Anna has a smile which lights up a room! And a sweet spirit which shines just as brightly. Anna is a dancer and a violinist. My daughter Emily is her violin teacher, so I am lucky to get to see Anna often, and occasionally have the pleasure of accompanying her on the piano when she performs. She is delightful. I got to see her dance in the Christmas recital at Sonshine School of Dance in December, and it was so special for her to be one of the featured senior dancers. She is a lovely dancer, and she also assists with the 3 and 4 year old dancers…and I hear she is very, very popular with those little girls!  Anna loves to work with children, and I see teaching in her future.

Anna deserves to have her own post here on the blog because she is one special and beautiful girl! So here are some highlights of her senior session from a few months ago.

Anna, Glendale High School Class of 2013, Springfield, Missouri

I am proud of you!

If you know me, you probably know how much I love fall. It’s my favorite. October marks the beginning of three months of special-ness, and I just can’t get enough. The changing leaves, cool air, pumpkins, EVERYTHING! I have friends who love the fall as much as I do, and I also have friends who find it a sad time of year, hating to say goodbye to summer, wishing winter would say away. I am delighted for them in the summer, knowing how much they cherish long, hot days. But always, I am thinking about what is coming for me…that first frost, a fire in the fireplace, and making the most out of the daylight we have left. That golden, magic light, even more precious because it is quickly going south with the monarch butterflies and geese for the winter.

Today, I am looking forward to the many sessions in the coming weeks where we will get to take advantage of the colorful foliage. It made me go back in my archives and look at previous years’ autumn pictures. They span several years, so it was fun for me to revisit them. I thought perhaps I would share just a taste of autumns past here. Do you see anyone you know?

Can you see why I might be autumn’s biggest fan? I’ve already got the pumpkins out at home, I’ve made the first pumpkin pie of the season, there’s apple cider in the fridge, candy corn in the cabinet, and fur-lined moccasins on my feet. And a smile on my face and a song in my heart!

It is always a special treat to be asked to take senior pictures. Young adults are just fun to be around. They like to chat, they are willing to take suggestions for poses and places to go, and they often have great ideas of their own to share. They are up for any number of outfits and locations. I love high school seniors!

Lauren is graduating from Ozark High School. She told me she had been dreaming of having senior portraits since she was a little girl, so naturally she was automatically one of my favorite subjects ever! We found all kinds of pretty locations in and around Springfield and Ozark. And clearly, the camera loves Lauren! I had the best time with this beautiful girl and her nice mom and dad. There are too many good ones to show them all here, but this will give you an idea of how special Lauren is and what a nice afternoon we had:

You can see the day was warm and beautiful. It was a little windy, but it just gave Lauren’s hair a breezy, soft, easy look. The light as the sun was getting lower had that magical, golden quality I always look for and love. We visited a couple of country clubs and went to the Old Mill beside the Findley River. It’s always fun to bring your BFF along, too:

And we stopped by Lauren’s house to grab a few with a couple other BFFs, the four-legged kind. Abby and Jack have been Lauren’s buddies since she was just a little girl, so it wouldn’t be right to mark an important rite of passage without including them. Oh, these long-haired dachshunds, how sweet are they?! And so good to smile for the camera, too:

Lauren’s eyes are just so beautiful. Her mom remarked, “Those are the eyes I love.” while we were shooting. What a lovely thing to say. Her mom was really enjoying being with her daughter, and it was clear that Lauren was glad mom was there for this special day.

And I think we can all relate to this sweet photo, the last one we took that day. I think Lauren’s daddy is proud of his little girl, don’t you?

Lauren, you made my day by being so sweet, fun, and photogenic! Thank you so much for letting me take your senior photos. It is such a special and important time in your life. It is an honor for me to get to be a small part of it!

2013 seniors…spring is nearly full and summer is booking up fast! Visit my full website, Art From The Heart Photography, for even more examples of the type of beautiful senior photography you can expect. Also, you can expect to enjoy yourself as we make those photos you and your family have been looking forward to!