Have you ever meet someone or a group of people and you instantly felt a connection, almost like you have been friends for a long time but in reality you didn't know anymore than what you found out that day? That is how I felt about meeting Will and his family. I felt at home with them, like I had known them for along time and we were just casually meeting for photos. It was so refreshing and to meet others and to have that kind connection from the start.
At the session, I had the privilege and honor to work with Will on his senior photos. This was a special session, as Will was able to choose any vacation spot for the family for the summer, and he chose to come out to Colorado Springs for the water park. If you ask me, what a perfect spot! For a family from the Midwest, you got sun, mountains, no humidity, and for Will his favorite, the water park.
Will is energetic, fun, and cheerful. As I told my seniors, "hey let's do some serious ones and some smiling ones," Will's were just all smiling, and you know what? If I could have captured his personality perfectly, it would have been with a smile anyways. His pictures are a beautiful reflection of him and his joyful self.
Since he had planned this vacation, he was able to tell me about all of the rides and information about the park itself. I live in the area, and he knew way more than me about this place, so I guess I need to check it out soon! One of my favorite reasons I like taking seniors photos the best, is for the passion and excitement when students tell me about things they love. I wish that all people had that passion about a few things in their lives, to look at things with curiosity and wonder. I find all of the seniors I work with have these things in their live, the ones that shape their futures and the ones that help define who they are.
In Will's senior questionnaire, he mentioned that his favorite food is Mac 'n' Cheese (who doesn't like that?!?!) and his favorite color is yellow. I'm so happy that the Tornado (the giant yellow and red water slide behind him) had his favorite color in it. I also asked him how he acquired his love of water parks, and he mentioned that he has been swimming since a little kid. Isn't is cool to see how our childhood hobbies can morph into a passion as an adult? I even see that in myself. I think about the things I enjoy ding now, and almost always I can link it back tom something that I loved as a child. What is something you do that bring you joy, that you can remember partaking in as a kid?
I was also really happy to be able to show a family from out-of-town the beauty of Colorado Springs. The light was slowly making its way behind the mountains and there were moments of cloud cover, that caused the light become individual beams. It was breathtaking and fitting for Colorado to show of its wonder. With a short walk away from the water park, we were able to use the last few moments of Will's session to take some with a backdrop that would not be available in the Midwest. I enjoyed this session and working with Will. Wishing him all the best during his senior year, and I hope he was able to make many new memories while on his trip to Colorado.
