In mid-March, we had the opportunity to take Senior Portraits of one of the children of someone who has been
very dear to us for over a decade. When Wendy contacted us to take her son's Senior portraits we were shocked? Before we get to why we were shocked - let's talk about how we know Wendy and why she holds a special place in our heart.
About twelve and a half years ago, I was pregnant with our first baby girl. While one bed-rest due to some complications I had time to really read about the birth experience I wanted to have and decided to take the plunge and have a natural birth - but still be in a hospital when the time was right. Through my reading I learned about doulas and felt that this was going to be the best option for me. I happened to meet Wendy through a local group of mothers called the Barefoot Mamas. After we interviewed her we knew she was the one for us. Her calm demeanor and skills for supporting women in labour just made me feel like we were a match.
When I went into labour we contacted Wendy right away and she met us at the hospital ready to go. She coached us both but really helped me to relax, focus, and stay calm.
She stayed by our side but also gave us the space we needed to go through the miracle of birth. She was there when our beautiful Jordan was born. That alone makes her very special to us indeed.
Now why were we shocked when she contacted us to take senior portraits of her son? Well, Wendy comes from a family of photographers. Her grandfather was even president of the local Professional Photographers of America local chapter. Her mother is a wonderful photographer too. When John-Paul asked, Wendy explained that her mother had moved far away from the area and she knew we would do a wonderful job. That was a great vote of confidence for us!
Now to the Senior. Austin is a cool guy who loves playing the guitar covering all his favorite Radiohead songs. In fact, he played for us for much of the session. In a downtown area there are always lots of people around which can be distracting for some, but not Austin. He was focused and willing to give anything a try. As you can see, Austin has that dashing male model look wrapped with kindness. We chose downtown Redlands for all of the different scenes and because it is a special place for him. If you have never been to downtown Redlands you simply must go - it is charming and there is so much wonderful food and little shops to visit.
Comments