Senior season is in full gear here at the studio and I couldn’t be more excited.  This is easily one of my favorite times of the year as the snow has melted, the days are longer, and I get to shoot outdoors again!  Even though Whitney and I were dealing with some incredible wind (by incredible I mean 30-40 mph wind gusts) on the day of her session, we still managed to work through the shoot and by the end we both decided just to work with the wind as we were both tired of fighting it.  Whitney and I had quite a bit in common and she really made me miss my days of teaching high school.  She is incredibly sweet, soft-spoken and smart!  So smart that she was one of 6 students accepted into a competitive college program for next fall.  I’m so excited for her to venture off to the next phase in her life!

In the art of photography there is so much potential to lose the subject in a sea of color, props and editing.  While it’s fun to scout new locations and utilize new backgrounds and environments, I find it very refreshing to scale back and let the focus stay solely on the person I am photographing.  On this particular portfolio/comp card shoot with Maeve, a model with Privileged Modeling Agency, I had an opportunity to do just that.  It was a nice change of pace and I love that I got to know Maeve in a way that allowed me to capture images that I believe truly convey her personality.

When I met my client for her shoot she was sitting at a table passing the time reading a book…I knew from that moment we would get along just fine!  Not only did we share a passion for books, but we also both love all things fashion, brick oven pizzas and a host of other things!  She is also from Como Park where I spent a few years coaching their varsity gymnastics team.  Needless to say, we had a wonderful time working together and neither of us could get over the summer-like temps outside!  It’s certainly not typical March weather in Wisconsin.

Within the first 5 minutes of my session with Megan I knew I was working with someone special.  What started out with a simple question about where she was planning to go to college led to a conversation about how she planned to go to medical school to study oncology.  She shared her mom’s cancer story and filled me in on a student group she started to support other families affected by cancer.  Megan works nearly full-time between several jobs, has an overwhelming course load including a few college classes, and volunteers with her student group.  I think it’s safe to say that Megan is not your ordinary high school senior.  She is one driven, passionate, and determined young lady.  Megan, I’m so proud of all the work you’re doing for a cause you so strongly believe in!  Best wishes as you finish out your final year of high school!

We have been so unbelievably spoiled this year with the weather.  Typically in October I’m shooting in multiple layers of clothing and I have to rely on my trusty mittens with the fingers cut off to get me through a shoot.  But not this year!  No, siree!  This year we’ve had well above average temperatures which has made my job so fun this season.  To be shooting outside with all the beautiful fall colors without feeling like I’ll have frostbite at the end of a session is such a treat!  Claire and I were able to spend a good portion of her session outdoors and dare I say that both of us even got a little hot when we were standing directly in the sun.  We had such a fun time together and by the end of the session I think we had shared more giggles than anyone else I’ve ever photographed before.  Perhaps we were both giddy over the unusually warm weather?!  At any rate, we had a blast and I had a hard time calling an end to the session.  Claire, have a great senior year at White Bear High School.  I’ll be anxious to hear where you decide to go to college!

Every time I photograph a high school boy I can’t help but think of what it will be like when my own sons grow up and are seniors.  It’s hard to believe how fast time is flying already and with the number of high school kids I see each and every year it is a constant reminder that all too soon my boys will be graduating.  As hard as it is to think about, when I photograph kids like Mitchell I’m filled with hope that maybe it won’t be so bad after all!  Mitchell, a Hill-Murray High School senior, is not only incredibly smart but he’s also an all-star soccer player (his club team just recently won the State Championship and went on to win the National Surf Cup Championship PLUS he’s the captain of his high school soccer team).  Additionally, Mitchell is a Student Council Representative, Link Leader, CARE Representative, and he volunteers regularly with various student groups.  The best part is that Mitchell didn’t utter a word about any of this. It wasn’t until I started prying him about how he spends his time that I started getting some of these details.  He was so vague and so unassuming about his accomplishments and that alone was impressive.   When I chatted with his mom I wasn’t surprised at all to hear that they have college recruiters from around the country knocking at his door.  Congratulations on all the things coming your way, Mitchell…you definitely deserve it!

It’s always so fun to photograph a younger sibling of a former Jamie Schultz Photography senior.  Back when Lauren’s older sister, Alex, came to the studio Lauren tagged along with us and I remember Lauren talking about how much she was looking forward to coming back to have her pictures taken.  The girls and I had a blast on Alex’s shoot so I’ve been looking forward to shooting Lauren ever since.   When she arrived for her session I suspected Alex might be off at college, but lo and behold Alex showed up to help her sister on the shoot.  Once again we chatted, giggled and giggled some more making it just as fun this time around as it was the last.  Lauren is gorgeous, smart and has an adorable personality which made her an absolute joy to work with.  Best wishes to you, Lauren as you finish out your senior year!

Genna, a Visitation High School senior, and I set out to do her senior pictures with the hopes of beating an impending storm that was slowly moving into the area.  Luckily Genna was a complete natural in front of the camera so it didn’t take long to work through the frames.  Towards the end of the session we ventured out into a huge open field and decided to wrap up the shoot out there.  We started chatting as we were walking and stopped to shoot somewhere along the way…little did we know just how far off the beaten path we’d gone.  As you may have guessed it started to downpour so off we ran as fast as our legs would carry us.  By the time we were in the car we were both laughing hysterically…I’m sure it was quite a site for anyone who may have seen us.  Genna, I hope you have a great senior year!  Best wishes to you!

Haley, an East Ridge High School senior, came out to the studio a few weeks ago for her high school senior session and I knew immediately upon seeing the red pants she brought with her that we’d be fast friends.  After I finished drooling over her wardrobe and shoes we ventured out for her photo shoot and had a blast roaming from place to place looking for just the right locations.  It was such a fun shoot and I loved her mom’s e-mail I received just minutes after sending them their preview slideshow.  I love those e-mails!  Haley, here’s to a wonderful senior year!

Well, it’s official…we are in full-on high school senior shooting season here at Jamie Schultz Photography and what a year it’s been so far!  This year’s seniors are so charismatic, ambitious and not to mention beautiful.  Maddie, an East Ridge High School senior, was certainly no exception.  Listening to her talk about some of the activities she’s involved with at school and her plans for college made me realize that Maddie is an incredibly hard worker which I know will take her far in life.  Her mom and her sister came along for the shoot and together we had such a wonderful time together.  Maddie, Becky & Summer, thanks again for coming out for Maddie’s session…I enjoyed spending time with all of you!  Maddie, I wish you the very best as you head into your senior year.