I love Derek!
I know I say that about all my clients because they’re all such amazing people, but seriously – if I were in high school and not as old as I am ;), Derek would be one of my besties. I had such a great time shooting his moody senior portraits in Flagstaff with him and one of my other clients, Michelle. I love that Derek is not an overbearing person but can still be fun and laugh a lot. Also, he seems to be a super hard worker which is something I really value in people I admire.
Derek and I had such a great shoot day since Michelle is his friend and tagged along, and I had my assistant there who also goes to school with them both. It made for a fun time since we all sort of felt like we knew each other. My favorite part about Derek’s moody senior portraits in Flagstaff were the two really unique locations we utilized to make them have that moody vibe in the first place. We were on a photoshoot but it also felt like we were exploring.
Aside from the shoot day, something I knew I wanted to mention about Derek is the two amazing lady role models he has in his life – his mama and his grandma. One of my favorite things about being a photographer is the fact that I have it set up so that when I do my in-person photo reveal with each one, I get to meet some of my clients’ families. I feel so blessed to encounter such great people who love my clients even more than me. It makes me feel like I get to know my clients even better which is something I really set as a priority – being friends with my clients versus doing the shoot and sending them on their way.
Derek’s mom and grandmother were such a pleasure to meet and converse with. His grandma chatted with me a lot while Derek and his mom were picking out their favorite images, and it was not only hilarious but so adorable and endearing. She had a lot of great stories to tell especially about Flagstaff and the way things “used to be.” Both women are such a treasure, and Derek is fortunate to have them in their lives.
It was hard to pick just a few of my favorites to post on social media, so I’m grateful I can choose all my favorites and post them here! Congrats on your upcoming graduation from Flagstaff High School, Derek! I can’t wait to see where life takes you.
(OMG, I’m crying.)
