9.28.2022

Introducing: Hannah!

Hannah is a super special Senior Star to our family. She is my husband Brady's cousin. She was 2 years old when I started dating Brady and now she is grown up and pursuing her dreams! We are all so proud of her.

Hannah graduated this past June and has already began her coursework at Penn State this fall. Our family knows Hannah well and are cheering for her. We know she will do so well there as she pursues a degree in Biology.

Below you'll see some photos of this fantastic girl from her fall portrait session in 2021 as well as her spring gymnastics portrait session in 2022.

Education Plans:

Hannah says, "After my Undergrad, I want to apply to a dental school and eventually become an orthodontist. I have been interested in orthodontics since I got my braces on and I think it would be cool being able to transform people's smiles."

I asked Hannah if she could tell me about some memorable moments from her favorite hobby. I suggested maybe something fun, something she learned about herself, or a story that explains her love of that hobby. Her favorite activity is gymnastics. Here's what she said on those memorable moments.

"There are so many memories over the years that I have done gymnastics that I don't think I could pick a favorite. I really enjoyed being with my friends everyday and creating a bond with my teammates. I think I will keep that bond with them as I go through life."

The Gymnastics Session:

I must admit that I was nervous before this session. I just knew that I had to do a lot of reading on what shutter speed and flash intensities I would need to make that powder look crisp and not trailing. I wanted these images to have a bright quality and a lot of action. I asked questions of Hannah and her mom too on what look they wanted to go for in this special session. I read up on what kinds of powder to use for the portraits to get the most punch and where helpers needed to be standing to assist in getting that trail of motion in the exact right spot. I even practiced everything at home for my lighting so that all settings would be figured out before we arrived at the gym - knowing we had a lot of set up to make it all happen. (Set up included spreading tablecloths on the floor to protect everything and taping them all down so that Hannah wouldn't slip!)

When we got to work, I got in that great "play" mode of working and everything became fun because all of the technical stuff had already been figured out. Hannah had to go through her routines quite a few times to get the timing of my shutter click and her flip to be timed together. It was so much fun! Hannah was definitely quite covered in flour by the end of the session. Her mom was such a big help and had fun as well! We all had a good time together!

I love to ask graduating seniors where they find hope. I think that they are graduating in a world that has changed so much over their time in school and it is especially meaningful when they can show us where they find that spark of hope for their futures. I also think, however cheesy, that these kids are the world's future!  They can bring such great perspective to those of us who are older and more set in our thinking.

Here's what Hannah said about what brings her hope .

"I find hope through my mom. She has always been there for me - guiding me through life. She supports me through everything."

What a beautiful connection they have, right? I think it is one that we all hope for with our children and parents. I'm so glad that Hannah has that great relationship with her mom.

Congratulations!

We know this amazing person has such a bright future. She might even be able to fix your smile one day as she pursues her degrees and becomes an orthodontist. Until then, she makes many people smile every day. Congratulations to this Senior Star!

What am I about?

My business is about providing art opportunities in the Altoona community as well as portraiture photography work. As a creative person, I like to dabble in other areas that allow me to bear witness to others' lives and explore what brings us all together. Though If you would like to follow along, you can check out my last blog article or join my newsletter!

Grace and Peace,

Annie