From the minute I read Eli and his mom’s pre-session forms, I knew this would be a great session! Eli was clear, confident, and open to anything when filling out his questionnaire, which made it really fun to plan this session. That inner confidence definitely came through during the shoot—Eli was so easy to have a conversation with! His gentleness and curiosity made him a dream of a senior to photograph. It reminded me how privileged I feel to raise a son (the shock that I’m having another keeps hitting me). I had the thought that I want my son to be this comfortable having a conversation with a woman when he’s 17.
Mary’s one request was to photograph Eli with his cello. I suggested taking the shot outside of a “normal” setting—and they both immediately agreed. They really wanted confirmation to go casual and let Eli be himself completely. We ended up choosing to go to Deep Ellum and stopped in Grapevine on our way home, since Eli really wanted the feel of a train station. My favorite memory from the session was asking Eli to play—his expression changed immediately! Especially with his long hair, Eli breaks the stereotypes of a classical musician that I had in mind. I love that juxtaposition about his personality and I hope it’s reflected in the images.
Eli’s shoot reminded me why I love portrait photography: I enjoy drawing out people’s personalities and using light to capture their unique expressions. I’m often asked if I have a photography degree or studied photography in college. The truth is that I didn’t—I have a psychology and english degree and had planned on becoming a therapist. 🙂 While I sometimes wish I’d added entrepreneurship classes to the mix, my psychology studies have served me so well in my photography career. I think my interest in human behavior is what helps me take portraits—I always want to show individuality through my photos.
Eli’s Senior Portrait Session | Eaton High School Class of 2021
