The passing of time is such a bittersweet things sometimes. This is especially true for seniors, they are on the cusp of freedom from their childhood as they near graduation and adulthood. There is so much excitement, but there is also nostalgia for the years gone by, and even more so for those that love them. All of this is so true for this very special young man as he pushes forward towards his dreams and his goals in life.
I have had the absolute joy of knowing Tyler since he was born, I even watched his mother carry him during her pregnancy when she was my youth group leader at church. It's completely mind blowing to me that here we are, all these years later and he is a senior already. Time truly does fly by in the blink of an eye, it seems like just yesterday he was just a goofy little kid. Oh wait, he was still a goofy kid yesterday, he's just not so little now hah!
I haven't laughed so hard during a senior session as I did during Tyler's senior portraits. I honestly expected nothing less though going into it! His mom and I were rolling laughing as we joked with him and teased some great smiles out of him. He was a good sport and I think he found the whole experience fun and painless. I always try to make senior sessions more fun and light for the guys especially, because I know that *most* guys don't particularly like to look at the camera and smile. Having Tyler's mom along made it super easy to get those genuine laughs and smiles from him, he may have been laughing at us but that's ok. I don't mind if people laugh at me as long as I get the shot ;-)
One of the big focal points for Tyler's senior portraits (other than Tyler of course!) was John Deere. This also was not a big surprise to me because his family bleeds John Deere green! We had a great variety of John Deere equipment to work with too. From his sweet old John Deere 630 to the big combine that he has been hard at work harvesting the fields with, we covered quite a few pieces of their prized farm equipment. I love that we could incorporate so many pieces that were important to him, not only because they were favorites for Tyler, but also because he has been working hard using them himself to help with the family farm. I think it's so cool how many of the students I have photographed this year have taken advantage of the co-op opportunities that schools are allowing them to do now. I am always happy to see motivated young people stepping up to learn a trade that matters to them and think it is a truly respectable path to pursue. Parents of kids like Tyler can be extra proud that their kids have this go getter mindset and don't want to watch their life pass them by.
Tyler also got to enjoy a few special photos with his super sweet and adorable girlfriend. These two were so cute together, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some couple shots of them! I think Tyler may have smiled a little brighter when she was in the photo too. Not that my input counts for much, but I hope things work out for them because they were seriously adorable together!!!
There was a lot that I loved about Tyler's senior portraits, but another one of the aspects I really enjoyed was how we picked several meaningful locations to shoot at. From the family farm, to places that had tons of memories for him and his family growing up, we were able to incorporate every bit of the session into the things that made Tyler uniquely him. This is so important in senior sessions in my opinion. Senior portraits are a time when the senior gets to show what they are about and who they are as a person, and Tyler's session was him through and through. And as a bonus the locations Tyler and his mom picked out were all gorgeous!! We were even able to make a slight detour to snap some cool photos with his truck on a backroad and take advantage of the Fall foliage there. All in all, it was definitely a successful and fun senior shoot for Tyler.
Tyler, thank you so much for allowing me to capture these special photos for your senior year! You have been a blessing and a joy to watch grow up, and while I can hardly believe you're a senior already, I know you are going to do some amazing things when you get out of school! With your chin held high and that drive of yours, you are going to change the world for sure! I can't wait to see what the future holds for you!!!
