Oh, senior guys. There’s a special corner of my heart reserved just for them. They roll into their senior photo sessions with that unmistakable air of “I’m only here because Mom made me,” and honestly, I respect it. But that’s where my secret weapon comes in—years of training with three brothers. I know how to poke, prod, and nudge a smile or two out of even the most stoic of senior dudes. Sometimes it’s a smashing success; other times, it’s crickets. But hey, it’s the effort that counts, right?
Parker, though? He wasn’t a tough nut to crack at all. He smiled when I asked, followed directions like a pro, and genuinely made my job feel easy. That said, I always like to push the creative envelope during sessions. After all, who wants to scroll through the same old poses session after session? Not me. Luckily, La Purisima Mission has its own way of keeping things fresh. As the seasons change, so does this magical location. September gave us a mix of golden, almost autumnal leaves and vibrant, green backdrops that were just begging to have Parker plopped right in the middle of them. And plopped he was—hat and all.
Ah, yes, the hat. Parker’s beloved baseball cap never left his head, not even for a second. While I was dying to capture those incredible curls hiding underneath, I get it. The hat is Parker. It’s part of who he is right now, and my job is to capture seniors as they are—not as I think they should be. Besides, there’s something so delightfully nostalgic about the thought of him looking back at these photos years from now, maybe rolling his eyes and saying, “Mom, why didn’t you make me take that hat off?”
Walking the perimeter of the Mission with Parker and his mom, we chatted about everything from the “Big Game” (a tough loss for Lompoc) to the undeniable pride of Cabrillo Conquistadors this year. It’s these little moments that make every session special—capturing not just the smiles, but the personality, the quirks, and the stories behind them.
Congrats, Parker, on this milestone moment and the exciting adventures ahead. May your curls (and your cap) carry you confidently into the next chapter!
