We decided that I would take a stab at doing Karman's Senior Photo Shoot.
It was a sunny/cloudy day. The kind that make you crazy in photography. Where the clouds are covering, and you get excited...and set up your shot really fast...and then the clouds blow away.
But
We tried.
And while I am WELL aware that I need an external flash and reflector too...
My subject was pure perfection, and was beautiful...
and...
In my humble opinion, I think they turned out
AMAZING!
Her school colors are Blue and White. We did many in this sweater for that reason.
This field.
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This field was no where near a field. In fact, it was a small patch of weeds along side a road that we drove, LOOKING for a field.
It had beautiful color, and long flowing weeds...which is what I was wanting...and a place to park...
So...that is where we ended up.
That set of pictures, actually ended up being my favorite.
I love almost every picture we took in this "field".
We were in full on Autumn...with gorgeous leaves in all of the Fall colors.
This sweater dress was a perfect off-set.
Karman didn't want to wear it.
I pleaded...she gave in.
They are her VERY favorite pictures of all of them!
I love all of the doorways in downtown Snohomish.
All beat up and tattered.
Grafitti-like.
A photographers dream.
We found these areas...along the sides of the streets that we were driving on.
Above for instance, is a fence to someones backyard.
It faces the street and is public property...there is a big tree too.
It was just one of those little corners in the world, that you pass all of the time, and never notice.
It was kind of perfect.
This is in a public park area in Snohomish.
Karman is wearing her debate jacket.
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I shot this one, time and time again...I couldn't get the sun to cooperate...no matter what I tried.
I still like it...
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Karman likes this pose. Her friends were showing her pictures, and this is always the pose she really wanted to do. So we did several. The problem is, because she can't bend that left leg, she can't do the classic pose, with her feet up. It makes the depth of the picture harder to grasp...also makes for a long picture.
They all turned out pretty nice though.
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I was playing with some photoshop settings on the picture above.
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I loved this little patch of weeds...It was a perfect setting...
Playing...
playing...
More playing...
Still more...
Stated with this picture (above...)
Really good picture,
really good lighting....
I played a little...and I got this....
EXCELLENT picture of her hazel eyes!
Sometimes it is hard with hazels and browns, to get a really pretty picture of them...
it takes the perfect angle and the perfect moment of light...
I MEAN SERIOUSLY???!!!?!?!?!
LOOOOOOVE the lines in the picture above!
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So, I LOVE those pictures that are so in these days...of everyone jumping off of the ground just in time for that perfect shot. I wanted to try it with Karman...but her leg isn't supposed to have that kind of pressure...so we played around with it a bit.
To her left, in this picture was a picnic table.
She jumped off of it, and landed on her right leg.
It was hard to get since it was such a short distance to the ground, and also because her left leg has to stick out, so the camera would focus on the leg.
Most were blurry it areas...even when I put the setting to auto...
It is still a fun picture.
In photoshop I removed the picnic table which was RIGHT next to her...and I added a radial blur just to spotlight her more (since she is actually a little blurry).
Then I wrote the text which is hard to see, I know.
I thought it would be a neat graduation announcement picture.
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And this picture, is the one we ultimately chose for the yearbook.
I love the picture...I loved others a little more...but there are rules about the sizing of the head and what you have to be able to see etc for the actual yearbook slot.
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A Senior?
I don't know how that happened.
At it's very best, having a teenager is an amazing feat. A phenomenon, really.
Kind of a reflection of memories that really weren't that long ago.
A merry-go-round of the same emotions that you rode day in and day out back then.
And, in a strange, but such-is-life way...it puts you in this middle ground.
One where you can understand your child...and in retrospect, understand your parents.
It has a way of making you want to cry because you alone, know what is best for your teen,
Smile, because you can remember trying to spread your wings too...
and laugh...knowing there are some things your should apologize to your own parents for.
Being a mom to a teenager is hard.
It makes you question the very core or everything that you think you know.
Everything you stand for.
It makes you wonder how strong you really are.
It is a challenge.
BUT...
Senior year.
It came faster then one can imagine.
I swear it...as a parent, you just blink and everything changes. One minute, you are soaking in every single little milestone...from sitting to walking to talking.
Then they go to school, and you literally marvel at the sponges that they are, and brag about how they amaze you.
Pretty soon, life continues on its mostly uphill path...and those things...the things that you SWORE you would never forget, are distant, foggy memories. Even the hard things, the brutal, I-don't-know-if-I-can-do-this kind of things...just become a piece of who you are...as a person...as a mom...and a parent...
Eventually...they all come together, in some messed up, unorganized fashion...
And you do a double take...
Because
you can't believe
that as luck would have it...
somehow...
LIFE BROUGHT YOU HERE!
