I'd photographed Adrian before, and let's just say he'd rather be anywhere else than having his senior portraits taken. But when I see that, I see a challenge, and Adrian wasn’t going to rattle me. Part of being a photographer is noticing things, and with Adrian, it was clear he was most comfortable when that basketball was in his hands. His face lit up. He could toss it around and actually have something to do with his hands, because ultimately, that’s what we all worry about—what to do with our hands.
It was something special to see his mood shift. While he gave some great serious looks, like most seniors do, I was really glad to coax some smiles out of him too. I thought he might give me a harder time with my directions, but he followed them like a professional; everything except for the fake laugh, and that’s okay.
Thank you, Adrian, for trusting me to capture this special time.
