Senior Rep: Kishan P.

You'll never guess where I first met Kishan... a Mary Kay debut! No, really! (BTW... he wasn't there to try out the makeup.) He came to support our mutual friend (and my new MK recruit), Numa, and let me tell you it takes a special kind of guy to brave a Mary Kay party for a friend! We had a lot of fun at that debut, and there were actually two other guy friends who came so he wasn't too badly outnumbered. But who would have known I'd find one of my MALE Senior Reps there that day!

Kishan is one of the students you WANT to represent your business. He is responsible, prompt at returning emails or texts/calls, and takes direction well. He made sure he knew exactly what would be required of him BEFORE he accepted the Rep position, and he isn't afraid to ask when he doesn't understand something. I like that!

Kishan also brings a new diversity to my senior photography. His family is Indian, and he grew up speaking Gujarati at home. So of course I had to include some photos of him in his awesome Shervani (Indian attire). Fun new territory for me! I like a challenge! Enjoy browsing his photos and look for great things in the future from this Senior from North Gwinnett High!

Senior Rep: Kaitlyn P.

On Saturday my day started off a little rocky. My tigers gave up a big loss to Clemson, and broke their 17-0 record. Sniff... sniff... What could be a better pick-me-up than a senior photo shoot?... especially when it's with someone as special as Kaitlyn.

Sometimes God amazes me at how he uses seemingly unconnected things and brings them together in very unexpected ways. When we moved back to Georgia, I accepted a 6 week substitute teaching position at Gwinnett High School for a Spanish I teacher out on maternity leave. I went into it thinking I was doing it to help earn a little extra money to pay for the various projects we had planned for our new house. Little did I know that from the contacts I made there would come a future Bride (Jen M.) and my newest Senior Rep (then Sophomore) Kaitlyn P.

Kaitlyn was a good student in Spanish I and was always very respectful, but sadly after I left North Gwinnett, I didn't expect to see her or most of the other students I had taught again. A sad part of being a sub is leaving behind the students you've connected with.

Later that same school year when my little man was just 6 weeks months old, I just "happened" to meet Kaitlyn again at a park, and she gave me her number for babysitting in the future. (Thank you, Lord, for divine appointments!) Fast forward 1 1/2 years... Kaitlyn is a beautiful Senior now and was looking for a photographer who could offer her something more than the traditional posed portraits. How perfect that God brought her to my mind when I began looking for North Gwinnett Reps! After a few emails back and forth, she agreed to be my female Senior Rep for North!

We couldn't have asked for better weather on Saturday... the sky was a perfect blue with just the faintest wispy clouds scattered here and there, and the temperature was warm but much more bearable than the 90+ weather we've been enduring for months. And my "model"... well, let me just say, "Kaitlyn belongs in front of a camera!" She just falls into poses naturally without looking stiff and she takes direction well, not to mention that she is just fun to be around!

Kaitlyn... you are gorgeous... really, you are. Not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. :) I know you'll make a great dental hygienist one day, and I'll be proud to bring my kids to you so you can keep their teeth pearly white and ready for their paparazzi mommy! ;)

And without further-a-do... here are some beautiful photos of this beautiful girl!

Senior Rep: Josh A.

Meet Josh...

He is the son of one of my husband's coworker's, and he bravely volunteered to be a Senior Portrait "guinea pig" at my newly discovered portrait location in Cowpens, SC. Josh is a Senior from Inman, SC, and when he graduates he plans to study medicine and become a pediatrician. You go, Josh!

That Wednesday was a beautiful SC summer day, but boy was it hot! I know poor Josh was dying to get done with these photos and get back into his shorts and t-shirt! But he was such a good sport about it. He totally went with the flow, which included sitting on the steaming hot railroad tracks so I could get a shot (or two... or three), running back to my van (by himself) for quick outfit change, and helping me figure out how we could pose him with his tennis racket (a new challenge for me). Josh even gave up his weekly pre-church hangout time with his friends to be my Senior model! Thanks, Josh! The light was still a little harsh so we had to carefully play with where I placed him, but the final product was buenisimo! That's "awesome" for all you non-Spanish-speakers out there. Thanks, Josh, for being my "guinea pig" and on top of that being open to becoming my first 2012 Senior Rep!

On the lookout for locations...

