That’s probably the oddest title I have ever used for a senior session post, but with this beauty amid all the flowers and with her VW bug, it couldn’t be helped!  But I assure you, the VW bug was the only bug we saw during this session.

This senior’s older sister was one of the first seniors I photographed after opening my business, so I was beyond thrilled to continue the tradition with her!  We were next door neighbors, so we split up the school runs for her, her younger brother, and my son for middle school – they took the kids in the morning, and I picked them up in the afternoon.  When my son decided to start his own YouTube channel, she happily went along with any dare and challenge he could think of.  She was always thinking out of the box.  I still remember the time she put a ponytail on top of her head, and made the tail look like bangs she had just cut. Her mom nearly had a heart attack!  But that was middle school… We moved away and, like everyone, she continued to grow up.  I kept in contact with her mom (because good neighbors become good friends), and now I had the chance to catch up with this girl-becoming-woman.

Another characteristic that was emerging in middle school was her deep empathy for others.  Creative, adventurous, and deeply feeling, this girl could sense where people were and respond quickly and empathetically.  You don’t have to take my word for it.  Kids are often the best readers of people, right?  When she walks down the sidewalk in her neighborhood, it’s through a chorus of her name being called enthusiastically by at least five kids, like each individual child is solely responsible for the sparkle in her eye.  They will call her name, tell her a quick story, wait for her response, and then glow with pride because they felt seen, heard, and valued by her.  She keeps a busy schedule between cheer and work, so I hope she knows that we see, hear, and value her just as much!

Speaking of that busy schedule between cheer and work, we decided to plan the session around not having a plan to worry about.  It only needed to include a few of her favorite things: The outdoors, flowers, her VW bug, and cheer.  Beyond that, it was a decision-free zone for her to just jump into and be carried away by the experience.  There is an amazing greenhouse and florist near her house that I’ve been wanting to photograph someone in for years, and she became the perfect person!  The owners of the greenhouse were great to work with ahead of time. I even bought a bouquet of daisies from them, knowing she had a white daisy theme in her car.  Those daisies earned “Best Supporting Actor” in two of our three locations.  After the greenhouse, we went to The Plex North in Fort Wayne, because they have it all – fall trees, rustic barn, tall grass, and plush pine trees.  Finally, we drove to the high school for her cheer photos, deftly avoiding the marching band practicing Parents’ Night in the parking lot.  A lot of credit goes to this senior for braving the cold at the end of a beautiful October day.  The sun was nice and warm for most of the session, but as soon as it started to sink, we remembered how chilly October can be!

I’ll say no more about this session, other than how pleased I was to be able to see my friends again and see how beautifully they are growing up!  Enjoy the photos!

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