The sun was slowly rising behind the trees. The dappled light delicately filled the pathways of the beautiful Southwestern University. Other than the birds chirping, it was quiet. Only a few other people were out and about this early morning. And there stood Kylie. Her blue jeans and black tank top complimented her perfectly as her hand rested on her long, dark brown hair. With the light stone building behind her, it’s as if she popped right off the background. She was the star. The center of attention. As we moved through the poses (that Kylie did oh so effortlessly I may add), I told her to give me a fake laugh. I know, I know, sounds crazy right? Well, the thing with fake laughs is that if you do them long enough, they turn into real laughs. And that’s what I am always after. Genuine laughter. This was no exception for Kylie. It began as a silly, very fake “ha ha ha,” as they always do, and then right on cue, it quickly turned into a true laugh. Her beautiful smile shining bright. She lit up in front of the camera. I was laughing right along with her as I happily snapped away. This was exactly what I wanted.
I LOVE getting natural and real emotions during my sessions. It makes the session more personal to my clients because it showcases their true selves. Who doesn't want that?! It also allows my clients to relax and feel more comfortable in front of the camera, which is huge for me! And Kylie’s session was no different. She nailed everything I threw at her. She could gracefully transition from a beautiful smile, to a serious modelesque look, to laughing with me, and back to a model face. She was seriously meant to be in front of the camera! I had an absolute blast with Kylie as we explored the campus. I could have stayed there all day with her!
For those who don’t know, I will let you in on a little secret. Kylie is my youngest sister. And she has been my muse since she was about four years old. So to Kylie, thank you for always being willing to be in front of my camera whenever I want. Watching you grow into the young woman you are has truly been so amazing. From when I first picked up a camera and made you pose in our backyard, until now, as a soon-to-be college graduate, you are always down to help me when I need it. Getting to photograph you in my new home state of Texas was so so fun. As always, you crushed it. Thanks for being awesome and incredibly photogenic! Can’t wait until I make you pose for me yet again! 😉
PS - When you scroll to the end of this blog post you can find some of my very early photos of Kylie (try not to cringe at the poor editing style haha!)
