We met on a chilly fall morning...
...at Highbanks Metro Park for Sadat's senior portrait session. His mother had only two things she wanted me to understand: 1) he wasn't too keen to take photos in the first place but 2) if he must, he wanted to incorporate some of his cross-country gear in his photos! I wasn't surprised - it's not easy being in front of a camera. I'm a photographer who often practices on myself and even I hate being in front of the camera. So I got it. In many ways, I saw many of my clients and myself in Sadat.
But, because I recognized that he was a senior who just wanted to show us a piece of himself, I decided to focus on that. No silly and stiff poses that felt forced, but just a guy who loves to run with his spikes in hand, standing in ways that felt natural to him. We chatted about his practices, how many shoes he's had to purchase due to cross-country, the things he liked to do with his friends after school... taking photos was just an activity in the background while we got to know each other a bit. And let me just brag a little - the photos turned out amazing! But my opinion is only secondary - Sadat himself came to me later to tell me how much he appreciated his photos. In his remarks, I felt like I really did capture him, not an avatar, but really... just a piece of him.
And in return, I got a great conversation out of the session... one that allowed me to reminisce a little about senior year in high school - late nights with friends, practices and meets, and making big decisions for the future.
