#ThrowBackThursday Blog No. 4: CLASS OF 2021!

I was 16 years old when I discovered my love for photography and got my first camera, a Nikon D60. I remember being 17 at my Senior Portraits, which was a backyard of a studio with different sets... a swing, a barn door, a fence. It was not me AT ALL! I hated every minute of it and so badly wanted to be BEHIND the camera, not in front of it. I remember thinking, "If I become a photographer, I will NEVER do Senior portraits."

Young Kelly, Orchard Park High School, Class of 2010

Well, I became a photographer and throughout the first few years, I took Senior Portraits for family and friends. I didn't advertise it much because I hated my experience, I didn't want to put a teen through that. Then in 2019, I booked a Senior Session with Taryn, I absolutely loved it! I knew from college and photographing friends, I love doing solo portrait sessions and getting creative with one subject.

2020 was the year I fell in love with Senior Portraits! As the year went on and I booked more, I wanted to make sure I was capturing their personalities to the best of my ability by sending out questionnaires before the shoot, getting to know them personally and what they love, making sure the location was a place that they loved and getting a good idea of music so that I could make a curated playlist to make sure they felt badass and confident during the entire session. I had no idea Billie Eilish was so good!

It was refreshing to be around these Seniors, even going into a Senior year of remote learning, not seeing their friends or teachers, having to make a whole new school schedule from home! Every Senior I met in 2020 was positive and ready to enter Senior year, no matter what it looked like, I absolutely loved that energy and outlook on this weird pandemic year. I give the Class of 2021 a TON of credit for making it through this wild year.

I am so grateful each one of these lovely ladies trusted me to capture their personality in their final year of high school and it was a blast to do so! I loved hyping them up during the shoot and then hearing how happy and confident the photos made them! I can't wait for another summer of Seniors! Let's goo Class of 2022!!

Liz, Williamsville East High School, Class of 2021

Bri, Sweet Home High School, Class of 2021

Hayley, Lockport High School, Class of 2021

Jocelyn, Williamsville North High School, Class of 2021

Madison, Kenmore West High School, Class of 2021

Shay, Lockport High School, Class of 2021