I can’t believe she’s already a senior.

I remember when Mami had just entered 7th grade; that was the year I started teaching bible study to 7th-8th graders. So young and full of life, all the uncertainty as the world before her widened, and how can we forget the awkwardness of puberty hitting.

Now she’s a senior! How quickly time flies! Man, I feel old…

The day of her senior session was a beautiful day. The skies were clear and the temperature was in the mid-70’s; timely, as it was the first day of fall. When Mami reached out to me for her session back in August, she requested a fall look with nature as the background. So we headed over to the Ashton Cross Country Course where I knew we could get nice fall colors despite all the green from the summer. I kid you not, this girl could actually be a model. Mami isn’t a natural smiler (she admitted this was the most she’s ever had to smile hahaha), but when she did, the images on the back of my camera were g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. I couldn’t stop gushing over how great she looked! It had nothing to do with the lighting, the skintones, any of the technical photographer stuff I usually look at, but her easy-going smiles! I was itching to edit these as soon as I got home. We stuck near the Hawkeye Recreational Fields area and the commuter lots where there were more wheat-like plants resembling autumn. We went near a field to snap some shots there, but had to trudge through dense land with tall and spiky plants; I was praying no snakes or spiders would pop out at us! Were the shots worth going through that area? Yes, yes they were. The field (of something we’re not sure) and the rolling hills perfectly represented Iowa, and picturesque for an Iowan senior portrait. The sun was already sitting low in the sky, but the mass of trees along the Mormon Handcart Trail hid more of the light we needed for photos. Despite the lack of light, we managed to end the session with couple quick photos there.

Here are some of the images from her senior session!

I love meeting new people and getting to know clients I haven’t met before, but I also love taking pictures of the kids I grew up with. It’s a different experience because I was able to see what they were like when they were younger and how much they’ve grown. With that, I can confidently say Mami has grown in many ways to become the young lady she is now. She’s still full of life, sarcastic as ever, hilarious, although much more certain than she was before.

Mami, I hope you continue to be who you are in Christ, maturing more in your faith. Enjoy your last year in high school, and be ready to tackle on college!