Well… we’re still up in Spartanburg with “Dada,” and we had a full day today. This morning we decided to get up with Jim at 6:30 and drop him off at work so we could have the car for the whole day instead of just the afternoon. It was a crazy start to our morning. After we left Dada at his office, we headed down southeast of Spartanburg to check out Glendale, Pacolet and Glenn Springs on the hunt for more photo locations. While Pacolet and Glenn Springs were rather disappointing (unless I just missed the “coolness” somehow), Glendale was even more awesome than I could have imagined! (Bet the suspense is killing you! Photos to come soon!) There were unending photo possibilities there- a stream complete with a small waterfall, an old bridge, remnants of a mill, a small amphitheater, and an old brick post office building across the street. The best part? It is on a different side of Spartanburg (SPB) than Cowpens, so it will be another great option that I can suggest to my clients living in that part of the SPB area. YAY! My little man was a good little trooper, although he did scare me to death on several occasions. When Mama put her camera up to her eye, he was on the gravel path well away from the river’s edge, and two seconds later, he was headed to the water at breakneck speed. Ahhhhh!!! When we finally headed back to the car after tramping through wet grass, sand and gravel, we were covered with grass and dirt, and his pants were wet from sitting down in the dew-covered clearing. Needless to say, we were both ready for a rest! (And Mama made a mental note to NOT go out with him again while the grass is still dew-soaked.)

After our adventure, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. While my buddy got some zzzzz’s, I caught up with some clients and made some other phone calls, and then we made our way back to Dada’s office to meet up with the son of one of his co-workers who volunteered to be my guinea pig for a senior shoot in Cowpens! Can’t believe I already got a chance to use my new favorite spot! Afterwards, we headed out to check out a few neighborhoods, and finally made our way back to the hotel. Phew! It was a long day, but it was a good one too… and the best part was coming home as a family tonight!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

I’ll share more on Joshua’s Senior portrait shoot in a later post, but to ease your suspense, here’s a sneak peak. :) Enjoy!

Senior Portrait Discount!!!!

Those of you who are seniors or know seniors who still need to have their senior portraits taken before graduation, please read and pass on the information below!

This spring I am hoping to really add to my Senior Portrait portfolio, so I am offering a discount to seniors who book a session with me in MARCH or APRIL 2011. EVERY senior who 1) likes my TJBA facebook page and 2) books a session in March or April will receive 20% off their print purchase of $50 or more. Additonally, the 1st THREE seniors who book will also receive 50% off their sitting fee.

If you know of any seniors who are looking for professional outdoor portraits at a reasonable price, please pass this info on to them! Sample Senior Portraits and my prices are available on my website: http://www.thejourneybyally.com/. Please email me for more information at thejourneybyally@gmail.com.

Allyson

NOTE: For those of you in Tallahassee, I will be in town March 19-27, and if you book that week the above discounts will apply to you as well!

Jordan S. Senior Session

Jordan is another family friend who also goes to my church back home. His mom actually designed my awesome logo, and his dad is our mission pastor. As it happens, a mission trip to Nicaragua is where Jordan and I first really got to know each other. It was really special to watch how he played with children in the poor village where we worked, never letting the language barrier keep him from loving on the them, and if all else failed he just made up words and used hand signals. Something like, “Walko el churcho,” which is the Jordanese dialect of Spanish for “Let’s walk to the church”. What a trip that was!

Although I know Jordan only agreed to senior portraits for his mom’s sake, he was a good sport about it, and kept me in stitches the whole time we were shooting. With his kind heart and jovial personality, I know he’ll go far!

Katelyn B. Senior Session

Katelyn’s family and mine have been friends for YEARS. They are some of the most dedicated members of our church back home, and our moms are best friends. So when her mom asked me if I would do her senior photos, I was honored! MacClay Gardens State Park provided a beautiful background to complement an already beautiful Senior-ita. Katelyn was so much fun to shoot because she was totally up for the wacky stuff I suggested, and it totally portrayed her fun-loving personality. We had an wonderful time, and I really hope that I get the honor of photographing her wedding one day (in the DISTANT future, Mrs. Vicki)! Thank you both for the laughs and an all-around awesome senior shoot!

Katelyn got this tatoo in honor of her best friend, Morgan, who was killed in a car accident in January 2009. So of course I made sure we got a couple of cute photos of it.

Emily and Leah (continued)

Here are a few more pictures from the shoot with Emi and Leah that I just had to share! ENJOY!