Beginnings & Endings - Maternity and Senior Portraiture

It has been entirely too long since we have updated. It has largely been the result of looming yearbook deadlines for Melody & a general overload of construction work for David (for those of you not "in the know", David is a Jack-of-All-Trades, so to speak, and has been busily constructing a new garage for us... which is more likely to turn in to our studio in the near future.

Here are a couple of my favorite recent sessions, though.  I suppose I should work chronologically, but it just hasn't happened. So here are some from a beginning....

Melissa and her husband Mike were expecting their first little girl, Keira, back in January. We postponed one time in late December as rain was threatening. Our reschedule - only 5 days before Keira's due date! - looked like it might be a wash, too, as the forecast predicted a 94% chance of rain at the time we had scheduled. About an hour and a half before the scheduled time, Melissa called to see if there was any chance we could work them in early in the hope of getting the shots before the rain began to fall. We enthusiastically asked them to hurry on over. Here are a few from that sitting.

The last picture I will share from our set of Beginnings photos features a coat that Michael particularly likes... and Melissa does not. I thought it produced some lovely results!

And now for out Endings set. I should not think of this set as an end... yet. Heather has been one of my students this year in my AP English Language & Composition course, as well on my yearbook staff. She is a tireless worker and a very giving individual... and she is testing out to leave high school early! Selfishly, I am sad that she will not be around school next year, but I know that she is heading out to do much bigger and better things... including doing some work as our assistant in the upcoming busy summer months! Since she is leaving school early, this is her "senior portrait session" even though she is not really one yet.

When the day of our shoot with Heather arrived, th sky was filled with clouds and rain. As we approached her family's orchard, the clouds seemingly parted from directly above our heads and the sun came out, even as rain fell just miles away. Here are a handful of shots, including some with her boyfriend Justin.

And then the rain started falling. Luckily, Heather was a good sport - even going barefoot in the rain!

For which she was rewarded... with a rainbow!

Some have said that Heather is the Hermione Granger of Gustine - she actually shares the character's initials. I can see from some of these portraits a reason for the comparison. (By the way, the rings on her hand were given to her by Justin. I love all things Celtic!)

So, here is to beginnings - Keira was born right on schedule to two extremely happy parents.
And to endings - Heather leaving GHS.
And to new beginnings, with wherever the future takes her!

~Melody