Category Archives: senior

SENIORS + VALENTINES DAY 2014

Senior portraits caused me to fall in love with photography, there is no doubt in my mind. I had taken pictures of many things throughout the years of having a camera, but no landscape, flower, animal or machine impacted me the way those young women and men did. I am older every year (science), although I don’t feel it. I attribute a good deal of my my false sense of youth 🙂 to the amazing high school seniors I spend time with. It may not be the fountain of youth, but it certainly does help.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” The quote is from the book of Proverbs, in the bible, and when I saw the second half  tattooed on the shoulder of a senior this last fall, it made me think about what an underrated skill that is. To laugh without fear of the future shows both restraint and abandon, all at the same time. To restrain yourself from worry and fear in a manner that allows you to give into joy, fully, to the point of laughter… well, that’s no small accomplishment. Equally so, graduating high school and moving into the next phases of life is something to be proud of. Academic success comes easy to some, and to others it is a fight. Popularity lives side-by-side with the outcast. The dramas of high school seem ultimately important at the time, although many of them will be something to laugh at later in life. It takes work to to spend those years wisely, and to take advantage of the opportunities.

So, congratulations to the nearly graduated, I hope you make the most of the time that’s left in your high school career. I hope you can laugh without fear of the future and do so while clothed in both strength and dignity… and maybe most importantly, allow others to do the same. High five.

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YOU’RE ALMOST THERE! Finish strong, and go make the world a better place.

jay eads senior photographer

SENIORS + VALENTINES DAY 2013

I just wanted to give a big Valentines Day high-five to the class of 2013. You’re almost there. You have so much ahead of you, so much you can accomplish. So much life to live. I am looking at my 20th high school reunion year, and it is sort of unbelievable how much has happened and changed over those years. Going from the life of a teenager, full of potential and miles ahead, to the settled-in world of a father-of-two slash husband is a bit like being in two places at once, with full memory of both places, although one feels like a lifetime ago. Life moves fast, and you have the opportunity to affect lives, and possibly even the world. It’s not hyperbole, it’s the truth. You may invent the next iPhone, discover the cure for cancer, fight for civil-rights in Washington, be the mom who lovingly raises her children through thick and thin, or any number of options. As many options of who to be and what to do as there are stars in the sky. Don’t waste your opportunities.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.” – Fred “Mr. Rogers” Rogers

Thanks for letting me come along for a bit of the ride… you make everything more fun, and help me feel young(ish), and remind me that the future has many stars. Now, go make the world a better place.

jay eads senior photographer

FULL DISCLOSURE, some of these images are college seniors, some belated senior sessions, some Mr. Irish/Lancer images, and some in military Humvees 🙂

SENIORS + VALENTINES DAY 2012

I started out shooting seniors because they showed interest. I didn’t realize how much I would love it. So this is my high-five valentine for all the seniors who shoot with me, past, present, and future. You have no idea how fun you make my job. I got a Formspring question recently, asking if I would do a senior post on my blog… that’s when I realized how long it had been. So, here’s to finishing out the 2012 school year, and to the 2013 seniors who are starting to make plans. You all rock.

Be sure to click the link to see the full post, it’s a monster.

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WARNING… THIS IS A HUGE POST. THERE IS A LOT MORE AFTER THE JUMP 😉   (more…)

 

Go do something kind for someone who doesn't expect it.