Adyson’s graduation session filled my cup in the sweetest ways. Watching families love each other so freely really tugs on my heartstrings. They were close, they joked, they laughed, they hugged. Grandma and Grandpa showed up to support Adyson on her big day. Everyone was ready to be a teammate. Getting her water, helping with her shoes, her dress, running back to the truck in the bright June sun to grab the roses they forgot.
I’ve only ever been to my own graduation and my older brother’s. We didn’t get professional photos done either of those times. So it was a really new experience getting to witness Adyson on her special day be surrounded by love in between the ceremony and dinner. I loved watching each family member interacting with each other and just learning about their family dynamics and seeing glimpses of their personalities.
I couldn’t help but laugh when Adyson and her brother put on their cowboy hats and instantly knew exactly what pose they wanted to do together. These two had the sweetest connection, one that comes from knowing someone your whole life, from your first conscious memories to the current day. A sibling close in age is a relationship like no other. Adyson’s graduation day was sixteen days after my brother passed away. He was two years older than me, the same age gap as Adyson and her younger brother. I didn’t share this information with them, since I didn’t want to be a downer on Adyon’s day of celebration. But it filled my heart to the brim seeing this brother and sister duo that have always had each other in their lives, that have experienced childhood and teenhood together, interacting and sharing life in the ways only a brother and sister can. It made me so happy seeing how well they got along, how comfortable they were with each other, how much they openly expressed familial love for each other. I’m so excited for their relationship to continue to grow and change and deepen as they enter adulthood.
It’s one of the best parts of my job to encounter families and look for their moments of connection and capture those moments in beautiful photographs. I want my clients to look back at their photographs and recognize themselves and their relationships, to be able to say Yes that is how I look when I laugh genuinely, Yes that is how my brother and I hug, Yes that is how my mom looks at me with love. I want my photos to be heartfelt and show what you look like and what you act like with the people you love in real life.
Adyson looked absolutely stunning for her formal photos. The deep colour highlighted her dark features, and the embellished lace appliques sparkled in the sunshine. She had a natural confidence and charisma in front of the camera with just a hint of youthful bashfulness that was just too cute. It's another of my favourite parts of graduation sessions. I love being a hype girl for these young ladies to have their Disney princess moment and twirl around in their sparkly gowns. I hope to always be a cheerleader for my clients and make them feel confident and amazing during their sessions and when they look back on the photos afterwards!
