Okay y’all, let me just start out by saying I LOVED Andrew’s session! I don’t shoot as many guys so when I get an artistic one like Andrew who really understands the value of portraits, well, I get pretty excited!
I have to start with this funny story about Andrew as I think it really speaks to who he is as this gifted, amazing guy. I knew that he loved music—he plays the piano—but during one of his wardrobe changes his mom, Jamie, mentioned that he also enjoys acting. We talked about that a bit as I have my own little actress in the house. Knowing Faith Christian has an amazing Fine Arts program, I asked her if Andrew had appeared in any of the school plays. She told me that he had; in fact, he had been in them all four years of high school. THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I have this flashback (hello? I’m a portrait photographer so I notice and remember faces!) and I asked her if he had played Lumiere in the opening night of Faith’s production of Beauty and the Beast on Valentine’s Day. Jamie took a minute to remember as the major parts were double cast, but I acted the fool and insisted I knew it was him!
Why was I so sure? Because my husband, Mike, had surprised our girls with tickets to that play and I clearly remember how blown away I was with the production. AND that Lumiere was my favorite character! Afterward, our entire family went on and on about his performance because it had made such an impression on all of us. In fact, Mia Grace had a big audition for Nickelodeon the next week in which she had to create her own sketch character, and one of her character’s mannerisms were based off Lumiere! I don’t think she was even aware of it at the time, but in looking back at her tape, I noticed that she had taken inspiration from Andrew’s characterization and incorporated it with her voice and a shoulder shimmy. It was such a fun realization for me! In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, Andrew…I’m going to need a signed headshot for her birthday. 🙂
Okay, back to our session! As I said, Andrew is just this really cool and artistic guy and I felt such creative freedom with him. Also, he’s an incredible subject. Have you seen a more perfect smile? He has this amazing profile, too. Some of my favorite shots are of him in front of the black and red theater. His wardrobe choices and the edgy vibe made for such great photos. I also loved exploring new spots in Deep Ellum with him and his mom and dad. It was a group effort and tons of fun!
Andrew’s Senior Portrait Session in Deep Ellum | Grapevine Faith Christian School Class of 2019
