Cutting to the Chase: High-Quality Senior Portraits are not only a tradition, they are a ceremony of sorts, denoting a child's crossover to adulthood.  Don't let this opportunity pass without documenting this stage in their life with a portrait to remember, and quite possibly the only portrait they will ever have that truly focuses on them and what makes them who they are.

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Throughout all of history, cultures have celebrated the transition from teenage years into adulthood.  Parties and celebrations are thrown, traditions are followed, and we experience a wild range of emotions.  All of these events create memories, but without high-quality portraits, these are just memories.  It is the high-quality portraits that help keep these memories alive.

High School Senior Portraits are truly an American phenomenon dating all the way back to the 1800s.  For a moment in time, teenagers are transformed into fashion models making a statement.  For a moment in time, memories are created.  For a moment in time, the high school senior can demonstrate to the world who they are.  Even so, many people don't realize the importance of high school senior portraits. 

High School Senior Portraits are an opportunity to visually capture one of the most important times in a person's life.  Whether it is sports, fashion, hobbies, or quite frankly, just making a statement, a high-quality photographer specializes in helping the high school senior share who they are with the world.

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Do you realize this transition from being a teenager to an adult, from a high schooler to a graduate, will likely be the last time pictures are exchanged with friends?  Think about it - how often do folks past their senior year in high school do this?  NEVER!  Let's face it, there are some of the classmates that will never see each other again.  This once united class will disperse to different colleges, different cities, different occupations, different hobbies, different friends, and soon these classmates will find their high school years to be little more than memories.  One of the more enjoyable walks down memory lane one day will be flipping through these portraits of their friends, and who knows, the memories that reignited that day may very well reignite a friendship.

It's not all about the memories though, is it?  Let's be real, high school senior portraits are FUN, high-quality images!  How often do you get an opportunity to have a fashion shoot?  How often do you get to make the shoot all about you?  How often does a photo shoot really show a snapshot of your life?  High school seniors have one opportunity to show the world who they are in a really creative way.  A high-quality photographer will take the time to get comfortable with the student, and despite their hesitations, their comfort will rise, and the images produced will be a remarkable mirror of the best things in their life.

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For many people, their high school senior portraits will be the last portrait they ever have taken.  We leave high school and suddenly things like portraits don't have the same significance they once did.  Unfortunately, many of us won't reach a point in our lives where that significance returns until we have a graduating senior ourselves.  Sadly, for some this is all too true, and the senior portraits end up being the one thing that keeps the memory of their child alive.  Thankfully that is not a challenge most of us live with, however, but not having high-quality portraits of our loved ones is a challenge you will face from now on, which makes a high-quality senior portrait all the more important.

If we get right down to it, life is gonna change.  Senior portraits are fun for the upcoming graduate, but in reality, these portraits are for the parents.  The child you have raised for 18 or so years is never going to be the same.  They will soon move on to college or the workforce, and the recent memories you have now will become more and more distant.  High-quality high school senior portraits are a way to preserve this part of their life - to keep these memories alive.

One of my favorite bands throughout my life has been Huey Lewis and the News, and though I was pleasantly shocked to see that they were playing near my hometown in Paducah, Kentucky, I didn't purchase tickets.  Then, at the last minute, The Paducah Sun had a ticket giveaway on Facebook, and I thought, "Why not?"  I really forgot about it after that until I saw the next day that I had won!

The concert was great and was really my favorite era of their music - the "Sports" album.  While they generally stuck to these songs, they did play one new song.  The crowd was enthusiastic, and became more that way as the night went on.  When Huey Lewis claimed the night was late at 8:50 PM, the crowd begged for me, and Huey Lewis and the News obliged.  

Here is one of my favorite shots from the night, but I really had a hard time deciding.  If you are a fan, I encourage you to check out the whole set.

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"The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!"

~Ansel Adams, Photographer

Image courtesy of Wikipedia