Some assignments make me feel older.
I knew Lauralee’s parents when they were in high school–and I was, too. I remember her brother in a carseat, Lauralee as a toddler. Such a sweet child; I photographed her numerous times when she was younger. One of those images went into an artist’s portfolio that was collected by Portland collectors. Another, a favorite of mine, is of Lauralee in my wife’s dress, draped in a tree at Rose City Golf:
Time marches on, and in my experience, children are the most obvious reminder of this truth. (Kids I photographed in my Adolescence series just a few years ago are now college graduates.) While I wasn’t looking, and while her world whirled around her, Lauralee grew up.
Apparently, she’s been telling her mom for a couple of years now that she wanted me to photograph her senior portraits. (Lauralee’s dad is a photographer, and she’s been photographed by Jock Sturges as well, so I was honored to be her chosen favorite.) So she was pretty excited to get together for a session.
She’s an interesting kid, with a fun wardrobe (some of which she’s made herself). So we had fun going through her closet, looking at various outfits and costumes. Good clothing makes a big difference in a photo shoot, and I always like having an interesting palette to work with. We photographed just up the hill from her house, at Rocky Butte (another of Portland’s hidden treasures), and came up with some creative images.
Now, when the time comes to photograph her wedding, I’ll really feel old.
