope.   I knew I always wanted to come here."

Well... there's some really good options around here... who else was in the running?

"Nobody."

Couldn't think of a better answer.  

Her smile was Taylor made...

Things were way different this time around for Lisa Flamme...

And she knew it would be.

Senior No.1 from Team Flamme came in the form of son, Nick as a part of Gladbrook-Reinbeck's Class of 2011.   A brief recap would tell us that Mr. Nick, out of nothing more than ornery stubbornness, refused to smile with his teeth the entire session a couple summers back.

Mama Lisa, who is the nicest gal one would ever meet, was patient and kind... and almost resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to coax a smile (that had been paid dearly for to the orthodontist), but I could tell, she still had clung to hope that maybe we could get just one.

No. Can. Do.

In a rare upset, Stewart Photography lost that battle back in August of 2010.

Fast forward two years... and the Flamme Family's second senior installment got us back to our winning ways...

I've often said to senior moms that have a son first... and THEN a daughter.... that the second go-around... with a GIRL... is usually gonna be WAY different.

It just is.

Sure it's generalizing and stereotyping a great deal.   But, if guys are truthful... we'll be the first to admit that the female persuasion just flat out gets into the senior picture thing with much more ummmph that their male counterparts.

Case and point?   I submit to you... Taylor Flamme.

A self-admitted anti-girly-girl... this day-to-day pony-tail and as-little-makeup-as-possible gal... was anything but on this day.

Dolled up and outfits with bling... we were primed to get after it... and get after it we did.

It didn't take long... maybe like half way through the second outfit... Mom knew she was in trouble.

"I can tell... this is gonna be impossible to pick."

;)

#fact.

This time around, all those dollars spent with Dr. Hermanson paid off as the smiles came fast and furious with this one... Add in the aforementioned female-factor... and Lisa was right, making selections this time around was going to be a much different deal.

Like always... I made no promises to take it easy on them in that regard... we pulled no punches... and if you like what you see here... keep in mind... as always...  you're looking at roughly 1/10th of your options. 

#sorrynotsorry.  :)

Raising the Bar(z)

We only do a handful of these a year...

The very name invokes feelings that we all would like to relate to... even just once....

ROCKSTAR.

Taryn admitted to me late in the session, "I'm not gonna lie... I saw the name of the session... and I knew... I had to do THAT!"

#fact.

So, while I can honestly say that I want every senior to feel like they are a rockstar, and the only person in the world at that moment... SOME how... SOME way... we have to take it up a notch a few times a year... when mom and dad pony up for the highest session we have available.

Taryn had tracked us down from over an hour and a half away in Hampton, Iowa.  I asked her how she ended up in our camp... and I was surprised with her answer.

"We just looked online... and found your website and loved everything we saw."

I kinda figured that maybe there was a previous connection... a friend or a family member that steered her our way.... but no...  It was the way it should be, ultimately...   It was based on the merit of the images.

Nothing else.

I have a dear friend that teaches math at her high school... but that didn't come to light until AFTER the family came to visit me this spring to book her session.

The ironic thing was... that I've seen this type of thing before...  senior girl from a little further away finds what they think is a diamond in the rough... tries to keep it on the down-low... and BAM... THEY have senior pictures that are totally unlike anyone in their class.

Only problem was... my secret had gotten out.

Due to good friend of the studio and former Hampton resident , Jayne Bryngelson and daughter, Denelle Warneke talking Taryn's classmate, Madison Sietsema into coming our way about a month ago.... I was no longer "exclusive" to the Bulldog seniors.


Surprised spoiled then?

No way.

I assured both girls that trying to keep each of them unique and different was one of the least of my problems.  We've photographed 60 or 70 girls from the same school in one year before... Keeping two from overlapping would be NO problem.  :)

A quick glance at both girls blogs/books proves this point... and I'm proud of that fact... I've never wanted close friends to feel like they couldn't come to us out of fear of the similarity factor...

Four towns in two counties later, we had all of Taryn's outdoor done in what ended up being another scorcher of a day.

The session was filled with a TON of sports talk... and no doubt it can be directly blamed on Papa Kevin, who stood toe-to-toe with me on everything from pee-wees to middle school... to high school... to college and beyond.  I kinda knew this was coming after our initial consultation several months ago.   You might as well just put a camera on us and call me Skip Bayless and Kevin, Stephen A. Smith.   ;)

I apologized early on to Taryn about her dad and I hijacking her session... and she assured me that she wouldn't have it any other way.  :)

A neat moment happened early on in the day, when we were at my folks' house in Gilman and Kevin flashed his phone at me to reveal that it had just become known that his daughter had been selected by coaches around the state of Iowa to be a member of the 2012 IGHSAU All-State softball team.

I asked... "does SHE know?"

Kevin shook his head.

So I knew before Taryn knew!   I love a good secret!  :)

Not that she wasn't already a rockstar coming in... but now I had an All-Stater willing to drive half the state away just to see me!

#i'mnotworthy!

I had warned Taryn right out of the gate Monday that the scope of this session, sometimes... can wear down the average senior gal after the initial adrenaline rush wears off... after... say... 5 or 6 hours or so.  :)

Taryn Lynn evidently took this as a personal affront to her stamina and stick-to-it ability as she reminded me and her yawning mother, Cinda.. .that she was NOT tired... NOT wearing down... and NO WHERE ready to throw in the towel!

I told Taryn that she might have to drive home after the 10 hour extravaganza... and you know what?  I think she was more than ready.  If I were a coach at Hampton-Dumont... I'd say give me  about 10 more Taryns... and I'll cruise to a conference title in about three sports.... she's exactly what you want in a student... an athlete.... and a person.

She wants to play college ball somewhere next year... and while I couldn't pin her down on a choice  yet... I assured her that if she wanted to turn out as good as her Math instructor, Mr. Aalbers and I... she'd most definitely wanna get herself to Central College in Pella!  :)

Thanks for the amazing day, Team Barz.  Seemed like I could talk to you guys all-day long.... and you know what?   We about did.