Richmond Senior Portrait Rep Morgan is another young adult who humbles me with her spirit, drive and commitment. Where did this new breed of youth come from? My experience is (by and large) they are more centered, cautious, savvy and funny than me and my ilk were at their age. Yes, they spend alot of time with their technology and flicking through their phones, but so do I really.

Morgan is a sunny blonde pixie who was game for anything and full of suggestions that gave me some concern in fact (um, sure, I guess you can do a curtsy on top of a fence). When she smiles and she is a little girl. However, when I asked her for a serious look as I was shooting, I saw a hint of the woman she will become, and I saw the potential for grey hairs on her folks down the road. As the father of a teenage girl, I understood that.

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Richmond Senior Portrait rep Annabelle is my first official senior rep – and I could not be more happy with her patience, exuberance and charm. She is a rising senior at Mills Godwin High School and we have been talking for several weeks trying to coordinate our two schedules and the fickle Richmond sprint weather. She is clearly a driven, smart and ambitious young woman – not at all the kind of person I was at her age alas. I am utterly amazed at this new breed of youth. In my day, a classmate this busy and smart would have been almost intolerable to be around (perhaps because I was a little immature at that time, come to think of it).

Annabelle was sweet and unassuming – and funny; a characteristic I always hold in high regard. She was game to brave the threatening rain and tromp all over the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond. I am very happy indeed she was able to fit me into her schedule.

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No, that is obvious. Worse, it is a typical exclaim from far too many photographers (we rocked that shoot, that couple was rockin! etc). It is lazy writing, and does her a disservice.

So let me rephrase; Sydney is rock. She is 18 and a Senior. She is everything complicated and powerful and frightening about that age. Caught between childhood and adult – a duality personified by her equal parts American Badass and Swiftian vulnerability (and yes, I just made that word up)

She has worked for me before, so there was comfort in front of the camera, which is a gift above and beyond. Sydney’s humor and fearless attitude are always appreciated – game for going anywhere. She has a huge laugh and cracks me up always. She is beautiful and talented in a way that is only hinted at in these images.

That her mother is in for some trouble is obvious, and wonderful

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And Moriah is beautiful. A senior at JR Tucker High School, she is petite and quiet as a mouse. But her eyes are luminous and arresting, and the images we got wandering the grounds attest to this. Walt, her patient boyfriend, was again my willing assistant and pack mule. Sorry Walt.

So the effort was indeed worthwhile, and a lesson in listening to your clients was learned to boot.

Hmmm, listening to your client.

Crazy.

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So it was with some trepidation that I met with her to discuss her senior shoot. Really organized people make me a bit nervous, since they are often humorless (sorry to those who might object to this, but it is based on empirical data, or is it observational?) It’s technical either way.

If you get right down to it – if I am to be completely honest with myself – I secretly judge people on whether I can make them laugh. It’s childish, but if someone doesn’t find me funny…. Ummm, that’s not good. It is needy and a little sad, but there it is, my soul bared to the masses. Judge me not.

I met with Kristen and her boyfriend Nick (who did not know he would be my assistant at the shoot, poor chap), and I was afraid she would be some sort of stern, type A student.

She was not. She was cool and laid back – willing to consider any idea or location. The day of the shoot, she even suggested we use their pool for part of the shoot.

This is the delight of working with high school students. Poised as they are on the knife edge of childhood and the world of adults; they are a volatile amalgam of heart and mind. She was a natural.

And she laughed at me. Happiness.

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Rebecca was easy going and as happy a subject as I have ever worked with before. She was a delight and eager to try anything. We wandered around the rustic Lakeside area of Richmond and had alot of fun.

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