The first week of summer has passed, and with it, total leisure time for my kiddos. We’re back on a schedule for screens, and have started up summer “home-school-light” for Ruben and Ellie.
But last week, the day after Memorial Day, there was one event of great significance: Natalie had her first day as a college student! We are tremendously proud of her hard work in achieving this scholarship opportunity to enroll in college while finishing her last two years of high school. She will be busy these next two years! But I have confidence in her: She is a force to be reckoned with!
I took this with my phone as she exited the van her first day. Then I grinned all the way home.
I talked with Natalie about doing a “starting college photo shoot” — as one does — and floated the idea of going over to the college early in the morning on Friday (they are closed Fri-Sun in the summer) when it would be both cooler and quiet and we’d have the run of the place. At first she was unenthused, but then she figured out a way to finagle it so that if I paid for her to get highlights in her hair, then she would HAPPILY and ENTHUSIASTICALLY agree to the photo shoot. How I find myself in these situations… well anyway, ended up agreeing to that hit-to-my-wallet, and she got her highlights done on Saturday, so I figured this Friday would be the day.
I wanted to do a trial run on a morning session, so this morning when I drove her to her morning class, I brought Ellie along (and Jake, to help me with my chair), and we went to a nearby park to do some photos. Let me tell you, it was a valuable learning experience. The first thing I learned is that I can’t expect my model to cooperate very well if she is hungry. I’d planned to “reward” her with Dunkin’ Donuts afterward, but should definitely have done that first. Nota Bene.
The second thing I learned is that no way, no how, am I going to be able to do a morning photo shoot, unless it’s miraculously a cloudy day. The light is insane at that time of day!
So these were the only ones that turned out alright. I took them in the shade in front of the library, which is beside the lake with the fountain, which was where I really wanted to shoot, but due to the blinding light, none of those pics were usable.
More photos will be coming, hopefully, later in the week. I’m certain the evening light will be much more conducive to portraits, if I can manage the heat! Will bring water.
